With an active chamber music society, several theater groups and a thriving dance community that includes ballet, folkloric and contemporary troupes as well as the ethnic styles of Filipino, Indian and Japanese groups, San Antonio has about as diverse a cultural mix as one can find in a city. In addition to a network of eclectic private galleries specializing in paintings and prints, sculpture, photography, and crafts, San Antonio is home to several important museums and arts centers. These offer a variety of programs, lectures and exhibitions throughout the year.

Performing Arts
The San Pedro Playhouse has two stylish performance spaces: the cozy Cellar Theater and the freshly festooned Russell Hill Rogers Theater. Call (210) 733-7258 or go to www.sanpedroplayhouse.com for a current schedule and tickets.

The Magik Theatre Center combines the forces of Magik Children’s Theatre, which produces works for children and their families, with the Firelight Theater, which focuses mostly on challenging shows for grown-ups. Review the season offerings at www.magiktheatre.org or call (210) 227-2751.

The Sheldon Vexler Theater presents its sixth season in 2005. Call (210) 302-6835 or visit www.vexler.org for show details.

Jump-Start Performance Co. is known for nurturing new work, so it’s no surprise to find several works in various stages of development on the schedule. Call (210) 227-5867 or visit www.jump-start.org.

The Harlequin Dinner Theater at Fort Sam Houston celebrates its 30th anniversary. Call (210) 222-9694.

Steven Stoli Playhouse’s 2005 season features a variety of plays. Call (210) 408-0116 or visit www.stolientertainment.com.

The Renaissance Guild is the city’s newest African-American theater company. Call (210) 732-9041 or go online to www.therenaissanceguild.org.

Touring productions offer theatergoers a look at big-budget production values. The primary source of theatrical tours is the Broadway in San Antonio Series, presented at the historic Majestic Theater. For the most current schedule, call (210) 224-9600 or visit www.broadwayacrossamerica.com/sanantonio.

Carver Community Cultural Center presents a season of dance and jazz concerts. The Carver also imports a fair amount of dance to the city. (210) 207-2234; www.thecarver.org.

On many evenings there are two plays occurring simultaneously at Alamo Street Restaurant and Theatre. The lower floor houses the “Green Room Dinner Theatre.” Presentations are original interactive comedies, mysteries or melodramas, presented after a mouth-watering buffet dinner. Patrons who prefer more traditional theatre enjoy the stage productions upstairs. No matter which type of play you enjoy, you are certain to have a memorable evening. (210) 271-7791; www.alamostreetrestaurantandtheatre.com.

Classical Music
The San Antonio Symphony features a classical and pops series. Concerts are held downtown at the Majestic Theatre. Larry Rachleff serves as music director. For current information, call (210) 554-1010; www.sasymphony.org.

Lyric Opera of San Antonio, started on a shoestring in 1997, has grown — and grown up — with amazing rapidity. (210) 225-5972; www.lyricoperasa.com.

The Olmos Ensemble, comprised of excellent San Antonio Symphony musicians and superb New York pianist Warren Jones, offers a wide range of chamber music. Concerts are in Christ Episcopal Church, 510 Belknap Place. (210) 384-0929.

The SOLI Chamber Ensemble, madeup of clarinet, violin, cello and piano,specializes in music of the 20th century and beyond. The five-concert season ispresented in Ruth Taylor Concert Hall at Trinity University. (210) 930-3931; www.solichamberensemble.com.

The Texas Bach Choir and Collegiumgives historically informed, polished and lively performances of choral and instrumental music from the 17th and 18th centuries. The four-concert main series is given Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.at assorted churches. (210) 821-5382; www.texasbachchoir.org

The San Antonio Chamber Music Society presents important ensembles at bargain prices. All concerts start at 3:15 p.m. on Sundays. Season tickets cost $50 for adults, $40 for seniors 65 and older, or $30 for students. (210) 408-1558; www.ccsi.com/~bat.

