January/February 2014 Issue

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ON THE TOWN

January/February 2014

Laurent Laurent Rea Rea Voca Voca People People Asian Asian Festival Festival Alain Alain Dubernard Dubernard Jewish Jewish Film Film Festival Fesiival Beyond Beyond Love Love Exhibition Exhibition Becky Becky Crouch-Patterson Crouch-Patterson Plus Plus 11 11 Additional Additional Articles Articles

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Features

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Cover Credits

January and February Performances Get 2014 off to a Flying Start So Much to See! Get Some Tickets and Go!

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Front Cover Photo: Julian Kuerti Courtesy San Antonio Symphony

The Voca People: Out of This World Entertainment

San Antonio Chamber Music Society Celebrating 71 Seasons

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Performing Arts Cover Photo Ghost The Musical Tour Carla R. Stewart © Joan Marcus 2013

Texas State Pulls the Wraps of New Performing Arts Center this Spring

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Alain Dubernard, Sweet Success

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Dry Comal Creek Vineyards & Winery Pioneers of Black Spanish Grape Cultivation in Texas

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Fig Tree Restaurant’s Chef Laurent Rea

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Museums and Art Centers Offer Incredible Exhibitions for the New Year

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Literary Arts Cover Photo: Greg Harrison

Robert Indiana: Beyond Love On View at the McNay Art Museum February 5 to May 25

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Eclectics Cover Photo: Photo by Greg Harrison

On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour February 22-23

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Events Calendar Cover Photo: Jian Wang Courtesy San Antonio Symphony Culinary Arts Cover Photo: Photo by Greg Harrison Visual Arts Cover Photo: Photo by Greg Harrison

A Couple’s Collection 66 San Antonio’s Dr. Harmon and Harriet Kelley Share the Story Behind Their African-American Art Collection JCC Jewish Film Festival Puts Its Mission into Focus

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Asian Festival 2014: Year of the Horse

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Lair Creative, LLC would not knowingly publish misleading or erroneous information in editorial content or in any adv appear under any circumstances. Additionally, content in this electronic magazine does not necessarily reflect the view mances and exhibits, it is recommended that all times and dates of such events be confirmed by the reader prior to at

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Departments

Contributors

Events Calendar

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Pinch Pennies & Dine Well Happy Birthday to Me! Free Dining Opportunities are the Order of the Day

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Mikel Allen, creative director / graphic designer

Jack Fishman Greg Harrison, staff photographer

Betsy Beckmann

Aliyah Kuchinsky

James Benavides Book Talk Becky Crouch Patterson, Artist and Author Out & About With Greg Harrison

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Christian Lair, operations manager / webmaster

Jayme Blaschke Kfir Bolotin

Kay Lair

Olivier J. Bourgoin (aka, Olivier the Wine Guy)

Eric Lane

Julie Catalano Thomas Duhon

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Marlo Mason-Marie Susan A. Merkner, copy editor Daniela Oliver-Portillo

OnTheTownEzine.com is published by Lair Creative, LLC 14122 Red Maple San Antonio, Texas 78247 210-771-8486 210-490-7950 (fax)

Chris Dunn Maurie Elbel Ashley Festa

vertisement in On The Town Ezine.com, nor does it assume responsibility if this type of editorial or advertising should ws or opinions of the management of Lair Creative, LLC. Since On The Town Ezine.com features information on perforttendance. The publisher assumes no responsibility for changes in times, dates, venues, exhibitions or performances.

Chandler Prude Sara Selango Jasmina Wellinghoff

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Performing Arts 8-22

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JANUARY AND FEBRUARY PERFORMAN

So much to see! Get some tickets and go!

By Sara Selango

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NCES GET 2014 OFF TO A FLYING START!

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ig things are happening in the performing arts in San Antonio and the surrounding area during January and February of shiny new 2014. Please allow me to get the ball rolling by dropping some very impressive names, starting with Kristin Chenoweth, Willie Nelson and Gordon Lightfoot, all of whom are scheduled to appear at the legendary Majestic Theatre during this two-month period. Another trio of marquee names coming to town includes Martina McBride, Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson who will perform at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo at the AT&T Center along with the likes of Rascal Flatts, Dierks Bentley, Montgomery Gentry, Heart and more.

You can also look forward to Luciana Souza and Dr. Lonnie Smith gracing the Jo Long Theatre stage at the Carver Community Cultural Center in the first month of the new year as well.

Continuing with the same line of thinking, big names are booked in smaller cities too. A few miles to the west, The Ten Tenors and The Stepcrew appear at Champions HS Auditorium for Boerne Performing Arts in January and February respectively. A bit further up the same road, Mel Tillis plays Kerrville’s Kathleen

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C. Cailloux Theater in January followed by The Glenn Miller Orchestra at the same venue in February. To the north in New Braunfels, The Oakridge Boys highlight the January schedule at the Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre with BJ Thomas doing the same for February.

January and February also offer two festivals of extreme note. Beginning in early January and concluding in early February is the Dvorak Festival, presented by the San Antonio Symphony. Performances include Dvorak Cello Concerto with Jian Wang, Dvorak Symphony No. 6 featuring pianist Michel Dalberto, Dvorak Violin Concerto with Nancy Zhou, Dvorak - Rusalka in Concert in conjunction with The Opera San Antonio and Dvorak – New World Symphony. Sebastian LangLessing conducts them all at the Majestic.

Camerata San Antonio, Musical Offerings and Olmos Ensemble will also feature Dvorak compositions in their programming for January and February.

Musical Bridges Around the World presents The International Music Festival, Music Without Borders, at Trinity University over two weekends starting on

Feb. 22 and ending on March 2. Performances at Laurie Auditorium include Charles Lloyd with Gerald Clayton, Entre Flamenco, Compania de Teatro Lirico’s Ernesto Lecuona and Kinan Azmeh with Sandeep Das and the St. Petersburg String Quartet. Duo Amal is scheduled for Ruth Taylor Recital Hall. Musical Bridges also offers Dos Virtuosos at San Fernando Cathedral Jan. 12. Violinist Andres Cardenes and pianist Baya Kabouberi are featured.

Lo-An Lin and conductor Julian Kuerti. Slipping into the first day of March, San Antonio International Piano Competition’s Piano Series provides you with the opportunity to enjoy the Long Duo at St. Mark’s Presbyterian.

Moving along to dance, Arts San Antonio brings Pilobolus Dance Theater to the Majestic in midJanuary, Los Vivancos to the Lila Cockrell in midFebruary and Celtic Nights to the Majestic at the end In other classical music performances, SOLI Chamber of that month. Ballet San Antonio performs Firebird Ensemble offers a performance titled Present on at the Jo Long Theatre Feb. 14-15 and Rennie Harris Jan. 13-14 at Gallery Nord the first evening followed RHAW takes the Jo Long stage as well in a performance

by Ruth Taylor Recital Hall at Trinity on the second for The Carver Community Cultural Center Feb. 21. The night. Fredericksburg Musical Club brings in Mezzo- Stepcrew, previously mentioned, is also in the mix.

Soprano Kathryn Findlen Jan. 19 plus violinist Kirsten Yon Feb. 16 and Tempest Trio plays for San Antonio Ghost The Musical highlights live theater perforChamber Music Society Jan. 26. Mid-Texas Symphony mances during January and February with its offers We’ve Got Your Bach Feb. 16 in New Braunfels Broadway in San Antonio run at the Majestic Jan. while Storm and Stress – Symphonic Adventures by 21-26. Late Nite Catechism, also a touring show, Symphony of the Hills takes place on the next to last plays the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre Feb. day of February in Kerrville. SA Symphony features 18-23. Local productions include Company at The two more performances too. They are Plante Conducts Playhouse San Antonio, The Mountaintop by the Baroque and Gershwin Piano Concerto with pianist Renaissance Guild at the Little Carver Theatre,

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When You Comin’ Back Red Ryder at the Sheldon Vexler, Into the Woods at the Woodlawn, Death of a Salesman by The Classic Theatre of San Antonio at the Woodlawn Black Box, Portmanteaux at the Overtime and Dial M for Murder at Harlequin Dinner Theatre. The Cameo Theatre features the Texas premiere of Suds: The Rocking 60s Musical Soap Opera throughout February. Out-of-towners are Happily Ever Laughter by Playhouse 2000 in Kerrville, God of Carnage followed by Sleuth at Boerne Community Theatre and Little Shop of Horrors by Fredericksburg Theater Company. Live theater afficianados can also see National Theatre’s War Horse in an onscreen presentation Feb. 27 at Santikos Rialto and Cinemark McCreless Market Theater.

the Santikos Rialto, Cielo Vista 18, Huebner Oaks 14 and McCreless Market Theater. A recorded encore performance plays on Feb. 12.

I must end with a list of other several other great performances in January-February. The Spirit of Michael Jackson: A Live Concert Experience and Shine On! The Definitive Pink Floyd Experience get the year off to a flying start at the Majestic Jan. 3 and 4. America’s Favorite Music, the Jan. 11 Symphony of the Hills Pops show in Kerrville and the Jan. 19 performance of Elvis Lives! at the Majestic should prove to be exceptionally entertaining as well.

Nostalgia reins on Jan. 25 with two shows of In The Mood: A 1940s Musical Revue at the Lila Cockrell and mid-February brings A Broadway Valentine by Opera news includes a collabortation between the San Antonio Symphony Pops.

Opera Piccola San Antonio and Alamo Arts Ballet Theatre to present Dvorak Tone Pictures at Our Specific information for all mentioned perforLady of the Lake’s Thiry Auditorium Jan. 25. Opera mances is available in the Events Calendar of this Piccola follows this with La Curendera & Bastien and electronic magazine.

Bastienne Feb. 15-16 at Charline McCombs Empire Theatre. The Metropolitan Opera continues its on- So much to see! Get some tickets and go! screen presentations with Rusalka live on Feb. 8 at

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Photo Credits:

Pages 12-13 (L-R)

Pages 8-9

In The Mood: 1940s Musical Revue Courtesy inthemoodlive.com

Pilobolus Dance Theatre Courtesy pilobolus.com Pages 10-11 (L-R) Kristin Chenoweth Courtesy Majestic Theatre Ghost The Musical Tour Steven Grant Douglas and Katie Postotnik Š Joan Marcus 2013

Late Night Catechism Courtesy Charline McCombs Empire Theatre Nancy Zhou Courtesy San Antonio Symphony Luciana Souza Photo by Bob Wolfenson

Willie Nelson Courtesy Majestic Theatre The Stepcrew Courtesy stepcrew.com

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The Voca People: Out of This World Entertainment

By Julie Catalano Photography Kfir Bolotin

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fans of a cappella music. They wondered, how do you break down songs like Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody ’ into just sounds and vocal parts?’”

The Voca People began life inside the heads of creator, producer, and artistic director Lior Kalfo, and composer, musical director and arranger Shai Fishman, according to the group’s United States producer Cindy Sibilsky. “ They are both quite well known in Israel, and both are huge

The result was a “crazy idea to do the history of music with only vocals,” Sibilsky explains. Their first YouTube video launched in April 2009 (“with no fanfare, no advertising, no nothing”), and got two million hits in a month. That’s when the calls started. “From Brazil, Paris, all over the world saying, when are you coming to town, we must have this show.”

he aliens have landed, and they’re not just friendly--they’re delightful, charming, immensely talented, and turning the world of a cappella singing on its head. Or in this case, eight bright white heads.

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Lior Kalfo

It’s a show like no other, and while many might make that claim, The Voca People really deliver, with astonishing vocals and impressive beat box rhythms—all done without a single instrument except their extraordinary voices. Good news and great talent travels fast, and The Voca People have appeared in 25 countries so far, including their first U.S. tour in 2013 and a show at New York’s New World Stages for a year and a half.

The quirky premise behind the show’s creation is this: After a millennium of space travel far from their native planet Voca, The Voca People have crash landed on Earth, only to find that the fuel that keeps them going—their musical charger—is empty. They must “recharge” by reaching out to humans. And reach out they do, in a fanciful interactive show that involves a touch of the hand, a hand on the shoulder, or “playing” an audience member’s arm like an electric guitar. “It’s really immersive,” says Sibilsky, and kids and adults alike love it. “Whatever inhibitions you came to the theatre with, they’ll get

Shai Fishman

dropped immediately. Everyone leaves the theatre with a giant grin on their faces.”

