Courtesy photo ‘Abyss Of Time,’ by Marc Arevalo, is one of the photos Joe Blue’s owner Joey Villarreal asked to be taken down from the walls of his bar.

Artist Marc Arevalo is leveling charges of bigotry and discrimination against Joe Blue's owner Joey Villarreal after Villarreal canceled an exhibit of Arevalo's photographs, which Villarreal believed depicted drag queens.

The photographs were scheduled to be displayed at Joe Blue's, a bar in the Blue Star Art Complex, on First Friday, but once Villarreal saw the photographs hanging on the walls, he asked Arevalo to take them down.

The photographs show Arevalo's boyfriend, Ryan Whittington, and artist Dayna de Hoyos dressed in Victorian costumes and makeup.

Arevalo said Villarreal, who also owns Joey's on St. Mary's and the Blue Star Brewing Co., told him the photographs might give the impression that Joe Blue's is a gay bar.

“He said, ‘It's not the kind of crowd I want to attract here,'.” Arevalo said. “At Joey's, before, people had thought that it was a gay bar, and he didn't want to attract that kind of clientele at Joe Blue's.”

Villarreal denies any discrimination, saying he simply wanted to create a comfortable environment for all customers.

“The impression you would get (from the art) is that we cater specifically to guys who like guys,” he said. “Image is important. Would you go into a Bennigan's and see those pictures up there? Would you go into a Bill Miller's and see those there? I'm just trying to be who we are,” he said.

“I have nothing against these people. I really don't, (but) these bars have to be something I can feel comfortable going into,” Villarreal added. “I wouldn't ever own a gay bar. It's not my cup of tea.”

Arevalo said he will no longer patronize any of the three establishments.

“I guess we're not good enough, I guess we're not welcome here,” he said. “I was completely shocked, being that it's part of the art community. There are so many gay people associated with that community and they frequent his bars.”

“We've been regulars. There was a time where we were at Joey's every single night, playing pool, drinking with friends,” Whittington said. “What do you expect if you put all your bars in the gayborhoods of San Antonio?”

Joe Blue's no longer will showcase rotating artists but instead will exclusively display photographs by Rick Hunter.

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor