THE ARTS MAGAZINE OF THE ART STUDIO, INC.
DECEMBER 2020
INSIDE: YEAR IN REVIEW, MFAH’S KINDER BUILDING, GEEK’S HOLIDAY GUIDE, AND MORE
ISSUE Vol. 26, No. 7 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . The Art Studio, Inc.
A View From The Top Greg Busceme, TASI Director
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle Cate Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Dixon
I WANT TO BEGIN with thoughts about what images you will see in this ISSUE. It’s sometimes difficult to imagine that the place that is The Studio now has not always been the way it is now. In fact, The Studio is kind of a chameleon, changing colors without changing shape. The facility changed three times in our history, and each offered the potential for growth. Our birthplace was at 1076 Neches and Milam — small and infinitely hot or cold, depending on the season. We were usually three months past due on rent, had three studio spaces, a gallery and, yes, a darkroom, which was more like a big plastic bag in the back room. We mixed our own clay and sold it to schools delivered in my old 65 Chevy pickups. We had a continuous parade of children for classes and school visits, as the room filled with noise and laughter and delighted teachers. It was then that I realized that we were more than a place for artists, we were a new community that had the opportunity to change, in a small way, the lives of people. We had an old manual typewriter my Aunt Marietta used at Texas Coffee Co.
The Art Studio, Inc. Board of Directors Corporate President . . . . . . Greg Busceme Corporate Vice-President. . Angela Scheibel Membership . . . . . . . . Kelly Logan Murphy Members at Large. . . . . . . Olivia Busceme, . . . . . . . . Allison Kainer, Michael Saar, . . . . . Laurie Gordon, Sheila Busceme Tenant Representative . . . Stephen Rousett Assistant Director. . . . . . . . Stephanie Orta Assistant Curator . . . . . . . . . Michelle Cate
The Art Studio, Inc. 720 Franklin Beaumont, TX 77701 409-838-5393 www.artstudio.org info@artstudio.org The ISSUE is a monthly publication of The Art Studio,
that was our source for formal letters, and all labels and mailings addresses were handwritten by a special crew of volunteers with good handwriting. The invites and large mailings were typeset and copied at Triangle Blueprint, who are still our printer today — and, yes, back then, we owed them money, too. Our shift to the White House gave us the opportunity to have legit studio spaces, 18 if I recall correctly. Here we expanded to offer local bands a venue to play. Terri Fox was the driving force and, what I now know were Raves, gave us the income we were looking for. We continued to have large groups of children come in for workshops and I was travelling to local schools under the Arts Related Curriculum program for BISD under Bonnie Madden and Millie Hartel where, for six years, I went to all schools and demonstrated pottery with a message of trying new things, perseverance and, most importantly, to never give up. I still get tapped on the shoulder and
See VIEW on page 14
Inc. Its mission is to publicize The Art Studio and its tenants, and to promote the growth of the arts in Southeast Texas. ISSUE is also charged with informing TASI members of projects, progress, achievements and setbacks in TASI’s well-being. Further, ISSUE strives to promote and distribute the writings of local authors in its “Thoughtcrime” feature. ISSUE is provided free of charge to members of TASI
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT THE ART STUDIO
FEBRUARY
MARCH
Cathy Spence Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 6
Sirena LaBurn Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 6
and is also available, free of charge, to some subscribers of the Port Arthur News and Orange Sentinel as well as at The Art Studioin Southeast Texas. Regular features include local artists of note and rep-
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utation who are not currently exhibiting at TASI; artists currently or soon to be exhibiting at TASI; Instructional articles for artists; news stories regarding the state of TASI’s organization; and arts news features dealing with general philosophical issues of interest to artists.
Contents MFAH Kinder Building. . . . . . . . . . Page 4 Geek’s Holiday Guide . . . . . . . . . . Page 6 TASI Year in Review . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 TASI Press Club Awards . . . . . . . Page 11 Thoughtcrime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15 Cover photo of Richard Spinney’s fish sculpture at the Annual Shop-O-Rama Extravaganza by Stephanie Orta
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4 • ISSUE December 2020
Volume 27, No. 1
—Siddiq Peeks—
DISCOVERING MFAH’S KINDER Michelle Cate, TASI assistant curator, talks with November’s exhibiting artist Sajeela Siddiq about the Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s new Nancy and Rich Kinder Building which houses international modern and contemporary art.
siderations from the beginning. They hired (Steven Holl Architects) who proposed underground parking. So, no matter where you park, you can enter the Kinder through tunnels which are art pieces in and of themselves. They connect to the rest of the museum campus and the Glassell School of Art.