Boerne, Texas, audiences will get the chance to interact with these intergalactic stars when The Voca People land at Boerne Champion Auditorium in March (details in sidebar). Greg Talford, artistic director for Boerne Performing Arts (boerneperformingarts. com) first became aware of The Voca People when the now-famous YouTube video reached 15 million hits within the first year.

Because the group met Boerne Performing Arts’ mission “to provide a variety of entertainment for our concertgoers while maintaining the highest quality internationally acclaimed artists,” Talford pursued the group’s worldwide tours, and waited for North America to be on the list, adding the group as a special event to the Boerne Performing Arts 2014 season. “The sheer talent of these vocalists is unimaginable,” says Talford, “and then you add the power of beat box and theatrical mastery January/February 2014 | On The Town 15

and you have a show that encompasses the total entertainment spectrum.” New Yorker Sibilsky was similarly impressed with the Boerne spirit when she met with the Talfords in Austin. “I was so inspired by that small town gumption and chutzpah to getting the show there and then actually doing it.”

Boerne also has the honor of kicking off the group’s second six-week U.S. tour, which goes from Texas to the Northwest, then Florida, Los Angeles, and finally to the midwest for the month of April.

As much as audiences love The Voca People, the critics have been over the moon with praise for the group’s nearly 90-minute, family-friendly, highoctane show, calling it everything from “a delightful... romp through over 70 songs that includes hits by Beethoven, Mozart, Queen, Madonna, the Black Eyed Peas, and more” to a list of superlatives like amazing, radiant, ebullient, hilarious, incredible, fresh, invigorating, and on and on. Each character is named after its vocal range or sound—Alta, Soprana, Mezzo, Bari-tone, Tubas (Bass), Tenoro, and beat box masters Scratcher and Captain Beat On. “I still get blown away,” says Sibilsky, who has seen the show countless times. “There are no soundtracks, no microphone tricks. It’s just them.” As for the pure white costumes and makeup, Sibilsky will not divulge trade secrets but says it takes “quite a while” to get into them. And they are hot. “We insist any photography be done before the show, not after.”

As for what’s next for these amazing “aliens”-movies? Television? The Super Bowl? Everywhere, says Sibilsky. “To infinity and beyond!”

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • THE VOCA PEOPLE Thursday, March 6, 2014, 7:30 pm Boerne Champion Auditorium, 201 Charger Blvd, Boerne, Texas 78006 Tickets are available at boerneperformingarts.com, 830-331-9079.

The Boerne Performing Arts 2014 Series also includes The Ten Tenors, The StepCrew, and Time for Three.

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SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY Celebrating 71 Seasons

By Jack Fishman

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eventy-one years ago, Dr. Eric Sorantin, an accomplished Viennese musician, established the San Antonio Chamber Music Society (www. sacms.org). The website describes the group’s humble beginnings: “The first concerts were held in the west wing of the Municipal Auditorium. Founding members provided oriental rugs and other furnishings to create the proper setting for the programs. Guest artists quickly grew from local to regional to national and international in prominence.”

Several years after the society began offering concerts, Sorantin gave a violin recital at the University of the Incarnate Word. His young student pianist for that recital, Ruth Jean Gurwitz, is now the chair of the society’s artist committee and a past president of the organization.

Gurwitz said she joined the society when she graduated from college. Sorantin “drafted” her into what has been a life-long love of music and service to San Antonio.

musicians who offer San Antonio five chamber music concerts each season. They also negotiate the repertoire to be performed. Gurwitz said they usually select the artists first, and the repertoire follows. Most of the artists come to their attention through their managers. Many hours are spent listening to CDs and, more recently, to YouTube and other online videos. Occasionally, an artist comes to the group’s attention via personal recommendation. The society offers a sneak peak of the 2014-15 season on their website. It features four string quartets and one woodwind quintet.

But the current season has three exciting concerts still to be performed. On Jan. 26, the Tempest Trio (www. tempesttrio.com) will play music by Haydn, Bernstein and Dvorak. It is of particular interest that the cellist of this trio, Amit Peled, will be playing the cello of Pablo Casals, which has been lent to him by Marta Casals, widow of the renowned artist.

The artist committee selects the internationally acclaimed March 2 will feature a concert of Schumann, Berg and Dvorak 18 On The Town | January/February 2014

by the Escher String Quartet (www.escherquartet.com). By When a first-time listener told her that the music was programming works by Dvorak, the society is partnering “top draw,” it thrilled her. She is driven to make great music and the beloved, community-based society less with the San Antonio Symphony’s Dvorak Festival. of a “closely guarded secret.”

The final concert of this season takes place April 6, featuring the Brentano String Quartet (brentanoquartet. Concerts presented by the San Antonio Chamber Music com). The Brentano is at the top of their profession, and Society also are available free via rebroadcast on KPAC. this promises to be one of the most exciting classical For ticket information, visit www.sacms.org. concerts of the year.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The San Antonio Chamber Music Society also has an active education program. The ensembles visit schools and other locations under the guidance of Allyson Dawkins, chair of the education committee and the principal violist Photo Credits: of the San Antonio Symphony.

Pages 18-19 (L-R) The education programs are one of the reasons Nancy Shivers became involved. Shivers served as president Tempest Trio of the society from 2008 to 2012. She grew up in rural Courtesy tempesttrio.co Kansas and never heard classical music until she went to college and law school. She loves helping make music Escher String Quartet available to students. Shivers also enjoys the fact that the Photo by Laura Rose society is run completely without paid staff. The board of directors manages every aspect of concert production, Brentano String Quartet fundraising, marketing and education.

Photo by Peter Schaaf But it is the music that Shivers talks about the most.

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Texas State pulls the wraps off new Performing Arts Center this spring

By Jayme Blaschke Photography Chandler Prude

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..ears in the making, Texas State University will so the performances in the modern recital hall--twice finally celebrate the opening of the new Performing the seating capacity and professional acoustics--will be Arts Center this spring. quite a step up. The new hall will host student and faculty performances, the fast-rising Texas State Opera Theatre The state-of-the-art PAC, located on the corner of Program as well as national touring artists through the University Drive and Moon Street, will house the 400- Encore University Performing Arts series. seat Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre and a 300-seat recital hall, plus a grand lobby, rehearsal space, scenery shop, “Music performance at its best is what we do in the staging areas and classrooms. The beautiful addition to School of Music, regardless of major--performance Texas State was designed to connect the campus to the majors, but also music education majors, jazz and Latin larger community of San Marcos and create a stunning musicians, recording technologists and students in gateway into the south central portion of the university, our ensembles who are majoring in non-music fields,” while providing a proper performing venue for the said Thomas Clark, director of the School of Music. many talented students and faculty.

“The acoustically state-of-the-art performance venues of our new Performing Arts Center as their learning The impact of the new digs will be immediate and dramatic laboratories will not only enhance their studies but also for students in Texas State’s School of Music. The current provide a beautiful place for the public to experience 149-seat recital hall is housed in a renovated gymnasium, and enjoy their music making.”

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No less significant is the 400-seat Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre. The current outmoded Theatre Center on campus has served as the university’s theatre arts home for four decades and has long since started showing its age. With the Musical Theatre Program garnering national acclaim, the upgraded fly space, orchestra pit, technical capabilities and other improvements will put Texas State on equal footing with top programs around the country.

A world-class PAC has long topped Texas State’s wish list for new facilities, but reaching this point has proven anything but easy. Were it not for the generosity of Texas State’s alumni and supporters, the building project could never have gotten off the drawing board.

“The importance of the project is evident in the fact that we chose it as one of the five pillars of the Pride in Action campaign,” said Texas State President Denise Trauth. “All of us are very excited about the new Performing Arts Center, but no one is more excited than Patti Harrison.

Patti gave us the lead gift for the project--$8 million.

Her faith in the vision launched the fundraising for the facility and kept it at the top of our ‘must-do’ list.”

Harrison’s gift in 2008 set the project in motion.

When the state legislature declined to issue tuition revenue bonds to cover construction, the university reassessed priorities and placed several Campus Master Plan initiatives on hold to cover the balance of the approximately $43 million cost.

A 455-space parking garage is also part of the project, and landscaping has turned the block of Edward Gary between the garage and the PAC into a tree-lined walkway, in keeping with the Campus Master Plan’s goal of turning the campus “from gray to green.” The recital hall and theatre will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, meaning they meet the tough standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The PAC will showcase Texas State students, attract other talented students and faculty, increase community support and enable the university to bring national and international productions to campus.

It will launch scores of future stars and serve as the cultural center of campus.

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Events Calendar 24-38

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January-February 2014 Events Calendar Music Notes The Spirit of Michael Jackson: A Live Concert Experience 1/3, Fri @ 8pm Majestic Theatre Rockbox Theater 1/3-2/28, Fri @ 8pm Sat @ 4:30pm & 8pm Fredericksburg Shine On! The Definitive Pink Floyd Experience 1/4, Sat @ 8pm Majestic Theatre Joe Ely Band 1/4, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall Brandon Rhyder 1/10, Fri @ 7pm (doors open) Cowboys San Antonio San Antonio Symphony Dvorak Cello Concerto 1/10-11, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor Jian Wang, cello Majestic Theatre

Symphony of the Hills Pops America’s Favorite Music 1/11, Sat @ 7:30pm Dr. Jay Dunnahoo, conductor Nancy Zhou, violin Kevin McCormick, guitar Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater Kerrville Brauntex Performance Series Bill Haley Jr. and The Comets 1/11, Sat @ 7:30pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels Kyle Park 1/11, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall Musical Bridges Around The World Judy and Jefferson Crabb Musical Evenings at San Fernando Cathedral Dos Virtuosos 1/12, Sun @ 6:30pm Andres Cardenes, violin Baya Kakouberi, piano

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SOLI Chamber Ensemble Present 1/13, Mon @ 7:30pm Gallery Nord 1/14, Tue @ 7:30pm Ruth Taylor Recital Hall Trinity University San Antonio Symphony Dvorak Symphony No. 6 1/17, Fri @ 8pm Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor Michel Dalbetro, piano Majestic Theatre Ray Benson 1/17, Fri @ 9pm Luckenbach Dancehall Nick Lawrence 1/17, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store New Buddy Holly Band 1/17-18, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater Kerrville San Antonio Symphony Dvorak Violin Concerto 1/18, Sat @ 8pm Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor Nancy Zhou, violin Majestic Theatre

Luciana Souza 1/18, Sat @ 8pm Jo Long Theatre at the Carver Max Stalling 1/18, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall Micky and the Motoicars 1/18, Sat @ 9pm Luckenbach Dancehall First Fine Arts Series Isabelle Demers, Organist 1/19, Sun @ 3pm First Baptist Church SA Camerata San Antonio Dvorak Festival 1/19, Sun @ 3pm Christ Episcopal Fredericksburg Music Club Kathryn Findlen, Mezzo-Soprano 1/19, Sun @ 3pm Fredericksburg United Methodist Elvis Lives!

