From Jan. 13-29, the 11th annual San Antonio DreamWeek will provide a series of civic-engagement events scheduled around Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Founded by Shokare Nakpodia, a Nigeria native and San Antonio advertising executive, the 17-day series provides plenty of food for thought about race, social justice and empowerment — and it kicks off with an opening ceremony breakfast ($65, 7:30-9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13, Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St., dreamsecured.org/dwsa-opening). Additional information and a full calendar of events is available online at dreamweek.org.
DreamWeek Gallery Talk: Representation & Identity in Pierre Daura's Good Henry (1947)
Catalan American artist Pierre Daura left his native Spain to live in Virginia — a formerly segregated state — after he sustained injuries fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Daura painted Black staff members at Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg to the dismay of his employers at the school. American art curator Regina Palm of the San Antonio Museum of Art tells the story of Daura's struggle to paint his fellow human beings in the divided American South. $5, 6-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org.
'Between Yesterday and Tomorrow: Perspectives from Black Contemporary Artists of San Antonio'
"Between Yesterday and Tomorrow: Perspectives from Black Contemporary Artists of San Antonio" presents art related to Black history and identity, family dynamics, social connections and spirituality. Curator Barbara Felix has included drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, digital media, sculpture and quilting by artists including Calvin Pressley, Don Stewart, Naomi Wanjiku and Angela Weddle, among many others. After a Jan. 19 opening reception, the exhibition will be on view through Nov. 17. Free, 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, Culture Commons Gallery, 115 Plaza De Armas, getcreativesanantonio.com.
Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools
Nonprofit Empower House (formerly Martinez Street Women's Center) is presenting this documentary inspired by the book of the same name by Monique W. Morris, which addresses the educational, judicial and societal disparities facing Black girls in the U.S. education system. Showing the consequences of the double burden of racism and patriarchy, Pushout tells the stories of girls fighting for a fair chance in the institutions that are supposed to protect them. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Free, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, Black Potion, 1900 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 101, empowerhousesa.org.
Òlàjú African Market Festival
The seventh annual African Market Festival hosted by Òlàjú Arts Group is returning to Brick with a marketplace, performances, a fashion show and an art exhibit. Conceived in Nigeria and founded in Texas, the group launched the festival as a space to present art, food, fashion and culture for Africans and by Africans, although it is open to all. Uchennaya Ogba, co-founder of San Antonio-based EHCÜ Public Relations, will serve as master of ceremonies. $25, 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, african-market.olajuartgroup.org.
Dreaming of Haute
This event benefiting LGBTQ+ nonprofit Fiesta Youth combines three fashion shows across three hours under one roof, bringing together South Texas clothing designers, hair and makeup artists and fashion businesses. The 18-and-up plus show is organized by Carrie von Loudon, Crystal Combs and Richie Combs. $45-$95, 3-6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham St., dreamingofhaute.eventbrite.com.
We Belong in San Antonio: A DreamWeek Poetry Declaration
Sponsored by the office of San Antonio's Immigration Liaison, CIELO Unity in Action, the Arab American Community Network and the Alamo Chapter for Human Rights, DreamWeek Poetry Declaration will host writers, orators, dancers and singers from the Alamo City and beyond as they present works in multiple languages. The show conveys a story of hope, resilience and prosperity. Free, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 723 S. Brazos St., (210) 271-3151, guadalupeculturalarts.org.
A Celebration of MLK for Dream Week
The San Antonio Philharmonic — formed after the San Antonio Symphony's dissolution last year — will bring a contribution of live classical music to DreamWeek. The orchestra, overseen by guest conductor Charles Floyd, will perform a selection of spirituals arranged by Floyd, along with Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man and the first movement of William Grant Still's Symphony No. 1, "Afro-American." Featured bass-baritone Timothy Jones of Houston will also bring his decades of vocal experience to the show. $45-$65, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 and Saturday, Jan. 28, First Baptist Church of San Antonio, 515 McCullough Ave., (210) 201-6006, saphil.org.
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