Venue Information

Brick is nestled in the middle of Blue Star Arts Complex. Originally part of the farmland belonging to the Mission San Antonio DE Valero (popularly known as The Alamo), the King William neighborhood was settled in the 1860s by German immigrants, who built many of the large historic homes still in the area today. In 1968, the city designated King William as its first Historic Neighborhood. In 1985, Hap Veltman and Bernard Lifshutz purchased the historic Blue Star Ice and Cold Storage complex across the San Antonio River from King William. Just a year later, in 1986, the San Antonio Museum of Art cancelled what was to be the first exhibition of local, contemporary artists in San Antonio. In response, Veltman and Lifshutz offered to convert one of the warehouses into a gallery to temporarily house the exhibition. The exhibit drew thousands of people, and launched the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, as well as Contemporary Art Month, now celebrated citywide each March.