1/19, Sun @ 7pm Majestic Theatre

The Roadshow Tour: Skillet, Third Day 1/23, Thu @ 7pm AT&T Center The Oak Ridge Boys 1/23, Sat @ 8pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels Jason Boland & The Stragglers 1/24, Fri @ 8pm Luckenbach Dancehall James McMurtry 1/24, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store Luckenbach Blues Fest 1/25, Sat @ 2pm Luckenbach Dancehall In The Mood Musical Revue 1/25, Sat @ 3pm & 8pm Lila Cockrell Theater Mel Tillis 1/25, Sat @ 3:30pm & 7:30pm Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater Kerrville Jason Eady 1/25, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall Doug Moreland 1/25, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store

San Antonio Chamber Music Society Tempest Trio 1/26, Sun @ 3:15pm Temple Beth-El Boerne Performing Arts The Ten Tenors 1/27, Mon @ 7:30pm Boerne Champion HS Auditorium Dr. Lonnie Smith 1/31, Fri @ 8pm Jo Long Theatre at The Carver The Bellamy Brothers 1/31, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store San Antonio Symphony & The Opera San Antonio Dvorak – Rusalka In Concert 1/31-2/1, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers John Silantien, director Majestic Theatre Joe Nichols 2/1, Sat @ 7pm (doors open) Cowboys San Antonio

Valentines Super Love Jam: The Delfonics, Heatwave, Peaches and Herb, The Moments, Tierra, Malo, GQ, Sunny Ozuna and Barbara Lewis 2/1, Sat @ 7:30pm Illusions Theater at the Alamodome Bart Crow 2/1, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store Brauntex Performance Series The Day The Music Died: A Tribute to Buddy Holly featuring Stewart Mann 2/2, Sun @ 7:30pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels Musical Offerings Dvorak in America 2/3, Mon @ 6pm & 8pm San Antonio Museum of Art First Fine Arts Series Luther College Nordic Choir 2/3, Mon @ 7:30pm First Baptist Church SA Supple Music Series at Texas State University Kate Campbell 2/5, Wed @ 7:30pm Price Senior Center San Marcos

San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo AT&T Center Brett Eldredge 2/6, Thu @ 7pm Jake Owen 2/7, Fri @ 7:30pm Tim McGraw 2/8, Sat @ 1pm & 7:30pm Big Time Rush 2/9, Sun @ 1pm Alan Jackson 2/10, Mon @ 7pm Jeremy Camp 2/11, Tue @ 7pm Kacey Musgraves 2/12, Wed @ 7pm Thomas Rhett 2/13, Thu @ 7pm Heart 2/14, Fri @ 7:30pm Dustin Lynch 2/15, Sat @ 1pm Josh Turner 2/15, Sat @ 7:30pm Randy Houser 2/16, Sun @ 1pm Pesado 2/16, Sun @ 7:30pm Rascal Flatts 2/17, Mon @ 7pm Trace Adkins 2/18, Tue @ 7pm Pitbull 2/19, Wed @ 7pm Dierks Bentley 2/20, Thu @ 7pm Martina McBride 2/21, Fri @ 7:30pm Montgomery Gentry 2/22, Sat @ 1pm Billy Currington 2/22, Sat @ 7:30pm

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Fred Eaglesmith 2/7, Fri @ 8pm John T. Floore Country Store San Antonio Symphony Dvorak – New World Symphony 2/7-8, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sebastian Lang-Lessing, conductor Majestic Theatre Robert Earl Keen 2/8, Sat @ 8pm Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater Kerrville Heart of Texas Concert Band The Music of James Barnes 2/9, Sun @ 3pm McAllister Auditorium San Antonio College Music from St. Mark’s Susan Olson, Mezzo-Soprano 2/9, Sun @ 5pm St. Mark’s Episcopal An Evening with Robert Earl Keen and Randy Rogers 2/9, Sun @ 8pm Gruene Hall Queens of the Stone Age 2/10, Mon @ 7:30pm Majestic Theatre

Gordon Lightfoot 2/12, Wed @ 8pm Majestic Theatre Little Lies A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac 2/13, Thu @ 8pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre Charlie Worsham 2/14, Fri @ 7pm (doors open) Cowboys San Antonio Cailloux Performance Series Glenn Miller Orchestra 2/14, Fri @ 7:30pm Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater Kerrville Brauntex Performance Series BJ Thomas 2/14, Fri @ 7:30pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels Bri Bagwell 2/14, Fri E@ 8pm Gruene Hall Dale Watson 2/14, Fri @ 8pm Luckenbach Dancehall Mario Flores & The Soda Creek Band 2/14, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store

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San Antonio Symphony Pops A Broadway Valentine 2/14-15, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Akiko Fujimoto, conductor Laurie Auditorium – Trinity University Royal Southern Brotherhood 2/15, Sat @ 7:30pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre Kristin Chenoweth 2/15, Sat @ 8pm Majestic Theatre Gary P. Nunn 2/15, Sat @ 9pm Luckenbach Dancehall Green River Ordinance 2/15, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store Fredericksburg Music Club Kirsten Yon, violin 2/16, Sun @ 3pm Fredericksburg United Methodist Mid-Texas Symphony We’ve Got Your Bach 2/16, Sun @ 4pm David Mairs, conductor Craig Sorgi, violin Rita Linard, flute Andrew Gignac, trumpet Jennifer Berg, oboe Canyon H.S. Performing Arts Center - New Braunfels

San Antonio Symphony Plante Conducts Baroque 2/16, Sun @ 7pm Antoine Plante, conductor San Fernando Cathedral Olmos Ensemble Warren Jones and Dvorak 2/17, Mon @ 7:30pm First Unitarian Universalist Youth Orchestras of San Antonio Say Si at the Symphony 2/17, Mon @ 7:30pm Laurie Auditorium Trinity Universtiy Tuesday Musical Club Benjamin Grosvenor, piano 2/18, Tue @ 2pm Laurel Heights Methodist Two Tons of Steel 2/21, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store San Antonio Symphony Gershwin Piano Concerto 2/21-22, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Julian Kuerti, conductor Lo-An Lin, piano San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers John Silantien, director Majestic Theatre Asleep at the Wheel 2/21-22, Fri @ 8pm Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall

January/February 2014 | On The Town 27

Musical Bridges Around The World International Music Festival at Trinity University Charles Lloyd and Gerald Clayton 2/22, Sat @ 8pm Laurie Auditorium Duo Amal 2/23, Sun @ 3pm Ruth Taylor Recital Hall Entre Flamenco 2/28, Fri @ 7pm Laurie Auditorium Kinan Azmeh and Sandeep Das with St. Petersburg String Quartet 3/1, Sat @ 7pm Laurie Auditorium Compania de Teatro Lirico “Ernesto Lecuona” 3/2, Sun @ 3pm Laurie Auditorium Roger Creager and Max Stalling 2/22, Sat @ 9pm Luckenbach Dancehall The Arts at Coker River City Ringers & Olmos Basin Brass 2/23, Sun @ 3pm Coker United Methodist Willie Nelson 2/23, Sun @ 7:30pm Majestic Theatre

Symphony of the Hills Storm and Stress – Symphonic Adventures 2/27, Thu @ 7:30pm Dr. Jay Dunnahoo, conductor Kathleen C. Cailloux Theater Kerrville Charlie Robison 2/28, Fri @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store San Antonio International Piano Competition Piano Series Long Duo 3/1, Saturday @ 7:30pm St. Mark’s Episcopal Liverpool Legends 3/1, Sat @ 7:30pm Majestic Theatre Brauntex Performance Series Close to You: Music of the Carpenters 3/1, Sat @ 7:30pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels Brandon Rhyder 3/1, Sat @ 9pm Gruene Hall Whiskey Myers 3/1, Sat @ 9pm John T. Floore Country Store

28 On The Town | January/February 2014

On Stage Boerne Community Theatre God of Carnage 1/10-18, Thu @ 7:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm The Rose Theatre Company Holy 1966, Batman!

1/10-25, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Harlequin Dinner Theatre Dial M for Murder 1/16-3/1, Thu-Sat @ 8pm (Dinner @ 6:15pm) Renaissance Guild The Mountaintop 1/17 & 19, Fri @ 8pm Sun @ 4pm 1/24-26, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 4pm 2/1-2, Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 4pm 2/7-9, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 4pm Little Carver Theatre Broadway in San Antonio Ghost – The Musical (touring) 1/21-26, Tue-Thu @ 7:30pm Fri @ 8pm, Sat @ 2pm & 8pm Sun @ 2pm &7:30pm Majestic Theatre

Playhouse San Antonio Venus in Fur 1/24-2/9, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 3pm Cellar Theater The Overtime Theater Portmanteaux 1/24-2/22, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Greg Barrios Theater Come Fly with Me Bexar Country Family Justice Center Foundation Benefit 1/29, Wed @ 7:30pm Charline McCombs Empire Theatre Playhouse 2000 Happily Ever Laughter 1/31-2/1, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm 2/7-16, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2:30pm VK Garage Theater Kerrville Circle Arts Theatre I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change 1/31-2/23 Fri-Sat @ 8pm New Braunfels Cameo Theatre Suds: The Rocking 60s Musical Soap Opera 2/1-3/2, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 4pm

Sheldon Vexler Theatre When You Comin’ Back Red Ryder?

2/6, 13, 20, 27, Thu @ 7:30pm 2/8, 15, 22 & 3/1, Sat @ 8pm 2/16, 23 & 3/2, Sun @ 2:30pm (No Shows on Fridays) Jewish Community Center Hill Country Arts Foundation The Big Five-Oh 2/7-9, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2pm 2/13-22, Thu-Sat @ 7:30pm Elizabeth Huth Coates Theatre Ingram The Classic Theatre of San Antonio Death of a Salesman 2/7-23, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 3pm Woodlawn Theatre Black Box The Playhouse San Antonio Company 2/7-3/2, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 3pm Russell Hill Rogers Theater Trinity Theatre Department Crimes of the Heart 2/14-16, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm 2/19-22, Wed-Thu @ 7pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm Jane and Arthur StierenTheater Trinity University

The Rose Theatre Company Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure: Live 2/14-3/1, Fri-Sat @ 8pm Woodlawn Theatre Into The Woods 2/14-3/16, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 3pm Late Nite Catechism (touring) 2/18-23, Tue-Fri @ 7:30pm Sat @ 2pm & 7:30pm Sun @ 2pm Charline McCombs Empire Theatre S.T.A.G. E (Spotlight Theatre Arts Group, etc.)

Irena’s Vow 2/20-22, Thu-Sat @ 6:30 (dinner), 8pm (show) 2/27-3/9, Thu-Sat @ 6:30 (dinner), 8pm (show) Sun @ 1pm (lunch) 2:30pm (show) Bulverde Fredericksburg Theater Company Little Shop of Horrors 2/21-3/9, Thu-Sat @ 7:30pm Sun @ 2pm Steve W. Shepherd Theater January/February 2014 | On The Town 29

National Theatre Live!

War Horse (On Screen Presentation) 2/27, Thu @ 7pm Santikos Rialto & McCreless Market Boerne Community Theatre Sleuth 2/28-3/15, Thu @ 7:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm

Opera Opera Piccola San Antonio & Alamo Arts Ballet Theatre Dvorak Tone Pictures 1/25, Sat @ 7pm Thiry Audtiroium Out Lady of the Lake University The Metropolitan Opera Series: Rusalka (Live On-Screen Performance in HD) 2/8, Sat @ 11:55am Santikos Rialto, Cielo Vista 18 Huebner Oaks 14 & McCreless Market The Metropolitan Opera Series: Rusalka (Encore On-Screen Performance in HD) 2/12, Wed @ 6:30pm Cielo Vista 18, Huebner Oaks 14 & McCreless Market

Opera Piccola San Antonio La Curendera & Bastien and Bastienne 2/15-16, Sat @ 8pm Sun @ 2:30pm Charline McCombs Empire Theatre

Arts San Antonio Celtic Nights 2/27, Thu @ 7:30pm Majestic Theatre

UTSA Lyric Theatre The Mikado 2/21-3/2, Fri @ 7:30pm Sun @ 3pm Buena Vista Theatre UTSA Downtown Campus

Disney Live! Three Classic Fairy Tales 1/4-5, Sat @ 1pm & 4pm Sun @ 2pm & 5pm Lila Cockrell Theater

Dance

Magik Children’s Theatre Skippyjon Jones 1/10-2/22, Tue-Thu @ 9:45am & 11:30am, Fri @ 9:45am, 11:30am & 7pm Sat @ 2pm

Arts San Antonio Pilobolus Dance Theater 1/14, Tue @ 7:30pm Majestic Theatre Boerne Performing Arts The Stepcrew 2/10, Mon @ 7:30pm Boerne Champion HS Auditorium Ballet San Antonio Firebird 2/14-15, Fri-Sat @ 7:30pm Jo Long Theatre at The Carver Arts San Antonio Los Vivancos Aeternum 2/16, Sun @ 7:30pm Lila Cockrell Theater Rennie Harris RHAW 2/21, Fri @ 8pm Jo Long Theatre at The Carver

30 On The Town | January/February 2014

Children’s

Woodlawn Theatre Les Miserables (School Edition) 1/17-19, Fri @ 7pm Sat @ 2pm & 7pm Sun @ 3pm Shrek the Musical

By Performing Arts Academy of New Braunfels 1/17-19, Fri @ 7pm Sat @ 2pm & 7pm Sun @ 2pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels

Children’s Fine Arts Series We Are Going on a Bear Hunt 2/2-3, Sun @ 2pm Mon @ 9:45am & 11:45am Charline McCombs Empire Theatre Rose Theatre Company The Little Revengers Return 2/7-22, Wed-Thu @ 10am Disney’s Peter Pan Jr.

