Piney Woods Live April 2012

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RHYME

SIMILE

SPEECH

REPORT

FREEDOM RHYTHM

BEAUTY

POETIC

HARMONY RECITATION

METAPHOR

INSIGHT

CONCEPT

DELIVERY

VOICE INFORMATION

COMMUNICATION

IMAGINATION INQUISITION

INVENTIVENESS

REVELATION

EXPRESSION

DECLARATION

COMPOSITION

CREATIVITY CONVEY

ARTICULATION

NEWS

MOTIVATION

STATEMENT

INVENTION

INTERPRETATION DELIVERY

WRITTEN

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CREATION

PRESENTATION

NEWS

THE

COMMUNICATION

INVENTIVENESS

EXPLANATION

PERSPECTIVE

ARRANGEMENT

STYLE COMMENTARY

APRIL 2012

WORD

PASSION LANGUAGE ASSERTION COMPOSITION ANALOGY

POET ANNE McCRADY • BEAUTY AND THE BOOK’S FOUNDER INSPIRES LITERACY HARRY CROUSE’S MIDAS TOUCH • GREGORY ZEORLIN • THE BLUEBIRDS’ ROBIN BLACK JO & JIMMY SALMON’S ART COLLECTION • THE KILGORE FILM FESTIVAL designed by Jeremiah Shepherd

UW $ .LOJRUH )LOP )HVWLYDO U 4/25 - 4/28

publisher’s

NOTE

Rated R

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - the long-awaited feature film version of John le Carré’s classic spy thriller. Set in 1973, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, code named the Circus, is striving to keep pace with other countries’ espionage efforts. George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a career spy with razor-sharp senses, is trying to track down a suspected Soviet mole. Colin Firth, Ralph Fiennes, Ciaran Hinds, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Graham & Michael Fassbender round out the cast.

4/29 - 5/1

Rated R

Albert Nobbs -award winning actress Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) plays a woman passing as a man in order to work and survive in 19th century Ireland. Some 30 years after donning men’ s clothing, she finds herself trapped in a prison of her own making. Mia Wasikowska (Helen), Aaron Johnson (Joe) and Brendan Gleeson (Dr. Holloran) join a prestigious, international cast that includes Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Janet McTeer, Brenda Fricker and Pauline Collins.

5/2 - 5/5

Rated R

A Dangerous Method - seduced by the challenge of an impossible case, the driven young Dr. Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) takes the unbalanced, yet beautiful Sabina Spielrun (Keira Knightly) as his patient. Jung’s weapon is the method of his master - the renowned Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen). Both men fall under Sabrina’s spell.

5/6 - 5/8

Rated PG-13

A Separation - set in contemporary Iran, this is a compelling drama about the dissolution of a marriage. Simin wants to leave Iran with her husband Nader and daughter Termeh. Simin sues for divorce when Nader refuses to leave behind his father, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Her request having failed, Simin goes back to her parents, but Termeh decides to stay with her father, Nader. Winner of the 2012 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

5/9 - 5/12

Rated PG13

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - this inspirational comedy comes from the director of Chocolat and the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Slumdog Millionaire. A visionary sheik (Amr Waked) believes his passion for salmon fishing can enrich the lives of his people. He dreams of bringing the sport to the not-so-fish-friendly desert. Sparing no expense, his representative (Emily Blunt) hires Britain’s leading fisheries expert (Ewan McGregor) who thinks the project is absurd. When pushed by the sheik’s press secretary (Kirsten Scott Thomas) the pair embarks on a journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible, possible.

Not Rated

Pina, A Film for Pina Bausch by Wim Wenders - “Dance, dance, or we are lost.” Pina Bausch’s final words summarize her life and provide the inspiration for director Wim Wenders’(Buena Vista Social Club) breathtaking tribute to the legendary choreographer. German born Bausch and her Tanztheater Wuppertal elevated dance into brilliant new expressive realms and in this exhilarating film Wenders captures the raw, heart-stopping intensity of the movement and transforms it into a transcendent cinematic experience.

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5/13 - 5/17

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The first weekend in March we went to Denton. We left the Piney Woods because Tracy’s son, Jordan Bowen, was playing in a band there. More about that below. As many know, Denton is one of the hot spots of music activity in Texas. At its core is the very strong music program at the University of North Texas which brings a large number of talented musicians to town. The result is a very energetic local music scene that has given rise to its own spring music festival, 35 Denton. The music is spread over three days and a dozen commercial venues plus two outdoor stages that are all within easy walking distance of the downtown square. Attendance was expected to reach 8,000 this year, although the weather may have cut into that number as rain poured down all day Saturday. The musical reach of the festival has been expanded to include national and international acts. This rapid movement away from its local roots has caused some dissent in the local music community, this year spawning a counter festival called 35 des Refuses (35 of the rejects) which, as the name implies, was made up of bands that applied but did not make the cut for 35 Denton. The object of our interest at 35 Denton was the Brooklyn, New York based band Tropical Ooze headed by former Dentonite J.R. Thomason and including the aforementioned Jordan Bowen on keyboard. The band has existed since 2010 and Jordan, a student in real life currently waiting to complete his final semester at Columbia in the fall, has been with them only a couple of months. Jordan came by the gig quite by accident. He and J.R. were roommates in Brooklyn, and J.R. happened to hear Jordan improvising on the piano. At the same time, he was in need of a keyboardist and enlisted Jordan. Tropical Ooze had already been engaged as the backing band for an appearance with R. Stevie Moore at South By Southwest (SXSW). On the way to Austin, they had booked an appearance at 35 Denton, and so we found our way to a place called Rubber Gloves. Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio is perhaps so named because the owners were too embarrassed to apply the word “club.” Seating is virtually non-existent and limited to a couple of tables in the bar area and a small bench near the Jordan Bowen, R. Stevie Moore and J.R. Thomason stage which appeared to have had a Photograph by Marcus Junius Laws, 35Denton.com former life as a minivan seat. It was dark, smokey, and loud, but turned out to be a pretty good place to hear music. Tropical Ooze was the third band of the evening and played a set of their original music. Following was Moore, who has been described as “idiosyncratic,” and he is every bit of that. The sixty-year-old achieved a modest degree of fame as a performer in the eighties, but he has devoted most of his long career to writing and producing his own recordings. His sets consisted of some fairly straightforward rock numbers punctuated by bouts of freeform poetry. Our only regret of the experience is that we did not have the time nor energy to take in more of the music offered by 35 Denton. It is in our plans for next year. If you are interested in learning more about the event or the musicians, go to our website www.pineywoodslive.com/links where I have posted some relevant links.

Gary Krell, Co-Publisher

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content PINEY WOODS

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About our cover artist: Jeremiah Shepherd is a talented graphic artist and a new member of the Piney Woods LIVE team. With a degree in fine arts from Texarkana College and another in graphic design from the Art Institute of Dallas, Jeremiah has worked as a freelance designer. He enjoys meeting and working with people. After being saved from a near fatal car accident on July 30, 2004, he suffered from a broken neck and back. This strengthened his faith in God and created a newfound appreciation for life and all the gifts God has given him. Along with graphic design, Jeremiah also spends time writing poems and songs, producing music, and playing the keyboard. As a gifted and appreciative young man, Jeremiah enjoys sharing the things he loves with others.

A Man by Jeremiah Shepherd He never would’ve imagined that pain and tears could push him to prevail after all of these years To stand and reminisce on all the hardships faced, He wouldn’t trade them for the world He wouldn’t want them erased The memories of a man give him the strength to stand Every obstacle he recalls is a reason to stand tall It’s the times that he struggles to discover the way That reminds him to fight and continue to pray A man has to hide the hurt That’s what he’s been taught But it’s often hard work suppressing negative thoughts At times, the destination was impossible to see Now just within his reach is his fulfilling destiny To fall is not a choice, to fail is not an option He never yields to the voice that keeps telling him to stop In the face of opposition he holds his position Focuses on what he has instead of what he’s missing At the end of the journey, he turns around again Never to retreat, but to look at where he’s been He realizes the very things that tried to attack his heart are the very things that define him and sets him apart

Art is defined as a product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. Piney Woods LIVE is an expression of the community it serves. About the cover............................................................. 3 Anne McCrady.............................................................. 4 Kathy Patrick ................................................................ 6 Pioneer Day at Parrott Park .......................................... 7 “Shattered,”a poem by James Brady ............................. 7 The midas touch of Harry Crouse ............................... 10 “I Wish, I Dream,” a poem by Dawn-Renée Rice ........ 11 Gregory Zeorlin .......................................................... 12 Robin Black ................................................................ 14 Commission gears up for film festival initiative ........... 16 LETU presents Ruben Studdard in concert .................. 16 The “B” Side of Music by Randy Brown ..................... 17 Bruce Mauldin joins the LMFA ................................... 20 Monte Pittman wins best solo artist award ................. 21 Tyler Museum of Art summer art camp....................... 21 Beyond Mere Thoughts by Karen Dean....................... 22 Artist’s World by Jan Statman ..................................... 23 Jo and Jimmy Salmon’s art collection .......................... 24 Kilgore Film Festival ................................................... 26 Publishers / Editors Tracy Magness Krell & Gary Krell

