You bring the family, we’ll provide the fun for this official Contemporary Art Month event, which is free and open to the public. We’ll have artist-led tours and workshops with Window Works artist Leigh Anne Lester, hands-on exhibition activities, educational creation stations, music, food, merriment, and more—including a teens-only area and special performances by the Carver Community Cultural Center!

This year, Artpace is working with special partners—Carver Community Cultural Center, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, San Anto Cultural Arts, San Antonio Children’s Museum, San Antonio Museum of Art, and Southwest School of Art—to make this the best Family Day… ever. The only thing that could make it better? You.

And don’t forget to come to the Spring International Artists-in-Residence Public Opening & Artists’ Dialogue next Thursday, March 21! Tala Madani (Tehran, Iran), Adam Putnam (New York, New York), and J. Parker Valentine (Austin, Texas) will debut new works that they’ve produced during their eight-week residency at Artpace—discussing those exhibitions with guest curator Suzanne Cotter. The Artists’ Dialogue begins at 7pm sharp.

Last night at the Community Potluck, Artpace’s Spring 2013 International Artists-in-Residence talked about their work leading up to this current residency. Tala Madani’s playful line paintings, J. Parker Valentine’s found materials, and Adam Putnam’s architectural forms and projected shapes truly influenced my own project plans: loose but saturated lines, material experimentation, and then geometric structures and expanses of color relationships. One point Putnam made struck me as particularly relevant to my own current artistic stage: that sometimes your best ideas occur when you are young, and you spend the rest of your career progressing and expanding and deepening those same ideas. Exciting, because in a way I felt artistically legitimized; what I am doing right now does matter and is not just a giant, idealistic mess. Also terrifying, for the same reason.

Another group of individuals resounded in my recent contemplations—the You[th]Pace team, Artpace’s Teen Council. I felt a renewed sense of community by hearing these contributions from the engaged teenage personalities sitting around the table, formulating ideas for an exhibition. Their concepts unfolded and then knotted and then untangled, on and on, gathering nuance and beauty. Their ideas grew to encompass themes such as daily joy, lost objects, bridging gaps in the art world hierarchy, individuality, citywide communion, and it even connected to the current Hudson (Show)Room exhibition, Transitios, which is about exchange and local culture. Communities of artists thrill me, and here I saw a genuine, creative community in action. Being young and in the arts is brave. Expressing abstract ideas or any image constructed in your mind is brave. Trying to pull all people together and give them an experience with art is brave.

Being at Artpace has already illuminated my perspective on the mood of contemporary art and the articulation of its meaning. I have never had many artist mentors or a sense of the reality of existing in the art world. Personally, I hope to fulfill some of my art obsession here, and I hope to offer whatever experience I have to You[th]Pace. Maybe being obsessed is at the core of all this: getting deeper into constant listening, into the addiction of handcrafting, into the depth of inspiration synthesis.

ABOUT TAYLER MILLER
Artpace Education Intern, Spring 2013

Tayler Miller is a sophomore at Trinity University majoring in Art and Art History, concentrating in drawing and painting. One of her dream jobs is to be an artist or explorer, perhaps working in New Mexico in a community art center or at a printing press.

Image credits: (Top) Tayler Miller in the Hudson (Show)Room. Photo by Lenzy Mora, You[th]Pace councilmember (Above) You[th]Pace explores the Transitios exhibition. Photo by Lenzy Mora, You[thPace councilmember

Teen Workshop

Touchdown art! The Super Bowl pregame is at Artpace. Join us for a creative workshop as we tackle drawing and collage skills with Window Works artist Leigh Anne Lester.

When it comes to mutating plants, it’s game-on for this San Antonio artist. Her Artpace exhibition, Cultivated Divergence, features cut-out drawings of mutant flora that proliferate around our building. Lester will coach teens through this winning Sunday afternoon workshop. The end goal? Creating new generations of plant species through botanical illustrations. Artpace Teen Workshops are designed for students ages 13-18. Space is limited! Registration is $10; materials are included. To register, email education@artpace.org or call 210.212.4900.

Image credit: Photo by Francisco Cortes

MIDEA brings together experts from all over the world on an ongoing basis to share strategies and success stories about digital applications for learning and interpretation. It is a place where people, ideas, resources, and tools routinely mix to highlight new ways of thinking, showcase best practices, encourage innovation, and strengthen education in the arts. Trainings, workshops, and summer institutes help keep member museums at the forefront of emerging technologies and their applications, expand their skills and capabilities, and foster collaboration among art museum professionals.