By Christian Youth Theater San Antonio 2/20-23, Thu-Fri 7pm Sat @ 2pm & 7pm Sun @ 3pm Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels

Comedy Rachel Feinstein 1/2-5, Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Sun @ 8pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club Patrick Melton 1/2-5, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Rocky LaPorte 1/8-12, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club

January/February 2014 | On The Town 31

Jasper Redd 1/8-12, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Hypnotist Flip Orley 1/15-19, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Finesse Mitchell 1/17-19, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Sun @ 8pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club Brian Regan 1/19, Sun @ 7pm Lila Cockrell Theater Pete Correale 1/22-26, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club Matt McCarthy 1/22-26, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Aaron Aryanpur 1/29, Wed @ 8pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club

Jay LaFarr 1/29-30, Wed-Thu @ 8:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Pat Hazell 1/31-2/1, Fri @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club Aaron Aryanpur 1/31-2/1, Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Azia Ansari 2/3, Mon @ 8pm Majestic Theatre Gemini 2/5-9, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Anjelah Johnson 2/6-9, Thu @ 8pm Fri @ 8pm & 10:15pm Sat @ 5:30pm, 7:45pm & 10pm Sun @ 6:30pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club Cristela Alonzo 2/12-16, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club

32 On The Town | January/February 2014

Mike Yard 2/12-16, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Cowboy Bill Martin 2/19-23, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8pm Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club Aries Spears 2/20-23, Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Sean Kent 2/26-3/2, Wed-Thu & Sun @ 8:30pm Fri-Sat @ 8:30pm & 10:30pm Rivercenter Comedy Club Iliza Shlesinger 2/27-3/1, Fri-Sat @ 8pm & 10:15pm Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club

On Exhibit ARTPACE International Artist-InResident New Works: 13.3 Micol Assael Ivor Shearer Erin Sheriff Paola Morsiani, curator Thru 1/12

Hudson Showroom Mungo Thompson 1/16-4/27 BIHL HAUS ARTS The Life Perverse Alejandro Augustine Padilla Thru 2/1 On & Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour 2/22-23, Sat 11am-6pm Sun 12pm-5pm BLUE STAR CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM Faith and Reason Chris Sauter Thru 1/19 Broken Landscape III Blane De St. Croix Thru 2/16 Smarter, Faster, Higher Elizabeth Keithline Thru 2/16 BRISCOE WESTERN ART MUSEUM Now Open!

LINDA PACE FOUNDATION Eight / Eighteen Thru 3/29

Adam (Public Artwork)

By Arturo Herrera 25’ h x 98’ w, Frost Bank Garage Commerce at Main Thru 12/2016 MUSEO GAUDALUPE AT GUADALUPE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER Alternate Currents Thru 3/1

C. Thomas Wright: Patron and Collector Thru 1/12 Cut! Costume and the Cinema Thru 1/19 ArtMatters 15: Rosalyn Schwartz Thru 1/19

INSTITUTE OF TEXAN CULTURES

Native Son: Prints and Drawings by Luis A. Jimenez, Jr. Thru 1/19

Ramp It Up Thru 1/5

Catherine Lee: Alice Thru Summer 2014

The 201st Fighter Squadron Thru 1/12

Constructing the Stage: Artists from the Theatre Collection 1/22-6/1

Why We Came: The Immigration Experience Thru 3/23

Robert Indiana’s Beyond Love 2/5-5/25

McNAY ART MUSEUM On Stage! Costume Design and the Theatre Thru 1/5 The Nightmare Before Christmas Thru 1/5 Frost Octagon Video: Nic Nicosia’s Middletown Thru 1/5

Robert Indiana’s The Mother of Us All 2/5-5/25 Robert Indiana’s Hartley Elegies 2/5-5/25 The Full Monty: Male Nudes from the Collection 2/5-5/25 January/February 2014 | On The Town 33

SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN Art in the Garden (In conjunction with Blue Star Contemporary Art Center) Thru 3/2014 SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART Lethal Beauty: Samuri Weapons and Armor Thru 1/5 Eldzier Cortor: Master Printmaker Thru 3/2 Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus: Patron Saint of Texas Thru 3/23 Diego Rivera in San Antonio: A Small Special Exhibition (On Display at Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art at SAMA)

Chris Sauter Doubt Thru 2/2 Robert and Shana Parkeharrison Selections from the Counterpoint Series Thru 2/2 Texas Draws III 2/13-4/27 Sarah Fox Secrets Manifest 2/13-4/25 WITTE MUSEUM Patriotism and Pageantry: Fiesta Honors the Military Thru 1/5 CSI: The Experience Thru 1/26

Cowboys, Cattle, Chili Queens, Oil & Outlaws Now Open South Texas Heritage Center

Miscellaneous 2013 Light The Way Thru 1/6 – Self-Guided Tours Nightly University of the Incarnate Word U.S. Army All-American Bowl and San Antonio Sports All-Star Football Game 1/4, Sat @ 12pm Alamodome River City Wrestling Presents New Year’s Evolution 5 Featuring RCW Ang 1/4, Sat @ 8pm Turner Club – Kirby

Porfirio Salinas: Capturing South Texas on Canvas Thru 2/9

Monster Jam 1/11-12, Sat @ 7pm Sun @ 2pm Alamodome

Thomas Sully: Painted Performances 2/8-5/11

The World Through Magic Lanterns Thru June 2014

SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF ART

Maximilian and Carlota: Last Empire of Mexico 2/1-3/30

San Antonio Cocktail Conference 1/16-19, Thu-Sun Downtown various locations

Anabel Toribio Martinez Interludes Thru 1/31

Alien Worlds and Androids 2/22-5/27

34 On The Town | January/February 2014

Martin Luther King, Jr. March 1/20, Mon @ 10am 3501 Martin Luther King Drive

Mexican National Soccer Team vs. Korea National 1/29, Wed @ 8pm Alamodome Harlem Globetrotter 2014 World Tour 1/30, Thu @ 7pm AT&T Center Asian Festival 2/1, Sat / 10am-5pm Institute of Texan Cultures San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo 2/6-23, daily AT&T Center Jewish Film Festival 2/8-12, Sat-Wed Santikos Embassy Theatre Cine Festival Guadalupe Theater Guadalupe Cultural Center 2/22-3/1

Photo Credits Page 24 (L-R) Brandon Rhyder Courtesy liveatfloores.com Sebastian Lang-Lessing Photo by Marks Moore Kyle Park Courtesy liveatfloores.com

November/December January/February 2014 2013 | On The Town 35

Andres Cardenes Courtesy andrescardenes.com

Tempest Trio Courtesy tempesttrio.com

Page 25 (L-R)

Bellamy Brothers Courtesy Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre

SOLI Chamber Ensemble Photo by Kemp Davis Michel Dalberto Courtesy San Antonio Symphony

Page 29 (L-R) Joyce El-Khoury Photo by Dario Acosta

Nancy Zhou Courtesy San Antonio Symphony

Tim McGraw Courtesy timmcgraw.com

Luciana Souza Photo by Gabriel Rinaldi

Page 30 (L-R)

Page 26 (L-R)

Martina McBride Courtesy martinamcbride.com

Max Stalling Courtesy maxstalling.com

Robert Earl Keen Photo by Darren Carroll

Kathryn Findlen Courtesy fredericksburgmusicclub. com Oak Ridge Boys Courtesy Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre James McMurtry Courtesy liveatfloores.com

Gordon Lightfoot Courtesy Majestic Theatre Glenn Miller Orchestra Courtesy glennmillerorchestra.com

Page 33 (L-R) Estafania Rameriz Courtesy entreflamenco.com Kinan Azmeh Courtesy kinanazmeh.com Page 34 (L-R) Long Duo Courtesy fishermgt.com The Mountaintop Courtesy Renaissance Guild Ghost Ghost the Musical Carla R. Stewart and Steven Grant Douglas Ghost The Musical Tour Š Joan Marcus 2013 Pilobolus Dance Theatre Courtesy pilobolus.com Page 36 (L-R)

Page 32 (L-R) BJ Thomas Courtesy bjthomas.com

The Stepcrew Courtesy stepcrew.com Rachel Feinstein Courtesy Rachel-feinstein.com

Page 28 (L-R)

Benjamin Grosvenor Courtesy benjamngrosvenor.com

In The Mood 1940s Musical Revue Courtesy inthemoodlive.com

Lo-An Lin Courtesy San Antonio Symphony

Aziz Ansari Courtesy Majestic Theatre

Mel Tllis Courtesy meltillis.com

Julian Kuerti Photo by Dario Acosta

Anjelah Johnson Courtesy anjelah.com

36 On The Town | January/February 2014

January/February 2014 | On The Town 37

38 On The Town | January/February 2014

Culinary Arts 40-54

January/February 2014 | On The Town 39

40 On The Town | January/February 2014

Alain Dubernard, Sweet Success

By Chris Dunn Photography Greg Harrison

”

C

.hef Alain Dubernard will tell you that being a Frenchman from Mexico has its challenges. “You don’t know where you’re from,” he said with a smile. But no doubt his multicultural background is a key ingredient of his success as a world-class certified master baker and as department chair for the baking and pastry applied science degree program at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio.

cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. He worked for a time in his father’s textile factory, as well as establishing businesses dealing with a wide variety of products, including passion fruit, vanilla and Persian rugs. He even produced a successful record album for a group called “Ultimatum.”

Though Dubernard was born in Mexico City, Spanish was his second language. “My point of view was very different,” he said. French was spoken in his home and European customs and culinary traditions were followed. “My grandmother was a graduate of Condon Bleu,” he said, adding that she instilled in him a “great respect for food.”

He remembers growing up in an atmosphere of culinary creativity and fusion cuisine. (He still prefers to make his guacamole with white wine vinegar and a touch of olive oil.)

Subsequently, he moved to London and served as commis pâtissier/chef de tour, Roux Restaurants Ltd. After returning home, he was a production consultant to some of the top pastelerías and cafés in Mexico City, as well as chef-owner and general manager of La Balance Pâtisserie.

But he discovered his greatest passion (“This job is all about passion,” he said) when he realized he could combine his innate love of business, music, Dubernard’s grandparents belonged to a group science and art through a culinary profession in the of émigrés referred to as “Les Barcelonnettes,” field of baking and pastry. “ This is a combination people who immigrated to Mexico from the of that,” he said. town of Barcelonette in the southern French Alps during the 19th and 20th centuries. “They came After graduating from the Instituto Tecnológico to Mexico to make their fortune,” Dubernard said. y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and Like so many other immigrant groups that Mexico the Escuela Panamericana de Hoteleria (Hotel has welcomed, including Lebanese and Canadian Management School), both in Mexico City, he Mennonites, the French ex-pats prospered, and in travelled to Europe and worked as an assistant the process, enriched the Mexican culture, as well chef at A la Petite Chocolatière and as chef de as their own. partie, Hôtel Bristol in Paris.

The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., took notice, and in 2004, he joined the faculty there, later serving as assistant dean of the baking and pastry program at the school.

As a young man, Dubernard made and sold loaves When asked to develop and chair the baking and of pain d’epices, a bread flavored with spices pastry degree program at the CIA campus in San familiar to both French and Mexicans — anise, Antonio, and to return to teaching, Dubernard

January/February 2014 | On The Town 41

jumped at the opportunity. “I discovered I love that, to teach young people,” he said, “to impart knowledge to them in a positive way. It’s the most beautiful gift I can give.”

It’s a challenging job, but Dubernard said, “Every job is hard work.” The chef stresses the reality of a chef ’s life with his students, as well. “You need to be honest with students. You don’t have weekends, Christmas. You have to love it.”