About our poets: James Brady (page 7). It’s only been a short time, two years and three months, since James Brady started his chronicles of meditations and prose. James’ deacon encouraged him to turn his inspired writing into poetry. Then, after an evening of sickness, James was convinced to create these movements of writings, now occurring day, night, and before work. James says it is almost as if he is tormented if he doesn’t get them onto paper, James’ writings can be read in several volumes at his coffee shop located at 309 W. Rusk St. in Tyler. Dawn-Reneé Rice (page 11) is a freelance writer and attends Kilgore College pursuing a marketing degree. She has been published in the travel magazine GETAWAY Reno/Tahoe and works with local East Texas web designers to help write and edit copy for their clients’ websites. She maintains her own website and blog at dricefreelancewriter.com. When inspiration hits, Dawn-Reneé also shares her poetry with the world on her blog Live.Free.Be. Free at livefreebefree.wordpress.com

Advertising Director Suzanne Warren Public Relations Randi Garcia Contributing Writers Kari Kramer, Jan Statman, Randy Brown, Karen Dean, Fallon Burns Graphic Artists Tracy Krell, Joni Guess, Mary Hernandez, Jeremiah Shepherd Sales Randi Garcia, Donna Vincent,

How to reach us: Call the American Classifieds’ Longview Office at 903-758-6900 or 800-333-3082. info@pineywoodslive.com Fax 903-758-8181 100 W. Hawkins Pkwy., Suite C., Longview, Texas 75605

April Harlow, Fallon Burns Kathy Hollan, Cookie Bias, Suzanne Warren, Carolee Chandler

Sign up for our newsletter by going to our website: PineyWoodsLIVE.com © 2012 by Piney Woods LIVE. All rights reserved. This publication, its associated website and their content is copyright of Piney Woods LIVE. Any reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

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writing Anne McCrady: Putting words to work for a better world by Karen Dean

Anne McCrady is always looking for ways to do two things at once. She writes and speaks with carefully chosen words for a greater good. That is the passion of this author, poet, and storyteller, and her company, InSpiritry, encompasses the multiple facets of her creative voice. When reading her work, evidence of joy is on her face as her words go out to touch others. Anne’s poetry is published in numerous anthologies and literary journals for universities, many in Texas and some in other states. She has two poems in a collection of work that benefits the homeless, Under the Bridges of America. Anne says college literary journals are a great place to start as a poet if you want to interact with people who take poetry seriously. The creative writing program at a university will usually have such a journal which will also include photography, artwork, poetry, short stories, and fiction. Poetry is the thing she would do even if she couldn’t do anything else. “Words are real to me: including the sound of the word and the connotation of the word. What language did it come from? What does it make you think of? What does your mouth do when you make that sound? Where would you find that

April 2012 - Page 4

word?” explains Anne. “That’s why I love poetry. Like somebody making jewelry, every little stone has its own purpose. I’m pushing and pulling words. Almost every one is pushed and pulled at least once to see if there is a word that would give a different vowel sound or connotation. For me, that’s magic coming from some place besides real life.” Her passion for poetry started as a little girl when she began giving her poems as gifts. She seemed to be listening for the words very early, because at age 18 months, Anne had 18 nursery rhymes memorized. Anne began writing at about age six. As a little girl, she was stranded at home because of severe asthma. Through the years she was home a lot, so Anne wrote a lot. Even now, if she was stranded on a desert island, she would find a stick and write in the sand. She wrote hundreds of letters to God in her youth, always having some need or desire to make sense of things by put-

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writing ting words on a page and seeing them there. The way most people see the world through color, shape, texture, and the visual, Anne sees with words. She always has a pen in hand while on the phone or even reading a book, writing in the margins. Anne grew up in a house with hundreds of books. Both her parents were avid readers with books in every room. As a child, she was very observant of people and situations around her. That helped shape her interest in social justice and helping others. Anne was storytelling and doing some writing during the years her children were in school. A turning point came one year when a series of major changes took place in her life. She got on the Texas Commission of the Arts Touring Artist list and began writing and speaking full time, including storytelling. She was published within weeks and started winning poetry contests. Now she also does motivational speaking. “The most important thing poets who are writing right now need to know, especially if you have not been published, is that there is a moment when you cross over from your poetry being your invitation to the world to say please like me, to the moment when it is poetry large, like poetry as the sky. I’m going to be about the work of poetry, because it is an important way that humans find meaning. Luckily for me, I can contribute to that when the art of it is ready to affect the world when someone else says, ‘Wow, me too,’ or ‘I’d like to print that.’ That’s the applause.� “Once you decide to be published, it isn’t about you anymore. It isn’t therapy. It isn’t self-acceptance. The poem’s work is out there in the world. Someone somewhere is going to read those words and something will happen to them that has nothing to do with me. It’s the words that will do it. You have to let go of them, not needing to explain it. Let the words do what they need to do. I need every word in it to contribute to the message, to be the most powerful word in that spot. When it starts being for the reader rather than the poet, then a great thing has happened.� Anne constantly reads what other poets have written to learn where the line breaks are and to make the sounds work. The more she reads, the more those lessons appear in her work. Creative writing workshops are an outlet for the expertise she has developed. Anne’s work is included in Wingbeats: Exercises and Practice in Poetry. College professors use it as class reading as well as for writing groups. On Sunday, April 15, she will be doing a free workshop

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from Wingbeats at Tyler Public Library for National Poetry Month. Anne’s InSpiritry is one of the sponsors. Her parallel life in storytelling is evident in some personal pieces in Cup of Comfort for a Better World, Cup of Comfort for Single Mothers, and Christmas Traditions. Anne’s hope for her poetry, storytelling, and peace work coming together is that it has an authenticity so that with each work people will say, “That’s Anne.� She hopes that all aspects of her work are contributing to each other. As a result of severe asthma from an early age and the threat of not being able to breathe, Anne made an important decision at age 12 or 13. If she can’t live a long life, maybe she could be the nicest person. That shaped her life to be positive. She wants to live with her life wide open. She sees a story in every person. There’s always a before and after. Poetry ought to be about wondering, not telling. Anne hopes to be a part of the energy of the arts community in East Texas coming together and learning about each other – to have a unified voice that opens doors. www.inspiritry.com The following is a poem from Along Greathouse Road by Anne McCrady.

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reading Kathy Patrick - Beauty and the Book’s founder inspires literacy programs throughout the country by Karen Dean

Kathy Patrick, founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club, melds her passion of the written word and love for reading with the development of beauty in others. Her business, Beauty and the Book, is the only hair salon/bookstore in the country, and it’s sweetly nestled in quaint, historic Jefferson, Texas.

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Kathy’s exuberance for reading is infectious. That is evidenced in the 536 book club chapters she has already founded with ten more in the works. Inspiring others to read brings her joy and fulfillment. Whether on stage or just in friendly conversation, I’ve experienced Kathy’s dynamic command of the crowd evidenced by her flamboyant, energetic flair and commitment. As she boldly and eloquently speaks before numerous audiences, you would never know it wasn’t always that way for Kathy. As a child, she was painfully quiet and shy. At school, she had trouble picking up reading because she was too scared to ask a question when she didn’t understand. Kathy said you had to walk in front of the whole class to get to the book table. That was too embarrassing for her. A fourth grade teacher took Kathy under her wing. “She took me aside and said she had a book she thought I would like. It was about me, a girl who didn’t want to grow up. She was a tomboy and didn’t fit in with her friends because they were discovering boys. I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness!

I didn’t know there was anybody else like me.’ I’ll never forget Honestly, Katie John! by Mary Calhoun. I overcame my shyness and went up to my teacher the next day and said, ‘I finished the book. Do you have another one just like it?’ I wanted to read another so badly that I forgot to be shy,” says Kathy. “Literally, what has happened from reading books, because I’m so passionate about the written word, [is that] I have overcome my feelings of low self-esteem – not being good enough. It’s given me a voice. I’m able to speak to large groups of people because I’m passionate about it.” Kathy gives credit to the wonderful teachers she had growing up and talks about them throughout her book, The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara-Wearing, BookSharing Guide to Life. She stresses the importance of good teachers. She remembers her teachers reading aloud to the class to calm them down after recess. “Those words in the stories, like Old Yeller and Little House on the Prairie, helped us to develop our imagination for

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reading & news imaginative play. Learning is a privilege and enjoyment to better your life. That’s why books are so important to me. They saved me,� says Kathy. She escaped from quarreling parents by going up to her tree house or under her bed with books and a flashlight. The words on the pages transported her to other places beyond her difficult circumstances. Now, as she speaks to others, Kathy pours out her heart, sharing the power and joy of books and how it connects us as people. Heavy on her heart is the staggering number of adults who cannot read. Just in Marion County, adult illiteracy is at 39%. Yet, there are a number of literacy programs in effect. “It bothers me. I run the largest book club in the world, and my home county has 4000 adults that cannot read at a third grade reading level. If you cannot read, how can you drive, apply for a job, do your taxes? It’s more crippling than a disability. So when I was President of the Rotary Club in Jefferson, I started the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program. We partnered with my book club, the Pulpwood Queens. It’s a wonderful program. Go to www.ImaginationLibrary.com. Dolly Parton did this in her own county, and now the whole state is on board,� says Kathy. Money is raised through fundraisers so that every child born in the county gets a book a month in the mail until they start school in order to get them reading ready. This not only benefits the child by getting them comfortable with books but is also useful to parents who need reading help.

