Luminaria

Luminaria is best known for the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival— a creative incubator for cutting-edge work that activates downtown San Antonio for an audience of residents and visitors to experience innovative digital and fine art, film, poetry, sculpture,  live music, and more.

Behind-the-scenes, Luminaria supports artists through its Working Artist Fund. The grant is a professional development micro-grant for individual artists living and working in Bexar County. Up to $550 may be requested once per year for activities that support artistic growth. The funds may cover workshops, conferences, apprenticeships, training, travel, supplies and materials, equipment, and any expense that furthers their professional development.

Our placemaking initiatives include collaborations with community partners to make art accessible to the public in unique and creative ways. In February 2024, Luminaria was commissioned by Bexar County Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores to create a large-scale mural at Mission County Park. In the summer of 2024, Luminaria inaugurated a Pop-Up Art Gallery at St. Paul Square featuring more than 20 local artists. In 2025 and 2026, Luminaria hosts the Pop Up Gallery at the Aiden Riverwalk Hotel during the Third Friday Art Walk.

Throughout its history, the Festival has presented over 3,000 artists, 1,200 installations, and 900 performances. Between 150-250 individual artists participate each year and recent Featured Artists consisted of a diverse group from San Antonio appearing alongside artists from a half dozen states as well as Mexico, Germany, South Korea, the Netherlands, Syria, Canada, England and other international locations.

By supporting working artists, Luminaria empowers San Antonio’s arts community to create innovative artwork for which they otherwise might not have adequate support. Luminaria actively curates new and emerging local, regional, and global talent and supports a vibrant and diverse artistic community by providing unique performance platforms and large, engaged audiences. Luminaria is also dedicated to the innovative interpretation of our city’s culture, history, and environment through creative placemaking, site-specific arts integration, and coordination with anchor arts institutions, cultural and heritage organizations, and other community partners.

Quotes from 2025 Working Artist Fund Grantees:

"The Luminaria Working Artist Fund is the firewood that supports the ember of expression within the warmth of community," Adriana M. Garcia

"The Working Artist Fund Grant was instrumental in funding the audio creation and collaboration for my project, A Glorious Movement — Bodies in Joy, Voices Rising (The Glorious Way She Moves) as well as connecting me with an inspiring network of artists from across disciplines in San Antonio. Being selected as one of the 2025 recipients was both an honor and a meaningful recognition of this developing work. I'm extremely grateful for this grant award," Barbara Felix

"Meeting with the other grantees and Luminaria leadership was my favorite part. I got to speak with artists at all levels and we learned from each other almost as much as from the experts that they brought in to speak with us," Ashley Perez

Who We Are

Luminaria, a nonprofit arts organization, showcases artists in San Antonio. We promote the arts economy by producing the annual Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival and other creative programs.

Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival

Save the date of Saturday, November 14, 2026 for the vibrant, inspiring after-dark arts festival in the heart of downtown San Antonio.