UT Austin ‘22 | Intern @AustinWatershed | Previously @Austin_Monthly @SanAntonioMag @TexasConnect2 ✍🏼 | Get out there!
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Articles by Jessica Lenamond
Texas' New Voting Laws Could Prove Hell this November
Voting in Texas has never been easy. Prior the 2020 presidential election, political scientists from the likes of Northern Illinois University and Wuhan University in China compiled a “cost-of-voting index” that ranked states by the ease in which residents could both register and cast their ballot.
New Dawn of Psychedelic Therapies and Research Take Root in Texas - Reporting Texas
By Jessica Lenamond Reporting Texas A little over five years ago, Jesse Gould booked a solo trip to Peru in an attempt to save his life. Gould, in his early forties at the time, was in search of the mind-altering hallucinogen ayahuasca—a plant-based brew traditionally used in South American religious ceremonies or for medicinal and ritualistic uses, with the guidance of a shaman. The former U.S. Army Ranger needed help as soon as possible, even if that meant seeking treatment in another country.
50 Fun Ways to Celebrate the Holidays in Austin
1 / Go for a drive through Peppermint Parkway at Circuit of the Americas and be dazzled by their numerous decorated “villages,” such as Candycane Lane, Gingerbread Alley, Frozenland, and Club Sleigh. 2 / Throw on your tackiest holiday wear and do a pub crawl across Austin with Better Bar Crawls. (Dec. 11) 3 / Keep Austin weird by strolling along W. 37th Street, home to some of the city’s most unique and eclectic Christmas decor.
7 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend: Nov. 5-7
Discover Local Artists at The Austin Studio Tour Over 530 Austin-based artists are coming together for a city-wide celebration—and you’re invited to check it all out for yourself. In this massive self-guided tour, the public will have the chance to meet and visit the studios of local creatives. Both the West and the East Austin Studio Tours will be joined into one month, alternating by the weekend. This weekend, it’s the West Side.
7 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend: Sept. 23-26
Take a Trip to the Bastrop Music Festival Thirty miles southeast of Austin on the Colorado River is the charming country town of Bastrop, and the location of a four-day music festival starting on Thursday. The Bastrop Music Festival will feature more than 40 shows at 10 downtown venues, and attendees will hear a range of genres all weekend, including blues, country, soul, folk, and Latin. Wristbands, a full calendar of shows, and details about free shows for the public are all available here.
How to Make the Most of Austin Museum Day 2021
More than 25 local institutions are offering free admission and activities on Sunday for the city’s 24th annual Austin Museum Day. We highlight a few of our favorites below. UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum Presenting outstanding art casually set in a shaded garden of native Texas plants, the UMLAUF is offering hourly docent-led tours for groups of 10, a pop-up market, and a special installation for Austin Museum Day.
7 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Labor Day Weekend: Sept. 3-6
Watch Clueless Paired with Local Music Sound & Cinema is back at the Long Center Lawn for a free showing of the 1995 Beverly Hills classic, Clueless. Food trucks will serve pre-show bites starting at 6 p.m. and a sunset concert by Darkbird starts around 7 p.m. Individual tickets are required, and guests must show a negative COVID-19 or proof of vaccination to attend. Friday, 701 W. Riverside Drive Test Your Gilmore Girls Trivia Think you know more about the Gilmore Girls than your average Joe?
7 Fun Things to Do in Austin this Weekend: Aug. 27-29
Celebrate LGBTQ+ people and stories at PRISM 34 Film Festival PRISM 34 kicks off on Thursday and is hosted by Austin’s oldest film festival, aGLIFF (All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival). The hybrid format festival featuring over 90 films will run from Aug. 26 through Sept. 6, and all in-person screenings will be at the Paramount Theatre.
7 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend: Aug. 20-22
Support Creatives at The Front Market and Festival Future Front Texas—the grassroots women and queer creatives meet-up series originally coined Boss Babes ATX—is taking over Fair Market and Cheer Up Charlies for three days of pop-up shops and performances.
A Conversation with Antonio Bond of Transplants Floral
Antonio Bond’s “dad vibe” (picture a chest-length beard, worn jeans, and cozy flannel) immediately distinguishes the Austin florist from his nine fellow flowery contestants on season two of HBO’s Full Bloom, in which Bond secured third place on the final episode.