Kathy’s Rotary and book clubs also do other projects like providing dictionaries to students and read aloud programs. She has also asked her Pulpwood Queens to take on literacy endeavors. One woman in her club found out about books left over from library sales that were just being destroyed. She started gathering those

books, bundling them and putting them on park benches and other public places. A note placed on the books says, “You’ve received a gift. Read it and pass it on. This is a gift that keeps on giving.�

Pioneer Day at Parrott Park in Lindale East Texans have an opportunity to partake in a day of family educational entertainment this month. The Old Mill Pond Museum in Lindale will hold the 2nd annual Pioneer Day at Parrott Park on Saturday, April 7. The event lasts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Character actors in period attire will give tours and demonstrations on the 28 acre historic park grounds and in the museum buildings. Visitors will see classic cars, engines, tractors, moonshine stills, model trains, an old-time school classroom, blacksmithing, and more. A new stage has been added to the facility this year and will feature live bluegrass and mountain music. For kids, there will be carnival style games and a free Easter egg hunt at 1 p.m. with the Easter Bunny himself attending! Radio personality Bryan Houston will host. Other activities added to the festival this year include a wild west gun show performance, a petting zoo and face painting. The museum is still seeking additional volunteers who want to put on costumes and join in the fun or to help in a support role. 2900 S. Main St. (Hwy.69) 903-882-4948

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The same woman got a truckload of children’s reference books in N. Dakota and asked at a school on an Indian reservation if she could donate the books to their library. She was told they had three schools but no library. She started a library at one school, and her goal is to do the same at other schools. Over $16,000 worth of books have been donated through the initiative of this one woman and her book club members. This year, at Kathy’s main book club event, Girlfriend Weekend, she began giving an award to recognize the efforts of members promoting literacy. The woman gathering so many still usable books was the first recipient of The Diamond in the Tiara Award. She hopes this will inspire others to step out and make a difference in their world. “I want to change people’s lives. I want to do something that’s fun for the good of others. I think in the past decades we have been ‘all about me’ and overindulging. With Katrina and 9/11, the baby boomers are especially thinking about what they could do to make their world better. Through reading books and sharing with others, we can make a difference all for the good of everybody. It only takes one person to spark a change. I tell everybody we start with one person, one book, and one author at a time. I’ll continue as long as I have breath.� Momentum is certainly behind Kathy Patrick’s efforts. The importance of the written word in books is, without a doubt, her life’s passion. She believes everyone should read, read, read!

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Upon a pond I floated, the surface smooth as glass, from the sky a pebble fell, no ripples did I perceive. Alas, the surface fractured, all around me fell within, for a time I fell, shattered shards surrounded, pain felt. The Spirit within whispered, “What have you said, your words were of venom.� Words of anger had I spoken in haste. Remorse I felt, God’s mercy I begged, my fall now abated, upon a pond I again floated, the surface smooth as glass. James Brady

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artists Norma Cochran

artist profiles

Norma was born and raised in the Henderson area. After completing high school, she attended Kilgore Jr. College, then she continued her educational pursuit at the University of North Texas where she completed a degree in elementary education with an art minor. She has traveled extensivley throughout the United States and Europe.

Norma has been fortunate in that she has had the chance to live on both the east and west coast before coming back to East Texas. Her deep appreciation of the beauty of Texas and nature are apparent in all of her oils and watercolors. Don’t miss her at the upcoming Henderson Affair of the Art on April 28 at the Main Street Gallery location in Henderson during Spring Fling. You can contact Norma at

Article submissions: Articles are accepted and reviewed by a panel. Photos may accompany articles. Space, relevance, writing and appropriateness play a huge part in the decision making process. Individual artists are more likely to have fewer than 100 words plus a photo published. Deadlines are the 5th of the month prior to publication.

903-987-2462 or sassyspider928@yahoo.com

Amanda Hancock “As a contemporary female artist who celebrates the femininity within her female peers, I am often expected to also honor feminism. While I appreciate the feminist movement and the activists who have blazed the freedom trail for women in America, I am not drawn to feminism as a source of artistic inspiration. My agenda is one that is much more passive – I exhort femininity. In particular, my artistic interest includes feminine rest, fellowship, nurture and beauty. Not by chance, my artwork also portrays an essence of spirituality and an interconnectedness among women. It is the unspoken communion among us that I wish to express visually.” amandahancock.com

April 2012 - Page 8

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artists Betty Northcutt “Photography is a refuge from my frantic, everyday existence. Through the camera lens, I am able to view a more peaceful, calm and serene world where creativity thrives in an unclouded realm. In producing my photographic art, I feel transported to a place where I can get lost in a brand new digital age while still clinging to my nostalgic ideas and notions. Having been born and raised in Northeast Texas, I am most at home in the rural communities where I photograph my favorite subjects. From my home base in Beckville, I find [that] the natural, nostalgic and sometimes rustic environment of this region beckons and inspires me. With future creative projects, I will surely cling to my nostalgic side by seeking out subjects representing a slower-pace and “simpler” time, for this is where my passion lies. However, I continue to challenge myself to explore new digital techniques in an effort to invent unique perspectives. Currently, some of my works are on rotating display for sale at Art of Coffee, 2808 Hwy. 69 in Lindale and Brother’s Sandwiches, 108 E. Tyler Street in Longview or at

Tim Bryant Tim Bryant is a Nacogdoches native who received the first BFA in creative writing in the state of Texas. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2007 and published his first novel, Dutch Curridge, in 2010. He and his wife, Leela, followed that with a collection of his poetry and her photographs, Those Who Know Us Best Don’t Know Us At All, in 2011. He has just published the novelette Keachi: A Faery Tale and has a short story in the Subterranean Press anthology, Impossible Monsters, coming out in 2012. Tim is also a musician, having released CDs under the different names 2Take Tim and Othy and with the international recording band Ramshackle Day Parade. Tim and Leela live in Nacogdoches where they operate The Runaway Mule, a local art boutique, and raise their two children, Molly and Jackson. therunawaymule.com

betty-northcutt.artistwebsites.com.” Don’t miss her at the upcoming Henderson Affair of the Art on April 28 at the Main Street Gallery location in Henderson.

Todd Rinlee Todd Rinlee is a guitarist from Lindale, Texas. Todd plays with a number of bands in East Texas. One of those bands is the Tuxedo Cats – a rocking band that will throw in blues, country and even a few jazz tunes. Todd says, “The Tuxedo Cats started as a jazz project. A little jazz seems to go a long way in these parts, so we play whatever audiences want to hear.” Still, you can’t help but notice the band’s ballads and even a lot of their upbeat performances are carefully seasoned with jazzy chops. Do you like Gino Vennelli, Stevie Wonder, the Climax Blues Band, Frank Sinatra or Tim McGraw? Then catch Todd when he joins Scot Garrison and the one and only Mike Harper in the band, 2nd Childhood. There is nothing these guys can’t play. Todd teaches guitar at Mundt Music in Tyler. You can find him at

Javier Campuzano Reyes Retana “I was born in Mexico City where my father was commissioned to design and build the Museo Nacional de Antropologia e Historia museum. The intention of my artwork is to invite the beholder to witness a critical view of the social, religious, political and cultural issues of my country’s beginnings and to be reminded that Mexico was once a proud group of nations. My work tends to focus on the Mexican culture, the evolution of religion in Mexico from pagan to Catholicism, from the Aztec Idol to the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the way the Mexican people are intertwined in both religions. After I finish the modeling in clay, I find myself remodeling all the details in the wax stage so that every one of my sculptures is unique by definition. I like leaving a trace of the tool, so I try to give every piece a unique detail – usually in the intricate hair work or in a really sophisticated headpiece – something not easily found in bronze sculpture.” You can see Javier’s work at Shannon’s Beading Basket and The Artists’ Gallery located at

toddrinlee.com 207 N. Horaney St., Longview

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April 2012 - Page 9

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Harry Crouse is known for being an artist of visual space, light and movement. He has an upscale architecture and interior design firm, along with a high-end furniture and home interiors storefront located in Kilgore. In his spare time, Harry redevelops abandoned historic buildings and transforms them into works of art. They become picturesque loft apartments, remarkable restaurants and attractive retail spaces. Harry grew up knowing what he wanted to do with his life. “My fondest childhood memories are of building things. Whether it would be Lincoln Logs or Builder Bricks, I would build houses.” Harry’s meticulous eye for detail was present from early childhood as the houses he built became neighborhoods. “All over the floor I would lay out playing cards as the driveways. Seriously, that was my fondest memory as a child.” He even added matchbox cars to complete his projects. Harry attended Iowa State University for residential architecture. But, three years into the program, he switched his major and received his final degree in interior design. Says Harry, “I think it was a good choice because I have the background in both areas.” The final

requirement for Harry’s graduation was to complete an internship at an interior design firm. In the 1980s, the Dallas economy and design industry was booming. Harry interviewed and got accepted at the design firm of Eugene Frazier – his first choice. This first assignment right out of school took him overseas to the small country of Liechtenstein for five weeks. At the age of 20, Harry was chosen to be the lead designer for the executive offices of a major oil company. Then just two years into his career, Harry took on a client that would change his life forever. A partner to one of the biggest real estate owners in the world was planning to build a private residence. So, at the age of 23, Harry became self-employed and started a interior design company, Harry J. Crouse Design. Over time, Harry’s reputation made

