Community Calendar

This is the second of five guest lectures for Trinity University's 2026 Lennox Seminar series in honor of the nation's semiquincentennial: "The United States at 250: Remembering and Forgetting."

Ms. Lorén Spears, Narragansett, and Executive Director of Tomaquag Museum, will share the history that leads to the Revolutionary War, Indigenous service in the American Revolution, Native contributions to the formation of this country, and unfinished revolutions. She will share stories of valor, sacrifice, inequities, self-determination and sovereignty in a lecture titled “Revolution: Impact, Diplomacy & Sovereignty," which will be followed by a Q&A.

Lorén M. Spears, enrolled Narragansett Tribal Nation citizen and Executive Director of Tomaquag Museum, holds a master’s in education and received a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa in 2017, from the University of Rhode Island and Doctor of Education, Honoris Causa from Roger Williams University in 2021. She is an author, artist and shares her cultural knowledge with the public through museum programs. She has contributed to a variety of publications such as Dawnland Voices, An Anthology of Indigenous Writing of New England; Through Our Eyes: An Indigenous View of Mashapaug Pond; From Slaves to Soldiers: The 1st Rhode Island Regiment in the American Revolution; and Repair: Sustainable Design Futures. Spears co-edited a new edition of A Key into the Language of America by Roger Williams; and recently co-authored “As We Have Always Done: Decolonizing the Tomaquag Museum’s Collections Management Policy" published in the Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archive Professionals. Under her leadership Tomaquag Museum received the Institute of Museums and Library Service's National Medal in 2016 and she has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors.

Each year, San Antonio Junior Forum distributes grants to nonprofits in the San Antonio region for specific projects that benefit economically, and/or physically disadvantaged individuals. In 2025-2026, we distributed $75,000 to 15 nonprofits in our community!

We are pleased to announce that we will again be accepting applications for grants of $20,000 or less. Grant applications may be submitted by organizations recognized as tax exempt under internal revenue code 501(c)(3). Now is the time to get started! Grant applications are due November 1, 2026.

Grant application and guidelines are available on the SAJF website at www.sajuniorforum.org. Questions? Email VP Grants at grants@sajuniorforum.org.

Presenting the Artwork of Blanquita Sullivan “Night Breezes” Exhibit in the Molly Shafer Gallery at King William Assoc Office. MEET THE ARTIST Thursday, September 17, 2026, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

FREE and Open to the Public of all ages. On view Sep 8 through Oct 29, 2026 Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Blanquita is an interdisciplinary artist and business leader from San Antonio, Texas. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Studio Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), holds a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and studied painting at The Art Students League and the New York Studio School.

“Puro Conjunto: Border(less) Sound” celebrates how this uniquely Texan genre continues to thrive in San Antonio, the region, and beyond. The exhibit will highlight the people, places, and traditions at the heart of conjunto. Museum visitors will see conjunto pioneer Bruno Villarreal’s accordion, along with artifacts central to the genre—some of which will be on display for the first time--along with loans from the community and other organizations. Additionally, visitors are invited to get hands-on with a selection of musical instruments at an interactive station on the exhibit floor.

Adult $10, youth (5-17), senior (65+) and military with ID $5, UT San Antonio students, faculty and staff – Free

Cashless facility – purchase tickets online at https://texancultures.universitytickets.com/

Selena Forever | Siempre Selena is a photographic exhibition featuring images by Texas photographer John Dyer, capturing Selena at a pivotal moment in her rise to stardom.
On View: June 4, 2026 – January 4, 2027

This exhibition features intimate and striking photographs captured during Selena’s rise to international stardom in the early 1990s. The exhibition offers an intimate look at an artist whose talent, charisma and determination transformed Tejano music and helped redefine representation for Mexican American women in popular culture. The featured images have never been displayed together, giving new context to Dyer’s work with Selena.