Museum of the Future Present Will Invite Guests to Experience Art in New Ways
The Museum of the Future Present—a visual mixtape of space, time, and mind—opens on Aug. 5 and sets to bridge the gap between music, performer, and the viewer. Born out of a partnership between Native Hostel, When Where What Austin, and Los Angeles-based curatorial collective, Eye Contakt, the exhibit will provide guests with explorable installations that challenge how we perceive art.
Local Skateboarder Brighton Zeuner is Headed to the Olympics
Professional skateboarder Brighton Zeuner had just turned 13 years old the day before she became the youngest X Games Champion in 2017. “Obviously I’m a nervous wreck before a competition, but it was just something that was always fun,” she says, citing her genuine love and dedication to the sport as the reason for her immense talent.
7 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend: July 9-11 - Austin Monthly Magazine
Catch Opening Night of Little Shop of Horrors After missing last year due to the pandemic, Zilker Theatre Productions returns with another summer musical for its 62nd season. Little Shop of Horrors opens Friday night at Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave and runs every Thursday through Sunday until Aug. 14. Admission is always free, but advance reservations are required here.
Where to See Fireworks in Austin this Fourth of July
Pflugerville Pfirecracker Pfestival Plugerville is hosting a firework show in partnership with Typhoon Texas Waterpark’s Red, White, and BOOM! Festival. The 20-minute display will easily be seen throughout the city and additional festivities (including family-friendly contests and live entertainment) will be held all weekend long. Purchase tickets here.
Local Art Now Graces the Labels of La Gloria's H-E-B Meals
When chef Johnny Hernandez’s taco kits, enchiladas and other La Gloria favorites hit H-E-B shelves last spring, they were sold as part of a pandemic-era program launched by the grocer. The items—which are stocked at select stores alongside entrees from other local restaurants—were such a hit that they’ve remained even as pandemic restrictions lift.
For 92 Years, the Alamo Music Center Has Adapted to Survive
When Adriana Flores recalls the 92-year history of her family’s business, one phrase frequently uttered by her relatives always comes to mind: “Adapt, or die.” The motto explains how Alamo Music Center has remained a stronghold since Adriana’s grandfather, Alfredo Flores Sr., first launched the business by selling pianos from his front porch during the Great Depression.
This San Antonio Cake Artist Creates Edible Masterpieces
Photo by Klare Perez. Makers This San Antonio Cake Artist Creates Edible Masterpieces The Food Network-winning baker and artist behind CakeBoy SA channels his creativity into elaborate sweets Growing up in Bandera with his mom, San Antonio cake artist Brett Siebern was always looking for creative outlets, painting, drawing and sculpting in his free time. “I always took as many art classes as I could going through school,” he says.
‘Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite’ Opens at the Blanton
On Jan. 28, 1962, at a packed Purple Manor club in Harlem, activist and photographer Kwame Brathwaite sought to prove to the world that Black was beautiful—and sparked a political movement by doing so. Fashion, music, and politics converged that night at Naturally ‘62, a showcase of the first Grandassa Models—Black women who embraced their ancestry through natural hairstyles and African-inspired clothing and jewelry—and jazz by headliners Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach.
10 Ways to Celebrate Pride in Austin - Austin Monthly Magazine
Lick Honest’s New Pride Ice Cream Lick Honest Ice Creams is teaming up with another LGBTQ-owned business for a new, special flavor, just in time for Pride month. Featuring tart Texas lemon swirled with strawberry and topped with buttery cookie bites from Wunderkeks, Strawberry Lemonade Rainbow scoops will be served at all Lick Honest locations June 1-30. Additionally, a Pride Fundae Kit will be available via Goldbelly, a curated marketplace for artisanal foods.
Pride Month Events in San Antonio
Voices Artist Jose Villalobos (who is featured on this month’s cover) curated this exhibition at the Brick at Blue Star that celebrates queer visual artists and their work. Featured artists include Michael Anthony Garcia, Anel Flores, Mario Villanueva, Chucha Marquez and others.