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design & poetry its way to the oil families of East Texas. He started getting so many referrals in Kilgore that he had to have an office space to work from. That’s when he purchased his first building in downtown Kilgore. Harry continued to expand his business to include the development of rental property. When he had the opportunity to purchase a rather large and rather run-down building one block from his first property, he jumped. After lots of renovation, the building became an upscale consignment shop with several different vendors operating under the name Two 0 Five. As Harry’s personal retail business grew, he purchased the neighboring building, then he had to release the vendors that occupied the Two 0 Five space to keep expanding. The foot traffic that Two 0 Five generated inspired the City of Kilgore to make a significant economic investment in downtown. Harry’s influence can be seen in downtown Kilgore. He currently owns and has renovated four buildings, has developed five open concept loft apartments and has attracted more than a half a dozen new businesses to the downtown district. Harry jokingly confesses that maybe he should call Two 0 Five an art gallery with furniture. Harry searches for art everywhere he goes. He says he finds inspiration in an artist’s technique and the individuality of how they are interpreting something. Harry likes to start with the art when designing a room from scratch. He says he loves the texture and colors of abstract art, but it could be a tapestry, a great piece of any type of art or even a rug that ties the whole thing together. Harry claims that, “Proportion and scale

are the most important part of what I do. It all has to relate to each other. Even with second-hand, mismatched furniture, if the scale and proportions are good and the lighting is good, it will look awesome.� Harry’s classic approach to design showcases the natural beauty of the space. Harry explains, “The furniture is doing what it is supposed to do. It’s not pretending to be anything else. If we are going to do a bronze lamp, let’s do a bronze lamp. I’m fanatical about that.� Harry’s newest commission is to be the interior designer of a project that gives him the opportunity to work with the award winning architectural firm, Lake/Flato. Lake/Flato was recently featured in Architectural Digest as one of the top designers for 2012. Harry’s association with this level of project only proves that his clear childhood vision of building homes was just the beginning of his journey. “I feel so blessed; I’m doing exactly what I wanted to do,� says Harry.

I Wish, I Dream Daydreaming has become the norm. I look outside and watch the sunlight as it plays across the grass, the bushes swaying in the wind. How much I wish! I dream! That I am outside at that moment soaking up the sun and basking in its warmth as my thoughts pour out onto a paper before me. Finally, I have a chance, just a chance, to chase my childhood dream. It’s so close that I can almost touch it, yet for each step closer I take it moves one step further away. At those times I wish, I dream of the moment it all becomes Reality. I savor that moment reflecting and trying to capture its memory. I hold onto it tightly almost suffocating it in my grip. Patience does not easily come to me as I wish, and as I dream.

Dawn-RenĂŠe Rice 2011 Photo by Sean Landry

Two 0 Five is located at 205 N. Kilgore St. in Kilgore. harryjcrouse.com

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When Gregory Zeorlin describes himself as a multi-media artist, he is clearly saying that he is an artist who chooses to work in many different media. He does not want to be categorized, qualified, or stuck in any particular box under any specific label. Because of that, his body of artwork is diverse. Even though he works with many different materials, experiments with many different techniques and uses them in different ways, they are all based on his experiences and his observation of the rituals of daily life which vary from day to day. He has been at times a painter, photographer, ceramicist, sculptor, fine artist and even producer of what he likes to call “lowbrow social commentary art” in the form of art clocks and bumper stickers. Whether he is working in steel, paper, ceramics or on canvas, at the heart of his art, he is among the growing list of artists who are also and always poets. Zeorlin says, “I seek a satisfaction that is not determined by an art market. I make what is on my mind.” He understands this is in direct contrast with the existing market which is comfortable with artists who create work that is instantly recognizable. Their work is so familiar that anybody walking through an

art gallery can glance over at a wall and say, “Oh, that piece is a Zeorlin.” He believes that when an artist spends a lifetime painting or sculpting the same subjects in the same way, the narrowed focus allows for little opportunity to change or to grow. He described an experience he had with a former gallery. After exhibiting with this venue for several years, he was surprised that the gallery directors were upset when he showed them his latest work. It was part of a new series, and it was done with new materials that were intentionally different from what they had seen him successfully use in the past. They informed him that they had spent

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art their time, money and energy promoting his work in the older style, and therefore they were not happy that he had changed his “look.” The ”look” they were talking about meant that his work could be instantly recognizable. But Zeorlin says, “I don’t subscribe to the idea that an artist should create a ‘look.’ I believe an artist should always be looking.” He considers that if an artist finds a popular “look” for a body of work and sticks with that “look” forever, that artist will never experiment with new ideas. Artists understand how art is always shifting. Artists know that it is acceptable and sometimes it is even necessary for an artist to stumble around for a time in order to keep the honesty of one’s vision. “You have to experiment and find the mystery that is always before you,” he said. “I am not wed to any specific materials. I am more attracted to ideas that change. If I work with an idea for an extended period of time, that idea may become acceptable and even comfortable, but it is not reasonable to keep doing the same thing just because it is safe and comfortable.”

Zeorlin can find himself working on a particular series, and then begin to discover that the art starts to shift. When that shift happens, it becomes necessary to move on to the next thing. He describes the shift by saying, “I have to say to myself, ‘Okay, here comes the learning curve.” The “learning curve” may mean a change in the way certain paintings are created, or it may mean a change from painting altogether to working with metal, ceramic, or whatever material becomes important at that time. Real art – new, fresh, clear art is intuitive and insightful. “As an artist, there is a certain pleasure in not knowing exactly where a work is going until it takes you there,” he explained. “You work, and you figure it out. I approach things as they come along. You cannot tell an idea – you have to paint it, or sculpt it, or see it. I don’t try to

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shock or confuse, but when I see things that I want to highlight, I express myself in them.” He recently turned his attention to a consideration of those things in life which should be kept and those things in life which should be discarded. He calls this “sorting.” He has not yet worked out the details, but he is still determined to go where art leads him. He is hesitant to speak about his new direction since none of the mixed media pieces are completed at this point. Each is still a work-in-progress. For now, the series has lead him to digital imaging and working in traditional art materials such as colored pencils, paint, and graphite along with non-traditional materials such as soil, coal dust, lint, and what he hints at as “an assortment of top secret magic powders which will be used to make these pieces.” The idea of “magic powder” seems entirely reasonable when he says, “This body of artwork contemplates a confounding moment in life.” Zeorlin holds a bachelor’s degree in Humanities from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn., and a master of fine art degree from the New York State College of Art and Design at Alfred University in Alfred, New York. Included among his many honors, awards, and grants are a grant from the Ruth Chenven Foundation, Inc. in New York. He has also received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and Mid-America Arts Alliance. He has participated in numerous one and two- artist exhibits as well as teaching and residencies. His work is included in

art collections from New York to California. Gregory Zeorlin is an artist who doesn’t have enough time to do everything he wants to do – even though he did make clocks. He describes his clocks as part of his “lowbrow art.” “I made the clocks because I wanted to make an object that was familiar to everyone but done in such a way that they would be looked at with the guard down to be able to see the world in a different way,” he said. “The opportunity to express ideas through a clock is the only reason I would make them. Otherwise, there is no point in making them.” He asks viewers to imagine each clock being a little stage where a variety of thoughts are expressed. “An art clock is uncommon,” he says. “ Expect minor variations, as it is good to have an uncommon clock.” They may look nearly identical, but even the clock hands will not be exactly the same since they are hand painted. This applies to other design elements on the clocks, as well. His bumper stickers are meant to offer playfully odd, thought-provoking observations about the routines of daily life. Zeorlin described the social commentary art of his bumper stickers by saying, “My lowbrow art distills what I am seeing in essential words. How can I say something that will make you [stop to] think for a second in your busy life?” Regardless of the medium or the moment, creative thought is essential to his art. His advice is simple, “Enrich your surroundings with the uncommon objects and creative observations of artists.”

