Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

First Friday of Fall

San Antonio prides itself on having one of the most unique cultures in the state of Texas. We have great music emerging from every genre, hundreds of tasteful restaurants on the corners of every street and one night every month dedicated to artist who live to showcase their work.  This night takes place each “First Friday” of every month in the urban area of Southtown.

Walking down South Alamo St. you can find collections of paintings, glass works and eclectic jewelry and clothing leading to the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, the most talked about showcase of the evening.  This gallery houses works by local artists and allows viewers to admire the artists’ work from their own studios.  Recent galleries of this center have been occupied by photography, pottery, glass and painting.

 In the Blue Star Center, Donna Simon, a painter from San Antonio makes work based off sightings in the city. Her latest collection has been inspired by the San Antonio River Walk and metaphorically resembles photos she captured herself.

Anyone who attended First Friday on Oct. 1st would recognize that Donna Simon wasn’t the only artist who drew inspiration from the city of San Antonio.

Many collections were full of vibrant colors representing the beginning of October. Dia de los Muertos was also a common theme in displayed work this past Friday. Both represented a Hispanic culture fusion and were obvious favorites with the crowd that night.

In this area of the contemporary art scene you expect to have a great night, but if you’re looking to check out more than the visual arts of First Friday, restaurants such as The Madhatters Tea House, Rosario’s Mexican Café y Cantina and Jupiter Jazz and Java are great places to stop by when you are in the Southtown district. 

If you cannot make it out to the art walk on First Friday, many artists are happy to have people stop by their galleries for viewings of their work. Southtown is also home to Garcia Art Glass Gallery, San Angel Folk Art and the Gallista Gallery.

For a full list of galleries open to the public, check out http://southtown.net/  and www.thegalleyrlink.com

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