Six Local Nonprofits to Support During Pride Month
Fiesta Youth Fiesta Youth supports and empowers LGBTQ+ youth ages 12-18 to explore themselves and build a sense of community through friendship, weekly programs and events. Thrive Youth Center Established in 2015 to alleviate the LGBTQ+ homelessness epidemic, Thrive Youth Center is one of the only LGBTQ+-specific shelters in Texas. Residents ages 18-24 stay at the emergency shelter on Haven for Hope’s campus or are re-housed in apartments and receive support and resources.
5 Minutes with the San Antonio Symphony's Executive Director
On March 13, 2020, San Antonio Symphony executive director Corey Cowart stood in front of the orchestra to announce that that night’s concert would need to be cancelled after gatherings over 500 people were banned due to COVID-19. That cancelled concert turned into an entire season, and the symphony remained silent for nearly a year. The cancellation was an abrupt halt to the symphony’s momentum gained after recovering from the financial turmoil of a 2018 management group takeover gone wrong.
Briscoe Western Art Museum presents 'Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western'
Transforming into a retro 1960s movie theater this summer, the Briscoe Western Art Museum will tell the dramatic history of Western films in Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western. Visitors are transported to the world of Wild West cinema with almost 60 original vintage movie posters, costumes, props and authentic lobby cards. The exhibit focuses on the late 1960s through 1980s—considered the last of the Western’s glory days.
Be Transported to Frida Kahlo's Home Without Leaving the City
San Antonio Botanical Garden’s new exhibition transports visitors to Mexico with a rendition of Frida Kahlo’s home, Casa Azul, and the surrounding gardens that served as the intimate universe of the iconic artist and her husband, Diego Rivera. “Frida Kahlo’s art was so inspired by nature,” says San Antonio Botanical Garden CEO Sabina Carr.
Why This Year's San Antonio Book Festival Might Be the Best Yet
Literature fans, buckle up: the ninth annual San Antonio Book Festival will showcase nearly 200 writers—the largest lineup in its history. “It’s ridiculously outstanding,” festival executive director, Lilly Gonzalez, says.
5 Nearby Flower Farms to Visit This Spring
This article was updated March 21, 2022. Numerous Hill Country flower farmers are gearing up for spring. Wondering where to go to see the blooms? Keep reading. Arnosky Family Farm In the fall, Arnosky Family Farm is crowned as the marigold capital of Texas—but spring brings just as much bounty to their fields in the form of bluebonnets, tulips, daffodils, and more. Their self-serve Blue Barn Market in Blanco offers fresh-cut flowers, potted plants, and vegetable seedlings daily.
Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of 'Night of Artists' at the Briscoe
If Western art catches your eye with its many ragged cowboys, roaming animals and beautiful depictions of the Wild, Wild West, you’re in the right place. The Briscoe Western Art Museum is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Night of Artists this weekend. The annual art exhibition and sale has attracted thousands of global art collectors and visitors over the years—not to mention it’s what founded the museum.
5 Nearby Flower Farms to Visit This Spring
When February’s winter storm blew through Texas, flower growers across the state hunkered down, wrapping cloth and plastic coverings over their new buds. Despite a delayed start, however, numerous Hill Country farmers are now gearing up for the upcoming season. Wondering where to go to see the blooms? Keep reading.
What to Do in San Antonio Today: March 17
Brews from the Dooryard. Things to Do What to Do in San Antonio Today: March 17 Trek and Tone Feeling like your workout needs a change of scenery? The San Antonio Botanical Garden’s trek and tone class is designed to use their 38 acres for walk/run intervals, circuit training, cardio and bodyweight exercises, core training and stretching for a complete workout. Register for the class and purchase tickets for $15 here.
How Much for the Alamo? San Antonio is Getting its Own Monopoly Edition - San Antonio Magazine
Community How Much for the Alamo? San Antonio is Getting its Own Monopoly Edition Locals are encouraged to submit their suggestions for the upcoming board game, which will be on shelves in September The Alamo, River Walk, and Tower of the Americas could all be landmarks on San Antonio’s own Monopoly game. And while it won’t be released until the fall, locals are encouraged to submit suggestions for what they want to see on the board now.
Beer and Art Lovers Unite: Pabst Blue Ribbon Studios Opens in Southtown
In an effort to acknowledge and celebrate local creatives, Pabst Blue Ribbon is opening their own gallery in Southtown on March. 13. Not only will the new studio space showcase the work of 25 artists who were finalists in the brand’s 2020 can design competition, but it will also go on to feature pieces from other San Antonio makers who deserve special recognition on a rotating, monthly basis.