Spring Fling! DOWNTOWN HENDERSON SATURDAY, APRIL 28TH 10 TO 4

HENDERSON... it’s good to be here! Art Walk “An Affair of the Arts” Downtown Farmer’s Market 8am Downtown Flower Market Live Music and Entertainment Sidewalk Cafe’s Kids’ Activities Also on April 28th: Moving Minds Fun Run by HISD Education Foundation, Downtown, 8am “Fly-In” at Rusk County Airport 9am-5pm

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music Robin Black

by Jim King

Last year I spent two days at the T-Bone Walker Blues Festival in Linden. It was a great time for all filled with incredible music performed by new and renowned artists, great food and good times. I was there to photograph, so I stayed pretty close to the bands. Among the many singers and musicians I encountered, there was a young woman named Robin Beach Black, the lead singer for a Louisiana group known as Robin & the Bluebirds. Since that time, I have had the opportunity to photograph and hear the band perform in three different cities. And, like the crowd, I am never disappointed. Everyone has a story. The difference is that some are simply more interesting than others. Such could be said for Robin Black, a 37-year-old singer who has spent her entire life around music. Her father, Jerry Beach, is a Grammy nominated singer / songwriter and member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He started playing the guitar at age 15 and, although he is now in his 70s, he still performs as a member of the Bluebirds. With a father like that, one might say that Robin was destined to be a part of the music world. Robin has been singing most of her life. Her first taste of the stage came at an early age. It was 1980, and her dad was performing at the first Revel in Shreveport, La.

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music R

obin was standing in the stage wings out of sight of the audience while watching her daddy perform. As he was finishing his set, Jerry motioned to his baby girl to come out and sing the last song with him. It was her first public performance. Little Robin Beach was five years old.

By the time Robin was 14, she was singing backup in a local band and has performed regularly ever since. She has lived in Los Angeles, New Orleans and Nashville while trying to make her mark in the music world. Anyone in the music business knows that it’s tough, and everyone has to pay their dues. Robin Beach Black did just that! Though she was working regularly, her stage time still only amounted to a show every couple of weekends since the majority of her gigs were Friday or Saturday nights. It was enough to help sustain her love of singing and the stage but certainly not enough to pay the bills. Like many other musicians, she supplemented her income by waiting tables and bartending in restaurants and cafĂŠs. When that wasn’t enough, Robin trained and started working as a professional makeup artist as she continued to follow her dream. A few years ago, she received a call from her father. He had started playing and performing as a member of the Bluebirds, a group that has been around for many years. Originally known as ATrain with Miki Honeycutt, the Bluebirds were a spin-off as members diversified into other bands. Bruce Flett asked Jerry to join them as their lead guitar player replacing his brother, Buddy Flett, who had left to pursue a solo career. Known for their blues and jazz sounds, Jerry was right at home. When Jerry called his daughter, he said that the band wanted her to come to a show they were doing at Harrah’s Racetrack. She would sing two sets as an audition to become the lead singer of the group. Surprisingly, with all of her years of experience, Robin states the 80s pop cover she had been doing was not the same thing as singing blues and jazz, and she was “extremely nervous, no, I was a nervous wreckâ€? about the audition. She is also quick to point out that she loves the blues for many reasons, one of them being the difference in singing styles. She says, “With 80s pop songs, you have a place you need to be, in this key at this time. With blues, you’ve got some room to move, to make it your own. If you don’t move, it doesn’t sound right.â€?

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Over the past two years, she has solidified her spot in the band. With her soulful and strong, sultry voice combined with a charismatic stage presence, Robin & the Bluebirds perform regularly. Robin quickly gives credit to the talented group of guys she works with on stage and Bruce Flett, who she describes as both “talented and an incredible promoter� for the band. Robin provides the main vocals for the group. Her father is on lead guitar. Sitting in the back (and always trying to hide from the camera) is Zeke Seighman on the drums. Bruce Flett is on the bass; “Dirty� Redd is on the trumpet; Alan Webb is on the saxophone with Stan Hoffman on the keyboards. Each one of these talented musicians could be a headliner on his own. Performing together, their dynamics make for a great show! Everyone does vocals, and the instrumental talent they display on stage is very impressive. Robin & the Bluebirds has certainly become a group in high demand. Working festivals, events, nightclubs and private shows, they now find themselves doing quite a bit of traveling with their performances and building upon what is already a large and faithful fan base. When asked about their touring schedule, Robin seemed quite excited that they would be playing again in East Texas very soon. May 11 through 13 this year, the City of Longview will once again host their annual AlleyFest and will welcome visitors, sponsors, vendors and talent from all over the Ark-La-Tex region. It’s a good time for the entire family with a weekend full of food, fun, music and entertainment. This year, taking the stage and headlining on Friday night will be none other than Robin & the Bluebirds in what will certainly be another great concert! These days, Robin is a happy woman surrounded by her music, the band, her family and many friends. This is a busy lady. Together, Robin and her husband, Bobby, have three children ages two to

eleven. In addition, Robin admits to having a soft spot for animals in need and participates in animal rescue. As of today, they have two dogs, a cat, two fish and a leopard gecko lizard. Yes, it would seem that Robin Black has made it in life. She is talented, personable and never seems to meet a stranger. When asked about her career and her future, Robin simply smiles and opens her eyes brightly as she says, “Anytime you can make a living doing what you love, you can’t knock that. Sometimes it’s a hard living, but it’s worth it.�

Just the Thing For Spring

Downtown Kilgore 120 N. Kilgore Street

903.984.1420

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film & news Commission gears up for film festival initiative by Kari Kramer Ron Hollomon, Director of the Northeast Texas Regional Film Commission, and his team of volunteers are gearing up for their latest initiative. They want to host four large film festivals, one per quarter/season, in Northeast Texas in 2013. The area is already home to a handful of festivals, but Hollomon and the commission want to expand on that vision. “The Film Commission not only wants to market our area (21 counties ), we also want to encourage local talent in the industry,” explained Hollomon. “A film festival would give those people a venue to have their work seen.” The format for the festivals is fairly simple. It includes a variety of short and feature-length films, shown indoors or outdoors, and ideally produced by Texans or filmed in Texas. In addition, festivals would host breakout sessions (classes and seminars) covering topics such as special effects, script writing and makeup application, in addition to discussions with directors and screenwriters. To top the experience off, vendors marketing their films, fanfare and other goods would also have space available at the events. The commission’s vision is “a festival that not only caters to area filmmakers but also draws from far away,” according to Hollomon. “Filmmakers want to show their films, and we also have breakout sessions to provide an opportunity to learn about the craft.” Hollomon said, “The first step is finding venues and cities interested in pairing up with the commission to make the dream a reality. Hosting cities stand to capitalize on

many benefits,” he noted. “Most film festivals last several days; thereby, many attendees staying overnight and dining out,” he said. “Many times, these events bring high-profile celebrities adding to a media event.” Film festivals with so much to offer routinely draw large, enthusiastic crowds ready to fully enjoy the film festival experience. Hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the area indirectly see financial gain from the events. For Texas filmmakers, having festivals to debut, show and/or market their creations is a big draw. In addition to having their films seen, festivals offer filmmakers prize money and awards that help recover production costs and gain notoriety. Hollomon said, “The key to success for these potential festivals is providing a unique experience to both filmmakers and film enthusiasts.” “You have to have something for the novice, for those that are already working in the industry, and for those that just love to watch movies,” he explained. “You have to be consistent, starting small and growing every year, building momentum until it becomes an established, not-to-miss event.” Individuals or communities interested in helping with the initiative or hosting events should contact the Northeast Texas Regional Film Commission. Information about the NETRFC is available online at www.netexasmovies.com.

LETU presents Ruben Studdard in concert May 5 LeTourneau University will present musician Ruben Studdard in concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 5, in the S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, 2100 S. Mobberly Ave., Longview. The 2003 American Idol winner made a powerful impact on the music charts with his platinum-selling first album Soulful which entered the Billboard 200 chart at Number One. The “velvet teddy bear” produced a second album, I Need an Angel, that topped Billboard’s gospel chart in 2004 and was named the magazine’s No. 1 gospel album of the year. His third album, The Return, landed him both on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/ Hip-Hop Album charts. His fourth album, Love Is, has been celebrated for its collection of love songs. Ruben Studdard’s concert is sponsored by Neiman Marcus and Edge Office Products. Tickets range from $17 to $41, plus applicable fees, and can be purchased online at www.belchercenter.com. Tickets are also available at the box office or by phone at 903-233-3080 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