His unique background and depth of experience have proven to be a perfect fit for the school. The first class of 20 students working toward a baking and pastry applied science degree began this fall, and according to Dubernard, the demand for this kind of specialized education is growing. “ There’s a need for professionals,” he said, adding that the large number of students pursuing culinary degrees in San Antonio will ultimately elevate the quality of dining here. He said being at the forefront of such a dynamic movement is very exciting. “ This boom is amazing for San Antonio,” he said. “What’s going to happen with all these restaurants is the city will have a better understanding of food.”

Whether in French, Spanish or English, that’s something we all like to hear.

“I discovered I love that (teaching), to teach young people, to impart knowledge to them in a positive way. It’s the most beautiful gift I can give.”

- Alain Dubernard Culinary Institute of America San Antonio 42 On The Town | January/February 2014

January/February 2014 November-December 2012 | On The Town 43

Dry Comal Creek Vineyards and Winery Pioneers of Black Spanish Grape Cultivation in Texas

By Olivier J. Bourgoin; (aka. “Olivier the Wine Guy”) Photography courtesy Dry Comal Creek

C

the successful attorney. More than 20 years later, Dr y Comal Creek is now producing awardwinning wines within a dozen different styles and varietals.

In 1992, Frank lin Houser decided to leave behind his life as a law yer. His idea was to plant some vines on 103 acres of land he and his wife Bonnie had purchased in the ‘70s near New Braunfels as a week- end get-away for the family.

I t was supposed to be a retirement projec t for

Although the first grapes were planted in 1992, and the first har vest completed in 1995, the first wine was not produced until 1998. Some of the early years proved to be challenging with the big flood of 1998 wiping out both the vineyards and the winer y. This was followed in 2000 by a devastating discover y which came

ontinuing on our series of ar ticles about Texas wineries, today we take a look at Dr y Comal Creek Vineyards and Winer y ; one of the closest, if not the closest, of the established wineries near San Antonio.

44 On The Town | January/February 2014

Bonnie and Franklin Houser in the form of a field repor t confirming that the vineyards were infested by Pierce Disease (an airborne pathogen lethal to vines with no k nown cure and especially prone to attack vineyards in warmer climates such as Texas). On two different occasions all the diseased vines had to be ripped- out and the entire crop was lost. Then again in 2002 another flood resulted in devastating damage nearly as severe as during the first flood. “Essentially, no grapes - no wine!” says Houser, as quoted from his company ’s website.

This series of major set-backs could have led to an easy way out for most people - but not for the Houser clan. I nstead, it led to a decision to research grape varietals immune to Pierce disease. The research pointed to one in par ticular that had been used in United States with some degree of success since the

1830’s; not only because of its resistance to Pierce disease but because it is also immune to Phylloxera, microscopic insec ts that attack roots and leaves. That grape was Lenoir. Also k now as Black Spanish. Today, Dr y Comal Creek Winer y still makes wine from several different grape varietals, including their popular Bone Dr y French Colombard which sells out annually.

With a total yearly produc tion topping well over 5,000 cases per year, the winer y craf ts a dozen different wines, including some blends made with Merlot, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo and Zinfandel and also a Cabernet, as well as some Spark ling wines and Por ts. In addition, they also offer several selec tions of wines made from Black Spanish, the only grapes grown at the vineyard anymore. Sabrina Houser is the daughter of founders Frank lin and Bonnie Houser. “I grew up stomping grapes”, she writes.

Today Sabrina runs the family business and is in January/February 2014 | On The Town 45

charge of the winer y ’s day-to - day operations. of the bottling process, I contac ted former San Antonio Express-News repor ter David King who “ We learned our lesson,” she said. lives in New Braunfels and has been teaching Indeed, the lesson was learned. So well in fac t wine education classes at Dr y Comal Creek that Dr y Comal Creek is now regarded not only since December 2006. “In fac t, I am the longestas having been the pioneers of Black Spanish tenured person who still works in the Tasting cultivation in Texas but it is also recognized as Room on a regular schedule,” he said. “I love being the exper t regarding that par ticular type work ing there. I t ’s a great atmosphere. My main role is that I teach a wine -related class once a of grape. month, on a Saturday.” he added. “ The tasting The tasting room at Dr y Comal Creek offers wine room itself is a great place for people who have tastings, winer y tours, wine by the glass and never been to a winer y, which is the majority of bottles to take home plus a unique selec tion of people in there on a weekend. The emphasis is wine gif ts. There is also an event center which on friendliness and a casual atmosphere,” said can be rented to accommodate weddings and King. The tasting room is open 7 days a week other func tions. On Saturday and Sunday, there from 12 noon – 5pm, except New Year ’s Day, are tours that typically include tastings from Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. the tanks.

Dr y Comal Creek Vineyards and Winer y : 1741 Although, neither Sabrina Houser nor Herbelin Road, New Braunfels, winemaker Joe Donnow were available for (830) 885-4076, w w w.dr ycomalcreek .com inter views due the fac t they were in the middle

46 On The Town | January/February 2014

January/February 2014 | On The Town 47

48 On The Town | January/February 2014

Fig Tree Restaurant’s chef Laurent Rea

By Olivier J. Bourgoin (aka. Olivier the Wine Guy) Photography Greg Harrison ”

F

...ig Tree Restaurant in La Villita has been a bastion of incredible French cuisine in San Antonio since 1971. Through more than four decades patrons have become accustomed to experiencing only the finest in foods, ambiance and service. Recently this sister restaurant to Little Rhein Steak House added the abundant talents of chef Laurent Rea to continued its exceptional culinary legacy.

Rea originally hails from the nor theastern French province of Alsace. Prior to coming to the United States, he left his homeland in 1995 to work in England, Stratford-upon-Avon to be exact the bir thplace of playwright and poet William Shakespeare near the city of Birmingham.

There he honed his skills at The Lygon Arm, a restaurant owned by the famed Savoy Group.

Over the course of the next three years, an idea germinated in the young chef ’s mind. He became enamored with the idea of coming to the United States to ply his trade.

In 1998, Rea seized the opportunity to take a job at a Paul Bocuse-owned property at Epcot Center in Florida. “Once here in the U.S., I knew I wanted to stay. I liked the lifestyle, so I looked for a way to obtain a work visa,” Rea said. “Becoming a chef is much harder in France than it is here. Over there, you have to be much more patient. Here, if you work hard, things move quicker.

The Santa Fe experiment lasted three years, from 2007 to 2010. “My wife, Janet, and I enjoyed the climate but the work was rather seasonal and, quite frankly, it was a bit scary; kind of like Aspen in the off-season. But my wife is from here, and we wanted to come back to San Antonio. I was offered an opportunity to be the chef and partner at Olmos Park Bistro, which was open for 18 months. From there I opened Chez Laurent at the Olmos Circle and when we closed it, the previous chef at the Fig Tree, Chris Spencer, had just left to work with Andrew Weissman at the new Minnie’s, so I came here,” Rea said.

What the Fig Tree lacks in size, it largely makes up in charm and elegance. With its main entrance located inside La Villita, the streetlevel dining room can accommodate about 20 guests with room for an additional 30 in the top -floor dining room. In addition there is room for another 40 patrons on the river-facing terrace, weather permitting.

“I feel like the Fig Tree is still one of San Antonio’s best-kept secrets,” Rea said. “Eighty percent of our customers are from out-of-town but there are many locals who don’t really know about us, and we’d love to introduce them.

“I’m really happy to be here, for several reasons.

First, it’s a new experience for me. It’s good exposure professionally, and it’s another level of “While working in Florida, I met a gentleman who work I had not done before. Also, it’s on the San had contacts in San Antonio. With his help I was Antonio River and in a beautiful setting. It really hired at L’Etoile in Alamo Heights. I ended up is a beautiful restaurant. I also like the fact that staying there as a sous-chef for seven years. After now, I only have to take care of the kitchen; there that I was ready for a change so I left to work in are no other distractions. It’s fun and challenging,” Santa Fe,” Rea said. he said.

January/February 2014 | On The Town 49

“Except for some of the signature dishes this restaurant has been known for over the years, like the Beef Wellington and Beef Rossini, I’ve pretty much been given free rein to express myself and to showcase my talents in the kitchen.

My philosophy of cooking is really quite simple.

I use a very traditional French heartland ( Terroir) approach, while utilizing local ingredients and a contemporary presentation. One of our current specials is a Magret (filet) of Duck with a Blood Orange Gastrique (caramelized sugar, deglazed with vinegar), and served with a Parsnips Mousseline,” Rea said.

“I enjoy making dishes with a beautiful and very color ful presentation. Something that’s a pleasure for the eyes as well as for the taste buds; like using the petals of Brussels sprouts for decoration,” he said.

Fig Tree Restaurant: 515 Villita St., in downtown San Antonio. 210-224-1976. Open 7 nights a week at 6 p.m., with last reservations accepted at 9 p.m.

“Except for some of the signature dishes this restaurant has been known for over the years, like Beef Wellington and Beef Rossini, I’ve been pretty much been given free rein to express myself and to showcase my talents in the kitchen.”

- Laurent Rea Fig Tree Restaurant 50 On The Town | January/February 2014

January/February 2014 | On The Town 51

Pinch Pennies & Dine Well

52 On The Town | January/February 2014

Happy Birthday to me!

Free Dining Opportunities are the Order of the Day

By Marlo Mason-Marie

A

bout five years ago, I decided to establish a standalone e-mail account to use solely for the accrual of discounted restaurant offers.

After it was up and running, I signed up for every restaurant “e-mail club” I could find just to see what would happen. I expected a coupon offer every now and then, but little did I realize the absolute flood of deals destined to come my way. I hit the mother lode, a never-ending bonanza of significant savings for simply providing my name, e-mail address, birthday and anniversary date. In this article, I would like to address only one aspect of the savings received, that being “birthday” offers.

of the 837 Club at The Palm Restaurant, I qualified for a three-pound lobster dinner for my birthday.

What a great gratis gift! In addition, Myron’s Prime Steakhouse dropped a $30 gift certificate in the mail to me, and Shula’s Steak House (nearest one is in Houston) followed suit with a totally free entrée of my choice. I also joined the Landry’s Select Club, and they rang up a $25 credit on my club card as a b’day gift to use at any of their restaurants, including local favorites Landry’s on the River Walk, Saltgrass Steakhouse, Chart House on top of the Tower of the Americas and Rainforest Café, also on the River Walk.

A couple more upscale eateries who offered bonus bucks this year were Kona Grill and Z’Tejas, with $15 Because I invested nothing more than a miniscule and $10 gift certificates respectively, to use as I saw amount of my time, I am absolutely blown away by fit. As a result of joining their birthday clubs, Cappy’s the massive number of freebies that have appeared in Alamo Heights and La Fonda on Main sent cards in in my e-mail every year during the month of my birth. the mail treating to $10 off at each restaurant.

Happy birthday to me! Take this year for example.

Houlihan’s loved me to the tune of a free entrée up Smaller, but still impressive, birthday goodies in the to $15 in value with no strings attached. Zio’s Italian mix this year included a free soufflé from Morton’s Kitchen liked me too and sent a voucher for a comp The Steakhouse, a complimentary dinner at Texas entrée up to $12 with no obligation to buy anything de Brazil with the purchase of another, a free else. Tony Roma’s was a player as well having dessert from La Madeleine Country French Café, a offered me a free entrée of my choice. Grimaldi’s free appetizer at Texas Land and Cattle, a free BBQ Pizzeria tossed its best wishes my way with a large sandwich from Dickey’s and a free dessert from one-topping at no cost, and Brio Tuscan Grill made Mimi’s Café. me happy with a free entrée. Spaghetti Warehouse joined the fun and frivolity with a complimentary I’ve mentioned 20 of the more than 50 birthday entrée and spumoni sundae, and I got a free birthday offers received. Of course, these are timed deals with burger from Red Robin. That’s seven e-mails and expiration dates so it’s impossible to take advantage seven free meals. of them all. But remember, the cost to play this “on the house” game is zip, zero, nada, nothing. Join As impressive as the above display of “something for some restaurant e-mail clubs today so you too can nothing” is, there’s much more information to impart say “Happy birthday to me” when your turn rolls about the “free” world of food and drink. As a member around. Bon appetit!

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54 On The Town | January/February 2014

Visual Arts 56-72

January/February 2014 | On The Town 55

MUSEUMS AND ART CENTERS OFFER INCREDIBLE EXHIBITIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR ALIEN WORLDS AND ANDROIDS, ROBERT INDIANA, THOMAS SULLY, DIEGO RIVERA AND ELDZIER CORTOR ARE FEATURED.