What to Do in San Antonio Today: Mar. 1
The Immortal 32 Arrive: Battle of the Alamo Commemoration On Mar. 1, 1836, William Travis’ pleas for reinforcement at the Alamo were answered by 32 men who rode through enemy lines to join the soldiers at the undermanned garrison. As part of the Alamo’s 185th commemoration of the battle, visitors can learn about these 32 immortals at the Living History Encampment on the Alamo grounds.
Where to Volunteer in San Antonio Right Now
San Antonio Food Bank Crisis relief food distribution centers for the San Antonio Food Bank need volunteers to bag, sort, and load groceries into cars. If you have a vehicle, consider signing up to be a home delivery driver. Sign up for a shift here. When: Times and days vary Where: Locations vary SATX Home Repair Services Many elderly, disabled and low income residents are in need of assistance with busted pipes and home repairs caused by the storm.
San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum Opens this Month at La Villita
The San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAACAM) is opening its new exhibit space at La Villita on Feb. 25. The museum has a mission of better educating locals on the impact of Black history on San Antonio—something its leaders say was often overlooked before SAAACAM was created in 2017. Through its research, educators, exhibits and events, however, Executive Director Deborah Omowale Jarmon says they’re hoping that will continue to change.
No Ocean Between Us Opens at San Antonio Museum of Art
San Antonio Museum of Art’s newest exhibit takes visitors on a geographical journey through the work of Latin American and Caribbean artists of Asian descent as it explores how migration and diaspora impact their work and experiences. Open Friday, Feb. 12, No Ocean Between Us: Art of Asian Diasporas in Latin America & The Caribbean, 1945–Present features about 65 modern and contemporary works in the form of paintings, installations, new media and more.
10 Ideas for Gifting Local this Valentine’s Day
Pearl Farmers Market Boxes For a DIY Valentine’s dinner, Pearl Farmers Market Curbside is offering a variety of curated boxes filled with themed artisan products from regional producers and family farms so you’re equipped to cook at home. The Pasta Lovers, Filet Mignon or Charcuterie boxes are perfect for dinner for two. For dessert, try the Ms. Chocolatier Truffles box or the “Sweets for My Love” box with cookies, caramels and more sugary goodness.
What to do in San Antonio Today: Jan. 20
Things to Do What to do in San Antonio Today: Jan. 20 Make plans to enjoy Culinaria Restaurant Week or register for an online discussion as part of The Holocaust: Learn and Remember Culinaria Restaurant Week Winter Restaurant Week runs throughout the month of January with three-course takeout and dine-in specials at dozens of area restaurants serving everything from steak and seafood to French cuisine, burgers and pizza. Reservations are required for those dining in. Through Jan. 31.
What to do in San Antonio Today: Jan. 19
DreamWeek: Black Liberation and Indigenous Sovereignty In partnership with DreamWeek 2021, the San Antonio Museum of Art will host an online discussion that explores and spotlight Black and Indigenous perspectives and looks at what intercultural solidarity between these communities looks like. Hear from panelists including Aamori S. Olujimi, Laura Yohualtlahuiz Rios-Ramirez, Katie Pruett and Manuel Davila. Register for free online at samuseum.org.
What to do in San Antonio Today: Jan. 18
MLK Day Block Party Mark’s Outing presents a Martin Luther King Jr. Day Block Party with live music and food available for purchase from several Black-owned food trucks. Mark’s Outing, which specializes in burgers, will also be open at 50 percent capacity for diners. This is a family-friendly outdoor event and strict social distancing guidelines will be enforced. Attendees must wear a mask except when seated. Monday, 1-8 p.m. 1624 E.
Cheap 19th century Jane Austen novels reveal treasure trove of history
Janine Barchas, the Louann and Larry Temple Centennial Professor in English Literature, joined The University of Texas at Austin in 2002. Photo by Marsha Miller Soft and worn publisher’s cloth loosely binds the thin, powdery pages full of tightly squeezed columns and tiny text. The fading covers flash an array of colors, from crimson red to lime green, while some are graced with fairytale scenes straight from a painter’s canvas.
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