April 2012 - Page 16

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music The “B� Side of

Music by Randy Brown

Don’t Look Back She’s got everything she needs, She’s an artist, she don’t look back. She can take the dark out of the nighttime And paint the daytime black. “She Belongs to Me� by Bob Dylan This month’s lyric is from a song called “She Belongs to Me� written and performed by the incomparable Bob Dylan on his second album, Bringing It All Back Home. This song works hard with every line to prove the title wrong. As the lyrics will reveal, in reality, it is “she� who owns the singer – a Dylan anti-love song at it’s best, and the subject of this month‘s column. Each of us has a history, some of it good and some, at least for me, that could just as well be forgotten. Now, I do not and don’t ever intend to live in the past. But the deeds of our past often follow us, like it or not. For example, when I was in high school, I had the nickname of Possum. Yep, you heard me right. Possum. I am not even sure how I got it, but many folks I went to school with only knew me by that name. To be honest, I had almost forgotten that name existed until just recently when an old high school classmate found me on Facebook and messaged me by saying, “Is that you, Possum?� Suddenly, I was transported 40 years into the past and all my teenage inadequacies came screaming back. All the years disappeared and there I was, 17 years old again, a scrawny, pimply-faced nerd with kinky hair and a penchant for writing songs about how things could be if only everyone would just love each other. Looking back down that long hall into the mirror was not a pleasant experience. Art is like that, too. Sometimes things we created long ago rear up their heads out of nowhere, and we are suddenly sent back to the time/place/situation that caused us to create that particular piece of art. Or, if you, like me, tend to be super-, no hyper-critical of past works, you might refer to it as a piece of something, shall we say scatologi-

cal. If this has ever happened to you, rest assured, you are not alone. Okay, I am about to get controversial here, so if you disagree with me, I apologize in advance. For the artist, art is like a newspaper; yesterday’s may hold a little historical interest but doesn’t hold much excitement. There, I said it; the ugly truth about art. All that really matters to the artist is what is cooking now, what they are working on, what they are thinking about. Everything else is so yesterday. In fact, some of it, just like my nickname of Possum, is downright embarrassing. I think it is true because art is really about the moment, the magic, and the act and feeling of creation. There is nothing quite like taking empty paper, canvas, or air and filling it with your creation. To quote the great songwriter Bill Dannoff from his song “Potter’s Wheel�: “Take a little clay, put it on the wheel, get a little taste how God must feel.� So there you have it: the REAL truth about art. Art to the artist is all about the act of creation, the making something out of nothing. Artists get to experience themselves as little mini-gods, creating meaning out of meaninglessness. Once experienced, that act of creation is almost like a drug, driving you forward, to keep creating. Just like a junkie, we are always looking for that next creation high and never fully satisfied. It really isn’t done for the audience. It’s all about the artist. Egotistical and self-serving little devils, ain’t we? So, if creation is the focus of art, then what went before is actually of very little consequence. Sure, I know that everything we have created in the past informs and influences what is to come. But the same can be said of anything we experience. Our art is informed by the sum total of everything we have ever known, thought or imagined. That means that whatever went before is only history which can’t be changed. While history is a great tool for learning about what worked and what didn’t, it really isn’t a necessary seed for future creation. In fact, for me, it really is a distraction. I can and do dwell too much on the should

have, would have and could haves of my past work. Almost to the point of embarrassment. For me, at least, looking back is artistically counter productive. To sum it up I will use a lyric from a song which I have never finished, but it rattles around in my head a lot lately. The lyric is an imaginary conversation between Don Juan Mateus and Carlos Castaneda. (I read all of Castaneda’s books at one time.) Though the same words could be given by any teacher to any student, I give them to myself regularly, and it helps me stay focused. “Don Juan, told Carlos, he said, ‘Lose your history. What you were is not what you are. What you are is not what you’ll be.’� I leave you with that lyric for this month. Don’t spend your life reading yesterday’s newspapers, go out and create your own news. Just like the lady in this month’s Dylan song, you are an artist so don’t look back. As always, thanks for reading, and if you have comments, suggestions or criticisms about this or any of my columns, feel free to send them to me: randy@brownrandy.com If you ever simply get curious about what the heck this rambling old man does, then go to www.brownrandy.com/music. Listen to a few songs and let me know what you think. See you next issue. Randy Brown is a small business owner and singer/songwriter living in East Texas and has been involved with many sides of the music business over the years, from being a sideman, a sound man, touring songwriter, operating a venue, and a recording studio owner/engineer. When he thinks about it, in so many ways he still feels like that awkward 17-year-old everybody called Possum.

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art Bruce Mauldin joins the LMFA as new Director of Education Bruce Mauldin, Ed.D. joined the Longview Museum of Fine Art in February 2012 as Director of Education. Dr. Mauldin grew up in Longview and lives in Houston. Piney Woods LIVE spoke with him in March. What is it that brought you to upper East Texas and, specifically, to the Longview Museum of Fine Art? Art brings me to LMFA and also my dear friend, Renee Hawkins. The museum is a true gem in East Texas. Renee is also a gem. We met in the early eighties through a mutual friend and have kept up with each other though we lived far apart. Having always wanted to work together, my coming to the museum is the fruit of many years of talking and planning. Out of the blue, Renee called and said her education director had given notice ... was I interested? She brought me here to oversee the museum’s accreditation process. It is time for the museum to be nationally accredited. It has grown substantially from the small collection I first saw as a child thanks to the efforts of untold numbers of volunteers and civic-minded contributors. I believe we will receive accreditation, but there’s a lot of hard work between us and our goal. How did you start your career in art?

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I first started creating three-dimensional art forms at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos. I was an interior design major and chose art as a minor. Little did I know that within a few short years, art would be the center of my life! After graduating, I went to work for a prestigious firm in Houston, and it seems I had no sooner got there when the bottom fell out of the oil and gas industry – a disaster for the interiors industry in Houston. When I went to file for unemployment compensation, I was offered a job at the Texas Employment Commission. While I was working there, I was spending all my money and time making jewelry, small sculptures, weaving, and producing enhanced photographs. Eventually, I realized I wanted to seriously study art, so off I went to Denton and the University of North Texas School of Visual Arts. What were your experiences like at UNT?

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I’ll never forget showing up and getting an appointment with the dean. He told me they did not accept BS degrees in their masters program! I replied that I was there to stay and that, if I had to, I’d start over and get a BA. He was not impressed. But after a year of taking beginning classes, I was offered a fellowship and accepted into

the Master of Fine Arts program. Originally, I only wanted an MA, but soon realized the futility of anything less than an MFA (a terminal degree which required 69 hours of study.) I learned more than I can say at UNT and confidently declare it to be the best art school in the country. So, after graduating, you got your first job in the “real” art business? I was hired the semester I graduated by the Houston Community College system to teach art history, my least favorite topic in graduate school. So, back to Houston I went. I soon learned that I could love art history. It became my favorite class to teach, and I did so for a dozen years. Along the way, I also taught classes in sculpture, art appreciation, painting, and drawing. One day, I was doing research in the library in San Antonio and my mom said, “You really love this. Why don’t you think about a doctorate?” Well, I thought about it and realized she was right. I do love research. So, I looked around and found a doctoral degree program in art education at the University of Houston, which was quite a break because I really didn’t want to leave Houston again. After five years, I graduated with a Doctor of Curriculum and Instruction with specialization in Art Education. After graduation, I dusted out my studio (little time for art during the dissertation) and started creating again. Do you mind telling our readers about your studio? My studio is in the old Hansen Brothers’ grocery store building in the Montrose district in Houston. I have a part of the downstairs, and another artist’s studio occupies the rest. My windows look out onto the historic Anderson Fair – a music landmark in Houston. There’s no heat or air conditioning, but the space is just right for me. The neighborhood has several professional artists and has a real small-town feeling [that’s] hard to find in the inner city. I live in a small bungalow three doors down. How does one go about working in Longview while living in Houston? Come to find out, Greyhound is the answer. I moved my camper up to Longview, parked it at Mom and Dad’s, and I take the bus

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art & news Monte Pittman wins best solo artist award Longview native Monte Pittman was named a winner of the Best Solo Artist category at the 2012 Artists in Music Awards in Hollywood. Pittman was also nominated for the Album of the Year, Six Chambers Rock Artist of the Year, and Best Blues Artist catagories. The guitarist gained a lot of local press attention when he appeared in the Super Bowl halftime show with Madonna, his longtime songwriting partner. The Artists In Music Awards was created to honor and recognize the best independent music artists from around the world in multiple categories. Nominations for the 2013 awards opened March 1. Keep watch at back and forth to Houston every week. It’s not ideal, but things will slowly evolve, and I’ll find a more permanent place here in town. What are your plans for ArtWorks? ArtWorks is our new classroom/workspace. It is set to open this May kicking off with a sculpture workshop conducted by Bobbe Gentry. In June, we start summer workshops for both kids and adults. Soon after, we will be offering classes on an ongoing schedule. My goal is to make education an even larger part of the museum’s mission which, by the way, is what made me aware of the museum when I was a kid. One of the “art ladies” from the Junior League visited my elementary school with a painting from their art collection housed at the Nicholson Library. At fifty-some-odd years, I am finally getting to return the favor. Color me happy. The ultimate goal is for ArtWorks to be a recognized center for art creation by becoming a gathering place for artists to meet and critique, a school with an ongoing schedule of classes, an artist in residence program, and a lecture hall drawing speakers from all the art arenas.

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903-392-8200 Email: gomojoes@gmail.com Mon.-Thurs. 7am-10pm Fri. 7am-12am • Sat. 8am-12am The Tyler Museum of Art has annouced their 2012 Summer Art Camp series for young children. Seven different 5-day sessions are held through the summer, each specially designed for groups of a specific age range. The sessions begin on June 18 and end on July 20 and are open to children as young as five. Campers will be introduced to a variety of artistic expression from photography to painting. A museum spokesperson said that children will “make new friends, new memories and new masterpieces all in one week!” Parents are warned that the camps fill quickly, so early reservations are a good idea. For more information, call the Museum at 903-595-1001 and ask for Felicity Enas.

