San Antonio’s staple speaker series, PechaKucha, will return for its 31st edition to its homestead at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre on Tuesday, Aug. 28.
Six local influencers – including local artist Jose Ballí, Liberty Bar owner Dwight Hobart, and judicial candidate Monique Diaz – will each have six minutes and 40 seconds to tell a story or convey a message.
Happy hour starts at 6:30 p.m. with small bites from local vendors, and presentations begin at 7:30 p.m., emceed by News 4 San Antonio’s weeknight anchor Randy Beamer and Meredith Doby, the DoSeum’s vice president of exhibits. Local songwriter Garrett T. Capps will provide musical entertainment.
PechaKucha’s format allots each speaker 20 seconds to speak on 20 PowerPoint slide. Japanese architects invented PechaKucha in 2003 to push speakers to present ideas concisely and creatively. More than 900 cities worldwide have their own PechaKucha events, and San Antonio’s branch of PechaKucha has been going strong since 2011.
The event is free, with a suggested donation of $5 per person. Presale tickets are available here. Free parking available in the Mid-City/Houston Street Parking Garage located on the corner of College and Navarro streets, the St. Mary’s Street Garage at 400 N. St Mary’s, and at all street parking locations.
Here are PechaKucha San Antonio Vol. 31’s presenters (biographies provided by PechaKucha):
Sherry Kafka Wagner, Enigma
Sherry Kafka Wagner grew up in Arkansas, interested in stories and in other places. She made her way to Baylor University where the extraordinary Paul Baker taught her that developing an understanding of the creative process meant you could work on any project. Following this instruction, she has spent more than 50 years working on projects in writing, urban planning, museum consulting, television, and film in many captivating places.
Jose Ballí, Artist
Jose Ballí – an artist from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, and McAllen – is known for his figurative oil paintings and mixed-media works on paper. His subject matters encompass everyday life of the urban landscape of the border and geology and the social fabric of communities. For the last three years, he has immersed himself in finding his place within San Antonio, finding friends and a community that have turned into family.
Henry R. Muñoz III, Chairman/Creative Officer
Henry R. Muñoz III is a designer, social activist, opinion leader, and philanthropist based in San Antonio. As chairman of the board and chief creative officer of Muñoz & Company, he leads one of the largest and oldest minority-owned design practices in the country. He is a former vice chairman of the Smithsonian National Board, chairman emeritus of the Smithsonian National Latino Board and currently serves as a trustee of The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and the finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Muñoz’s mission in both life and career has been to illuminate a more complete American story for the benefit of all people.
Dwight Hobart, Imperial Woodchuck
Timothy Dwight Hobart II was born in the Texas Panhandle and raised at the Hobart ranch on Washita Creek northeast of Amarillo. He attended the University of Texas before dropping out to work at the Seattle World’s Fair in 1961. While serving in the U.S. Marine Reserve, he earned a degree in Russian language and literature from Boston University and then studied at Indiana University and UC Berkeley. He was a magazine and wire service photographer in Beirut before and during the Lebanese civil war. In 1985, Hobart and his chef associate, Drew Allen, opened a bistro in San Antonio called the Liberty Bar. In 2010, the restaurant moved to Alamo Street, where it remains open today.
Monique Diaz, Attorney at Law
Monique Diaz was born in San Antonio, where she was raised by her Puerto Rican mother and Dominican father. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her Juris Doctor degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law, where she developed her passion for working with families and children in the public and private sectors. Monique volunteers with nonprofits, boards, and commissions, owns a general law practice, and is currently running for judge.
Bygoe Zubiate, Artist
Bygoe Zubiate is an artist born and raised in San Antonio, whose art explores a variety of media and takes inspiration from her surroundings and from the personal issues she has come to face. She strives to use art as a medium in which she can express herself free from the boundaries of language and create something that people can relate to across diverse communities. Though she has participated in more formal arts education at the after-school art program SAY Sí, she has been making art for as long as she can remember, exploring and crafting her artistic voice. Bygoe recently graduated high school from the International School of the Americas and is planning to further her education at Trinity University next fall, majoring in environmental studies and studio art.