Today, the MIDEA site will feature a webinar spotlighting the projects completed this year by three MIDEA member organizations: Artpace, the Amarillo Museum of Art, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Learn about the exemplary video projects from the people involved in making them happen, including Artpace’s Curator of Education Kaela Hoskings, who will present The Next Step with iPads: Informal Practice to Capture the Behind-the-Scenes Narrative. Artpace has been exploring how a contemporary art institution can use iPads to engage audiences through an innovative collaboration between artists, educators, curators, and other museum departments to create content that will inspire conversation and enhance the learning experience.

The MIDEA Member Video Project Showcase begins at 12pm CT. You can sign up here. The webinar is free to MIDEA and NMC members.

Image credit: A visitor views one of International Artist-in-Residence Sarah Sudhoff’s works in her new exhibition, Single Use Only, on view through January 13, 2013. Our Education department documented Sudhoff’s two-month residency at Artpace and shares behind-the-scene views of her process and progress in tours following the completion of the project. Photo by Francisco Cortes

Artpace’s family of Associate Educators has grown once again and we couldn’t be happier. This fall, we’re delighted to welcome Christopher Rabb and Ramon Munoz to join our diverse team. Associate Educators fulfill our mission to nurture the creative expression of our youngest artists by actively engaging youth audiences. They give tours and teach outreach programs that encourage students to learn about contemporary art through the eyes of our Artpace artists. Each Educator brings his or her own unique talents to the group, and during this season of thanks, we couldn’t be more thankful to have each and every one of them.

Chris has both a Masters of Fine Arts in Art and Masters of Art in Art from the University of Dallas, focused in painting. He recently relocated to Texas from Anchorage, Alaska, where he taught art in various outreach programs. Ramon, a local San Antonian, graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, also with a focus in painting. He has been honing his education skills in town by teaching with the Mobile Arts Program through the Southwest School of Art at the Inspire Community Fine Arts Center.

Together, the team of Associate Educators make contemporary art accessible to the community. With more than 400 young students touring Artpace exhibitions this week, we couldn’t do it without the whole bunch!

Image credits: (Top) The Artpace Associate Educators (clockwise from top left) are Ernesto Olivo, Ramon Munoz, Marisela Barrera, Sheena Solitaire, Christina Zambrano, Leora Uribe, Chris Rabb, and Becca Najera. (Above) Chris and Ramon in International Artist-in-Residence David Benjamin Sherry’s Earth Changes installation at Artpace. Photos by Kaela Hoskings

Are you a teenager living in Bexar County interested in making art happen? Would you like to collaborate with other teenagers on creative projects and ultimately make a statement through the arts?

If so, consider applying for this year’s Semester Program. Now through Tuesday, October 2, Artpace is accepting applications from San Antonio high school students ages 15-18.

Led by Artpace Curator of Education Kaela Hoskings and Assistant Curator of Education Lindsey Smith, high school students will contribute to the development of strategies for enriching their engagement with art through collaborations with professional artists, leaders in the arts community, and their teenage peers. Students are required to attend bi-weekly meetings held at Artpace on Tuesday afternoons beginning at 5pm and concluding at 7pm. Activities include (but are not limited to) initiatives such as: working alongside Artpace’s International Artists-in-Residence; researching and advancing scholarship in the Archive and Resource Library; meeting professionals in discussions about developing a career in the arts; curating Artpace programming designed for families and teens; and exploring the wealth of cultural resources San Antonio has to offer.

You are eligible to apply for the Semester Program if you…

• are a high school student living in Bexar County
• maintain at least a 3.0 GPA
• have access to reliable transportation (a bike, bus, car, ride) to Artpace
• can meet every other Tuesday from 5-7pm at Artpace
• are imaginative, curious, responsible, and a team player
• are able to commit to the Semester Program for one school year
• submit a completed application
• write a paragraph (5-7 sentences) stating why you should be selected for inclusion in program
• submit a letter of support from a teacher

Mark your calendars! Individuals interested in submitting an application can mail, email, or drop off application materials by 5pm on Tuesday, October 2 to:

ATTN: Lindsey Smith
Artpace San Antonio
445 N. Main Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78205
or lsmith@artpace.org

Successful candidates will be invited for an interview with Artpace staff during the first two weeks of October.

