San Antonio Museum of Art
200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100. Tu & F 10am-9pm, W, Thur, Sat, Sun 10am-5pm. $15, 65+ $12, under 13 free; free Tu 4pm-9pm & Sun 10am-noon.
San Antonio is a master at reworking old factories and industrial buildings into museums and living spaces. The slick San Antonio Museum of Art was once the circa 1884 Lone Star Brewery complex. To efficiently tour its two wings, start on the ground floor of one and work your way up to the top floor, then cross over to the other wing and work your way down. Be sure to use the trippy glass elevator situated in the center.
The museum is known for its Latin American Art Center and Asian Art wing. Collection highlights include a painted gourd Crane that was one of Nelson Rockefeller’s favorites, a collection of animal mummies, and a colorful Chihuly blown-glass flower ceiling similar to the gigantic one that is displayed in the lobby of the Bellagio casino hotel in Las Vegas.
You can walk to or from here easily from The Pearl via the River Walk pathway. It take about 10 minutes. On the way you’ll view more art installations. On the west side of the river, “The Grotto,” by Carlos Cortes (2009), consists of a cave-like installation with water falls and a hidden grotesque face. A school of fish also enhances the walk.
San Antonio is a master at reworking old factories and industrial buildings into museums and living spaces. The slick San Antonio Museum of Art was once the circa 1884 Lone Star Brewery complex. To efficiently tour its two wings, start on the ground floor of one and work your way up to the top floor, then cross over to the other wing and work your way down. Be sure to use the trippy glass elevator situated in the center.
The museum is known for its Latin American Art Center and Asian Art wing. Collection highlights include a painted gourd Crane that was one of Nelson Rockefeller’s favorites, a collection of animal mummies, and a colorful Chihuly blown-glass flower ceiling similar to the gigantic one that is displayed in the lobby of the Bellagio casino hotel in Las Vegas.
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| painted gourd Crane at San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas |
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| falcon mummy at San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas |
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| Chihuly ceiling at San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas |
You can walk to or from here easily from The Pearl via the River Walk pathway. It take about 10 minutes. On the way you’ll view more art installations. On the west side of the river, “The Grotto,” by Carlos Cortes (2009), consists of a cave-like installation with water falls and a hidden grotesque face. A school of fish also enhances the walk.
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| hanging school of fish on the River Walk near the San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas |
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images and video ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
Those are great art pieces. I should go back to San Antonio'd Riverwalk scene!
ReplyDeleteWe have plans to make a return visit to San Antonio next year. We will certainly need to include a stop at the Museum of Art.
ReplyDeleteGuess it's time to go back to San Antonio! The museum sounds really interesting and I LOVE those fish.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to visit San Antonio and now I just have more reason to finally book the trip! I love a good immersive art instillation so The Grotto seems like a must-visit for me. So cool!
ReplyDeleteAll of these art pieces are gorgeous. If I ever get to San Antonio, I'll be sure to spend some time at the museum.
ReplyDeleteWe visited San Antonio earlier this year on our way to New Mexico, but we totally missed the San Antonio Museum of Art. Love the crane and the Chihuly ceiling! Thanks for the tour. If we get back there, it’s on my list! We spent all of our time between the Natural Bridge Caverns and the river walk, which made for a great 2 days there.
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