The Tuesday Musical Club presents major soloists and small chamber groups at low prices. All performances start at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays at Trinity Baptist Church. Season tickets are $30; tickets for individual performances are $12 or $2 for students. (210) 344-5929.

The Cactus Pear Music Festival gathers top-drawer musicians from around the country for three lively programs in San Antonio and nearby towns in July. (210) 824-5377.

Cultural Centers
Carver Community Cultural Center celebrates the diverse cultures of San Antonio, with emphasis on African-American heritage, through artistic presentations, community outreach and educational programs. (210) 207-7211; www.thecarver.org.

Centro Cultural Aztlan is an arts organization and exhibition forum for Chicano/Latino artists who explore their heritage through art. (210) 432-1896.

Mexican Cultural Institute focuses on Mexico’s culture and includes photography, art shows, films, concerts, dance and theater performances. (210) 227-0123.

Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) is the only permanent extension of the University of Mexico and offers lectures, films and exhibits about Mex-ico. (210) 222-8626; www.usa.unam.edu.

Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is the home of art exhibits and theatrical shows and hosts the Tejano Conjunto Music Festival and CineFestival Film Festival. (210) 271-3151; www.guadalupeculturalarts.org.

Jewish Community Center is dedicated to strengthening individual life, family unity and group survival through cultural, educational and recreational programs. (210) 344-3456.

University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures of San Antonio. (210) 458-2300; www.texancultures.utsa.edu.

Museums
ArtPace — One-person exhibitions from the International Artist-in-Residence Program are regularly shown in the Hudson Room. Focus on Texas artists and group exhibitions by guest curators. Noon–5 p.m. Wednesday, Friday–Sunday; noon–8 p.m. Thursday. Free admission. 445 N. Main Ave.; (210) 212-4900.

Blue Star Art Space — Contemporary art space of mostly local talent with occasional shows by national and international artists. Building C, Blue Star Arts Complex, 1400 S. Alamo St.; (210) 227-6960.

Institute of Texan Cultures — Exhibit Floor features permanent exhibits on 26 ethnic and cultural groups that call Texas home. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday–Sunday. Admission: $2–$5. HemisFair Park, 801 S. Bowie St.; (210) 458-2300.

McNay Art Museum — Museum focuses on 19th- and 20th-century European and American art. Featured artists include Picasso, Gauguin, Matisse, O’Keeffe, Cassatt and Toulouse-Lautrec. Other areas of concentration include medieval and Renaissance European sculptures and paintings. Museum hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Thursday; and noon–5 p.m. Sunday. Grounds: 7 a.m.–7 p.m. daily. Free admission. 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave.; (210) 824-5368.

San Antonio Art League Museum — Permanent collection features 20th-century Texas art. Many of the pieces were produced in the 1920s and feature Texas landscapes and wildflowers. Gallery hours: 1–5 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday. Free admission. 130 King William St.; (210) 223-1140.

San Antonio Museum of Art — Museum’s permanent collection includes a rare Chinese Ming Dynasty canopy bed in the Asian Sculpture Gallery. Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday, noon–5 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Tuesday. Admission: $6/$5 seniors/$4 students/$1.75 kids ages 4–11. Children 4 and younger are admitted free of charge. Group rates are available. Free general admission 3–9 p.m. Tuesday. 200 W. Jones Ave.; (210) 978-8100.

Southwest School of Art & Craft — Exhibitions year-round in the 3,500-square-foot space on the Navarro Campus feature artists from all over the world working in many mediums. Additional exhibits on the Ursuline Campus feature the best of student work as well as emerging area artists. Also, the Visitor’s Center Museum explores the 150-year history of the site and is open daily. Hours: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Saturday. Free admission. 300 Augusta St.; (210) 224-1848.

