***Please note*** The April session has been rescheduled and will take place on Sunday, April 5 (instead of the third Sunday of the month).

Join us every third Sunday of the month for a restorative, hour-long meditation session led by a seasoned practitioner. Held outdoors in the tranquil setting of Chris Park, each session offers a variety of mindfulness techniques and begins with a gentle introduction, perfect for both first-time and experienced meditators alike.

Please dress comfortably for outdoor weather and bring a mat or cushion for sitting.

Free and open to all. Registration is recommended but not required.

Ruby City welcomes writer, art critic, and podcaster Ben Luke for a special evening talk exploring the ideas behind his new book, What is Art For? Contemporary Artists on Their Inspirations, Influences and Disciplines. Known for his writing for The Art Newspaper and for hosting the podcasts The Week in Art and A Brush With, Ben Luke examines creative processes, artistic lineages, and the questions that drive contemporary art today. 

Through reflections drawn from conversations with artists across the globe, Luke discusses the roles of inspiration, discipline, and curiosity in shaping artistic practice, and how these ideas resonate within today’s cultural landscape. 

Guests are also invited to continue the weekend’s conversations at the San Antonio Book Festival the following afternoon, where Ben Luke will be joined by South Texas author Stephanie Elizondo Griest, discussing her new book Art Above Everything. Their conversation will be moderated by Ruby City Director, Elyse A. Gonzales. 

This event is free and open to all. Registration is requested but not required. 

Ruby City is proud to sponsor a special author panel at the San Antonio Book Festival, bringing together writer and art critic Ben Luke and South Texas author Stephanie Elizondo Griest for a conversation about contemporary art, creative practice, and storytelling. Moderated by Ruby City Director Elyse A. Gonzales, the panel explores how artists and writers navigate inspiration, discipline, and personal experience in their work, and how art can shape our understanding of culture, place, and identity. 

Drawing from Luke’s global conversations with contemporary artists and Griest’s deeply personal and place-based writing, the discussion offers insight into the ways visual art and literature intersect, revealing how creative practices inform one another and provide space for reflection, dialogue, and connection. This program reflects Ruby City’s commitment to interdisciplinary exchange and its ongoing support of artists and writers working across mediums.  

The San Antonio Book Festival unites readers and writers in a celebration of ideas, books, libraries, and literary culture. Learn more and see the full line-up of authors at sabookfestival.org.

Ruby City is proud to partner with National Poetry Month San Antonio for the annual Ekphrastic Poetry Contest, culminating in a public Celebration Reading at the McNay Art Museum. Winning poets will read their original poems inspired by Norma (2019), a painting by Daniel Rios Rodriguez from his exhibition Open This Wall, currently on view in Studio at Chris Park.

Ekphrastic poetry responds to works of visual art, exploring how an artwork moves, challenges, or inspires the writer. The contest is open to San Antonio and South Texas poets, with categories for adults and youth.

Poets interested in participating can visit the Ruby City website to learn more about submission guidelines and how to enter the contest between February 4 and March 4, 2026. Selected poems will be featured online and shared throughout April in celebration of National Poetry Month.

To celebrate the dreaming life of our founder, Linda Pace, Ruby City will host its second quarterly dreamwork workshop with writer and creativity coach, Leigh Baldwin.

In each 90-minute session, participants discuss how and why to work with dreams, how to improve recall and recording of dream messages, and methods of interpreting dream symbols. Sessions will conclude by offering up dreams from our participants for group discussion and interpretation. All materials for workshop will be provided.

Free to attend, space is limited. Reserve your spot! 

Join Ruby City for Civics 101, an informative and accessible workshop led by Radical Registrars, dedicated to expanding civic participation and voter education. 

As part of Ruby City’s ongoing commitment to social justice, community dialogue, and meaningful engagement, this one-hour session provides an overview of how local, state, and federal government systems function, how elections work, and how individuals can actively participate in the process. Civics 101 is ideal for first-time voters, long-time voters seeking a refresher, and anyone interested in strengthening their understanding of civic life. 

Free and open to all. Registration is encouraged. 

Radical Registrars is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit organization formed after the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black people in 2020. In response to these tragedies, Radical Registrars put their collective pain and anger towards engaging community through youth-led, youth-focused voter registration and voter education. Radical Registrars is Black and woman-led. 

Join us every third Sunday of the month for a restorative, hour-long meditation session led by a seasoned practitioner. Held outdoors in the tranquil setting of Chris Park, each session offers a variety of mindfulness techniques and begins with a gentle introduction, perfect for both first-time and experienced meditators alike.

Please dress comfortably for outdoor weather and bring a mat or cushion for sitting.

Free and open to all. Registration is recommended but not required.

Meet the artist behind Ruby City’s illustrated Family Guides! Join Colleen Borsh, the artist who designs the exhibition guides enjoyed by all, for a special drop-in drawing workshop inspired by the artworks on view. 

Working directly in the gallery, Colleen will share insight into her process and offer creative prompts to encourage close looking, imagination, and personal interpretation. Participants will explore how drawing can deepen engagement with contemporary art, just as the Family Guides are designed to do. 

All materials will be provided, and no prior drawing experience is necessary. Guests are welcome to drop in at any time during the session and stay as long as they like. 

Registration is not required but encouraged. 

Colleen Borsh is an artist and educator. She has a special interest in promoting play and discovery. She designs interactive programs and gallery resources (family guides) to encourage curiosity, wonder and experimentation. Most days she can be found brainstorming, drawing or writing on the good corner of the couch with a cold lime Topo Chico.