Contemporary at Blue Star's mission is to inspire the creative genius in us all by nurturing artists through innovative contemporary art.
The Contemporary presents exhibitions with artists from San Antonio and around the world sharing their global perspectives that encourage understanding, empathy, change, and action, fulfilling our mission to inspire, nurture, and innovate. Like most non-collecting contemporary art spaces, the Contemporary contributes fresh insight and perspective on larger issues affecting society and culture by highlighting trends, movements, and conversations happening in art. The Contemporary is a forward-thinking, inclusive, and artist-centric organization, with a focus on education through the lens of contemporary art and a commitment to surprising our visitors and exceeding their expectations.
The Contemporary was founded by artists in 1986 in a grassroots movement to increase the public’s engagement with its community of artists. Over the years, it has grown to encompass a professional staff, a robust calendar of onsite and offsite exhibitions, community collaborations, creative youth development programs, international exchange opportunities for artists, and public art projects.
The Contemporary is an anchoring cultural institution in our city, and a destination for residents and tourists alike. Located along the banks of the San Antonio Riverwalk, it is a central highlight between the bustle of downtown and the UNESCO World Heritage San Antonio Missions. The Contemporary has remained true to its artist-centric foundation alongside this fiscal and programmatic growth. The Contemporary is San Antonio’s first WAGE- certified organization, committed to transparent and equitable payments to artists for their creative contributions to its exhibitions and education outreach programs. Through its commitment to artists with a social practice, tuition-free youth arts education programs, and community-centric fundraising, the Contemporary is dedicated to equity and social justice in all its endeavors.
