Community Calendar

Join Bihl Haus Arts for an afternoon of art, mimosas, and good company with teaching artist Wardell Picquet during a “Mimosas & Monarchs” fundraiser from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, May 23 at the gallery, 2803 Fredericksburg Road. The event celebrates Texas wildflowers and the season’s most iconic butterfly.

In this relaxed, beginner-friendly session, you'll paint a vibrant scene featuring the Texas state wildflower — the Indian paintbrush — in full bloom, alongside a monarch butterfly in flight against a clear blue sky. No drawing experience needed: canvases come pre-sketched so you can focus entirely on color, brushwork, and having fun.

Cost is $45 and includes:
• All painting supplies (canvas, brushes, acrylic paint)
• Two complimentary mimosas
• Non-alcoholic options available
• Light snacks

Register

“Whether you've never picked up a brush or you paint on weekends, this session is designed to be approachable, social, and a little bit beautiful,” Executive Director Nicholas Gonzales said. “Your ticket makes a difference. Bihl Haus Arts provides free art classes to older adults, veterans, and neurodivergent adults in San Antonio. Every ticket purchased directly supports keeping those programs free and accessible for the people who need them most.”

About Bihl Haus Arts
Founded in 2005, Bihl Haus Arts is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that improves the health and quality of life for active older adults and veterans through art education and further creates community through the arts with exhibitions, performances, literary events, artist talks, and the annual On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour. For more information, visit www.bihlhausarts.org or call (210) 339-8982.

📸 Discover. Capture. Share the Beauty of the River Basin.
From flowing creeks and rivers to native plants, wildlife, and outdoor adventures, the San Antonio River Basin is full of photo-worthy moments. Show us your unique perspective in the 9th Annual River Clicks Photo Contest!

🌟 This year’s Special Category highlights Student photographers, celebrating the creativity and unique perspectives of our community’s youth. With continued growth in student participation over the years, the San Antonio River Authority is proud to recognize and encourage young photographers through this featured category.

🌿 The San Antonio River Authority invites you to explore the natural beauty of the entire San Antonio River Basin and share your photos with us!

Photo Categories:
🌊 Creeks & Rivers
🦃 Animals (native wildlife)
🌿 Plants (native vegetation)
🐞 Insects & Pollinators
🏃‍➡️ Recreation
😸 Pets
🍁 Seasonal Variation
⭐ Special Category - Student Category (under 18)

Photos must be taken within Bexar, Wilson, Karnes, or Goliad County.
Winners will be announced prior to a reception at the Witte Museum in Fall 2026. More details will be given to all finalists.

📷 Limit: 1 photo per category.
👨‍👩‍👧 Student entries require parent/guardian consent and a waiver.
📅 The contest is open March 1st - May 31st
🔗 www.sariverauthority.org/photocontest/

An acoustic jam for musicians of all skill levels. Join us as we find camaraderie in music. 'UNPLUGGED' is our rock and blues jam. All acoustic and folk instruments are welcome. We’ll play classics and standards. If you have your chords down and can play in rhythm, then come give it a try. There is no pressure to perform until you’re ready. Listeners are welcome to join, too! Reach out if you have any questions. AGES 19+ ONLY

San Antonio based portrait artist, Andrea L. Jacobson’s, newest series, What Am I to You? A Surreal Exploration on Femininity in the Modern Era, marks a striking departure from her traditional realism. This provocative series marks a direct response to the regressive nature of women’s rights and the rise in accepted misogyny in leadership. Jacobson incisively captures the contemporary zeitgeist surrounding womanhood by subverting the traditional female figure and replacing it with inflatable dolls, an unsettling yet powerful symbol of the persistent reduction of women to sexualized objects. Symbols of modern sexuality, shifting costumes, and figures pressing against the picture plane evoke the tension between imposed roles and self-realization. The series examines the fragile line between power and dispossession, inviting audiences to question who defines womanhood and at what cost.

The closing reception is May 2, 2026, 5:00-7:00 at Casa Arte Del Sol. Located at 1512 E. Houston, San Antonio, TX 78202. Beverages and light refreshments available. Show dates are 4/11-5/2 with a closing reception on 5/2 from 4:00-7:00. Gallery hours: 11:00-6:00 W-Sat. Or by appointment. Get more information here https://www.worksbyalj.com/exhibition.

Join us on Saturday, May 2, at 5 PM for the premiere screening of the award-winning documentary "The Librarians" in San Antonio, by Kim A. Snyder.

Following the screening, we're hosting a panel discussion and a Q&A session.
Dr. Norma Cantú will be moderating this discussion with Suzette Baker, Lucy Podmore and Anel Flores!

Anel Flores (panelist): San Antonio author and artist, whose work explores topics currently under scrutiny.

Suzette Baker (panelist): The librarian from Llano County who was featured in the film after being fired for refusing to remove books.

Lucy Ibarra Podmore (panelist): a San Antonio Librarian who is Chair of the Texas Library Association Legislative Committee providing testimony in the Texas Legislature and sharing practical tips and tools to advocate for libraries.

Norma Cantú (moderator): the Norine R. and T. Frank Murchison Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Trinity University, is a scholar of the US-Mexico borderlands. She publishes poetry, fiction, and folklore.

