Arts & Culture near
by San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM)
These African American San Antonio history-makers changed the medical science field.
Click here to visit our digital exhibit, "Barrier Breakers: Pioneers in Medicine."
Join us every first Thursday of the month for Elements of Poetry with Dario. Participation is limited and slots fill up fast. This workshop is via Zoom.
Click here to RSVP and secure your slot.
Free.
San Antonio's Film and Entertainment and Media industry is currently growing at a rapid pace. The Arrows in Motion Project is a weekly program that has been created to develop, train, and prepare young adults to follow their passions into the entertainment industry. By providing performances and resume-building oppotunities that align with our mission of encouraging creative dreamers to become authentic artist A.I.M. promotes community education and training, which, in part, prepares the participants for productive employment that meets the new professional needs of the city.
Most ages accepted. Call for more information.
Russell Hill Rogers Musical Evenings at San Fernando Cathedral merge the historic architecture of the nation's oldest continuously operating Catholic sanctuary with enchanting music of some of the finest, award-winning artists from around the globe.
Click here for Program Book and more information.
Free and open to the public.
Started in 2019, the Alamo Street Choir is a joint program between the SA Chamber Choir and Corazon San Antonio. The choir offers a musical outlet for the homeless, the marginalized and anyone interested in singing! Our voices of hope and wisdom will bring the community to a higher level of beauty through the art of singing. Unsheltered San Antonians raise their voices to the heavens.
Free.
by San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM)
Our Mission is to collect, preserve and share the cultural heritage of African Americans in the San Antonio region.
Our Vision is to be the leading model for community archives and museums in the world.
We are open 7 days a week! Come visit us today!
San Antonio has a rich history of telling our stories and sharing our culture. Art Everywhere celebrates art and artists by incorporating this art into the public realm. It adds vibrancy and a more global quality of life, promotes the creative economy, and acts as a magnet for businesses, residents, visitors, and foot traffic.
Art Everywhere makes downtown beautiful and playful – but now has even greater depth; it puts local artists (small-business people) back to work and lends downtown businesses a bit of coolness.
Click here to explore the art downtown and learn how you can take a self-guided tour!
If you are interested in supporting the Art Everywhere Project or have questions, please contact Andrea ‘Andi’ Rodriguez at [email protected].
San Antonio’s culture and diversity inspire a wealth of exciting activations and happenings.
Click here to find out how you can connect with San Antonio's rich, diverse culture.
An Urban Oasis.
Peacock Alley is a privately owned alley temporarily managed by Centro San Antonio, the nonprofit with a mission to make Downtown more welcoming, beautiful, playful and prosperous.
This past summer we hosted a series of community events including movie nights, performances and markets leading to a total of 36 activations, 60 vendors, 24 performances, and over 8,000 attendees.
Click here for the latest updates on upcoming events on Peacock Alley.
Artpace San Antonio is a nonprofit residency program which supports regional, national, and international artists in the creation of new art. As a catalyst for artistic expression, we engage local communities with global art practices and experiences.
Click here for the current exhibitions.
Click here for the latest events.
Our ensemble of professional-caliber singers, originating from San Antonio and the surrounding areas, is really what sets our choir apart from the several great musical groups the city has to offer. Many of our singers are professional performers or music educators right here in San Antonio!
Under the direction of Artistic Director, Rick Bjella, these singers apply their musicianship and diverse experiences to elevate the choir to new heights of musical excellence.
The San Antonio Fire Museum is, as many visitors say, one of San Antonio’s hidden gems. What began as a dream of five firefighters assigned together at old #19's station in 1997, has become one of the most notable Fire Museums in the country. Today, the Museum is located at San Antonio’s original Central Fire Headquarters at 801 E Houston St next door to the world-famous Alamo.
Admission:
- Adults: $5.00
- Seniors (60+): $3.00
- Children (3 -12): $2.00
- Children under 3: Free
- Military (in uniform): Free
- SAFD (in uniform): Free
- All Scheduled Groups of 10 - 25: $2 each
- 1st Tuesday: Free for all ages
Since 1995, the Texana/Genealogy Department has been located on the sixth floor of the Central Library at 600 Soledad Street downtown. The department occupies approximately 10,000 square feet. Within the Department are:
- approximately 60,000 microforms
- 75,000 books
- 110 drawers of archival files
- 11 map cabinets
- 300 cubic feet of archival collections.
The San Antonio River Foundation’s mission is to enhance the San Antonio River Basin as a vibrant cultural, educational, ecological, and recreational experience.
Click here to view all the places to find art along the SA River.
Click here to explore the mission reach.
Click here to explore the museum reach.
Click here for the latest updates and events.
San Antonio Sports hosts bi-weekly Motivation Monday Facebook live interviews with influencers and elite athletes who share how they are staying active and healthy during this unprecedented time.
