The Contemporary at Blue Star 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. Admission to the Contemporary is always free.

The Contemporary was founded for artists by artists in 1986 in a grassroots movement sparked by the cancellation of the first major museum exhibition of contemporary art in San Antonio. Six arts supporters and artists founded Contemporary Art for San Antonio to provide an exhibition venue for artists and the public. With the support of donors and property developers Bernard Lifshutz and Hap Veltman, the founders, artists, and volunteers converted a warehouse into a gallery for the first annual Blue Star Exhibition. Over the years, the Contemporary 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. Formerly known as Blue Star Contemporary, the institution announced its mission-driven new name, graphic identity, and website in 2022.

The Contemporary is an anchoring cultural institution in San Antonio, and a destination for residents and tourists alike. Located along the banks of the San Antonio River Walk, it is a central highlight between the bustle of downtown and the UNESCO World Heritage San Antonio Missions. The organization 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.

In addition to welcoming visitors to its gallery in Southtown, the Contemporary presents traveling exhibitions at Texas State University and partners with area organizations like University Health, Ruby City, and the San Antonio Public Library system. Public artworks produced by the Contemporary’s MOSAIC Student Artist Program delight audiences along the River Walk, at Hemisfair Park, and along Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. The Contemporary’s Berlin Residency Program also recently expanded to include a mini-residency in Darmstadt, Germany for the participating San Antonio-based artists.

To extend the reach of its exhibitions, a variety of complementary programs are offered: Open Studios, a film series which goes behind the scenes at artists’ studios; the Art Education Lab, which offers hands-on programming and education content; and outreach events including workshops, artist talks, panel discussions, Family Saturdays, and film screenings.