More than a music icon, Selena was a groundbreaking Tejana whose story reflected the spirit of the American West itself: bold, resilient, entrepreneurial and deeply connected to culture and community. Like generations of Tejanos who helped shape Texas through perseverance, innovation and cultural pride, Selena forged her own path while carrying the traditions of her community forward. Her legacy continues to inspire new generations, embodying the pioneering spirit, creativity and determination that remain central to the story of the West.

“Selena’s story is deeply connected to the cultural pride and artistic expression that define Tejano identity,” said Jackson. “Her influence transcends music and continues to inspire audiences across generations, making her an important part of this broader cultural conversation. The exhibition shares an icon who demonstrates the lasting influence of Tejanos – and Tejanas – in Texas and beyond.

𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧 is a group exhibition that reexamines video art at Artpace through the work of four alumni artists. Each artist investigates the complexities of identity through self-portraits, projections of the self, and the body as a means of self-representation. This exhibition explores both how individuals perceive themselves and how others might view them.

While each artist employs distinct strategies—whether through video performance, observation, reflection on physical change, or narrative experimentation—they are united in their examination of selfhood. Together, these works offer a multifaceted exploration of identity, inviting viewers to consider the many ways it is constructed, performed, and perceived.

Featured alumni artists include Alex Bag, Paul Pfieffer, Kang Seung Lee, and Anne Wallace.

Opening Reception: September 3, 10am - 1 pm
Artist Talks: September 12, 10am - 1pm

Antithesis in Contemporary Collage is an exhibition emphasizing high contrasts in paper collage, bricolage, and assemblage. Collage is an inherently versatile creative method, often using old and new source materials, with the ability to posture surreal environments by interruptions of scales, figures, spaces, and perspectives. In this exhibition, more intense contrasts are highlighted to elicit something even further, in the way of opposites, or relative extremes– aesthetically, conceptually, and curatorially. Sixteen local, regional, and national artists present antithetical notions of nostalgia, identity, comfort, chaos, destruction, sociology, beauty, and nature.

Curated by Vikky Jones

Exhibiting artists: Todd Brandt, Tink Castillo, Kristen Elzey, Rafael Fernando Gutierrez Jr., Leticia Huerta, Myriam Lanau, Marcy McChesney, Tim Olson, Chloe Poeme, Octavio Quintanilla, Linda Sandoval, Courtney Wynn Sheets, Jennifer Sperry Steinorth, Oscar Tirado, Jeff Wheeler, Donna Zinck

Opening reception: August 28, 6 - 8 pm
Artist Talk: September 26, 1 - 3 pm

The exhibition Exquisite Entropy: Photographs by Trish Simonite, 1972 – 2025 offers audiences the opportunity to enjoy exemplary works from multiple periods produced across Simonite’s celebrated career. Curator Paula Owen has chosen 125 works that present Simonite’s fascination with the paradoxes that historical narratives may carry forward information from the past into new contexts of meaning and that photographic images may inspire new contemplation far beyond the time and place of their creation. As a transnational artist, Simonite’s transformations of scenes and elements of natural and built environments from the English countryside, Greek islands, and Texas honky tonks.

Don't become a victim of fraud or scams.
Fraudsters are constantly developing new ways to target individuals, especially seniors. Join the Jefferson Bank Fraud Team for an informative discussion about the latest scams affecting our community and learn practical steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Topics include:
• Current fraud and scam trends
• Elder financial exploitation and senior targeting tactics
• Phone, text, email, and online scams
• Identity theft prevention; account security best practices
• What to do if you suspect fraud.

Presenting the Artwork of Blanquita Sullivan “Night Breezes” Exhibit in the Molly Shafer Gallery at King William Assoc Office. MEET THE ARTIST Thursday, September 17, 2026, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

FREE and Open to the Public of all ages. On view Sep 8 through Oct 29, 2026 Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Blanquita is an interdisciplinary artist and business leader from San Antonio, Texas. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Studio Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), holds a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and studied painting at The Art Students League and the New York Studio School.