We talk about the relationship between physical activity and mental health, how they stay motivated and silver linings from the past few months. Follow us on Facebook so you don’t miss it!
Click here to watch past videos.
ALAS, SAY Sí’s theatre program, provides students interested in the performing arts with opportunities to develop their skills in acting, directing, playwriting, technical theatre and stage management. Committed to the creation of new and original performance work by, for, and about San Antonio youth, ALAS challenges students to draw from their own experiences, observations, and insights to produce theatre of relevance to their lives and their communities.
ALAS operates as a collaborative ensemble known as the ALAS Youth Theatre Company. In the company, every student’s talent is valued and essential. Students have ownership over their theatrical work, and a voice in the artistic, technical, and creative decisions involved in every aspect of the production process.
Emphasizing leadership skills and civic engagement, ALAS aims to empower youth to create work that addresses community needs and concerns, challenges prejudices and social injustice, and celebrates diversity and difference.
This program is for students in grades 9-12.
Student Requirements:
- Parental/guardian permission
- Reliable transportation to and from SAY Sí
- A minimum C average in school
- Commitment to attending the program weekly
- Commitment to attending the program year-round
- Commitment to completing all SAY Sí projects in a timely manner while acting as a positive influence in the studios
- Current enrollment in middle school or high school (public, private, or home school)
How to Apply:
- Read ALL SAY Sí Student Requirements above
- Read SAY Sí Program Descriptions. High school applicants will choose one program to potentially join. Middle School WAM Applicants can indicate their top two choices, but acceptance into those options will be based on availability.
- Visit our application page and fill out the SAY Sí Application Form. All applications must be submitted digitally.
- SAY Sí staff will review all applicants and contact eligible candidates to schedule an in-person interview.
- Students will be notified of the decision via email and letter after interviews have been completed and all applicants have been reviewed.
- After your interview, acceptance or deferral letters will be sent by mail.
- All accepted students and parents will be contacted to attend a MANDATORY new student/parent orientation in order to officially join SAY Sí.
Free
The San Antonio Museum of Art enriches lives through exceptional experiences with art. Its mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret significant works of art, representing a broad range of history and world cultures to strengthen our shared understanding of humanity.
Come curious; leave Inspired.
Notice
Meetings are being held virtually until further notice. Call or email for connection details.
Poetry reading with featured poets and open mic.
As a commitment to Prospera’s youth residents, we offer multiple programs designed to develop the future leaders of tomorrow that are customized per the needs of each community. We believe that healthy development of youth begins with the empowerment from adult mentoring, hands-on activities, and community service., We encourage a positive influence through powerful learning experiences, and concrete skills and lessons. Our service-enriched communities offer Community Learning Centers that host youth programs focused on teaching self-discovery, individual growth, creative versatility, and qualities of leadership. Every aspect of our strategic planning is to cultivate positive elements of security, belonging, freedom, independence, moral values, healthy relationships, personal achievement, and recognition.
Youth programs and services include, but are not limited to:
- After-School Program
- Scholastic Tutoring
- Homework Assistance
- Youth Mentoring
- Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts
- Computer Literacy
- National/Industry-Sponsored Art Competitions
- Skills and Recreational Hobby Groups
- Exposure to Educational Institutions and Opportunities
- Arts and Crafts Education
- Annual Youth Summer Camp
- Educational Field Trips
- Organized Community Youth Sports Groups
This program is for youth residents of Champion Homes at Vista Verde Apartments.
Accordian Lessons - This unique program offers students professional instruction on the 3-row button accordion.
Bajo Sexto Lessons - This unique program offers students professional instruction on the Mexican 12-string guitar.
As a non-profit organization, the Conjunto Heritage Taller offers low cost, and sometimes free lessons, to make this opportunity accessible to anyone who has an interest in learning.
Due to Covid-19, all in-person lessons have been postponed. All lessons are taught on Zoom.
Click here for more information and registration.
Conjunto Heritage Taller offers courses in music theory as part of our core curriculum in Conjunto music.
Currently, these courses are offered online only.
Click here for a list of FAQ, more information, and registration.
$120 per course.
A $15 late fee will apply to those registering after the registration period.
Discounts:
- Senior Discount (60+): 25% ($90 total)
- Military Discount: 25% ($90 total)
- First Responders/EMT Discount: 25% ($90 total)
Qualify for a discount? Please send us an email at [email protected].
The Conjunto Heritage Taller recognizes the positive impact of music on our aging community and we foster “creative aging”, by providing music programming that supports and enriches adults across the aging spectrum! Annually, with the support of the Texas Commission on the Arts, we hold at least two free senior programs consisting of 8-week long introductory accordion classes, held at different San Antonio senior centers, taught by one of our master accordion instructors.
