The Dunis Family, which owns Blanco Star Antiques on the corner of 4th and Pecan, was asked by the city of San Antonio to contribe art for the Luminaria: Arts Night event. Susan and Val, son Miles, and daughter Zenia, are working on a shrine to the San Antonio River, which flows through the downtown area. The work includes sequins and beads, which Susan said are seen all over Mexico but are rarely used in art in this country, to symbolize the river as a source of life.

The exhibit will take up an entire window in the Dillard’s in Alamo Plaza.

Luminaria: Arts Night in San Antonio is a free artist-driven event day (and evening!) celebration. Through multi-media, visual, theatre, dance, music and other art forms, experience art throughout San Antonio on March 15. Luminaria is an unprecedented collaboration of artists who will come together for one day to celebrate the dynamic vitality of San Antonio’s creative spirit.

Luminaria will showcase classical music to Latin and jazz, visual arts, from painting to site-specific sculpture, theatre, dance, and multi-media presentations. The downtown celebration will be from 6 pm to midnight with stages, gallery exhibitions along Alamo Plaza and Houston Street, unique performances throughout the streetscape, and at Magik Theatre. “Luminaria offers a stage to show the world the breadth and depth of San Antonio art,” Mayor Hardberger said. “We’re in a position to pull off a celebration of this magnitude because of the exceptional creative talent in San Antonio.”

Based on the success of international events such as Nuit Blanche in Paris and Noche Blanca in Madrid, Luminaria will be the first in Texas and only the second in the nation to present simultaneous and innovative programming throughout the city. Founded by Mayor Phil Hardberger, Luminaria has been organized by arts leaders along with the City of San Antonio, Office of Cultural Affairs, San Antonio Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, theFund, and generous community sponsors. “The response by artists and organizations wanting to participate in this inaugural event has been excellent and overwhelming,” said Marise McDermott, Chair, Luminaria Steering Committee.

Luminaria has been made possible by the generosity and contribution of time, dollars, staff, equipment, and energy from the multitude of arts organization throughout San Antonio that make our city shine.

Come experience Alamo Plaza transformed like it has never been seen. Loretta Young Medellin will turn the gazebo into a living kaleidoscope. See the glimmering sculpture by Susan Dunis enhance the windows at Dillard’s and witness a live demonstration of lampworking and glass beadmaking by the society of Artisan Lampworkers in San Antonio. The central stage at Alamo Plaza will feature the San Antonio Symphony for a unique outdoor performance in front of the Alamo in conjunction with a spectacular light show presented by Bill FitzGibbons, the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio, and an original composition premiered by world renowned pianist, Fernando Herrera. A blend of Latin, jazz, Tejano, opera, and blues will be presented at the Houston Street Stage. Featured artists include grammy award-winning Henry Brun and the Latin Playerz with special guests Augie Meyers and Flaco Jimenez, who will perform on the Houston Street stage. In addition, this stage will host an electric mix of 3 tenors with piano accompaniment from the San Antonio Opera, Roger Velasquez and the Latin Legends, a performance by Urban 15, and many more.

Encounter art along Houston Street in storefronts transformed into art galleries, streetscape performances, and a Film Slam at the Kress building. Downtown’s historic Peacock Alley will be transformed into a vibrant interactive urban arts crevice as created by such artists as Charles Harrison Pompa and metal sculptor Luis “Chispas” Guerrero, Dwayne Bohuslav, and David Blancas. Alley exhibitions will include a historic unveiling by renowned artist, Jesse Treviño, premiering his new painting, “Mexicano Chicano Americano - Removing the Hyphen”. At the street level stage, the musical talents of Bombasta, The Psychics, DJ work of Gabe Quintero Velasquez, and Mombasa Code will explore sound as film artist Trey Moore debuts a film montage on the facade of the Historic Neisner’s Department Store.

The Jefferson stage will host several diverse artists in a parking lot with an incredible laser installation to follow by George Cisneros and Tim Walsh. Conjunto Heritage Taller, San Antonio Blues Society, and many more will turn this stage into the ultimate parking lot celebration! HemisFair Park will fuse together music and dance from various genres. From the folk singing D.C. Bloom, to the original Americana family band The Lavens, Ballet JovenesArtes will feature children performing Flamenco dance, and several others will turn HemisFair park into a music lovers playground highlighted with sculptures.

The Magik Theatre will shine all night featuring performances by ballet companies, Theatres, modern dancers, classical piano, Argentine Tangos, poetry, tap dancers, Indian dance, multimedia performances, as well as an exhibit of set and costume designs by San Antonio artists. Organizations such as Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, the Magik Theatre, San Antonio Theatre Coalition, the Alamo Arts Ballet Theatre, the Viva Tango Quintet, The Ballet Conservatory of South Texas, the Arathi School of Indian Dance, Magik Theatre Teen Rep, St. Phillips College, Katherine Cartwright and F-Pack, the 24th Street Experiment, Jayne King, Sheila Rinear, David Morgan, and local legend Ricky Hernandez playing compositions from “Recuerdos” will demonstrate the diversity of San Antonio’s performing arts.