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by Karen Dean

A few years ago my publisher told me to create a caricature of myself to help develop the Karen Dean brand. Painting portraits and illustrating books is my norm, but I had never developed a caricature before. How do you do that? I thought through the process. What characteristics do I need to highlight to depict who I am and what it is that I do that sets Karen Dean apart from everyone else? Surely I know more about myself than anyone else, so how could that be creatively represented? A whimsical image of me painting a book became the concept to develop. I decided to make it more like a cute cartoon rather than a crazy exaggeration. After all, I do tend to be rather subdued. Put a bit more flair to the hair style. Remember the purple shirt and black pants. That works. Now strike an action pose with a colorful paint palette and brush in hand as I’m approaching an opened children’s book perched on the easel. That’s it! That’s me! My first caricature was complete and ready to be implemented in the branding of me, Karen Dean. Well, that sure was fun. It was definitely challenging but not necessarily hard. This caricature image has since been used on the book jacket cover for Kitty Kate’s Tea Party as well as bookmarks and other promotional material. It will be included on my new website that is currently under construction. It’s going to be awesome. Since my caricature worked out well, I was commissioned to design one for another author. If I had not done my own, I probably would have turned it down because it was out of my comfort zone. Instead of passing up the opportunity, I enjoyed designing it, made my client happy, and received payment for my efforts. Now that was worth the pushing and stretching to expand the scope and possibilities of what I could do. When first asked to write a column, I could have turned it down having never done it before, nor was I trained on how to do one. Bypassing all that stuff, I just said, “Okay, I’ll do it.” That big leap of faith worked in my favor. Next, a friend asked me to write articles for a magazine. It really didn’t make sense to the quiet me I used to be, but the more I do it, the more comfortable it becomes. Each opportunity keeps leading to another. My love for western art is becoming more evident in oil and watercolor paintings. Some of them will be surfacing on the new website and upcoming exhibits. Although very different from western subject matter, another phase of my work is bridal oil painting. I suppose my background of designing and sewing for brides in the past has something to do with that. I’m not intimidated by the intricate detail of the gown, veil or flowers because of so many years handling fabric and understanding form and color. Even with all that, I haven’t forgotten about my children’s books. Illustrations for a new one are under way. In order to not get confused by so many projects, organization and neatness in the studio are imperative. Each day my focus must remain on one particular assignment. I cannot let my attention wander to what else isn’t done. Publishing deadlines help to dictate timing. Exhibit dates also determine which painting to complete or what promotional material to prepare. It does get quite challenging sometimes with so many pieces of work in various stages, but I’m up for the challenge. There is much satisfaction with each completed painting. The way I see it, with the sky being the limit, my possibilities and horizon will just have to keep expanding. Stop by next month for a few more writing tips. In addition to being a published author and illustrator of children’s books, Karen Dean is also an accomplished artist in oil and watercolor, painting architectural landscapes, seascapes, still life, and Classical Realism portraits. Visit her website to view the gallery. www.KarenDeanArtist.com karendean@karendeanartist.com

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art & writing Artist’s World by Jan Statman

If you like live music, you will love Winnsboro!

The Written Word in Art

Jazz • Blues • Country • Folk • Americana Before there was the written word, before there were hieroglyphics, before there was even simple picture-writing, there was art. The early cave paintings that have been discovered show beautifully drawn and carefully detailed animals. While we have no idea what real purpose these paintings served in the lives of the people who created them, we can still respond to them. Even though we think of ourselves as technologically advanced twenty-first century urbanites with computers and satellites and electric washing machines, we react to the closeness, the power, the brute force of these animals. We don’t need a guidebook to tell us these animals are big and dangerous, and they can hurt us. Some of these long-ago artists even “signedâ€? their work. Of course, they had no words or letters with which to sign them; they simply slapped some paint on their hands and printed their handprints on the cave wall. The ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics, a complicated language in which pictures formed words and ideas. They painted them in their tombs and temples to tell important stories and carry important messages. Middle Eastern peoples invented early writing using symbols on clay tablets. Finally, whole alphabets were invented, and people were able to write messages with words and sentences. Up until recent times, however, most people could not read or write. Public institutions from the time of Ancient Greece and Byzantium through Medieval Europe came up with a splendid way to settle that problem. They reasoned that teaching everybody to read and write would be too costly and could possibly turn out to be a bit of a nuisance, so they covered their walls, windows, ceilings and floors with pictures and statues that would tell their stories. We painters and sculptors like to say that art is a way to communicate without using words. The belief is that this kind of communication is somehow stronger and more direct because the unspoken message takes a straight pathway right

from your eyes into your mind and heart. I’m not sure this is true. Written books and stories certainly can get the message across, but people who are familiar with one language may not be able to understand what is written in another language. Those of us who can read, write and speak English may have no idea what the words say when we see them written in Russian or Greek or Chinese. They not only used different words, but they use entirely different alphabets. We are able to respond to art created by the artists of different countries even though we don’t all speak the same language. Before the printing press made books available to large groups of people, parchment scrolls were hand-copied by special groups of scribes and calligraphers. Bible scrolls were works of unusual beauty. They not only included beautiful writing, but they also had careful illustrations and gorgeous illuminations. Since the illuminated letters were so beautiful, artists came up with the idea of using the words themselves as art. Calligraphy, or “beautiful writing,� is a well-known art form. Some Eastern and Middle Eastern calligraphy is so beautiful that it can be enjoyed even when we have no idea what the words say. As the ability to read and write became more common, artists in many cultures began to experiment with the idea of combining words with their art. Chinese and Japanese art is particularly successful with these combinations. Western artists experimented with the idea, as well. As early as 1635, Rembrandt’s fearful painting, Belshazzar’s Feast, which shows a scene from the Book of Daniel, has the Aramaic words of doom, “MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN� written in Hebrew letters on the wall of Belshazzar’s feast hall. Unfortunately, people who use words with which they are not familiar sometimes don’t get them right. Rembrandt’s letters appear in columns, reading top to bottom and then right to left instead of simply right to left, line by line, as would be normal with Hebrew. During the early twentieth century, Marc Chagall slipped words into his paintings. Cubist genius Juan Gris used words, parts of words, and letters. Sometimes

parts of his painting were made to look like newspaper pages. Picasso built on this idea and often used words and letters in his paintings. This inspired later twentiethcentury American artists like Larry Rivers to do the same thing, although for some odd reason, they often thought it was a good idea to use French words in their work. Rivers collaborated with poet Frank O’Hara to create lithographs that included poetry. I must confess I have also been known to use words in my paintings. I like to paint in series. In some of my painting series, the words become the subject of the art and are easy to see. In others, the words are painted over and over for their hypnotic effect. I also slip parts of my poems into paintings, but I try to do it so quietly that the words are hardly noticeable until that aha moment which happens the fifth or tenth time you see the painting and find the poems. Another way to use words in art is to give up color, shape or design altogether and use the words as the art itself. The words become so important that what you and I have come to accept as art all but disappears. Conceptual artists decided to challenge the importance of traditional art forms like sculpture and painting. This kind of art often includes recognizable images like Donald Duck or road maps. Sometimes there are carefully written directions which can be as simple as instructions on how to hang the work or as complicated as how to get to the nearest train station. There can be poetic, social, or political comments and even video images. Artists like Jenny Holzer use words as the only artistic element of her work. Although her art has been seen in museums and galleries, she is best known for really big displays in public spaces. These have included billboards and giant electronic projections against the sides of buildings. We live in a time when we are surrounded by visual images. We see them on the streets, in the air, in our homes. When the television set speaks, everybody listens. The internet instantly broadcasts words and pictures. Art has power. Words have power. New ways of looking at the changing world we live in brings us new ways to enjoy both art and words.

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Salvador Dali Art Exhibit

April 17 • 6-8 pm Opening Reception • Public Invited

April 18-21 • 1-4:30 pm Exhibit Open to the Public

April 20 • 6:30-7:30 pm Dali video during 3rd Friday Art Walk

April 21 • 10 am-Noon Get Surreal! with Dali Collage & Watercolor Workshop Students age 7-15 • $10 fee

May 5 • Basket Weaving Class with Kathleen Ewing Join us for the day and take home your very own handmade basket! Students will need to bring a ruler, pencil, sharp shears, clothes pins or clamps of some sort and a towel. All other supplies will be provided. Fee $50, 9am-4pm with a one hour break for lunch. Please call 903.342.6758 for information.