Primary outcomes of our senior programs can be seen among our students, who develop an understanding of the accordion or bajo sexto and eventually perform in the senior recital. We have observed that students gain self-confidence and pride when they master tunes they have worked hard to learn, and when they go on stage and receive a positive audience response.
Students participating in our senior programs exhibit positive results with added benefits of warding off depression and loneliness. CHT senior programs are facilitated in predominantly low-income, inner-city senior centers with the goal of positively serving our communities through creative aging!
Seniors Only.
Click here for more information.
As a commitment to Prospera’s youth residents, we offer multiple programs designed to develop the future leaders of tomorrow that are customized per the needs of each community. We believe that healthy development of youth begins with the empowerment from adult mentoring, hands-on activities, and community service., We encourage a positive influence through powerful learning experiences, and concrete skills and lessons. Our service-enriched communities offer Community Learning Centers that host youth programs focused on teaching self-discovery, individual growth, creative versatility, and qualities of leadership. Every aspect of our strategic planning is to cultivate positive elements of security, belonging, freedom, independence, moral values, healthy relationships, personal achievement, and recognition.
Youth programs and services include, but are not limited to:
- After-School Program
- Scholastic Tutoring
- Homework Assistance
- Youth Mentoring
- Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts
- Computer Literacy
- National/Industry-Sponsored Art Competitions
- Skills and Recreational Hobby Groups
- Exposure to Educational Institutions and Opportunities
- Arts and Crafts Education
- Annual Youth Summer Camp
- Educational Field Trips
- Organized Community Youth Sports Groups
This program is for youth residents of Terraces at Haven for Hope.
CineMujer
The CineMujer series offers opportunities for unheard women’s voices to break the silence using films and videos – providing a platform for alternate perspectives with those films that depict issues of social, economic, racial and environmental justice. The series have also provided a platform for women filmmakers to demonstrate their line of work.
Past installments of CineMujer have featured over 100 critically acclaimed films focusing on a range of issues including the emergence of Afro-German consciousness, racial justice organizing, the political and historical heritage of Latin America, the power of ideas, the need to reflect and evaluate social justice tactics, the emergence of bilingual education, the search for self identity, and much more. Each series also hopes to highlight significant women – many marked as revolutionaries, visionaries, and radicals.
Other, Out & Beyond Film Programming
The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center’s Other, Out and Beyond Film Series captures the traditions of the Esperanza’s historic film and video festivals: Out at the Movies; The Other America and CineMujer. Through the Other, Out and Beyond Film Series, Esperanza moves “beyond” the range of these historic festivals, incorporating an even broader range of international issues of social and political import.
Other, Out and Beyond celebrates the lives, struggles, cultures and strength of people throughout the world. It’s about expanding our minds, expanding our hearts, and expanding our communities to embrace across difference.
La Voz de Esperanza is a monthly newsjournal featuring stories, news, poetry and artwork submitted voluntarily by members of our community.
La Voz is a resource for peace, justice, and human rights through written word. It provides a forum for criticism, information, education, humor and other creative works. La Voz provokes bold actions in response to local and global problems, with the knowledge that the many risks we take for the earth, our bodies, and the dignity of all people will result in profound change for the seven generations to come.
Before La Voz issues are sent out, Buena Gente gather at monthly La Voz mailouts to help fold the newsjournal. Any time you can spare to help us fold is appreciated and needed. Sign up as a Buena Gente volunteer or give us a call at 210-228-0201 to sign up.
Click here to submit an article.
Click here to search past issues.
Esperanza’s annual International Peace Market/Mercado Internacional de Paz brings people together in the tradition of open-air markets found in indigenous communities around the world.
The Peace Market fills up two floors of the Esperanza Center and spills out into the patio and onto Evergreen St. with a festive community spirit. El Mercado de Paz gives shoppers direct access to global and local artesanos who sell unique handcrafted goods with themes of peace, social justice, cultural diversity and ecological concerns and it provides an alternative to the hectic holiday shopping offered by malls, big-box stores and impersonal vendors.
The success of Peace Market lies in the selection of vendors who see that the trend towards corporate shopping and mass production is leading to a decline of humanity. Our shoppers interact directly with artists and know that their hard-earned money goes to deserving individuals and the communities they represent.
Live performances as well as a variety of food and drinks for sale makes the day even more enjoyable for gente of all ages.
Other notable guests at the Peace Market include international artisans well known throughout the world. Artisans have included Teresa López Jiménez from Jichitan, Vasquez Family members from Teotitlan, Cristina Antonio Herrera, Irene Aguilar, Cecilia Bautista, Magdalena Pedro Martinez, Enedina Vasquez Cruz, Verónica Lorenzo Quiroz from, Taller Leñateros from Chiapas, and numerous artisans from the Red Binacional Niu Matat Napawika a network of artisan groups from across Mexico.
