From Beer to Art: ‘Still Brewing Art’ at the San Antonio Museum of Art

Donna Tennant·
ArtSan Antonio
·

“Everything comes back to the water,” said San Antonio Museum of Art Curator Regina Palm. “Without the city’s artesian wells, the brewery would not be here, and the museum would not be here.”

Still Brewing Art, on view June 30 through Sept. 3, is a summer show featuring more than 50 historical photographs, artworks, and brewing-related objects that illuminate San Antonio’s role as a brewing city. There are Belle Époque beer-advertising posters, some as large as seven feet tall; pre-prohibition Lone Star Brewery artifacts like beer steins and an original wooden crate used to transport bottles of beer, one of only three existing; and memorabilia that trace both the history of the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) and the history of San Antonio’s beer culture.

According to Palm, the initial seed for the show was planted by SAMA Director Emily Neff.  “We wanted to take these eight weeks in the summer to look back on the history of the city,” Palm said. “And unlike most shows I have curated, it’s an exhibition by committee. A number of us from across various departments worked together to create the show.”

SAMA came about when the Lone Star Brewery, which was established in 1884, was repurposed by Cambridge Seven Associates at a cost of $7.2 million and opened in March 1981 with the slogan “We’re Brewing Art.”  It is among many museums worldwide that came about through adaptive reuse. Other notable buildings include London’s Tate Modern, which was a power station, and Paris’s Musée d’Orsay, which was a train station. This type of development revitalizes communities while respecting their history.

The Lone Star Brewery, which opened in 1884, was the first large, mechanized brewery in Texas. The site was selected for its location on the San Antonio River, as well as the railroad. After it was purchased in 1892 by St. Louis beer baron Adolphus Busch, the original wood structure that housed the brewery was replaced by a complex of brick and stone buildings designed in the Italian Romanesque style with two great towers, crenelated parapets, and arched windows. Busch worked with Jungenfeld & Co., which specialized in designing many magnificent 19th-century breweries. When the new brewery opened in San Antonio, there were several special events, and according to the local press, the grand opening celebration drew 2,000 people who enjoyed themselves sampling the beer liberally and enjoying a large banquet.

During its heyday, the brewery produced and sold some 65,000 barrels annually but ceased operations with the advent of Prohibition, at which time it began manufacturing Tango, a non-alcoholic drink.

Another milestone in SAMA’s history was in 2009, when the River Walk reached the museum, making it the center of the area’s development. To accommodate the new riverfront access, the Gloria Galt River Landing was built, which features a shaded pavilion, an esplanade, and a terrace along the museum’s north side.

SAMA and The Pearl complex anchor the east side of San Antonio. Like SAMA, The Pearl is centered around a repurposed brewery located on the San Antonio River. The Pearl Brewery Company was also founded in the late 19th century. It survived Prohibition by producing a “near beer,” as well as leasing space in the building to other businesses. After 118 years of operations, the Pearl Brewery closed in 2001. Shortly thereafter, Silver Ventures purchased the site and developed it into a popular destination with a boutique hotel, restaurants, and shops.

To organize Still Brewing Art, the SAMA staff collaborated with the San Antonio community, including the San Antonio Conservation Society, San Antonio Public Library, and Institute of Texan Cultures. “Everyone was happy to help out,” Palm said. She is fairly new to San Antonio and was impressed by the level of warmth and enthusiasm from community members regarding the project.

“It was very moving how everyone went above and beyond to track down this information. We also worked with the Anheuser Busch archivist, who loaned us historical photographs for our historical timeline. We identified local citizens who have been safeguarding the history of the brewery and who loaned us artifacts as well. Everyone has been incredibly generous.”

SAMA Director Emily Neff told her staff she wanted Still Brewing Art to be a fun summer show that was also a pleasure to bring to fruition. There will be numerous community events this summer in conjunction with the show, including a beer garden with beer tastings.

—DONNA TENNANT

Donna Tennant

Donna Tennant is a Houston-based art historian who has been writing about art and artists for many years.