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art in the home Jo and Jimmy Salmon’s art collection by Jan Statman

What does an award-winning photographer hang on the walls of his own

home? “Art!” Jo Salmon says. “Jimmy and I have always had an interest in art.” Whether looking at paintings, sculpture, photography or art objects, visitors to the home of Jimmy and Jo Salmon immediately recognize their fascination with art. Their living room is dominated by an intricate Ron Rencher still life. This is one of the first pieces they purchased for their collection, and they still enjoy owning it. They bought another Rencher painting, Casablanca Lilies, before Christmas one year, and still another, a seascape, during a trip to California. A small painting hanging to the right of the Rencher is by Salado jewelry designer, Jim Benton. The Salmons were visiting the Salado Christmas Stroll, and when they saw it they said, “Aha! This is ours!” Another still life was purchased at an art walk in Little Rock. Although the artist

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is not well known, they knew the painting would fit into a perfect spot above a table. They admit that the far wall of the room had been empty for many years. They were vacationing in Rockport when they visited Shirley Blackman’s Art Gallery and found several of her detailed still life paintings. “We just ran around the gallery,” Jo explained. “We gathered these up and said, “We’ll take all of these!” The Salmons bought three little animalshaped bowls at a Presbyterian Mission Market. They later saw similar bowls featured in a home interior design magazine used by a famous designer in some ultra upscale California home. “That didn’t make me enjoy my bowls more. It just made me feel a bit vindicated, as though I was suddenly ahead of the curve,” Jo laughed. “It really doesn’t matter to us, because we never bought artwork as an investment. Everything we own was bought because we liked it. I have an acquaintance who has lots of art and keeps things stored and doesn’t enjoy it. Investing in art is not unreasonable, but I assume everybody loves what they own. It’s fun to

find out that a work is very valuable, but that’s not why we have art. We have it because we love it and care about it. Our art is on our walls where we can enjoy it every day. There is no other reason to have it.” Jo admits the first piece of art she ever owned is a print she bought shortly after she graduated from college. She had her first job and her first office. It was not an important print, but she knew she wanted some form of art in her new workspace. Jimmy also had an interest in art and bought several things back when AlleyFest was the Alley Art Show sponsored by the Longview Art Museum. The Salmons still own several pieces from that era.

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art in the home

in art school in Russia. Kohn visited his parents for a holiday. When he arrived, his parents took him carefully aside and said, “Son, we’re defecting.” So, he never went back. A long, narrow hallway has become an art gallery where hand painted note cards purchased in Rockport are exhibited in a series of identical frames. Narrow hanging shelves provide display space for Jimmy’s photographs. At the moment, there are photographs printed on handmade Japanese rice paper, but the photographs are changed as often as the work changes. A gold and acrylic photographic collage by Joli Livaudais was purchased in Monroe, La. The Salmon’s met the Livaudais when Jimmy’s photographs were exhibited at the Masur Museum in Monroe. They learned that Monroe has a downtown arts district with a unique attraction. When art is purchased in the Monroe Art District,

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there is no city sales tax. This is how the city promotes the district, and it encourages people to buy art by making it less expensive for both the artists and the prospective buyers. One cheerful bedroom is called their Appalachian Heritage room because it features art in the company of family heirlooms, handwork and memories. An early 1900s quilt made by Jo’s aunt covers her parents’ oak bed. Jo’s mother embroidered the vintage pillow coverings when she was a little girl at a time when small girls learned to do handwork. A wall grouping includes several paintings, one of which hung at her grandmother’s house, and a dainty fabric doll her mother made. An antique floral painting from an estate in Elysian Fields was purchased at the Weisman Center in Marshall. Even the bathroom walls are filled with paintings; Jimmy acquired several of these during the Alley Arts exhibits. Others are special artworks created by prison inmates. These were found during a trip to the Huntsville Rodeo. Beauty, an abstract painting by Ferdinando Ambrosino, is hung against the colorful walls of the master bedroom. The artist’s work is seen in Rome and at the Vatican. The Salmons brought it home from a visit to San Francisco. Other features of the room include several paintings collected during a trip to New York, a print of “Words from Love” that came from Salado, and a wire sculpture of a golfer to honor one of Jimmy’s interests. The Salmons insist that they spend most of their time in the smallest room in the house. The book-lined study has an ornate metal wall piece hung behind a tall Santa Fe sculpture in the company of several ceramic pieces. Two screen prints by Gail Perazzini, a Tucson artist who exhibits at the Cottonwood Festival every year, hangs above an ostrich sculpture found in the Marketplace in San Antonio. The line of the sculpture echoes the design elements of the Perazzini prints. Several paintings of Italian influence are memories of another vacation trip. “Many of the artworks in our home were purchased during vacation trips,” Jimmy said. “While other people buy T-shirts as vacation souvenirs, we go to art galleries, and we bring home art.” Their newest acquisition was purchased closer to home. It is a Stacy Deslatte stone

sculpture of a figure reclining under covers. It is the first piece of her Prayer series, and it is a self-sculpture. When the artist was small, her family taught the children to pray at night. Since she was afraid of the dark, she would pull her covers up over her head and say her prayers. The sculpture tells how her prayers comforted her fears. The Salmons simply collect what they love to look at, and that makes their home a place for them to enjoy every single day.

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Photographs of food are well-suited to the home’s formal dining room. One of Jimmy’s photographs is titled Muted Pears and another is titled Artichoke and Asparagus. To complete the room, two still-life paintings on copper share a wall with paintings brought home from Florence, Italy. “We were visiting art galleries in Italy when an engineer friend of Jimmy’s told us his mother had an art gallery, and we should go see her. We were hesitant, but when we went, we discovered that his mother was from a very old family in Venice, and they were all artists,” Jo said. The kitchen walls are tile which doesn’t allow much room for art, but the one wall that can hold a painting boasts a charming Andre Kohn painting of chefs at work. Andre Kohn is one of their favorite painters and has an interesting story. He is Russian and now living in California. His father was a diplomat stationed in the United States when he was young and

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April 2012 - Page 25

film Kilgore Film Festival offers big culture in a small town by Kari Kramer

In 1998, Byron Berkley, owner of the 4 Star

Cinema in Kilgore, paired up with Kathy Housby and Jim Allen of KTPB to create a film festival in Kilgore. “[He] came to us to see if we would be interested in helping to present a film festival that would bring in movies that would not otherwise play in the area,” said Housby. “The idea appealed to us as an extension of the station’s promotion of the fine arts, and the festival originally was presented as ‘The KTPB Film Festival.’ It was particularly exciting to me, as a film lover, to be a part of the launch of the festival.” “So, that was the genesis of it,” added Berkley. “We put it together from there.” Berkley said the radio station already had an extensive listening audience, so there was a cultured audience waiting for the type of experience a film festival offers.

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“I thought maybe we could do something a little different,” he explained. “I thought it could be an asset to the community and obviously bring a little attention to the theater.” The film festival was an immediate hit in the small college town. “The early years of the festival were actually quite exciting,” said Housby. “Many of the films were less well known, and you felt like you were really finding some hidden gems.” Allen said the event provided “film festival quality without having to drive to a big city.” Over the years, the event has morphed as the profile of movies shown has in-

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film creased, according to Housby. Today, the festival, held each spring and fall, lasts for three weeks. Unlike other festivals, the Kilgore festival follows more of a marathon format showing two films each week, one playing Wednesday through Saturday and another Sunday through Tuesday. The festival kicks off with a reception the first night with wine and finger foods as well as a small presentation. This spring’s festival will be held April 25 to May 17. Films shown this year will be Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Albert Nobbs; A Dangerous Method; A Separation; Salmon Fishing In The Yemen and Pina, A Film For Pina Bausch. Berkley said he uses a film booking and buying service to help select the films. “They program the films for us based on the content of the film,� he said. “We try to pick the films that are in distribution that are in the circuit and doing good business.� “The one I’m most personally interested in seeing is A Separation. It was controversial because it came from Iran, but I think it will be very popular. And

also Salmon Fishing In The Yemen.� “The festival here focuses on bringing to East Texas acclaimed independent films, foreign language films and documentaries that might not otherwise play in the area,� said Housby. “It is an opportunity for those who love film to see these movies on a big screen in the shared experience of the movie theater. It is particularly rare that, outside of the festival, we get to see documentaries and foreign language films on the big screen.� Berkley said he chose the spring and fall to host the festival because it’s a generally slow time of the year for films, and he wanted to offer some alternatives for movie-goers. While he admits that interest in the film festival has leveled off, he said he hopes to continue expanding it. In the future, a few days of Texas produced independent films might be added to the lineup. “Texas has a fairly solid program for film production, but nothing like Louisiana does,� he said. “I don’t know that the state of Texas offers much encouragement to filmmakers. We’d be

willing to show independent, Texasmade films.� For Berkley, the festival is a personal passion. He believes in great films and wants to provide others with an opportunity to experience them. “We want people to understand this isn’t a money maker,� he said. “We do this as a way to bring culture to the area and bring in films that are not readily available.� “Film is an art form, and there’s a tremendous amount of film out there that never gets an audience.� “Those who enjoy the festival so much should really thank Byron,� added Housby. “As an independent theater owner, he has made a personal commitment to the continuation of the festival and its celebration of great filmmaking.� For more about the Kilgore Film Festival, visit the Facebook fanpage by searching for Kilgore Film Festival. In addition, those wishing to be on the mailing list can email the festival at bmovies@sbcglobal.net

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