A

mateur criminologists should hurry to the Witte Museum (www.wittemuseum.org) to investigate CSI: The Experience, a forensic science exhibit based on the popular television franchise that allows viewers to analyze staged crime scenes with multimedia simulations of cutting-edge investigative resources (ends January 26). Porfirio Salinas: Capturing South Texas on Canvas features 30 works from the renowned Texas landscape artist (1910-1973), including a 360 degree mural of Dan Rheiner’s Las Pintas ranch (ends February 9). Opening February 1 is an exhibit devoted to Maximilian and Carlota: Last Empire of Mexico, exploring the brief and tragically clueless rule of Mexico’s final European Emperor and Empress in the 1860s (through March 30). The major exhibition Alien Worlds and Androids (February 22 - May 27) asks “Are we alone?” by highlighting current scientific findings in nine areas: Looking for Life in Space, Alien Life on

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Earth, Artificial Intelligence and Robots, Robot Space Explorers, Explore the Solar System, The Robotization of Planet Earth, I-Cyborg and The Human Microbiome.

The Institute of Texan Cultures (www.texancultures. com) celebrates American Indian and Texan skateboard cultures in Ramp It Up and Ramp It Up: Texas Style (through January 5). In The 201st Fighter Squadron: Mexico Joins the Fight in WWII, archival materials tell the story of courageous Mexican volunteers who fought alongside American soldiers (through January 12). Why We Came: The Immigration Experience is and immersive exploration of the complex motivations and challenges facing contemporary immigrants—see if you can pass a citizenship test (through March 23).

The substantial permanent collection is the draw at the Briscoe Western Art Museum (www.briscoemuseum.

org), which opened last October on the River Walk.

The museum is dedicated to telling the story of the American West in full perspective, through art and artifacts of cowboy, American Indian, Mexican, and Spanish Colonial cultures. The West 1:01 drop-in tours are free every Thursday at 1:01 pm sharp, and upcoming gallery talks include Home on the Range (January 7, 6pm), which explores the significance of the bison in American Art, and “The Romance of Mexican Border Ballads” (February 4, 6 pm).

with the exhibition. The small special exhibition Diego Rivera in San Antonio features one of the artist’s earliest paintings, thought to be lost for decades but rediscovered in a local home collection and carefully restored, along with eight works on paper.

February is for modern lovers at the McNay Art Museum (www.mcnayart.org), which features three exhibitions of the iconic work of pop art master Robert Indiana, including the major survey Robert Indiana: Beyond Love (February 5 - May 25). Organized by the Whitney At the San Antonio Museum of Art (www.samuseum. Museum of American Art, the exhibition includes over 90 org) the major exhibition Thomas Sully: Painted paintings, sculpture and works on paper from public and Performance (February 8 - May 11) reveals nearly 80 private collections around the world. The Full Monty: Male works by one of the most important American painters Nudes from the Collection focuses on prints and drawings of the 19th century. Sully’s famously vibrant portraiture of male nudes by Paul Cadmus, Charles Demuth, George is set in the context of his lifelong connection to and Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, David Hockney, and Beth love of theatre, exploring how artist, sitter, and viewer Van Hoesen (February 5 - May 25). each plays his role in the creation of a dynamic work.

Eldzier Cortor: Master Printmaker (through March 2) Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum (www.bluestart. features an impressive collection of work by one of the org) exhibits three one-person shows. Chris Sauter: Faith only living African-American artists who worked during and Reason (through January 19) suggests relationships the Works Progress Administration. A film and panel between science and religion through photographs discussion with four Freedom Riders in partnership with of words written on the windows of airplanes in flight.

Dreamweek and the Created Equal film series coincides Related exhibitions by the artist will be at Southwest January/February 2014 | On The Town 57

School of Arts (Doubt, through February 2) and FL!GHT Gallery (The Shape of the Universe, through February 10).

Blane de St. Croix: Broken Landscapes III (through February 16) explores the geopolitical and ideological landscape of the Mexico/United States border, reconstructing a miniaturized section of the border fence and surrounding landscape. Elizabeth Keithline: Smarter, Faster, Higher (through February 16) is an installation of full-scale woven wire trees and human figures made in homage to the Terracotta Army of Xi-an Shaanxi.

Hererra, is on view at The Linda Pace Foundation (www. lindapacefoundation.org)—and all the way from Main Plaza—through December 2016. The Foundation also features Eight, Eighteen, two video installations and other recent video and photographic work by Theresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler (by appointment only, through March 29).

Ruiz-Healy Art (www.ruizhealyart.com) shows the work of Chuck Ramirez, Nate Cassie, Constance Lowe, Nicholas Leiva, Ethel Shipton, Cecilia Paredes, and Andres The Southwest School of Art (www.swschool.org) Ferrandis in Collective Reflection (through January 30). A features exhibitions by Chris Sauter (see above); solo exhibition of Andres Ferrandis, who incorporates photographers Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison new media and materials in painting, follows February (through February 2); painter Anabel Toribo-Martinez 25 - March 22.

(Interludes series, through January 31); painter Sarah Fox (Secrets Manifest, February 13 - April 25); and the Bihl Haus Arts (www.bilhausarts.org) exhibits The Life Perverse, beautifully executed and emotionally unsettling biennial Texas Draws III (February 13 - April 27). new oil paintings and ink drawings by Alejandro AugusGuest curator Paola Morsiani selected the 94 photos on tine Padilla (through February 1). The 7th Annual On & Off display through January 12 at ArtPace (www.artpace. Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour (www.onandofffred.org), org), the work of last Fall’s three artists in residence: founded by Bihl Haus’s Kellen Kay McIntyre, is not to be Micol Assaël (Rome, Italy), Ivor Shearer (Houston, missed: a weekend self-guided tour of a variety of galleries Texas), and Erin Shirreff (New York, New York). Adam, and studios of local artists and artisans in the city’s Art a 2,500 square-foot public art installation by Arturro Deco district (February 22 and 23).

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Photo Credits: Pages 56-57 (L-R) Robert Indiana The Figure Five, 1963 Oil on canvas Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC / Art Resource, NY. ©2013 Morgan Art Foundation, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York McNay Art Museum Alejandro Augustine Padilla Egg, 2013 Oil on panel, 16” x 16” Bihl Haus Arts Eldzier Cortor (American, born 1916) Dance Composition No. 35, edition 6 of 100, Etching gift of the Eldzier Cortor Trust in memory of Sophia Cortor 2012.24.39 San Antonio Museum of Art

Thomas Sully (American, born England, 1783–1872) Frances Anne Kemble as Beatrice, 1833 Oil on canvas, 30” × 25” Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia Bequest of Henry C. Carey (The Carey Collection), 1879.8.24 Courtesy of Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia San Antonio Museum of Art Pages 58-59 (L-R) CSI: The Experience Witte Museum Eldzier Cortor (American, born 1916) Tableau Oil on canvas gift of the Eldzier Cortor Trust in memory of Sophia Cortor 2012.24.32 San Antonio Musuem of Art Two Packers Maynard Dixon Briscoe Western Art Museum January/February 2014 | On The Town 59

ROBERT INDIANA: BEYOND LOVE

On view at the McNay Art Museum February 5 to May 25

By Daniela Oliver-Portillo

I

n the early 1960s, Robert Indiana was among artists, such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, leading the charge against previous, more traditional forms of art with the Pop Art movement. Then, in 1965, the Museum of Modern Art commissioned Indiana to design its Christmas card and Indiana painted LOVE soon after.

LOVE (1966) quickly permeated wider popular culture, and was adopted as an emblem of the “Love Generation” because of its optimistic and affirmative connotations.

Appearing in 1973 on a best-selling United States Postal Service stamp and reproduced on countless unauthorized products, the proliferation of the image led to misconceptions of the artist’s oeuvre.

LOVE image into a broader perspective and examines the emotional poignancy and symbolic complexity of the artist’s full body of work. Organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, this major survey spans Indiana’s career from 1955 to 1994, and includes more than 80 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper from public and private collections from around the world.

While it also includes variants of LOVE, the exhibition delves deeper and features paintings, wooden beam sculptures, or “herms,” and works on paper selected for their profound social, political, artistic, and literary references that speak to the vital forces that shaped American culture in the second half of the twentieth century.

The first retrospective of the artist’s work, the exhibition Robert Indiana: Beyond LOVE places Indiana’s signature Brightly-colored, stenciled symbols, numbers, and 60 On The Town | January/February 2014

words, reflect Indiana’s personal history, including his Sasha Nicholas, an independent curator and art historian; depression-era childhood; formative years as an artist and René Barilleaux, Chief Curator at the McNay; in New York; response to the civil rights movement; accompanies this exhibition. investigations of celebrity and the rise of consumer culture; engagement with American Modernists; and admiration for classic authors.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Important works from the McNay collection featured in the exhibition include paintings, Decade: Autoportrait 1961 (1972-77) and The Metamorphosis of Norma Jean Mortenson (1967), as well as costume designs made in the 1960s and 1970s for the opera, The Mother of Us All, which chronicles the life of suffragette Susan B. Anthony.

Ultimately, Indiana’s art addresses the most fundamental issues facing humanity—love, death, sin, and forgiveness—and gives new meaning to our understanding of the ambiguities of the American Dream and the plight of the individual in a pluralistic society. The McNay is the only other venue to host the exhibition and presents Robert Indiana: The Mother of Us All and Robert Indiana’s Hartley Elegies simultaneously.

Photo Credits: Pages 60-61 (L-R) Robert Indiana, EAT/DIE, 1962.

Oil on canvas. Private Collection. ©2013 Morgan Art Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Robert Indiana, Decade: Autoportrait 1961, 1972-77.

Oil on canvas. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas; gift of Robert L. B. Tobin. ©2013 Morgan Art Foundation, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

A 286-page illustrated catalogue with essays by Barbara Haskell, curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art; January/February 2014 | On The Town 61

Chance Reyes

ON AND OFF FREDERICKSBURG ROAD STUDIO TOUR FEBRUARY 22-23

By Ashley Festa Photography Eric Lane

T

ake a walk down Fredericksburg Road in February, and you’ll have the rare opportunity to see where some of San Antonio’s finest artists live – and where they bring their imagination to life.

With hundreds of artists (somewhere between 700 and 1,000, according to an informal survey) living in the area, Fredericksburg Road provides an ideal location for visitors to explore artists’ inspirational environment.

“We’re promoting a lifestyle. It’s a wonderful place to live, to work. It’s easy, comfortable, casual,” said Kellen Kee McIntyre, executive director of Bihl Haus Arts, a nonprofit contemporary art gallery dedicated to creating a community around all kinds of art. The annual On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour does just that.

“People want to see how the artists live, see where they work, sit down and have a glass of wine with them, get comfortable with them,” McIntyre said.

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Now in its seventh year, the self-guided studio tour at Fredericksburg Road – affectionately known as Fred Road to locals – draws close to 2,000 visitors from all

Vickie Owen

over the city, state and even the nation to indulge in two days’ worth of artistic delights. The tour encompasses seven surrounding neighborhoods: Los Angeles Heights, Monticello Park, Jefferson, Woodlawn Lake, Beacon Hill, Alta Vista and Keystone.

Each neighborhood is color-coded within the official On and Off Fred Road catalog of artists to highlight the distinct character of each area.

More than 70 artists grace the 100-plus pages of the catalog, but close to 200 other artists also participate in the tour, often as guests in a featured artist’s studio. To be featured in the catalog, an artist must live or work in one of the seven neighborhoods.

The catalog itself is an important aspect of the studio tour. Purchasing the $15 book – which includes the online mobile version – allows the buyer and a guest admission to the tour. For only $5, visitors can buy the online-only version

instead of the hard-copy catalog. “ This is not a free tour,” McIntyre said. “We do that to encourage visitors who are going to come and spend money. We want the artists that are on the tour to sell artwork. Several artists have sold several thousands of dollars on the tour.

“People take the catalog home and dog ear it.

Then they go back and commission work,” she said. “ They become patrons of various artists. Some guests go back and buy something every year.”

