The Art Gallery at Musical Bridges Around the World presents professionally curated art exhibitions by emerging and established visual artists working in our community and beyond. Quarterly receptions, artist dialogues and other gallery events bring the community together and invite artists, collectors and visitors from all backgrounds to experience the connection between people, cultures and ideas through the expression of visual art.

23705 Frontage Road, Ste. 101, San Antonio, TX 78257

CURRENT EXHIBITION

As a philosophical and theological construct, the idea of “natural order” has been around for centuries, shifting with each epoch’s understanding of nature, order, and our relationship to the cosmos. Used alternately as a means to find comfort, reason, or justification for our actions and place in the universe, humanity’s notions of what is “natural” or “orderly” has as many permutations as nature itself.

Natural Order features three photographers who capture, conjure, or construct a sense of order and meaning from the natural world, reflecting on the wonder and mysteries we discover or bring to the experience. Robert Michaelson turns is camera skyward, observing the grandeur of astronomical phenomena in the night sky, the migration and flight of birds, and the nature of water in his stunning images. Kyle Petersen’s “Tiny & Wild” series presents an intimate, personal engagement with the small-scale creatures in our midst. The contained, close-up compositions and dramatic, moody lighting create a highly formalized context to consider the hidden ecosystems and characters just outside our back doors. In her richly inventive “Still Life” series, Barbra Riley elides the style and substance of 17th century Dutch painting with modern technology and contemporary habits and mores. Integrating the luxury, rich color, staged compositions and hidden symbolism of the historical tradition with elements of modernity, Riley calls into question our perceptions of nature, artifice, life, death, morality, and history itself.

Opening Reception

SATURDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 2023, 5 – 8 PM

Free Music, Wine, & Bites!

Exhibition Dates

9 SEPTEMBER – 17 NOVEMBER 2023

Open by Appointment, Mon-Fri 10am-4pm

WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION

Robert Michaelson

Artist Statement

Robert Michaelson turns his camera skyward, observing the grandeur of astronomical phenomena in the night sky, the migration and flight of birds, and the nature of water in his stunning images for this exhibition. Largely self-taught, Michaelson’s photographic interests are centered around subjects that can get him outdoors. He is a passionate bird and wildlife photographer as well as an underwater photographer.

Kyle Petersen (“Tiny & Wild” Series)

Artist Statement

The pandemic created many challenges and hardships for all of us. However, it also afforded me the rare opportunity to slow down and take a closer, deeper look at my immediate surroundings. With many of our face-to-face human interactions gone, I instead connected with anoles, frogs, and bugs. Instead of sitting in traffic and running errands, I staked out spiders, skinks, and squirrels. This project began as a way to connect with the wider world while not straying far beyond my backyard. I was able to escape to, and participate in, a tiny world that was largely unaffected by the pandemic. I have continued this project over the last several years and still find comfort in the quiet moments of contemplation that it offers me. Looking at these small life forms and their ecosystems reminds me of how fragile, beautiful, and wild our natural world can be.

Barbra Riley

Artist Statement

Subjects that have occupied my mind for a while, stirring around, are where I start when I make a still life. Although, the symbolism utilized in the Dutch Still Life paintings of the 17th–19th centuries is complex, I consider the latent, historical meanings in the subjects used in my still lifes. Everyday objects and items found around my living environment are familiar to the viewer, but personal objects that have significance to me go deeper than a shared experience. So, the viewer imagines a story that has context in their life rather than mine.

LOCATION, PARKING, & ACCESSIBILITY

How to Get There

The MBAW Art Gallery & Offices are located in Suite 101 of the Grey Oaks office complex in Leon Springs – gateway to the beautiful Texas Hill Country.

Coming from San Antonio (heading north):
– As you go up I-10, take Exit 551 and do a turnaround under the overpass.
– Once on the access road heading south, the turn into the Grey Oaks office complex is directly after Sun Auto Services (and Las Palapas preceding that).

