Images of The Menger Hotel

Top to Bottom:
The Historic Menger Hotel from Alamo Street
The Menger Bar
Photo of Mae West, guest of the hotel when she appeared in "Sex takes a Holiday" at The Majestic Theater on April 22, 1939.
Ernesto Malacara, The Menger's Historian and Public Relations Director, our host for the January Exhibit and Artists' Reception.

Sonja Howle

The Menger Hotel

Thunderbox Road's Artists' Reception at The Historic Menger Hotel in downtown San Antonio was held Saturday, January 17th. We all enjoyed wine from Grape Creek Vineyard in the Courtyard during the reception, then, many of us went across the hallway to The Menger Bar. By that time it was Saturday night in San Antonio. There's no better excuse to walk by and take pictures of the Alamo, have dinner on the River Walk and enjoy music from an all girl Mariachi Band ...

Front Row, left to right, Sonja Howle, Tami Kegley, Betty Rhodes, Donna Malson; Back Row, left to right, Thom Evans, Gwendolyn Listerman, Ken Malson and Dotti Brundrett.

Sonja Howle

Thunderbox Road Interview on 106.1FM The River in Kerrville

On Thursday morning, January 8th, Thom Evans and I joined Cadillac Jack on 106.1 FM The River in Kerrville.

Cadillac (Roy Holley) had invited us to talk about Thunderbox Road and Thom's Angel of Mercy Thunderbox after reading the story about Thunderbox Road in Hill Country Happenings Magazine.

We had a good time, and another story might follow from Ernesto Malacara, Public Relations Director and Historian of The Menger Hotel, who'll be hosting our artists reception on Saturday, January 17th, 2009 from 3-5pm.

Sonja Howle

Pictured above, left to right: Deb Goia, Thom Evans, Sonja Howle and Cadillac Jack.

Thunderbox Road on News 4 WOAI-TV

On Friday, January 2nd, the Thunderboxes were moved to San Antonio's Historic Menger Hotel across from the Alamo.

The Menger Hotel opened in 1859 on the site of Menger's Brewery. The art collection of The Menger includes paintings by F.L. Van Ness -- his 12' painting Venting Cattle on the Frisco System was borrowed for the filming of the 1956 drama Giant. The table where Teddy Roosevelt recruited his Rough Riders is still at The Menger. The Menger Bar, modeled after the taproom of the House of Lords Club in London, was opened in 1887 -- the same year the hotel installed indoor plumbing.

With its location next to The Alamo, few hotels in San Antonio have the history or sense of place.

"And in January, when the River Walk hosts events like The Mud Festimal, it's a perfect time for us to enjoy the same sense of fun," said Ernesto Malacara, Public Relations Director and Historian for The Menger.

News 4 WOAI-TV joined us at the exhibit on Monday afternoon, January 5th, and ran this story in their 6pm News that night.

Click here to view: http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Exhibit-Showcases-the-Lowly-Outhouse-as-High-Art/A2-otPFC1Uev9BUk4ahhSg.cspx

The exhibit will be at the Menger until Friday, January 30th. And, if you'd like to meet some of the Thunderbox artists, join us for an Artists Reception on Saturday, January 17, 2009 from 3-5pm in the Courtyard of the famous Menger Hotel.

Sonja Howle

The Fredericksburg Art Gallery's Contemporary Masters

When you start a project like Thunderbox Road, people who support you from the start, are stars to you. That's how we feel about all of the Thunderbox artists and presenting partners; and that's how we feel about Donna Strickland, of the Fredericksburg Art Gallery. She was instrumental in educating us about some of the talent in the Hill Country, especially around Fredericksburg.

It wasn't planned, but it worked out great that Thunderbox Road was just outside of Fredericksburg in November of 2008, the same month of Donna's 10th Annual Contemporary Masters Invitational. We were fortunate to have three of the Contemporary Masters work with us in Thunderbox Road.

Here's Donna with our Thunderbox artists. Left to right: Greg Glowka, Donna Strickland, C.J. Latta, Betty and Barry Rhodes.

with Musical Guests, Rhodes and Glowka

"Ode to the Little Brown Shack Out Back"

as performed by Bily Ed Wheeler at the West Virgina Folk Festival in the late 1960's.
Performed on Saturday, November 15th by Mr. and Mrs. Greg Glowka and Mr. and Mrs. Barry Rhodes

"They passed an ordinance in the town:
they said we'd have to tear it down,
That little old shack out back so dear to me,
Though the Health department said, "Its day was over and dead"
It will stand forever in my memory.

Chorus:
Don't let em tear that little brown building down,
Don't let em tear that precious building down,
Don't let em tear that little brown building down,

For there's not another like it in the country or the town.
It was not so long ago that I went trippin' through the snow
Out to that house behind my old hound dog
Where I would sit me down to rest like a snowbird on his nest
and read the Sears and Roebuck catalog
I would hum a happy tune,
Peepin' through the quarter-Moon,
As my daddy's kin had done before;
It was in that quiet spot,
That daily cares could be forgot...
It gave the same relief to rich and poor.

Chorus:
Don't let em tear that little brown building down,
Don't let em tear that precious building down,
Don't let em tear that little old building down,
For there's not another like it in the country or the town.

Now it was not a castle fair
But I could build my future there,
an' build my castles to the yellow jacket's drone:
I could orbit round the Sun,Fight with General Washington,
Or be a King upon his golden throne.
It wasn't fancy built at all.
It had newspapers on the wall
It was air-conditioned in the wintertime;
It was just a humble hut but its door would never shut,
And a man could get inside without a dime.

Chorus:
Don't let em tear that little brown buildin' down,
Don't let em tear that precious buildin' down,
Don't let em tear that dear old buildin' down,
For there is not another like it in the country or the town.

More at http://www.jldr.com/shackpoem.html

Grape Creek Vineyard Artists Reception

Here are some of the Thunderbox artists, at the Artist's Reception at Grape Creek Vineyards on November 15th, 2008. Left to right, C.J. Latta, Nancy McGalliard, Donna and Ken Malson, Greg Glowka and Betty Rhodes, Thom Evans and Tami Kegley.

Greg and Betty prepared a special presentation with their partners. See "Ode to the Little Brown Shack Out Back" post which follows.