Expect Extended Spring Break with Special Tours & Hands-On Fun at This San Antonio Museum
Expect Extended Spring BreakActivities for All Ages at the Briscoe Western Art Museum– and Adults-Only Painting with Margaritas. Celebrate Women’s History Month with a Special Tour.
WHAT:
Spring into the West without ever leaving the River Walk at the Briscoe Western Art Museum! Normally closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Briscoe will be open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day March 6 – 17, along with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. Lasso some Western fun this spring. With the museum’s location in the heart of the River Walk, it’s a great stop for families exploring downtown – and anyone enjoying the St. Patrick’s Day parades and festivities March 15-16.
Lasso some hands-on fun during the Briscoe’s Spring Break Roundup March 10-14. Each day features different art and craft activities, while adults can get in on the fun with an evening painting session served with a side of margaritas. The daily come-and-go family programs celebrate the heritage and culture of the American West, including the four pillars of the West: wildlife, Native American heritage, cowboys and vaqueros, and the Tejano pillar, recognizing the influence of Mexican and Spanish heritage. Each pillar will be brought to life in arts and crafts during the Spring Break Roundup. Different activities will be available each day, bringing the West to life in a variety of hands-on ways. Spring Break Roundup is included with museum admission, with no charge for craft supplies and no reservations required.
The Briscoe springs into the week with a conversation and tour spotlighting the influence of female artists who inspired progress in Western Art. Included in museum admission on Saturday, March 8, learn the remarkable stories and transformative artwork of Grace Carpenter Hudson, Kathryn Leighton and Dorothy Brett, three artists who paved the way for those who would follow. The presentation includes a tour of museum’s “Women of the West Gallery” focusing on Kathryn Leighton’s “The Sioux Fire Maker” and contemporary female artists such as Terri Kelly Moyers. The event is included with museum admission.
Children 12 and under and active duty military members always receive free admission to the Briscoe, making it a wonderful destination for family fun. Caregivers must accompany participating children for each activity.
WHERE:
Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St., San Antonio
WHEN:
Mar. 10 – 14
- Monday – Friday, Mar. 10 – 14: Hands-on Arts & Crafts, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Head West for hands-on fun any time during the day to make and take fun crafts that tie to the pillars of Western art – cowboys, Native Americans, wildlife and vaqueros, all themes celebrated by the Briscoe’s popular Community Days. Stop in and enjoy weaving, mosaics, papel picado, landscape drawing and more, like making nature bookmarks. Families can choose and create one – or all! – of the crafts using the free supplies provided. These drop-in events are included with museum admission:
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- Monday, Mar. 10: Native American Crafts
- Tuesday, Mar. 11: Cowboy and Vaquero Crafts
- Wednesday, Mar. 12: Landscape and Wildlife Crafts
- Thursday, Mar. 13: Tejano Crafts
- Friday, Mar. 14: Full STEAM Ahead, featuring arts and crafts that tie into the pillars and highlight Science, Technology, Education, Art and Mathematics (STEAM).
- Thursday, Mar. 13: Briscoe Highlights Tour, 2 p.m., included with museum admission
Enjoy a guided tour through the museum’s galleries during this weekly 45-minute tour, with stops at some of the most significant and striking pieces in the Briscoe’s collection. With frequently rotating artworks on display, this tour is ideal for both first-time visitors and long-term friends of the museum.
- Thursday, Mar. 13: Painting with DiZurita!, 5:30 – 8 p.m., $35, $20 for museum members
Kick back and enjoy your spring break with energetic and charismatic international artist DiZurita. Based in San Antonio, DiZurita tells stories through her art, an everlasting transformation of life experiences. Enjoy a relaxing evening sipping margaritas while painting a prickly pear cactus, the official plant of Texas. In Spanish, the plant is called nopal and during droughts, ranchers will burn the spines off the fruit so cattle can eat it. Create a prickly pear acrylic painting on an 11 x 14 canvas in a hands-on session as DiZurita guides guests in creating their own work of art. Registration for this adults-only 21+ event is per person and includes drinks and all supplies. Class size is limited, so register today to secure your spot.
- Saturday, Mar. 15: Storytime Stampede: Cowboys, 10:30 – 11 a.m.
Families and caregivers of young children can enjoy Western fun and stories at the Briscoe’s Storytime Stampede. Featuring a 30-minute program designed for young children ages 18 months to 5 years, the event includes a story told and acted out, books read aloud, movement activities, songs and art fun. Adults bringing children to the Storytime Stampede receive half-off general museum admission and children 12 and under always receive free admission at the Briscoe.
More to See and Do at the Briscoe
An oasis of Western beauty on the River Walk, the Briscoe’s McNutt Sculpture Garden and museum grounds feature 35 sculptures portraying various aspects of Western life. Inside the museum’s beautifully restored historic home inside the former San Antonio Public Library building. The Briscoe’s collection spans 14 galleries, with special exhibitions, events and the Hendler Family Museum Store, providing art, culture, history and entertainment.
During spring break, the museum will be open seven days a week, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Thursday. Admission is free for children 12 and under and for active duty members of the military. Active duty family members and retired military receive discounted admission. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita. Museum hours, nearby parking and admission details are available online.
