empowering
emerging
artists

UPCOMING EVENTS

NOW  SHOWING

shifting terrain

Featuring work by Kristina Salinas and Thomas Crowther

Opening date: July 11th, 2026 β€” Closing date: August 6th, 2026

Contracommon is proud to present Shifting Terrain, a two-person exhibition featuring San Antonio artist Kristina Salinas and her mentor Thomas Crowther, an artist and educator who resides in Augusta, Georgia. Shifting Terrain will be on view in our gallery from July 11th through August 6th, 2026. Contracommon’s gallery is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12-6pm. Private weekday viewing appointments can be scheduled at: calendly.com/contracommon. An opening reception will take place on Saturday July 11th from 4-7pm; it is free and open to the public.

Thomas Crowther & Kristina Salinas’s Shifting Terrain is a pictorial examination of how forces of nature, both internal and external, unravel the illusion of orderβ€”turning pristine faΓ§ades into shattered wreckage; fleeting remnants of what once was. The artists explore the undeniably relevant throughline of unforeseen events and damages incurred, through various media including representational and non-representational painting, drawing and printmaking techniques.

It is within both artists’ mΓ©tier to explore the intricacies of twoness in their work, and this exhibition is rife with possibility as each explores issues of identity, belonging, fragmentation, transformation and various states of disorder. The works, newly and recently created, serve as portals, offering glimpses at underpinnings to memory and identity buried beneath the wreckage. They are autobiographical narratives as well as metaphorical statements on mental health and the psychological undercurrents at play. 

Shifting Terrain is borne out of commonality as both Crowther and Salinas have, like so many, grappled with crises of identity that comes with the passage of time, of living through loss, of major life events and of the pressure of expectation.

About Us

Contracommon is an artist-run, artist-led nonprofit that supports and encourages artists in a collaborative setting. Members volunteer their time and expertise to create exhibits and events that connect individual artists to their community, and foster opportunities for professional development. Through a partnership with the Hill Country Galleria, Contracommon operates an experimental gallery space, which provides affordable workspace for emerging artists, and access to facilities to support artists’ professional practices.

Vision

Contracommon will empower underrepresented artists in Central Texas through community, collaboration, and creative exploration.

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Giving back to the community through workshops and public events that promote local artists.

Goals

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Fostering a sense of community through programs that nurture collective and individual growth.

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Giving emerging artists access to gallery space to present and promote their work.

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Provide artists affordable studio space where they can create, grow, and thrive.

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Offer amenities and opportunities to artists through communal equipment and organizational resources.

SPONSORS and Community Partners