Michelle Cate: So Sajeela, what made you decide to make the trip from Lake Charles, Louisiana, with your two daughters to the MFAH considering everything this year: storms, COVID, etc?
MC: What were some of the pieces that your daughters enjoyed?
Sajeela Siddiq: Well, we were originally supposed to be in Italy on vacation, because I love to travel with the girls, but with COVID all that changed. During hurricane season we were forced to evacuate Lake Charles so we went to Houston. While we were there we did as many outdoor activities as possible, hitting a lot of parks, but the new Kinder Building wasn’t open yet. (As soon as it was) I planned the trip. It was free and will be free until Dec. 25, so that was another reason to go check it out. I actually went in without any preconcieved ideas about what we might see. I plotted and planned other parts of the trip, like parking, but I went into the space with a blank slate. MC: So what did you think of the new space? SS: The parking was actually part of the museum’s con-
SS: The girls really liked the tunnels, the gold one (“Chromosaturation” by Carlos Cruz-Diez) is actually a subtractive light installation, which makes everything look greyscale. My littlest enjoyed the “Rainbow Tunnel” by James Turrell. But they have all these fun things and large scale sculptures. I’m glad that they have it because it makes it easier for young kids. You know, it’s fun stuff, especially right at the beginning. I don’t know, if they designed it that way or not, but.... MC: I’m sure they did. (There are six more site-specific commissioned artworks by artists El Anatsui, Byung Hoon Choi, Olafur Eliasson, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Cristina Iglesias, and Ai Weiwei). SS: Yeah. Because there’s the Glassell School of Art, and they have lots of field trips with school children. The kids enjoyed also enjoyed the video installation of themselves, and also the optical illusion art.
MC: So what were some of the pieces that you really connected to? SS: They have these futuristic things by a Venezuelan artist, his models are hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. The models are made of a clear material. And there are little people in there, too. It’s like walking to a movie set of some sort. Futuristic, like the year 3000 or something. MC: Sounds like South American futurism or something. Everyone’s about futurism right now. Would you like to talk about the new building generally? What was your takeaway? SS: My favorite part would actually be the overall museum itself. The fact that there is a new, I mean, it may be part of Houston MFA, but it certainly is big enough to be a museum on its own, where you spend an entire day — it’s that big. I always felt that Houston lacked a modern art space like you see in other places. I’ve seen so many museums where the existing museum has a lot of classical Western art and antiquities, and a smaller collection of modern art. Once in a while they do have visiting exhibitions of contemporary art, but they didn’t have a dedicated (modern and contemporary art) space like this before in Houston, really. MC: Before visitors had to go to multiple museums to see
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Volume 27, No. 1 those two things. Houston has the Menil for Western Modern Art. And then there is CAM across the street from MFAH which was always only Contemporary Art. So it definitely makes sense why MFAH did this. SS: This is a museum houses so much of what other museums have combined, and it’s the sheer volume of Modern and Post-Modern and Contemporary Art that is impressive. It has all the greats from America and Europe — Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso — that you would expect. My favorite room was the books on paper, because I love drawing on paper. That room had an extensive collection of printmaking and drawings, and ink on paper. And then, of course, I’m glad that they kept diversity in mind. They want to diversify, in their own words, “In every direction.” There’s more art by female artists, there’s more art by international artists of every kind. There’s a prominent dedication to Latin American art. I was walking through so quickly through the second and third floor with the girls, but there were many international looking names. The next time I go, I will read in detail the labels and learn more about these artists and their work. One of my favorite things about MFAH is that they write substantial labels that actually go in depth about the piece and interpret it. There was a lot of work by the painter, Frank Stella (who is famous for his often colorful, often intertwining geometric shapes). These pieces were his early works which was very clean and hard edged. MC: Was there something that surprised you about the space? SS: Just that it’s such an extensive place full of modern art. I walked in not knowing much about anything that they have put in the museum, so it exceeded my expectations. If I were to try to compare it to any other museum, in terms of, how extensive it is, it reminded me of the Tate Modern in London or even the Vatican Museum. The Vatican Museum was one museum where you not only have classical art, but also an extensive collection of modern art. It’s huge. And I’m sure not everything is even on display. MC: The Vatican Museum? Well, I imagine in Italy, they have that long, continuous line that comes down from the Renaissance to our era where people can trace their lineage of teachers. SS: The Vatican also has a huge collection of Modern and Contemporary art from America and France. I missed going to The Centre Pompidou in Paris because I ran out of time on my trip, so it’s possible I’m missing a comparison to the Kinder’s collection there. Needless to say, the Kinder is very impressive. I’ve read that their goal is for Houston to be the fourth biggest art center after New York, Chicago, and LA, so this is them taking a giant leap towards that. And it’s not just for Houstonians. I feel like people like us, who live hours from Houston, imagine living two hours from LA or New York or Chicago and (getting to see) so much great art. That reminds me... the Art Institute of Chicago has a lot of Modern Art, too. Then again, The Art Institute is also an exhaustingly big museum. The Kinder Building is big, but I’m glad that you can just visit this and it’s kind of manageable. Other places have such large spaces, you go in and it’s just exhausting in one day. My art professor called it “museum fatigue,” when you’re just up to your eyeballs in art. Right now the MFAH is reminding me of the Louvre,
Sajeela Siddiq’s daughters interact with the art at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s Kinder Building.
