Now that summer is here and San Antonio is ready to reignite its economy, several area attractions and museums have opened their doors again although with safety and social distancing guidelines in place. So whether it’s a trip to the San Antonio Zoo to say hello to the animals or a visit to the San Antonio Museum of Art to view treasured works of art, they will all be happy to welcome you back.
SAN ANTONIO ZOO
You’ll notice a number of “pawsitive” changes throughout the zoo. For starters, timed-entry ticketing must be purchased online before your visit. Entry time slots are valid each hour, so plan to arrive during your designated time.
Restaurants will be open with enhanced safety measures including no tables of 10 or more people. Other retail locations will also open with safety measures so please be prepared to pay using a credit or debit card. Some locations, however, accept Apple Pay and Android Pay since the ability to use cash is limited.
It’s important to note that some enclosed spaces and animal interactions will still be closed, including Giraffe Feeding, Flamingo Mingle, Butterfly House, Kangaroo Krossing, San Antonio Zoo Train, Carousel, Reptile House, Fredrich Aquarium and the Hixon Bird House, among others.
As the elephants, monkeys, and lions look forward to seeing you again, don’t forget to plan your visit ahead of time. https://sazoo.org/
MCNAY ART MUSEUM
More than 200,000 visitors each year enjoy works by modern masters including Vincent van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and so can you now that the McNay and its 23-acres of landscaped lawns have reopened.
Exhibitions on view have been extended for our community to enjoy:
- Fashion Nirvana: Runway to Everyday extended to
September 13, 2020
- Robert L. B. Tobin: Collector, Curator, Visionary
extended to August 30, 2020
- Selena Forever/Siempre Selena extended to January 10,
2021
- 2020 CAM Perennial: Topographies of Truth extended to
September 13, 2020
- Goya’s Caprichos and the Human Condition extended to
August 9, 2020
- Spotlight: San Antonio’s K-12 Artists Embrace Diego Rivera extended to September 6, 2020
All programming and special events, including weddings and event rentals, have been postponed through July 31. Ongoing event updates will be available at mcnayart.org/events.
BRISCOE WESTERN ART MUSEUM
It’s time to saddle up and head downtown now that the Briscoe Western Art Museum, which features the saddles of Western icons, such as Roy Rogers, Buffalo Bill and Pancho Villa, has opened again, welcoming visitors with enhanced safety protocols.
First of all, the Briscoe is tipping its hats to healthcare workers by inviting them to enjoy the museum for free throughout the summer. Just show your valid identification so the museum can say thank you.
To safely welcome guests back, the Briscoe will monitor attendance through ticket counts and limit admissions as necessary.
Tickets and memberships may be purchased in advance online to limit in-person interaction. Details on the reopening protocols are available on the museum’s website at www. Briscoemuseum.org.
WITTE MUSEUM
The Witte Museum’s Re-Opening Task Force was launched soon after it closed its doors in March and has been working on safety measures and procedures ever since.
“Standing true to its vision, the Witte Museum continues to be a bold, cultural leader, with online programs, “Witte Where You Are” and the innovations and installations by the Re- Opening Task Force,” Marise McDermott, president and CEO, said in a statement.
The Witte can be experienced through “Witte Where You Are” featuring online content from the Witte Museum curators and educations using award-winning demonstrations and school program curriculum, as well as behind-the-scenes tours. Programming is available on all Witte Museum social media platforms as well as the Witte’s webpage: www.wittemuseum. org/witte-where-you-are/.
SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART
Now on view through September is “Texas Women: A New History of Abstract Art,” which is the first major exhibition to focus on Texas women working primarily in the mode of abstraction. It includes 95 works in painting, sculpture, and installation, as well as works on paper by 17 artists from different generations.
“No matter the media, materials, or processes each artist uses, she brings inventiveness, risk-taking, and experimentation to her practice,” said Suzanne Weaver, The Brown Foundation Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and curator of the exhibition. “Over careers of many decades, each has challenged approaches to abstraction—organic and gestural or inorganic and geometric-to make work that is continually fresh.”
Artists include Dorothy Antoinette “Toni” LaSelle (1901-2002), Dorothy Hood (1919-2000), Susie Rosmarin (born 1950), Terrell James (born 1955), Margo Sawyer (born 1958), Sara Cardona (born 1971, Mexico City), and Liz Trosper (born 1983).
Tickets will be sold by designated time blocks and timed tickets are required during Bexar County free hours. Additionally, while visitors will need to keep their arrivals to their designated time blocks, they will be permitted to stay and enjoy the museum until close of business.
In an effort to provide a “paperless experience,” SAMA has made advance online ticketing available at https://www. samuseum.org/admissiontickets/
SAMA will offer online programming to share the arts with individuals from their homes. SAMA’s virtual offerings can be found at https://www.samuseum.org/samaanywhere/.
BY RUDY ARISPE
Originally published in San Antonio Woman Magazine Sept/Oct 2020: https://sawoman.com/2020/07/local-attractions-now-open-as-alamo-city-begins-to-reopen/
