2214 McCullough Ave. (Oct. 1977 - Sep. 1979)
Featured Exhibitions:
Norman Avila OXO (Jan. 5-29, 1978)
One of the first exhibitions to take place in the McCullough location was Norman Rene Avila’s self-titled show in January 1979. Avila showed paintings, collages, and constructions.
In the photo to the left, you can see the exterior view of the SAMOMA gallery on 2214 McCullough Ave. and posters for the Norman Avila OXO exhibition.
A Night of Music by the : Number Two Dinners (June 29, 1979)
While not listed in the History of S.A.M.O.M.A document, A Night of Music by the : Los Number Two Dinners was the first performance by the garage-rock band Los #2 Dinners started by Norman Avila, Don Evans, George Horner, Eric Friedland, and Frank Karpienski. This concert took place at the SAMOMA galleries on June 29, 1979. Los #2 Dinners were an important fixture in the San Antonio music scene in the 1980s with hits such as “Livin’ Inside the Loop” and “Take a Walk on the West Side.”
Robert Gonzalez (Jul. 1979)
Roberto Gonzalez, showed a collection of his abstract relief paintings in one of the last SAMOMA exhibitions before the McCullough location closed.
Read the San Antonio Express newspaper clipping below to learn more about Gonzalez and his artistic process:
By September of 1979, SAMOMA closed down its physical space due to a lack of money to continue running the museum. SAMOMA lived on through the Museum Without Walls concept where artists would submit 8” x 12” works of art that would be compiled in “multiples” and subsequently sold. Many of the artists who exhibited work at SAMOMA would continue to exhibit with one another in the following decades. SAMOMA is remembered as a pioneering space in the San Antonio art community where avant-garde, Chicanx, Latinx, and LGBTQ artists were all welcome.
Read the following articles to learn more about why SAMOMA closed their gallery space and their legacy in the San Antonio art community:
