Supporting the Arts

San Marcos Art League hosts the annual membership meeting, social

With a new president, a new year and a renewed vision, the San Marcos Art League (SMAL) is working in a new medium as the group’s annual social Friday night set the tone for what members said is sure to be an exciting 2024.

The SMAL Annual Social took place at the Price Center, 222 W. San Antonio St., Friday evening, bringing together a collage of creatives from across the city.

While board members said the event is technically considered a meeting, the idea to host a social came a few years ago to connect artists, residents and other non-profits in a collaborative setting. According to the SMAL website, the organization has been “supporting arts education, preservation and community since 1983.”

Currently, there are 159 SMAL members and more than 1000 people subscribed to the organization's newsletter.

“We turned it into a meeting for prospective members as well,” Art Squared Market Director Karly Schlievert said. “It’s a social, so it feels more like an event. It’s for everyone to come and see the art community in San Marcos and become a part of it.”

With music, food, art, bellydancing and libations, the good times and creative juices were flowing as around 110 people attended the free event. Among the night’s activities included a silent auction of donated pieces from various artists in San Marcos. The money raised from the auction will be used for more events, classes and hopefully a bigger location for the group, new SMAL president Josh Farrell said.

“The Price Center and the Art League have this shared goal to promote art,” Farrell said. “Whenever you can get somebody out from behind their phone or behind the computer, away from the video game, and get them to craft something with their hands. ... That’s something we want to keep developing and instilling.”

The SMAL is located at the San Marcos Art Center, 117 N. Guadalupe St., where around 25 artists’ works are displayed. Art Center Director Nancy Brown said they had $25,000 in sales in 2023 and are always seeking more ways to diversify their exposure.

“We call it an art center instead of a gallery for a reason,” Brown said. “We're really trying to be much more inclusive. We work very closely with the library, for example, and with the Price Center. We've done different projects with Texas State and the Calaboose. I mean, it's a very cooperative community.'

In addition to being a cooperative within the city, Schlievert said the event and the SMAL also allow artists from all backgrounds to develop and support each other.

“There's a lot of artists in this town,” Schlievert said. “But everyone was creating in their own vacuum. There wasn't a space for people to get together, collaborate, see what each other was doing. So, with the art league, we really try to facilitate a space for community in the arts, rather than everyone feeling like we're in competition like in the big city. We're not. We're uplifting each other, and that's part of our mission.”

Local artist Michael Romero currently has an airbrushed piece at the Price Center titled, “I Miss Your Face.” He said having a place to display his work after the pandemic inspired him to keep creating.

“I've been searching for a place to display my work somewhere in Central Texas,” Romero said. “This is my first time really getting into the Art League, and I'm really enjoying it. I painted this right at the height of the pandemic. Everyone was wearing masks... you couldn't see anyone’s smiles anymore. This is a reminder that It was hard for a lot of people.”

SMAL Treasurer Tracy Weinberg said support between creatives in the city extends to local musicians as well.

“There's a lot of cooperation and friendship among the artists in this community and among the musicians, too,” said Weinberg.

The San Marcos Community Radio Station Association will host the Inaugural San Marcos Music Awards (SMMA) at the Price Center on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m.

SMAL memberships can be purchased on their website.