Courtesy Gloria Manley of the Afro-Brazilian group Urban 15 dances during the San Antonio New Year's Party along Hemisfair Park.

The fact that Luminaria: Arts Night in San Antonio has come to fruition doesn't surprise Marise McDermott. She's just surprised that it took this long.

 Luminaria, an event dedicated to showcasing the works of local artists and musicians, will take place on Saturday, March 15, in downtown San Antonio in the Alamo Plaza area from 6 p.m.-midnight, with other events scheduled all day throughout the city.

The downtown event, which is free to the public, was the brainchild of San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, who pushed for the event after drawing inspiration from European artistry.

“It's really a day to showcase the fabulous art in San Antonio,” said McDermott, chair of Luminaria's steering committee and president/CEO of the Witte Museum. “It's a citywide celebration.”

And one that will include a sizable portion of downtown, including Alamo Plaza and parts of Houston Street, Peacock Alley and HemisFair Park.

The event, which will begin at 8 a.m. in some San Antonio locations and last about 16 hours, will feature local artists on display, ranging from theater to dance to live music to multimedia.

“The way the art scene here is in San Antonio, it's so layered,” McDermott said. “San Antonio has been an artistic community for hundreds of years. Just look at the missions and their beautiful art.”

That artistic tradition, coupled with the public exposure granted by an event such as Luminaria, compelled more than a few local artists to submit their names for consideration.

McDermott said Luminaria organizers expected about 100 submissions but ended up receiving more than 300. They eventually pared that list down to roughly 200 entrants.

Those entrants, McDermott said, are quite diverse in their artistic scope.

“I love ..... the fact that we have a window into world-class art, from cutting edge to traditional modern to ancient to natural history and sciences,” she said. “The artist themselves are so grounded in the city, and they're so exciting and novel. ..... There is a sense of collaboration of happening at Luminaria.”

CLINT HALE | 210SA