But visitors don’t have to take out a loan to bring home a souvenir from the tour. Prices range from $10 on up, and the variety of ar t on display is just as diverse. Jewelr y, potter y, handmade gift cards, paintings, photography, sculpture, metalwork, weaving, cut paper, fashion design, hair design, live per formances – you name it, it ’s probably on the tour.

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“ They’re seeing artists in its broadest definition,” McIntyre said. “ There really is something for everybody. I end up being surprised every year.

And if I end up being surprised and amazed every year, our guests are definitely going to be.”

The studios themselves offer an array of visual interests for tourists. The smallest studios are not much more than a “glorified shed,” McIntyre said, and the largest are a couple of old grocery stores converted into huge galleries and work space.

Some artists don’t have designated studio space at all, so they move their art to the front porch of their home for guests to peruse.

Beyond the art, the Fred Road area experiences an economic boost, thanks to the tour. Houses are sold, and apartments are rented before and after the tour. “The homes are quirky and fun,” said McIntyre, who also lives in the area. “It’s an artistfriendly community.”

Kathleen Trenchard

Rainey

In fact, Fred Road was built for the purpose of cultural tourism. It’s part of the Old Spanish Trail, a tourist road that the U.S. government built from 1919 to 1931. It started in St. Augustine, Fla., and ran through the South into San Antonio on its way to San Diego, Calif.

Fred Road was once a booming business corridor that took a hit in the 1960s when many of the area’s retail shops moved to new locations. On and Off Fred Road has been recognized by the City of San Antonio because of its success at revitalizing the area.

For example, several businesses such as coffee shops and boutiques have opened in the area. “They follow the artists,” McIntyre said. “We are not trying to gentrify anything. We want people to be comfortable here and live here into their 90s,” she said.

“I just want people to come and experience what I’ve been experiencing for 18 years -- the beauty of the neighborhood, the charm, the little magical space that the artists’ studios are.”

On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour takes place Feb. 22-23 in seven neighborhoods surrounding Fredericksburg Road. For more information, visit www.onandofffred.org.

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A COUPLE’S COLLECTION

San Antonio’s Dr. Harmon and Harriet Kelley share the story behind their African-American art collection

By Mauri Elbel

W

..hen Dr. Harmon and Harriet Kelley bought Hidden Heritage at the San Antonio Museum of Art in their first painting, they never anticipated they December 1987. would be among the top collectors of African“Harriet and I were invited to go to the exhibition, and American art just a quarter century later. we went having never seen any paintings like this that Today, the San Antonio-based couple is known for one of had been done by African-Americans––at least not of the the largest and most comprehensive collections of works degree that we saw at Hidden Heritage,” says Dr. Harmon

by African-American artists––some of the paintings they Kelley, who remains a full-time practicing obstetricianown are displayed permanently in museums while others gynecologist in San Antonio. “We were completely overwhelmed. We went back multiple times and were tour nationally and abroad. quite impressed. At that first exhibition, we saw things But their impressive collection had small beginnings, an that spoke to us; things we had experienced.” interest-turned-passion that started when the couple attended an exhibition of works by black artists titled But seeing African-American art in that magnitude for

66 On The Town | January/February 2014

the first time came with mixed emotions for the San Antonio-based couple. On one hand, they identified with the art, but on the other, they felt an overwhelming sense of cultural isolation having never heard of or seen works by most of these artists before.

museums, it was largely unknown.”

Over the years, their interests and involvement in AfricanAmerican art has grown extensively. Today the Kelleys share a similar status with some of best-known collectors of African-American art like comedian Bill Cosby. In 25 The Kelleys didn’t begin purchasing works with the years, they have amassed a collection that includes more intention of acquiring one of the largest collections of than 300 paintings, works on paper and sculptures from African-American art. Originally, they bought paintings African-American masters of the late 19th and 20th as a way to fill the walls of their home with meaningful centuries––most of which is now owned by the Harriet art and to educate their two young daughters––now & Harmon Kelley Foundation For The Arts. Many original both grown and working, one as an OB/GYN who shares works by black artists they have collected are now a practice with Harmon and the other a social worker in displayed nationally and abroad.

San Antonio––about their heritage.

Their traveling exhibition, The Harmon & Harriet Kelley “At first, it wasn’t our intention to establish a collection–– Collection of African-American Art: Works on Paper, is an we were just looking for pretty paintings representative of extensive assortment of works by various 19th and 20th our culture to hang on our walls,” says Harriet. “Originally century African-American artists that has toured the we saw an opportunity to fill our walls with this beautiful United States and England spanning museums from the art––it brought a lot of pride to us knowing there were Smithsonian Institute to the London-Haywood Gallery in African-American artists that were producing this fine recent years. The exhibition is comprised of 69 works on art. But because of segregation and being denied from paper––representing a small fraction of what is contained January/February 2014 | On The Town 67

in their overall collection––including drawings, etchings, lithographs, watercolors, pastels, acrylics, gouaches, linoleum and color screen prints. Works included in the collection are by established artists such as Ron Adams, Benny Andrews, Romare Bearden, Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White, Elizabeth Catlett, John Biggers, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Eldizer Cortor and Margaret Burroughs as well as other lesser known artists.

When the Kelleys first began collecting art, finding works

by African-American artists was a challenge. It should also be mentioned that these works were priced far below other contemporaries back then, making it affordable for the working couple to be able make numerous purchases.

The Kelleys say they would never be able to duplicate the collection they have today. To put it into numerical perspective, they bought their first two paintings in 1988 for a combined $14,000––a price they say today wouldn’t even allow them to purchase a single painting now, some of which would probably start somewhere in the sevenfigure range.

While collecting these works of art was more affordable back then, it was also very difficult. Harriet, a science major who taught biology before becoming a stay-athome mother, handled most of the legwork.

“In 1988, it was not an easy feat,” says Harmon. “It was back when we had no Internet and at that time most galleries did not carry paintings by black Americans. We had to go to the periphery to find the paintings.”

Harriet began conversing with Thurlow Tibbs, a New York art dealer who operated a gallery out his home. Tibbs had some paintings he was willing to sell and helped guide the Kelleys through their first purchases until they were familiar and comfortable enough to make decisions on their own. Harriet negotiated a price for their first purchase: one painting and two etchings done by Henry Ossawa Tanner, an African-American artist among the first to gain international acclaim.

As they were filling the blank walls of their home with paintings by abstract artists, they also discovered paper works along the way but didn’t learn to appreciate their value until later. Neither Harriet nor Harmon had any background or formal education in art, but once their interests evolved, Harriet completed Docent Training at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio which provided her with a sound art history foundation and helped her develop as a collector.

68 On The Town | January/February 2014

In the same way the Kelleys put African-American art in front of their own daughters, they have made it their mission to share it on a broader scale. Harriet has served on the San Antonio Museum of Art board for 20 years–– prior to that, she says there were no paintings in the museum by African-American artists.

“Right now we have a number of pieces at the McNay Art Museum and there is always a major exhibition that we loan to,” Harriet says, adding that their upcoming loan to the major exhibition on Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist will originate at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University Jan. 30 before embarking on a national tour. “We try to loan paintings to major exhibitions so they can be documented.”

There are the more esoteric examples of their contributions to the increased awareness and exposure of African-American art too. Harmon was instrumental in getting the Journal of the American Medical Association to feature African-American artists on its covers. Harriet also serves on the University of Texas’ fine arts advisory committee, helping to develop wish lists for the Blanton Museum of Art. The Kelleys have given major art works to the San Antonio Museum of Art as well––a landscape painting

by Edward Mitchell Bannister from 1892 and a still life

by Charles Ethan Porter done in 1885––and they have contributed toward the museum’s purchase of a major Jacob Lawrence painting. The Kelleys were actually contemplating where to hang one of the paintings in their home until they realized the best place for it was somewhere with a broader view.

“Someone made a suggestion that we should loan it to the museum while we decided where we hang it,” Harmon recalls. “But after we saw it hanging in the museum––such a magnificent painting––we realized it was a painting that belonged in a museum for everyone to enjoy.”

Over the years, the Kelleys have realized the bigger picture lying behind their art collection. Harmon says he sees this as a way to give back to the same community that made it possible for he and his wife to be able to collect art. And Harriet says giving back to the community and educating the public about their heritage is part of a greater effort to fight bigotry, racism, ignorance and hatred.

“It is important that these school kids who come to the museum can take pride that artists from their race are represented,” says Harriet. “They can help tell the story.”

January/February 2014 | On The Town 69

The same art that drapes their walls and travels crosscountry to museums has also been a source of strength for the San Antonio couple.

“Over the years we have had sorrows and illnesses, and art has always been there to lift us up,” says Harriet. “This has been very therapeutic.”

During times of personal pain and feelings of isolation and exclusion, the Kelleys turned to art.

“Harriet and I put all our efforts into collecting, and it just kind of grew––we never intended it to be anything other than something we enjoyed,” says Harmon. “But it came about during a very tough time in our lives. Art was there during a very emotional, isolated time when Harriet and I were just together; just us. Art was our refuge.”

Talking to the Kelleys, it becomes evident how much these meaningful works of art have impacted their lives––and most importantly, how they remain willing and eager to share it with others.

“Two of the most important contributions you can make in this life are the kind of people you rear your children to become and the legacy you leave behind,” says Harriet. “Those are two very motivating thoughts that former Secretary of State Colin Powell once said.

You want to build a legacy, and I think that is what we have done. I think we have made a significant contribution and we will be remembered for making this a better place.”

• • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits: Page 66 Claude Clark (1914-1985) Rain, not dated Offset lithograph Edition no.: 43/400 15 ¾” x 20” Page 67

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Jacob Lawrence (1917-1999) Carpenters, 1977 Color lithograph Edition no.: 52/300 18” x 22”

Page 68 (Above) Mary Reed Daniel (born 1946) My Friend, 1981 Gouache, graphite and acrylic on paper 11” x 9 1/8” (Below) Aaron Douglas Portrait of a Lady, 1950 Watercolor on paper 14 12” x 11” Page 69 (Above) Ernest T. Chrichlow (1914-2005) Anyone’s Date, 1940 Gouache on paper 9” x 7” (Below) Charles Sebree (1914-1985) Harlequin, 1954 Pen and ink and gouache on handmade paper 14 ¼” x 10” Page 70 (Above) William Henry Johnson (1901-1971) Jitterbugs III, 1941-42 Porchoir 16 ½” x 21 ½” (Below) Alma Woodsey Thomas (1891-1978) Wind and Flowers, 1973 Watercolor on paper 14 ½” x 18” Page 71 (Above) Richard W. Dempsey (1909-1987) Untitled, 1940 Charcoal and color pastels on paper 24” x 18” (Below) Ike E. Morgan (born 1958) Still Life, 1990 Pastel and acrylic paint on paper 27 ½” x 22 ¾” (framed)

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Literary Arts

74-78

January/February 2014 | On The Town 73

Book Talk:

BECKY CROUCH PATTERSON,

artist and author Story and Photography by Jasmina Wellinghof 74 On The Town | January/February 2014

B

orn and raised on Hill Country ranches, Becky Crouch Patterson is an artist and fifth-generation Texan who first ventured into writing with a memoir about her folk-hero father, Hondo Crouch, the man who bought tiny Luckenbach in 1971 and turned it into a destination for fun and music events. Published in 1979, the book sold 20,000 copies.

paintings she said to me, “If you write a book to go with these paintings, we’ll publish it.” It was really a gift.

JW: Could you describe how this book came about?

My immediate ancestors became ranchers. I was surprised to find the name of my great-grandfather Hermann Stieler at the Institute of Texan Cultures. He started one of the largest sheep and cattle ranching operations in the area.

His son, my grandfather Adolf, became known as the angora goat king of the world. Together with other German families, the Reals, the Schreiners, the Neunhoffers, they built roads, warehouses, started banks and auctions, and contributed to the development of Texas.

A while later, I signed up for a writing workshop with Reginald Gibbons at Gemini Ink, and I told him about all the history and tragedies in my family. There was a lot to tell but how do I shape it? He advised me to write it all down, “but have a thesis,” he said. That finally gave me the Now, more than 30 years later, Patterson has written impetus to push forward. My thesis is that we should try to another memoir, The Ranch That Was Us, released by emulate the pioneer spirit of our German ancestors when Trinity University Press last year. While the famous Hondo confronted with hardship. Our frontiers are different from is mentioned in it, Ranch is primarily the story of her theirs but surviving tragedy and hardship is part of life. mother, Shatzie Stieler Crouch, and her German ancestors who came to Texas in the 1850s and helped establish JW: In fact, you said to me in our phone conversation that a number of Hill Country communities, including the the book was about loss. Would you elaborate on this?