Coming from Boerne (heading south):
– As you go down I-10, take Exit 552.
– Once on the access road, the turn into the Grey Oaks office complex is directly after Sun Auto Services (and Las Palapas preceding that).

Parking

Free parking is available in the office parking lot, and there is overflow parking as you go up the hill.

 

Handicap Accessibility

Because of the hilly nature of the area, the office complex does include stairs to access the MBAW Art Gallery and other office spaces. Please be aware at this current time there is unfortunately no handicap-accessible ramp on the property.

PURCHASE POLICIES

  • Works are available for purchase during each MBAW Art Gallery exhibition run, with a portion of the proceeds supporting MBAW’s free programs.
  • Payments may be made in person (credit/debit, check, cash accepted) or online (credit/debit accepted).
  • After payment, please note that artwork will remain on display until the end of the exhibition, whereupon we will be in touch with you to schedule a pickup date/time.
  • If you are interested in an artwork from a previous exhibit, please contact us. Provide as much detailed information as you can (exhibit title, work title, artist, etc.) and we will try to put you in touch with the artist/other gallery where the work is currently displayed. See the Gallery History archives below for a list of previous exhibits.

GALLERY HISTORY

After a fifteen (15) year occupation of our founder’s home (mostly her kitchen and dining room), Musical Bridges Around the World moved into its first-ever dedicated office space in 2012. The open floor plan and generous walls allowed us to realize the dream of incorporating visual art into our multi-pronged programming. In turn, the MBAW Art Gallery made its public premiere in May 2013. Since then, the gallery has taken on a life of its own and become an integral part of our diverse programs; hosting art openings, gallery talks, chamber concerts, poetry readings and book signings. In January 2016, Julya Jara joined the MBAW family as our first dedicated gallerist. After a three-year tenure, Julya became our Director of Development as long-time San Antonio curator Diana Roberts took over as Gallery Director in January 2019. As the only major fine arts entity on the IH-10 Corridor between downtown San Antonio and the city of Boerne, the MBAW Art Gallery is positioned to help bring our mission and vision to the larger community through its culturally and artistically diverse programs. Artworks are available for sale and a portion of all proceeds benefit all of our programs directly.

Exhibition Archive

Click the exhibition titles hyperlinked below to view the full exhibit page with artworks.  

 

 

