The 18th round of rapid-fire presentations from local, passionate creatives and entrepreneurs known as PechaKucha San Antonio will take place at the outdoor Arneson Theater on Tuesday, May 26. Light snacks and a cash bar happy hour provided by the Esquire Tavern will start at 7:30 p.m. The presentations – often funny, sometimes surprising, and always engaging – will begin at 8:45 p.m.
As usual, a $5 donation gets you in the door, but it’s wise to purchase admission ahead of time. San Antonio is a walk-up town, but people are almost always turned away from PechaKucha venues that reach capacity and more. The last PechaKucha at the McNay Art Museum accommodated 400 people, yet still left many standing, crowded in the back, or out in the cold without a ticket. Click here to purchase tickets.
PechaKucha San Antonio, which has partnered with Las Casas Foundation, is presenting this event as part of the Department for Culture and Creative Development’s Cine y Arte at La Villita series. WOAI News 4 San Antonio’s Randy Beamer and SA2020’s Molly Cox will emcee the event – hilarity will surely ensue.
The Arneson Theatre is located near 418 Villita St. In case of rain, the event will be rescheduled for Tuesday, June 9.
Below are the evening’s presenters, in no particular order, as provided by PechaKucha San Antonio Staff. The Rivard Report is a media sponsor of PechaKucha.
Brantley Hightower, Architect and Writer
Brantley Hightower founded HiWorks, a San Antonio architecture firm, after studying architecture at the University of Texas at Austin and Princeton University. He has taught at schools including the University of Texas at Austin, Texas Tech University and Trinity University. Brantley produces “The Works,” an architecture podcast, and is a regular contributor to Texas Architect magazine. His first book, “The Courthouses of Central Texas,” was published earlier this year by the University of Texas Press.
*Due to a schedule conflict, Eli Miller will not be presenting. Hightower has taken her place.
Amanda Bianchi, Snazzy Arts Babe
Amanda Bianchi works at Cinnabar Art Gallery in Blue Star, and is a style contributor for the new LGBTQ publication, Out In SA. She also has been actively involved with the food and beverage industry in San Antonio for the past five years, working at establishments such as The Monterey and Feast that have helped to shape the current culinary landscape.
Avi Avalos, Mr. Piñata SA
Avi Avalos is a Mexican-American artist and San Antonio native. His art is simply a visual language used to connect to the city’s vibrant culture in the most positive light. Mr. Piñata SA was initially created as a research tool for a children’s book in 2013, but evolved into an initiative to bring fine art to public places and elevate cultural awareness. Mr. Piñata SA is now an ambassador for San Antonio. His adventures have taken him across the U.S. as he promotes our “City on the Rise.”
Lewis F. Fisher, Author and Historian
Lewis F. Fisher is the author of numerous prize-winning books on San Antonio. They include “American Venice: The Epic Story of San Antonio’s River,” “Chili Queens, Hay Wagons and Fandangos: The Spanish Plazas in Frontier San Antonio” and “Saving San Antonio: The Precarious Preservation of a Heritage.” His Maverick Publishing Company, which published 45 general interest nonfiction regional books by 26 authors, was recently acquired by Trinity University Press.
Corey Squire and Helena Zambrano, A Sustainable Relationship
Helena Zambrano and Corey Squire both decided at a young age that they wanted to save the world, and they came to the same conclusion: Architecture is the way to do it. They both currently work as sustainability coordinators at neighboring architecture firms — Helena at Overland Partners and Corey at Lake | Flato Architects. Both serve on the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) as chair and treasurer, respectively. They first met at a COTE meeting and bonded over their shared love of daylight simulation and their rejection of perforated metal. Corey and Helena live in Dignowity Hill where they spend their time cycling, composting, and subsisting off vegetables from their garden and eggs from their chickens.
David Martin Davies, Public Radio Journalist
David Martin Davies was once arrested for playing punk rock music inside Wonderland Shopping Mall. Today, he hosts The Source on KSTX-FM, Texas Public Radio — a live daily call-in news program. He also hosts Texas Matters. In his 20 years in journalism as a television news producer, reporter and columnist, his work has been featured on National Public Radio, Marketplace and the BBC. His many awards include the 2008 Texas Radio Journalist of the Year.
Jeremy Joseph, Clinical Psychologist
Jeremy Joseph is a psychologist who conducts clinical research on treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. He is interested in how we relate to our dreams, often working with patients who struggle with nightmares. The California native went to college in Chicago, volunteered in Israel, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming and did an internship year in Albuquerque. In 2013 he began a postdoctoral fellowship at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio. If you live in Monte Vista, you’ve probably seen him and his wife walking their greyhound, Sofia.
Libby Wardlaw Maddin, Road Trip Enthusiast
Libby Wardlaw Maddin is a musician, road trip enthusiast, and San Antonio native. She spent the vacations of her youth packed into a 1978 Suburban SUV with her five siblings and parents, who ignited her passion for exploration and, in more recent years, provided her with a day job flexible enough to take business calls and write emails from the middle of the desert. When Libby’s not hitting the road, she sings in various musical projects with her husband Chris and with the San Antonio Mastersingers. She has also been a host on KRTU-FM’s Indie Overnight for 10 years.
*Featured/top image: People congregate at the Arneson River Theatre during the Maverick Music Festival in 2015. Photo by Scott Ball.
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