Top 10 Moments of 2023
SAMA's Top 10 Moments of 2023
2023 was an incredible year of firsts and flashbacks for SAMA. From the opening of Roman Landscapes to the launch of the Gateway Series with Carlos Rosales-Silva’s site-specific mural Pase Usted, the Museum has shared many unique experiences with our guests. Scroll down for a look back at our top ten moments of the past year.
Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii
Curated by Jessica Powers, Chief Curator and The Gilbert M. Denman, Jr. Curator of Art of the Ancient Mediterranean World, and presented exclusively at SAMA, Roman Landscapes featured works lent by museums in Italy, France, and Germany, many of which had never before been shown in the United States.
Limatus Bespoke x SAMA
In collaboration with Limatus Bespoke, a local custom clothing company, SAMA hosted its first fashion show this year featuring a Spring/Summer collection inspired by Roman Landscapes: Visions of Nature and Myth from Rome and Pompeii. This collection was influenced by the story of color, depiction of regional foliage, and architectural wonder showcased in the exhibition.
Roman bust returns to Germany
The story that made national headlines in 2022 came to its bittersweet end as SAMA bid a fond farewell to Portrait of a man. The Roman bust, which was found in an Austin Goodwill, returned home to Germany in May. This year, SAMA also introduced Lynley McAlpine as Associate Curator of Provenance Research, a position created to push the Museum to reach its goals in understanding the provenance of the permanent collection.
Music in the galleries
Music activated SAMA’s galleries in many ways this year with the help of Agarita, who returned to SAMA to perform during Tuesday free hours this summer.
Still Brewing Art
The summer also brought a look back to SAMA’s past as the original Lone Star Brewery in Still Brewing Art. Watch the video produced by Walley Films.
Larry Bell visits the Museum
As part of the Museum’s mission and ongoing commitment to collection care, artist Larry Bell visited over the summer to assess The Dilemma of Griffin’s Cat (originally commissioned for the Museum’s 1981 opening) and consult on plans for storage and display.
The Gateway Series
Carlos Rosales-Silva was the inaugural artist in SAMA’s Gateway Series, an ongoing project that will enlist contemporary artists to activate the cathedral-like space. In August, he spent two weeks painting a 2,400-square-foot mural in the Great Hall, tying in patterns and themes from across the Museum’s permanent collection. Get a better understanding of the process behind the mural by watching our interview with Rosales-Silva.
Ofrenda: Juan O’Gorman and a Legacy of Muralism
In November, SAMA celebrated Día de los Muertos by participating in a special collaboration with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México San Antonio to create an ofrenda in the Great Hall. Ofrenda: Juan O’Gorman and a Legacy of Muralism paid homage to Juan O’Gorman, the renowned Mexican artist and architect who created the iconic mosaic mural Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas for Hemisfair '68.
American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection
Time is running out to see American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection. The exhibition spanning over 250 years of American art closes on January 7, 2024. Though many objects from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection have been on view at museums around the country, American Made is the first exhibition to bring highlights of this private collection together.
Tanaka Kyokusho visits the Museum
Highly esteemed Japanese bamboo artist Tanaka Kyokusho hosted an Artist Open Studio in celebration of Creative Splendor: Japanese Bamboo Baskets from the Thoma Collection. Visitors had the opportunity to watch him work and learn more about the process of bamboo weaving.
