A short documentary film about a transgender boy on the wrestling team at Trinity High School in Euless, Texas had its world premier on March 8 at the South by Southwest Conference and Festival in Austin. The film, Mack Wrestles, which was produced by ESPN Films, tells the story of Mack Beggs, who in 2017…
Arts & Culture
Yara Sofia to Judge San Antonio’s ‘Drag Me to Fame’ Competition
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. With an origin story not unlike that of fellow Puerto Rican drag star Jessica Wild (who performs in San Antonio on March 6), Yara Sofia rose through the ranks of San Juan’s LGBT nightlife scene, perfecting her craft in famed clubs like Krash and eventually landing on RuPaul’s…
Ruby City Show Features Video Installations and Photos by Filmmaker Isaac Julien
Ruby City, the Linda Pace Foundation’s arts complex on Camp Street in Southtown, has mounted an exhibition of works by renowned filmmaker and installation artist, Isaac Julien. The show, Isaac Julien – Looking for Langston opens on February 28. Julien was born in London where he still resides. He came to prominence in the 1980s…
Presa House Exhibition “Cicatrices” Focuses on Work by Gay Artist Jose Villalobos
Work by gay San Antonio artist Jose Villalobos will take center stage at the Presa House Gallery in an exhibit that opens on March 1. The title of the show, Cicatrices, translates into English as “Scars.” Last January, Villalobos was the recipient of a $25,000 Painters and Sculptors grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation. He…
Ruby City Fiesta Medal Features Symbols of Inclusive Transfeminism
Ruby City, the Linda Pace Foundation’s arts complex on Camp Street in Southtown, unveiled its 2019 Fiesta medal, which this year is designed by local artist Suzy González. The medal, titled Prayers to the People, features two hands united in prayer holding beads that lead to a rose with gender symbols referencing an inclusive transfeminism.…
Cornyation’s ‘Cheap and Raunchy Romans’ Prepare for King’s Coming Out Party
The folks at Fiesta Cornyation are busy preparing to officially introduce this year’s King Anchovy LIV, Mindy Miller Hill, at a February 22 soiree themed “Cheap and Raunchy Romans.” While the King’s Coming Out Party is the first official appearance by King Anchovy, Hill’s name was leaked last October during the 80th birthday party for…
Erotic Performers, Naughty Nuns and More at La Santa Luna’s ‘Art of Fetish & Fashion’ Event
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Championing a provocative aesthetic that sways from ethereal and romantic to dark and slightly macabre, La Santa Luna has evolved from a specialty boutique into a self-described “fashion collective” driven by creative director/designer/“head mother” Erica Reyna with support and inspiration from photographers, makeup artists, models, muses and brand…
Emmy-Nominated ‘Drag Race’ Star Raven Brings Her Dramatic Act to San Antonio
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. A California native of Russian descent, David Petruschin is admittedly fond of “winged creatures.” As a go-go boy on the SoCal club scene, he dubbed himself Phoenix before developing the drag persona Raven. Arriving on the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race back in 2010, the professional makeup…
Public Theater of San Antonio’s Production of ‘Rent’ Opens This Weekend
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Drummed up on the rooftop of a Greenwich Village apartment by playwrights Jonathan Larson and Billy Aronson, the rock opera Rent famously took seven years to come to fruition but then swiftly accomplished what it set out to do: shake up a stagnating Broadway with a gritty reinvention…
Gay San Antonio Artist Jose Villalobos Earns Grant from the Joan Mitchell Foundation
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. The Joan Mitchell Foundation recently announced the 2018 recipients of its Painters and Sculptors grants, and this year’s list includes none other than Jose Villalobos of San Antonio, the lone Texas artist to receive $25,000 in unrestricted funds. San Antonio artists who’ve previously received the grant include Ruth…