because it’s this whole campus that is all connected and available in one location, which is nice. I don’t know how the ticket prices will reflect after this because I visited for free right now. MC: Yes, what they have done with the campus is really pretty smart. SS: I recently watched a film on post-war artists, and all the terms and their philosophies were fresh in my mind. I’m excited to go back and spend some time, especially viewing the international artists that have done sort of tapestries and collages of photographs. Another favorite piece of my daughter’s was, of course, this ginormous black, all black Lego. It was in one of those shared spaces between rooms. My little one really is into Legos. There’s a lot of art with some mechanics involved. I’m apparently not smart enough to figure it out. And I’m staring at it and I’m thinking, “How can I do that?” And, of course, my eldest daughter is mega-genius. We were looking at one piece with triangles made of metal tubes hanging with strings connected to something up above. And they’re going up and down and undulating, the shapes shifting their triangular shape into different types of triangles. It’s mesmerizing, because it’s floating. I am just standing there trying to figure it out, “How is it doing that?” And my daughter explains, “Well, there’s a mechanism up above it inside the ceiling, pulling the strings up and down.” And I’m like, “Ah!” She ended up giving this whole explanation. There were other people standing around listening. MC: Haha! “They were just listening as junior docent Siddiq gave her interpretation.” SS: Yeah. Oh, no. (Smiles) Jesus, it was priceless. She understands physics more than she wants to admit. I was pushing her towards it even when we left the museum later. When we left the museum, she said, “Well, that was great fun.” MC: That’s a big deal. SS: Yeah. The younger one got tired easily, so she would sit down on a bench here and there. She was hungry. My mistake was that I took them to the museum two hours after having breakfast, when it should have been right
after breakfast or after lunch. MC: OK. Good to point out. That’s a problem specific to moms but everyone has to eat. SS: At least with timed tickets you can figure out what is the best time, and how to time it with meals and stuff you’re used to doing. MC: So you mentioned you have a penchant for collecting museum pencils, so did you go through a gift shop? SS: The gift shop in the Kinder Building, as far as I could see, was very, very minimal. And it was just a long one wall. I didn’t see a big gift shop yet which was fine because we had completely maxed out on energy. It was just in the main atrium as you entered from the street level, it was mainly a collection of books, maybe some books and bags. I didn’t get to see if they had any pencils. I usually always allow the kids to spend some money in the fabulous gift shop they have in the main building. I love the types of toys and things that museums curate into their gift shops. I have a thing for pencils though and I look for them when I travel and notice it if a museum doesn’t have one. The Acropolis Museum didn’t have one for example. They are nice little momentos, and usually affordable. I wish all the museums in the world had pencil pencils. MC: Are you really a museum if you don’t have a museum pencil? That is the question? SS: Exactly. How am I to immortalize my trip to a museum if they don’t have a pencil? I bring the pencils back and then I see my kids using my pencil to do homework. And I’m like, give that back! One time, I spied my prized British Museum pyramid pencil on the kitchen counter. It has hieroglyphics that have faded because it’s five years old.... I am like, “Use your own pencil!” I mean, I may never get to go back to a specific museum. I think that’s why I treasure them so much. MC: Right? Well, thank you for your time, Sajeela. We look forward to having more conversations with you, or featuring your writing in ISSUE or on www.artstudio.org when you visit more museums in the area or globally. SS: Of Course.