Exhibition Title Artist(s) Date(s)
Looking for Spring Gwen Rhea Cowden (G. Rhea) (San Antonio, Texas) 15 April – 31 July 2023
The Quilt: Behind the Scenes Robert Michaelson, Sarah Jane, Manuel Alejandro Hernández Cardona of CMC Studios, MBAW Staff, Coral Díaz, & Noelle Artigue (San Antonio, Texas) 21 January – 31 March 2023
JUBILEE: An Anniversary Exhibtion 36+ Artists who exhibit in the past 25 years (see full list) 20 August – 17 December 2022
Fragments of Landscapes Maya Sokovic (San Antonio, Texas / Belgrade, Serbia) 23 April 2022 – 11 June 2022
Recent Works & Organic Continuity Tim Beard (San Antonio, Texas) & Conan Chadbourne (San Antonio, Texas) 23 October 2021 – 15 March 2022
Partituren | Time Stands Still – Fotoseptiembre 2020 Michael Matthews (Montreal, Canada | Berlin, Germany) & Michael Kruscha (Berlin, Germany) 4 September 2020 – 30 September 2021
Within and Without Norma Jean Moore (San Antonio, Texas) & Brian Wedgworth (McAllen, Texas) 14 March – 21 August 2020
Alterations, Interventions, and Other Manipulations Jill Bedgood, Carra Garza (San Antonio, Texas), Gerald Lopez (Corpus Christi, Texas), Paul Valadez (McAllen, Texas) 16 November 2019 – 7 February 2020
Bygone Texas: Photographs by John Mattson and Karen Zimmerly | Fotoseptiembre 2019 John Mattson & Karen Zimmerly (San Antonio, Texas) 31 August – 3 November 2019
Summer Visions: Landscape in the Mind’s Eye Sylvia Benitez, Sabra Booth, Caroline Korbell Carrington, Lorraine Shirkus, & Brian St. John (San Antonio, Texas) 15 June – 16 August 2019
Jean Edelstein: In Tune with Music & Nature Jean Edelstein (Los Angeles, California) 7 April – 18 May 2019
Multi-Colored Universes Paul Martin & Symone Kiyanna Elliott (San Antonio, Texas) 26 January – 31 March 2019
Luchadores Fabian Lainez (Spain | San Antonio) 29 September – December 2018
Celebration of the Art of Calligraphy: Messages of Peace and Reassurance Salma Arastu (India | Berkeley, California) 21 April – 20 August 2018
Puerto Rico: Ritmo del Sol | Dream Week 2018 Antonio Carrion Torruellas (Puerto Rico) 21 January – 13 April 2018
Master of Mystical Scenes Rubén Reséndiz (Guanajuato, Mexico) 9 July 2014
A Few of My Favorite Things | Fotoseptiembre 2017 Rodolfo Choperena (Mexico City, Mexico | San Antonio, Texas) 26 August 2017 – 13 October 2017
Whispers of Wuxi Chen Hao, Ge Qiang, Geng Minxia (Wuxi, China) 13 May 2017 – 18 August 2017
Social Consciousness Bernice Appelin-Williams, James Wyatt Hendricks (San Antonio, Texas) 11 March 2017 – 5 May 2017
From Moussor to Tignon: The Evolution of the Head-tie Juliana Kasumu (London, UK | Lagos | New Orleans) 7 Jan 2017
Chicken Soup Jill Bedgood, Danville Chadbourne, Mark Cheikhet, Alyssa Danna, Albert Gonzales, Rex Hausmann, Paul Martin, Ben McVey, Franco Mondini-Ruiz, Kevork Mourad, Justin Parr, Louis Vega Trevino, Tanya Rachickaya, Kathleen Silva, Natalia Sun, Gary Sweeney, Lauren Browning, Sarah Sauer, Ricky Armendariz, Nate Cassie, Chuck Ramirez 19 Nov 2016
Of Lace & Steel | Collaboration with Dock Space Gallery Laura Mijangos, Naomi Wanjiku Gakunga (San Antonio, Texas) 8 Oct 2016
¡Puro San Antonio! | Fotoseptiembre 2016 Darren Abate, Billy Calzada, Mark Greenberg, Josh Huskin, Mark Sobhani, Natalia Sun (San Antonio, Texas) 27 Aug 2016
Northern Lights Louis Vega Treviño (San Antonio, Texas) 18 Jun 2016
Fusion of the Arts Mark Cheikhet (San Antonio | Moscow, Russia) 22 Nov 2015
Land & Sea | Fotoseptiembre 2015 Robert Michalson & Jim Sparkman (San Antonio, Texas) 4 Sep 2015
Fireworks Rex Hausmann (San Antonio, Texas) 26 Jun 2015
Metamorphosis Kevork Mourad (Syria | New York) & Mahdi Vali (Iran | San Antonio) 30 May 2015
Unfolding Dimensions Sandy Whitby & Lauren Browning (San Antonio, Texas) 13 Feb 2015
Sculptures & Paintings Danville Chadbourne (San Antonio, Texas) 4 Apr 2015
Silent World | Fotoseptiembre 2014 Robert Michaelson & Jim Sparkman (San Antonio, Texas) 29 Aug 2014 (Fotoseptiembre)
Dream Worlds Tania Rachytskaya 5 Apr 2014
Feel the Glow Susan Dunis (Blanco, Texas) 25 Jan 2014
On the Way to Work Rex Hausmann (San Antonio, Texas) 5 Oct 2013

Sponsors & Partners

Department of Arts & Culture
Ford Foundation
Kronkosky
National Endowment for the Arts
H.E.B
The Brown Foundation, Inc.
Texas Commission on the Arts
Joan & Herb Kelleher
H.E.B
Joan & Herb Kelleher
Texas Commission on the Arts
Alice Kleberg Reynolds