Freethinkers’ little paradise called Comfort.

BCP: We are what we lose. Loss forces us to pay attention, With an artist’s eye for detail, Patterson paints a vivid whether it’s loss of land, people or an entire lifestyle. There picture of life on the Stieler Hill Ranch – called the Home have been tragedies in my family since the Civil War, and Ranch – by weaving together the family saga with hard I have suffered personal tragedies with the accidental facts, anecdotes, personal remembrances, news reports death of my son, Ren, and the suicide of my brother, and historical background in a series of short chapters Kerry. Loss forces us to seek healing and that’s what the and even shorter vignettes within chapters. It’s a world book is about - loss and healing. It’s also about the loss of that is fast disappearing, as subdivisions and shopping our ranches and a way of life, the loss of common sense centers keep gobbling up woods and ranch lands. The and self-reliance, as well as a lot of other things that we book is also a story of two women - Patterson and her learned from our ancestors but no longer practice. mother – who both had to face the tragic death of a son.

JW: Tell us a bit about your German ancestors.

Commenting on the book, John Phillip Santos wrote “Becky’s family tale of pioneering souls taming land BCP: There were two waves of German immigration into and livestock with rough-hewn artistry, amid scenes the Hill Country. My ancestors came in the 1850s. The of boundless mirth and unendurable grief, ultimately people who founded Comfort were educated teachers, makes this story a staggering chronicle of the power doctors, and they came with their books to create their of filial love to conquer hardship. It remains with you, idea of a utopian society in the New World. They did not poignant and uplifting.” Country music legend Willie want to have a city government – in fact, Comfort is not Nelson wrote the foreword. incorporated to this day – and they did not want any churches. It’s not that they were not religious; they just After living in San Antonio for 25 years, in the early 1990s, didn’t want organized religion. Also, no lawyers. When Patterson moved back to the scaled-down version of the they came to Texas, they had no idea that they were Home Ranch which she now co-owns with her other two coming into a land full of Indians, with no roads or other sons Kit and Sky Patterson. civilized amenities.

BCP: I always say, I didn’t choose writing; writing chose me. In 2005, I got a scholarship for an artist residency in Maine and I painted stories from ranch life, stories that the ranch’s longtime foreman, Raymond Kuhlmann, related to me before he died. My friend (poet) Naomi Shihab Nye saw some of them and volunteered to contact Barbara Ras (Trinity Press director). When Barbara saw the

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JW: What are your most vivid memories of childhood on the ranch?

BCP: The strongest things that connect me to “home” are the ranchera songs the shearers sang around campfires, that my father later brought into our living rooms. The other is the smell of feed and hay, and the funky smell of goats and wool lanolin that are strange honey perfume to me.

JW: Your mother, Shatzie, is clearly a role model for you, and we learn a lot about her no-nonsense attitude, practicality and resilience from the pages of your memoir.

How did she influence you?

BCP: She taught me that we should all cherish our ancestors. She spent decades of her life restoring Model-T cars and antique furniture. In 1959 she became the president of the Gillespie County Conservation Society and greatly increased the awareness of the need to preserve what we inherited. She even lay down in front of bulldozers to prevent them from demolishing historical structures. (Today, Comfort boasts more than 100 buildings dating back to the 19th century.)

I lean on her for wisdom. She’s tough and tender. She trapped raccoons and opossums, she was a rancher and hard worker, and she also had to personally take down her son after he committed suicide by hanging himself. But she has also taught me that we need balance in this life, balance between compassion and practicality, and she has always advised me to love myself. I am still learning to do that. She’s 89 now and unfortunately suffering from dementia. But she still has the rancher’s spirit.

JW: You spent considerable time speaking with your grandfather’s foreman Raymond before he died, and his reminiscences are featured prominently in the book.

What’s your favorite story of ranch life?

BCP: The one where he tells how he kept in touch with the neighbors. (Quoted here) “I’d top Thunder Mountain at 5:30 a.m. I could see the whole world from up there all the neighbors, Hubert Smith, Eucker, Bill Whitworth, Manchaca. Since you don’t talk to your neighbors much, about all I could do to check on them was to see when they got moving in the morning by watching when the smoke came outa their chimneys. Everyone cooked with wood back then.” Every time I read that I get a lump in my throat.

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JW: Having lived with so much grief yourself, what advice do you have for others who are confronting loss?

BCP: At first you do a lot of crying and lean into your pain.

Then you wrestle with recreating your life; how to make the world a friendly place again. Then fill the void by looking for beauty, kindness and thankfulness. Alexandar Solzhenitsyn said that “Beauty will save the world.” I understand it now. I look for beauty in poetry, music, a sunset; I rely on nature a lot. Beauty heals. I also paint and write about it. I write about loss in order to let it go. But grief always stays with you.

JW: As a memoir writer, I assume you have to worry about your family members’ sensitivities. How did your family react to the book?

BCP: Oh! (She waves her arm and laughs.) They still have not read it! When I wrote the first memoir, Hondo, My Father, it took my mother two years to read it. My sister said, “I lived it, I don’t need to read the book.” My brother Kerry actually ate a few pages; Juan (her other brother) used it as a paper weight.

But other people have written to me then and now.

Naomi (Shihab Nye) is using The Ranch That Was Us in her creative writing class at the James Michener Center at UT. One of her students wrote to me saying this book made her think about her own life and ancestors and what a gift it was for future generations. In fact, Naomi is bringing her entire class of graduate students here for a picnic. They wanted to see a real Texas ranch. They will read what they wrote in response to my book.

I also took part in two book fairs in Austin and San Antonio.

The first edition of Ranch sold out, so Trinity reprinted it.

JW: How did you get Willie Nelson to write the foreword?

BCP: That was Trinity Press’ idea. I didn’t know Willie well but he knew my father. He came to Luckenbach five times for his Fourth of July picnic and concert. I had to go through his daughter to reach him and had to call again and again but we eventually got the foreword from him.

He’s a fabulous writer.

JW: Any advice for potential memoir writers?

BCP: Write about the lump in your throat. If you can talk a story, you can write one. Write short anecdotes; they add up to something bigger. Interview the old-timers now.

Don’t lose their rich memories.

Ms. Crouch Patterson’s comments have been edited for space and clarity.

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JCC Jewish Film Festival Puts its Mission into Focus

By Aliyah Kuchinsky

T

.he Barshop Jewish Community Center’s Jewish Film Festival, now in its 13th year, has a committee with a mission that is truly audiencecentered. That mission is “to promote Jewish values and diversity among the Jewish people through the medium of film. We aim to entertain, educate and raise community awareness of Jewish identity, history and culture.”

Beginning in July for sixteen weeks, the committee holds group screenings of up to two films per week combined with in-depth discussion all culminating in an intricate voting process in November to select the top films for the artfully curated festival schedule.

The committee considers every aspect of each film from the clarity of the subtitles to Jewish content and film editing. The Jewish Film Festival committee takes an approach of offering a decidedly diverse line-up With the promotion of Jewish values and the of films that have been researched, screened and entertainment of its audience as the highest of debated, all with the audience experience in mind. priorities, you can bet your ticket’s worth that the twelve-person committee of proficient cinephiles Screening this year, When Comedy Went to School has carefully selected each of the ten films to be is an entertaining portrait of our country’s greatest presented at the five-day festival. generation of comics – including the likes of Jerry

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Lewis, Jackie Mason, and Jerry Stiller, all of whom make appearances in the film, sharing personal anecdotes, jokes and stories. As an added treat for the audience, the Oxymorons, San Antonio’s premiere improvisational comedy troupe, will steal the stage from the silver screen at the conclusion of the film.

Call their performance a palate cleanser, if you will, prior to the screening of Aftermath, an intense and gripping thriller inspired by actual events that tells the story of two brothers who discover a terrible secret. While Aftermath has caused controversy in its native Poland due to its present-day reckoning with a dark period in that country’s history, the committee, in keeping with their mission, did not shy from the controversy, and instead, intensely examined the merit of the film and its ability to “entertain, educate, and raise community awareness of Jewish identity, history and culture.” The Festival, and this year’s lineup of films, does just that.

purchase tickets and to explore the films, visit www. jccsanantonio.org/filmfestival. Tickets may also be purchased by calling 302-6820.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Photo Credits: Page 80 Aftermath, the affecting, well-conceived film that explores collectively repressed Holocaust guilt, will be screened Sunday at 7:30pm at the Jewish Film Festival at Santikos Embassy 14.

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Jerry Stiller appears in the film When The Jewish Film Festival will be held Feb. 8-12 at the Comedy Went to School at the JCC Jewish Santikos Embassy 14 Theatre at 281 and Bitters. To Film Festival Feb. 8-12.

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ASIAN FESTIVAL 2014:

Year of the Horse

By James Benavides Photography courtesy on ITC

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or 45 years, the Institute of Texan Cultures has reminded Texans and San Antonians of their heritage by putting culture and lifeways on display.

Immersive experiences and special events such as Asian Festival create opportunities for the state’s ethnic groups to celebrate and participate in each other’s culture. The museum will host the 2014 Asian Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 1.

The festival will showcase Korean chefs preparing the popular Bulgogi Korean-style barbecue, and the Korean American Cultural Center of San Antonio sharing stories of daily life in Korea as well as the history of their immigration and integration into American culture.

“We are collaborating with the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center on a new project called ‘Young Historians, Living Histories,’” said Angelica The earliest days of the Asian Festival, 27 years ago, Docog, executive director of the ITC. “The project has opened the door for Asian communities to be recognized given ITC and the Korean American Cultural Center and acclaimed. The event started with a Chinese New Year in San Antonio a great platform with which to work celebration and grew into something uniquely Texan, as together. Asian Festival will give this underserved and communities from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and often overlooked part of the community a chance Korea joined in the observance and invited San Antonio to showcase itself and share the amazing stories of to celebrate with them.

Korean culture and everyday life.”

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exhibition, “Is This My Shangri-La: Life in a Bhutanese Refugee Camp,” curated by Lopita Nath of the University of the Incarnate Word. The Bhutanese are migrating to Texas primarily as refugees from Asia.

A significant portion of the population has been displaced by civil unrest, and many Bhutanese live in refugee camps in neighboring Nepal. The exhibit features approximately 100 photographs from Nath’s research trips in Bhutan and Nepal. The exhibit opens on Feb. 1 and continues through April 20.

“From the moment you enter the festival grounds, you are surrounded by a celebration,” says festival director Jo Ann Andera. “There’s an opportunity to learn, but there are just as many opportunities to dance, or enjoy a bowl of your favorite Asian food, or to try something completely new.”

The Asian Festival starts with a Lion Dance parade around the grounds to chase away the evil spirits of the past year. Dancers, martial artists and presenters lead the way through the festival grounds and open the celebration.

Music, dance and entertainment follow on multiple stages, featuring offerings such as the traditional choreography of Okinawan dance, the contemporary styles of China, or the Bollywood-style of India.

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On the museum’s Back 40, martial arts organizations will demonstrate unique styles ranging from the meditative tai chi chuan, to the more aggressive arts like karate and the swordsmanship of kendo.

“What’s so amazing about the martial arts demonstrations,” Andera said, “is you’ll hear the history of the art, the rationale of their movements, and the tradition as to how and why these arts are practiced. It is a snapshot of history and events that have shaped a culture. It’s this perfect intersection of entertainment and education.”

Andera emphasizes the experiential aspects of the festival, such as sampling foods, participating in demonstrations and visiting with Asian community members as some of the most fulfilling experiences of Asian Festival. For 27 years, the festival has played an important part in creating unity and solidarity in community, as it has helped people come together and understand one another in a day of entertainment, excitement and experience.

The 2014 Asian Festival celebrates the Year of the Horse.

It will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Institute of Texan Cultures, 801 E. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. For ticket information, visit TexanCultures.com or the Institute of Texan Cultures museum store.

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