Click here for the latest upcoming Mercado de Paz, Peace Market events.
Noche Azul de Esperanza is our multi-year ongoing series of intimate café style performances with acclaimed singer/songwriter-in-Residence Azul Barrientos. Azul presents a multimedia monthly concert series exploring cultural themes and genres relevant to Afro/Latino/Indigenous cultures, with guest musicians like Jonathan Raveneau, Bett Butler and Joel Dilley, George and Aaron Prado, and Nina Rodriguez.
Featuring a new theme,multimedia presentation, and musical lineup each month, the sounds and genres of Noche Azul have included boleros, rancheras, folklore, tangos, jazz, afro-latin, and much more. Noche Azul showcases traditional Mexican songs while highlighting the cultural influences and interconnections between Latin America, Africa, Spain and Mexico.
Click here for the latest on upcoming Noche Azul de Esperanza events.
Radio Esperanza, 96.5 KEPJ-LPFM-San Antonio, is a low-powered community radio station dedicated to providing social justice organizing and community expression to our listeners. We provide a platform for local news, music, podcasts, and programs produced and presented by women, people of color, the lesbian, gay, trans and queer community, the working class and the poor.
Radio Esperanza empowers buena gente to speak out about injustices through media literacy and equitable access platforms. We are a non-commercial program of the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, a nonprofit organization. We cover a geographic area within three to five miles of the Esperanza Center at 922 San Pedro Avenue in San Antonio, Texas.
Radio Esperanza is an affiliate of Democracy Now! and Radio Bilingüe.
Over the years Esperanza has sponsored dozens of pláticas that have taken many forms through readings, lectures, panel discussions, workshops, and community gatherings. These platicas have included visionary local, national and international writers, activists, and community organizers. With an emphasis on critical thinking, Esperanza brings together diverse voices to speak of true and complete social change and to provide concrete skills and information to support activist work.
Through our pláticas, we actively lay the groundwork for building strong multicultural, multiracial and bicultural alliances for struggling together towards a better world for all.
Click here for the latest upcoming Reading and Platicas events.
Teatro Esperanza
Teatro Esperanza is a multi-generational mujerista circle of teatristas, a community writing and performance group. We come from different backgrounds and generations to share stories that matter to them. We tell stories lived. Our stories. Stories that connect us to each other. Secret stories to listen to over cafecito. We are stronger by telling our stories.
Teatro and Performances
Employing the use of words, movement, or a stage, the Esperanza has welcomed poets, thespians, dancers, and performers such as Marga Gomez, Colorado Sisters, Astrid Haddad, Monica Palacios, Carmelita Tropicano, Dan Guerrero, Teresa Champion, Peggy Pettitt, Sharon Bridgforth Climbing PoeTree, Adelina Anthony, Andrea Assaf, Samuel Valdez, Fabiola Torralba, Michael Milligen, Maria A. Ibarra, Jesus Alonzo, Erica Andrews, Jaime Gonzalez, Manuel Barraza, Toni Sauceda, Lynn Copeland, Kenneth Miles Ellington Lopez, Maximo Anguiano, Karen Becerril, Mario S. Espinosa, Araceli Herrera of Domésticas Unidas, Allan Horwath of Horwath Productions, Eleonor Maciel, Gabriel Medina, Allis Angela Ozornia, Francisco Javier Sanchez, and Melissa Toscano Lazcano.
The Esperanza provides affordable art and writing workshops, media literacy and cultural/technical skill-building trainings, and cultural tours on a rolling basis throughout the year.
We believe that art can and should be accessible to all and not just to those who can afford it. Using that approach, we coordinate many events around our cultural art programs in order to expose community members to the methods used by many of contemporary artists, but also to allow our guests artists to contribute back.
Click here for the latest details on upcoming workshops.
Each year countless organizations and groups in San Antonio pay tribute to the deceased in observance of Dia de los Muertos. At Esperanza our Dia de los Muertos celebration occurs every year on November 1st at the Rinconcito de Esperanza (816 S. Colorado).
Each year in addition to the Dia de los Muertos celebration, the Esperanza presents Day of the Dead workshops and activities for community members to learn the various aspects of the holiday. The Esperanza aims to train other community members on how to make ofrendas/altares, paper flower, and sugar skulls -all of which are vital pieces of the Day of the Dead celebration. Workshops are open to all ages. Supplies are provided to participants.
Guests are invited to join the San Fernando cemetery tours covering one of the oldest cemeteries in San Antonio with a history dating back to the mid-1800s. Visitors can also stroll through the streets of Guadalupe as we unveil new photobanners as part of our En Aquellos Tiempos Oral History project.
Click here for the latest Dia de los Muertos events.