Seven Free Art Openings in San Antonio to Check Out This Weekend

If it feels like you blinked and it was suddenly mid-September, you're not the only one. Second Saturday is bearing down on us — and with a bevy of new art openings in tow. We've rounded up seven new exhibitions that are opening this week that can sate your need for new art.

"Aedificium Edificium Administration: A Photographic History"
Official Fotoseptiembre Event
Fotoseptiembre keeps going strong with two Thursday openings. The first chronicles a piece of local history: St. Mary's University's Saint Louis Hall. St. Mary's grad student N. Geremy Landin has collected a series of photos of the building to present a visual timeline of this small piece of San Antonio.

Free, 4-5:30 p.m. Thursday, September 12, Louis J. Blume Library, St. Mary's University, 1 Camino Santa Maria, (210) 436-3441, lib.stmarytx.edu.

"Lost In Place And Time: Photographs From A Motorcycle Traveler"
Official Fotoseptiembre Event
Also on Thursday is Hank Arriazola's "Lost in Time and Place: Photographs of a Motorcycle Traveler." At the opening, the visual travelogue curated by Arriazola and Alfredo Avalos will be augmented by a slide-show presentation by Arriazola, giving the high art treatment to those old post-vacation family gatherings around the carousel slide projector.

7-10 p.m. Thursday, September 12, UNAM San Antonio, 600 Hemisfair Plaza Way, (210) 222-2826, unamsa.edu.

"First Come, First-Show"
Mantle Art Space and local art blog Unfiltered San Antonio have teamed up for a new exhibition with a twist — the art on display will be chosen based on who shows up with work to hang. From noon-4 p.m. on Saturday, artists can drop-off up to three pieces for inclusion in the show for a small fee. Then, at the opening, anyone with cash to burn can nab themselves some original art, with 100% of the proceeds going back to the artist. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, if you ask us.

6-9 p.m. Saturday, September 14, Mantle Art Space, 714 Fredericksburg Rd., (210) 971-4740, mantleartspace.com

"Kimberly Hopkins: Hanging on the Walls"
Official Fotoseptiembre Event
Dorçol Distillery gets into the Fotoseptiembre spirit with a showcase of artist and architect Kimberly Hopkins' photographs. Hopkins — who lived in the Alamo City from 2011 until this August, when she relocated to North Texas to become a Development Planner for the City of Garland — explores her passion for urban life via photos of city streets, passing crowds and public transportation.

7-10 p.m. Saturday, September 14, Dorçol Distillery, 1902 South Flores, (210) 229-0607, dorcolspirits.com

"Opaque"
Abstract artist Douglas Galloway's latest series "Opaque" examines and celebrates the nuances and resilience of the city of New Orleans, which served as his home for 10 years. Composed of heavily layered paint and beeswax, his mixed media pieces feature whorls of soft colors that, when taken as a whole, create a swirling conceptualization of Galloway's memories.

7-10 p.m. Saturday, September 14, S.M.A.R.T. projectspace, 1906 S. Flores, (210) 227-5718, smartsa.org

"A Reflection Worth Looking Into" and "Mixed Bag"
If you're looking to kill two birds with one stone, head to Dock Space Gallery for its double whammy on Saturday. In the Dock Space Annex, UTSA grad student Juan Vallejo will premiere "A Reflection Worth Looking Into," a body of work that delves into the Mexican migrant experience through perception and memory. “My work is inspired by the long-standing relationship between the United States and Mexico, and the use of the migrant body," says Vallejo. "With this work, I provide the viewer with insight into the migrant culture I grew up [in]."

In the main gallery, Texas artist Stephen Daly's "Mixed Bag" integrates drawing and sculpture using materials including aluminum, bronze, ink and watercolor on paper. Each piece features a crowded collection of abstract, geometric and symbolic forms, with sculptural features that literally leap off the page.

7-10 p.m. Saturday, September 14, Dock Space Gallery, 107 Lone Star Blvd., (210) 723-7048, dockspacegallery.com

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