The film offers a look into the front lines of librarians emerging as first responders in the fight for democracy and free speech.
In Texas only, the Krause List targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQIA+ stories – triggering sweeping book bans across the U.S. at an unprecedented rate. As tensions escalate, librarians connect the dots from heated school and library board meetings nationwide to lay bare the underpinnings of a large-scale coordinated extremist movement fueling the censorship efforts. Despite facing harassment, threats, and laws aimed at criminalizing their work – the librarians’ rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionary tale.

Evening Schedule:
5:00 PM – Welcome Reception: Join us for light refreshments & snacks, and community conversation.
5:45 PM – Film Screening: Feature presentation of The Librarians (Runtime: 92 mins).
7:15 PM – Community Plática: A live panel discussion and Q&A immediately following the film.

Space is limited! Please register at this link https://bit.ly/TheLibrariansEspe

ELEMENTAL breaks down art into it's constituent parts, putting the chemical make-up, mineralogy, and chemistry at the forefront of design. We're looking for pieces that reflect the beautiful natural processes that shape our geology and ecosystem, and/or that focus on how humans impact those natural processes.

Group show featuring amazing local San Antonio artists:

- Charles Stiers
- Dani Becknell
- Iron Moose Co.
- Gavin Metal Smith
- Meechi Ceramics
- In Hot Water
- SmoGlass
- Brad Schaefer

List of artists is not fully complete and may change.

Bihl Haus Arts hosts an opening reception for “Signs of Life,” featuring a collection of works by artist Ben Ortiz from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, May 2 at the Bihl Haus Gallery, 2803 Fredericksburg Road. The exhibition continues through May 30.

“Signs of Life” includes about 15 works that highlight recognizable and iconic signage of long-time San Antonio establishments throughout town. Featured signage includes those from Cool Crest Miniature Golf on Fredericksburg Road, Jim’s Restaurant at San Pedro and Hildebrand, and Ranch Motel on Broadway, among others.

“The exhibition is a documentation of San Antonio with an artistic take,” Ortiz explained. “It’s also a first-person account of cultural pieces that are uniquely American. Many of these establishments are institutions.”

Ortiz described the process he follows to capture and paint each signage. “I go to sit in front of each sign and sketch them out and then finish them in the studio adding detail,” he said.

The Lavens bring a Saturday-night Americana set to B Daddy's BBQ in Old Town Helotes on May 2, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

B Daddy's is a Texas Monthly-featured wood-smoked barbecue room with brisket, homemade mac and cheese, borracho beans, hardwood floors, a saloon-style bar, indoor and outdoor picnic-table seating, a partial wrap-around deck, and a dog- and family-friendly feel.

The May 2 show features Jana Laven, Andreas Laven, Niko Laven, Michael Madison, and Chris McWilliams.

There is no cover for the music. Food and drink are sold at regular B Daddy's BBQ menu prices.

B Daddy's BBQ
14436 Old Bandera Rd, Suite 3
Helotes, TX 78023

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1486095379879038/
Press page: https://imc.goodcreativemedia.com/press/lavens-b-daddys-bbq-helotes-2026-05-02

Luis Villa y su Trío Palenque is a distinguished musical ensemble dedicated to preserving and elevating the rich legacy of the great Mexican trios, sharing the timeless beauty of romantic bolero music with audiences worldwide. At the forefront is Luis Villa, one of the most prominent voices in the trio tradition. From 1996 to 2002, he was a member of the legendary Los 3 Reyes, recording the historic album El Retorno de Los 3 Reyes, which featured the iconic duet with Selena on “No Me Queda Más.” His extraordinary career has taken him across the globe, performing alongside renowned musicians and leaving an enduring mark on the bolero genre. Joining him is Ismael Rivera, serving as second voice and requinto, a virtuoso widely regarded as one of the finest requintistas in Mexico and internationally. Rivera began his career in Monterrey in 1980 with Delirio and Los Monarcas, later joining Los Clásicos de Monclova in the 1990s. Since relocating to San Antonio, Texas in 1999, he has continued to champion traditional trio music through his refined and expressive guitar artistry. As a special guest, the trio welcomes Dani García, an internationally celebrated requintista from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. García has performed at prestigious festivals including the Festival Isleños de Louisiana in New Orleans and the International Festival of Cantabrian Bolero in Spain, has accompanied Rafael Basurto—the iconic first voice of Los Panchos—and has shared the stage with Luis Villa during Noche de Boleros in Gran Canaria. Together, these exceptional artists captivate audiences with rich vocal harmonies, masterful instrumentation, and a deep reverence for the golden era of bolero music. They will present a special Serenata a las Madres in Boerne, Texas, honoring mothers through an unforgettable evening of trio music on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at Cave Without A Name, located at 325 Kreutzberg Rd., Boerne, Texas 78006. Tickets are available at www.cavewithoutaname.com or by calling 830.537.4212 during business hours.

Advance tickets (until 5 pm on 5/2): $40; At the door (if available): $45

Join San Antonio Parks & Recreation and the San Antonio Astronomical Society to explore the night sky and learn about constellations and the planets! This event is a family friendly opportunity to view stars and learn from professionals.

Stargazing equipment will be provided!