Witte Museum — Texas natural history museum. Permanent collection includes “Take a Walk on the Wild Side at Texas Wild: Animals Alive!,” an exhibit that builds on the popular EcoLab. H-E-B Science Treehouse features four levels of hands-on science activities, outdoor water exhibits and a real treehouse on the banks of the San Antonio River. Summer hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; noon–5 p.m. Sundays. Admission: $3.95–$5.95; free for everyone 3–9 p.m. Tuesdays. $1 off after 5 p.m. Wednesdays–Thursdays. 3801 Broadway; (210) 357-1900.

Galleries and Studios
Blue Star Arts Complex, adjacent to the King William historical district downtown, is the site of a number of art galleries, alternative spaces and artists’ studios and is anchored by Blue Star Art Space, a contemporary art center seeking to increase contemporary arts leadership for San Antonio. It includes SAY Sí, contemporary exhibits by students. A former warehouse district, Blue Star came to life in 1985 with the first Contemporary Art Month exhibits, developed by a group of disgruntled artists as a kind of alternative to the “official” institutional contemporary show, which they deemed unresponsive to their talents.

Contemporary Art Month (CAM) grows larger each year, with universities, museums, artists’ studios, galleries and alternative spaces across the city opening their doors to the public for the biggest and best visual feast of the year. Traditionally held in July, it now runs from June through August.

As the original settlement of Old San Antonio, La Villita (Spanish for “little town”) is truly the heart of San Antonio. Situated in the center of downtown San Antonio, La Villita is alive with artists and craftsmen, shops, and restaurants.

La Villita was developed in the mid- to late-19th century as a settlement by the Mission San Antonio de Valero (better known as the Alamo). Today, La Villita is a beautiful and active arts and crafts community, featuring landscaped grounds and historic buildings. You’ll find artists and craftspeople at work making unique treasures for sale in the shops of La Villita. Just looking around this little village is a pleasure. Architecture, ranging from simple adobe structures, to natural cut-limestone buildings, to elaborate Victorian art pieces, adds to the area’s unique charm. La Villita is a National Register Historic District and a facility of the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department.

Performing Arts Groups
Actors Theater of San Antonio
(210) 738-2872

Ballet San Antonio
(210) 349-1459 www.balletsanantonio.org

Great Performances Series at the Charline McCombs Empire Theater
(210) 224-9600 www.majesticempire.com

Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center
(210) 271-3151 www.guadalupeculturalarts.org

Josephine Theater
(210) 734-4646

Magik Children’s Theater
(210) 227-2751 www.magiktheatre.org

San Antonio Dance Umbrella
(210) 212-7775 www.sadu.org

San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet
(210) 408-6970 www.sametballet.org

San Pedro Playhouse
(210) 733-7258 www.sanpedroplayhouse.com

Steven Stoli Playhouse
(210) 408-0116 www.stolientertainment.com

Galleries & Studios
AnAarte/Design Studio
Contemporary Latino
1100 Broadway (210) 826-4696

Eaglebears Galleria
American Indian art
1160 E. Commerce St. (210) 212-6900

Gazebo Gallery at Los Patios
Watercolors
2015 N.E. Loop 410 (210) 655-6317

Glassworks
Art glass
6350 N. New Braunfels Ave. (210) 822-1975
18720 Stone Oak Parkway (210) 545-6500

Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art
Traditional and blue chip
2218 Breezewood Drive (210) 828-6491

NanEtte Richardson Fine Art Gallery
Traditional and Texas art
555 E. Basse Road (210) 930-1343
513 E. Houston St. (210) 224-1550

New Braunfels Art League Gallery
Traditional (830) 629-8022
239 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels

Rendon Photography & Fine Art
Contemporary and historic photography
733 S. Alamo St. (210) 225-2287

River City Silver
Contemporary photography
5103 McCullough Ave. (210) 734-2020

Stonemetal Press
Contemporary prints
Building B, Blue Star Arts Complex,
1400 S. Alamo St. (210) 227-0312

Textures Gallery
Fiber art
4026 McCullough Ave. (210) 822-9727

Tienda Guadalupe
Folk art
1001 S. Alamo St. (210) 226-5873