If Semester Program sounds like something you or someone you know might be interested in doing then submit an application! It promises to stimulate the senses and encourage a lifelong relationship with contemporary art.

Image credit: I DIG SA: Artpace teen workshop pieces together inspired animation. Photo by Martha Cerna / KENS 5

I gladly helped plan camp activities and was happy to interact with the resident artists. I was especially impressed with how Artpace opens itself to the public. There are many friends and family members I wish I could bring to Artpace After Hours for an introduction to contemporary art.

Lilah Leopold is an art major at Middlebury College in Vermont. Originally from Montclair, New Jersey, Lilah moved to San Antonio this summer to participate in our U of Artpace program as an Education intern through the month of June.

Image credits: (Top) Lilah (center) with Camp Artpace kids during their exhibition opening in June. (Above, right) Campers talk with Window Works artist Thomas Cummins about his Main Avenue installation. (Above, left) Campers make tree rubbings, inspired by Artpace alum Katie Pell’s work in the New Works Now Hudson (Show)Room exhibition.

Our workshop participants studied currently exhibiting International Artist-in-Resident Jacco Olivier’s Cycle, a 14-minute painterly that shows a cityscape morphing into completely abstract forms of drips, smears, and stains of brightly colored paint. Like Olivier, teens investigated how arranging their paint strokes on different layers could produce the feeling of depth. They shot pictures of their pieces moving and evolving over and under three layers of clear Plexiglass surfaces, called Clear Pods, conceptualized by artist Johnny Villareal and The Edge of Imagination Team. Teens could move colored shapes left to right, and up and down.

After making short videos, everyone revisited Olivier’s exhibition space and reflected on process. Since it took them 100 pictures to make a 30-second video, the pondered how many pictures it took our resident artist to make a 14-minute video. “I think it has showed me how long it takes to make art,” one teen ruminated.

Image credits: (Top) A Clear Pod at our Teen Workshop: Painting in Motion. (Above) The Edge of the Imagination Station crew: Chris, Johnny, and Matt. Photos by Wendi Kimura

Artpace Curator of Education Kaela Hoskings and I led the Morningside group; fellow Associate Educator Marisela Barrera and Artpace Assistant Curator of Education Lindsey Smith led the Children’s Shelter group. Participants toured the current Hudson (Show)Room and Window Works exhibitions at Artpace, then responded to a theme or a specific work of art of their choosing. The residents from Morningside were drawn to the theme of storytelling in Thomas Cummins‘s work, as well as the installations in the New Works Now. Collectively, they decided to create papier-mâché sculptures that told their own stories and/or reflected their personalities.

We met every Tuesday afternoon. Tuesdays quickly became the highlight of my week! Sitting with the residents, hearing their stories, and watching them as they courageously left their comfort zones inspired and challenged me not only to create art but to also create opportunities to spend quality time with the people in my life. When a group of people come together for a creative purpose, something magical happens. Time stands still, stress fades, relationships are formed, and spirits are renewed. Thanks to Artpace for giving me the opportunity to participate in the ¿Cómo Víves? program, and thanks to Morningside Ministries for enriching my summer with your love and creativity!

Christina Zambrano began her journey at Artpace in the summer of 2011 as an Education Intern and then as an Associate Educator in the fall. When she’s not at Artpace, you can find her at the front desk of the Spanish Governor’s Palace, leading a Zumba class at Casa Ritmo Zumba and Latin Dance Studio, taking photos around town, dancing away to local music, or cooking up a storm in her kitchen.

Teen Workshop: Painting in Motion
Sunday, September 9
1-4pm
$10 registration fee

Drip, blend, smear, and splatter! The Artpace creative laboratory is open as our Teen Workshop: Painting in Motion puts your imaginative talent into action. We’ll be taking a close look at International Artist-in-Residence Jacco Olivier’s newest work, Cycle, then you will have the opportunity to make your own stop-animation film inspired by the exhibition. Artist Johnny Villarreal will help you transform your experimental paintings into moving works of art.

Artpace Teen Workshops are designed for students age 14-18. Space is limited for this exciting event, so contact us at education@artpace.org or 210.212.4900 to register.

Artpace Art Elements Teen Workshops are made possible by the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation.