Linda Pace (April 17, 1945–July 2, 2007)

“Since founding Artpace, I have learned to trust the creative process, my own as well as that of the artists around me. Artists are by nature people who push everyone’s boundaries. Their work can seem random or irrational, like collected fragments of dreams, but as with dreams, it almost magically comes together to suggest meaning. Artpace is a place of retrieval; in the words of one artist, it is ‘a factory where dreams are made.’” —Linda Pace, Dreaming Red: Creating Artpace

Image credit: Juan Miguel Ramos, Linda, 2005. This is a publisher’s proof of the print in the permanent collection of the Linda Pace Foundation originally commissioned by the Artpace staff and given to Linda as a birthday present in 2003. Ramos’s portrait of Linda presents a cartoon-like image of her on the roof of her home at Camp Street. By characterizing her in this setting, he makes an important connection between home and identity, defining Linda through a place she loved. Linda is on view at Artpace.

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.

You can join the tour by upgrading your Artpace membership—or joining now as a Connector or above.

Image credit: Painting in progress by resident artist Tala Madani (Tehran, Iran). Photo by Wendi Kimura

The Artpace FRESH ART FIRST membership program is more than just a flashy card and access to members-only events at Artpace. The benefits extend far beyond our gallery walls and into the community. And in 2013, we’re getting freshened up! We’re excited to welcome more of our favorite new restaurants and shops to the Artpace Alliance.

If you’re not already a member, join now to support cutting-edge contemporary art, and take advantage of some amazing discounts. When you give to Artpace, we give back to you!

Alamo Music Center
20% discount on accessories, including books and T-shirts (non-sale items only)

Bakery Lorraine
10% discount

Bike World
(details to come)

Body Waxing by Diane
$5 off any service of $25 or more

Carmens de la Calle Café
Free admission on Thursdays
Complimentary glass of sangria on Saturdays with tapa purchase

Feast 
One free drink off the “Court Cocktails” menu

Fresh Urban Flowers
10% off any delivery, and free delivery in the downtown area

Liberty Bar
½ off pizza when available

MBS Spa
10% discount

Proxy Theatre Company
Discounted price on any ticket choices (call for details)

San Antonio B-cycle
(details to come)

San Antonio Magazine
(details to come)

Smart Barre in Sunset Ridge
10% off all class packs
Promo code if checking out online: (given to members)

Southtown Yoga Loft
10% off classes or boutique purchase
One-time “Bring a friend for free!”-must be a current SYL pass holder

Uncommon Fare
10% discount

Zubiate Projects
10% off a commissioned work

Image credit: A few colorful Artpace FRESH ART FIRST members having a little fun at one of our openings. Photo by Francisco Cortes

Image credit: Photo by Francisco Cortes

On Friday, March 1, we’re kicking off CAM with a special edition of everyone’s favorite lunch meetup: Taco Friday at Artpace. The very next day, area educators are invited to our Student Studio for a one-time-only Teacher Workshop with Window Works artist Leigh Anne Lester (see below for registration details). We’ll debut new works from our current Artists-in-Residence Tala Madani, Adam Putnam, and J. Parker Valentine on Thursday, March 21, including a sit-down Artists’ Dialogue with guest curator Suzanne Cotter. And on Saturday, March 23, we want to see the entire family in the building for an afternoon of Family Day fun!

I first discovered the work of Wangechi Mutu on my Tumblr dashboard, tragically sandwiched between Nirvana gifs and paintings of cats. Arresting and organic, her collages conjure up a universe totally at home in both the near future and the distant past. When I discovered that she was an Artpace alumnus, I instantly knew that I needed to interview the artist behind this powerful oeuvre. Although her practice in New York made an in-person exchange impossible, she was gracious enough to reply to my questions over email. Needless to say, she didn’t disappoint. Wangechi’s tale is one of heritage, pride, and dedication to craft, and the advice she gives will prove invaluable for any young artist looking to make their mark. It certainly has for me.

Nathan Engel: What advice do you have for artists still in school?

Wangechi Mutu: …There is one thing you owe your humility to and that is to your Art. Humble yourself to your Art. Submit to your Art. Yield to your Art and what it calls for and requires.

Your Art should not be something disconnected and separate from you. It shouldn’t pull you around by the nose like some frightened traveler journeying through unknown places. If you’re committed to creating Art for as long as you can possibly imagine, then ask your Art what it needs.

But ask by creating and dedicating enough time to your work that through that very love and obsession with what you make, you’ll know whether: Should I move to this or that city? Should I apply for this or that residency? Would it bother my psyche and be too painful to show up at this opening? What type of relationships make sense for the continuation and health of my work? Your Art is not about you. Your Art IS you. It will tell you if you listen. So listen through your art.

And my last bead is, let go! I want to tell you that recently I emptied out my home studio. I took everything down that I had on the walls, all my cut-outs, my works in progress. I took chachkas off my shelves; everything came down. I stripped the entire space bare. I didn’t even realize how much I needed to remove this thick crust that I’d developed around me. But I did. I needed to let go!

I molted. And once I shed in this way, I felt so light and naked. I re-remembered how important it is to take away all that is familiar to you. To begin all over again. It was quiet again around me. And in that quiet, I’ve slowly begun a new body of work.

ABOUT NATHAN ENGEL
You[th]Pace Teen Art Councilmember, 2012-13
Nathan Engel is a senior at Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, Texas.

Image credit: Photo by Kathryn Parker Almanas

Looking for a great fresh idea for your big Valentine’s date? No Valentine this year? Don’t worry… will you be ours?

Valentine’s Day is all about making connections… and so is Artpace After Hours, which takes adult audiences behind the scenes for casual art encounters and meaningful conversation. Come get acquainted with Artpace. Bring a friend. Or just make some new ones here. Mix, mingle, and maybe even find a new art crush.

On Thursday, February 14, we will walk After Hours guests through the Artpace building and our newest exhibitions: Transitios in our Hudson (Show)Room and Leigh Anne Lester’s Cultivated Divergence in our Window Works gallery. You can also get a sneak peak at our Spring Artists-in-Residence working studio spaces. (The residency projects will debut on March 21.)

Happy hour kicks off at 5pm, and drinks are on us. But space is limited, so make your reservations early. Call 210.212.4900 or email education@artpace.org.

Refreshments provided by Blue Moon, Dripping Springs Vodka, and Ocho at Hotel Havana.

As a public charity, Artpace depends on the success of the annual Happening to sustain its free, dynamic programming. So we ask you to join us for an unforgettable evening that directly benefits Artpace’s residencies, exhibitions, and education efforts—and ensures Artpace continues to flourish. You can rely on us to do all the heavy lifting; we only hope that you will secure your campsite and take your friends along for the ride.

Artpace Artist-in-Residence Tala Madani is featured in the January/February issue of frieze. The magazine visited Madani at her Los Angeles studio, where she spoke about her painting and animation.