After the completion of nine standing-room only events at the Architecture Foundation, PechaKucha Night in San Antonio has outgrown the Pearl Brewery venue. Next Tuesday, May 28, the tenth installment of PechaKucha will take place downtown in Texas A&M-San Antonio’s recently christened Casa Rosa, formerly the Museo Alameda.
The iconic pink building, with its intricate metal facade and a tumultuous past, easily accommodates some 400 guests. As such, the PKN planning committee decided to forgo advance ticket sales. Thanks to the city’s Downtown Tuesday initiative, several parking lots and garages will be free. (Click the map below to enlarge.)
Another new feature this time is a community table, where anyone is invited to deposit fliers or information about other local events or projects. No advance permission is required to add to the community table, so bring anything you want to share with you on Tuesday night.
The suggested donation to attend remains at $5. Happy hour starts at 6:30 p.m. and presentations begin at 7:30 p.m.
Before getting to a sneak peek at the PechaKucha presenters, a bit more on the new venue: The ill-fated Museo Alameda opened in 2007 as a groundbreaking collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution. Fraught with financial problems from the beginning, the museum was swimming in debt by 2010 when it received a bailout from the City of $450,000.
Visitor numbers continued to decline and the Museo finally closed its doors in September last year, eventually passing the reins to Texas A&M University-San Antonio. One month earlier, in August, City Council unanimously approved a motion to lease the property to TAMUSA for the same rent that the Alameda paid: $1 per year.
TAMUSA plans to craft the Casa Rosa into a highlight of the so-called “zona cultural,” an area that includes Market Square, Main Plaza, Plaza de Armas, the Spanish Governor’s Palace, Casa Navarro, and several other historically and culturally significant sites.
Programming at Casa Rosa is expected to begin this fall and will continue to tell the story of the transnational experience of Latinos in the U.S., as the Museo Alameda aimed to do, by featuring regional and local artists. TAMUSA is exploring the possibility of having permanent exhibits in place on the first floor, and is currently in the process of hiring a cultural program manager to serve as curator.
In a statement to the Rivard Report via email, representatives of TAMUSA quoted President Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier explaining the University’s expectations for the space. “We envision the Texas A&M University-San Antonio Casa Rosa as a cultural home for everyone in San Antonio, whether students, visitors or natives. It will be a place where all people can learn about the many cultures that have come together to make San Antonio the welcoming place it is today.”
By that description, Casa Rosa seems an appropriate choice of venue for a culturally and intellectually stimulating event like PechaKucha. Without further ado, here’s an exclusive look at the individuals behind the eight presentations we’ll see on Tuesday.
Mark and Angela Walley
This husband and wife duo established Walley Films in 2010, though they fell in love as teens and have worked together in the spheres of art, music, and film for the past 10 years. Many of the films that their independent production company makes involve artists and their work.
Josh Levine
This personal trainer and yoga instructor owns MBS (Mind Body Soul), a company that encompasses several fitness-related businesses, as well as Uncommon Fare Goods and Groceries.
Diego Bernal
One of the most active and visible faces of City Council, the District One councilman is a San Antonio native who returned home after completing undergraduate and graduate degrees in Michigan. Well known and much admired for bringing Downtown Tuesday to fruition, Bernal has also made a mark on the local music and arts scene.
Killis Almond FAIA
With nearly 40 years of experience in architecture, historic preservation and adaptation, design, and new construction under his belt, Almond has worked around the state and country producing practically countless reports, feasibility studies, and preservation plans for historic building projects.
Kathleen Trenchard
A resident of Woodlawn Lake by way of New Orleans and Brooklyn, Trenchard is a multi-faceted artist who specializes in the mallet and chisel technique of cutting Mexican papel picado.
Ernest Gonzales
This San Antonio native is an electronic music producer, DJ, member of the city’s Cultural Advisory Board, and works as a STEM educator for SAISD.
George Schroeder
Schroeder’s elegant yet raw abstract sculptures made of steel intend to “evoke tension within form,” transforming the space they occupy into a comprehensive visual experience.
Miss Anastasia
A former elementary school teacher and mother of three, this storyteller holds a weekly storytime at the Twig Book Shop and has leveraged the power of children’s books to bring characters and stories to life for nearly 20 years.
Miriam Sitz works for Accion Texas Inc., the nation’s largest non-profit microlender. A graduate of Trinity University, she blogs on Miriam210.com and sells handmade goods on TinderboxGoods.com. Follow her on Twitter at @miriamsitz. [Click here for more stories from Miriam Sitz on the Rivard Report.]
Past coverage of PechaKucha on the Rivard Report:
PechaKucha 9: “A fine line between a good time and a family brawl.” (February 2013)
Preview of PechaKucha 9: All is Fair in Love and… Work? (February 2013)
PechaKucha Night Vol. 8: The Care and Feeding of a Full and Hungry House (November 2012)
A Preview: PechaKucha Night Volume 8 (November 2012)
PechaKucha 7: From Hawaii to Vietnam, Singing in the Rain (and Milk) (August 2012)
Prelude to PechaKucha Night 7: 20 slides, 20 seconds (August 2012)
PechaKucha 6: “Ladies, Pick Your Bull Carefully” (May 2012)
Creative class in session: PechaKucha 5 at the Pearl (February 2012)