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Pandemic or holidays, the Our resident culture guru offers options for the shut-ins WELL WE’VE MADE IT to December, haven’t we friends and neighbors. And while this year has been tumultuous at best, we can maybe salvage some small part of it by soaking up what traditions we can within our small bubbles — the egg nog, the songs, the films and the presents. So grab a cup of something sweet and do a little shopping for those geeks you love.
Commentary by Jeff Dixon Dixon has had it up to here with 2020 and he’s going all in on Christmas. Decorations, cocoa, brownies, Charlie Brown, Mariah Carey — all of it!
BILL AND TED FACE THE MUSIC — We start off our list with a film over 20 years in the making. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter return to the roles that launched their careers, stepping into the sneakers of Ted “Theodore” Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esquire as they try and figure out how to write the song that will save all of time and space from
crumbling around them. Also, I just realized, I have no idea what the “S” in Bill S. Preston stands for. I’ve seen the first two films more times that I can count, as well as the comics and the short lived animated series, and I have never once until this very moment wondered what Bill’s middle initial is. And since you’re now undoubtedly wondering as well, I’ll end the suspense — Stanley. I know, I know, I was underwhelmed as well. GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI — One of the most underrated films of the ’90s, “Ghost Dog” is basically two hours of Forest Whitaker putting on a clinic of subtle and poignant acting. Directed by Jim Jarmusch, the film follows Whitaker as he weaves through the dangerous neighborhood he resides in as an al-
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Geek will be safe at home most legendary figure, mythical. A hit man for the mob but also a specter, a ghost of a man. It remains my favorite role Whitaker has ever played and the film I always think about when I hear his name. This one is for the crime drama fan on your Christmas list. TOTAL RECALL 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION — In an age where identity theft and data mining are at the forefront of tech news, “Total Recall” has never been more poignant or relevant. But seriously, you’re not watching it for that — you could, but you’re not. You’re watching it because this is hands down the most bananas film that Arnold Schwarzenegger has ever made, which is saying something for a man who has been in the game for 40 years. No matter what else you do in your career you’re not going to top arguing with a character who literally grows out of another characters stomach. PLASTIC HEARTS by MILEY CYRUS — Who saw this coming? Hands? But seriously, how could I not? I’ve been waiting for this album since before I knew it would be an album. Originally, Cyrus planned to release three EPs over the course of the last year but things changed, and the second and third EPs were scrapped and from the ashes this album rose like a Phoenix. A Phoenix that loves Dolly Parton and crop tops in equal measure. Cyrus continues the evolution she started with her “Bangerz” album and looks to pull influence from ’80s synth pop and classic ballads.
when I finally found the right route back I was a mess, having had multiple small panic attacks and pulling over to cry a little bit a few times. About 10 minutes after I found the right route, I came across a Target and had to stop just get my bearings and not be in the car for a bit. I found myself walking to the music section and soon I was back in the car with this album. A few minutes after that I was singing along at the top of my lungs while driving through the beach communities that dot the landscape of the Gulf Coast. All the stress of the last few hours melted away, and for that I cannot recommend this album enough. It’s pure fun that you can listen to and sometimes that’s really all you need. MARIAH CAREY’S ENTIRE CATALOG ON VINYL — For a very brief moment I toyed with the idea of making this entire guide this entry. Just highlighting every single album that is now available on vinyl as a tribute to the Queen of Christmas, except, that is, for either of the Christmas albums. Thankfully, my wife intervened and persuaded me that it was not nearly as hilarious of an idea as I thought, but I digress. For the pop music fan on your list this year I would highly recommend picking up one of these beautiful editions. “Rainbow” and “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” are particular stunning, and both are wonderfully complex pieces of Carey’s oeuvre.
NIGHTMARE VACATION by RICO NASTY — For the past few years, Rico Nasty has been cropping up in my Spotify recommendations more and more. And in the last year especially, I’ve noticed something. Sonically, no one is doing what Rico is doing. No one in the hip hop world or the punk world is straddling the line between these two genres. A PROMISED LAND by BARACK OBAMA — The first of two volumes detailing his presidency, “A Promised Land” is honestly the only book I’m currently looking forward to reading. Not that there aren’t amazing and exciting books coming out soon but as soon as the release day was announced for this all other books sort of fell off my radar. This volume will most likely cover the campaign and the first term of his presidency, and for a political junkie like myself those pages about the campaign are what I’m most looking forward to, especially after the last four years of whatever this has been. And that’s all for me folks, it’s been, well, it’s been something I can tell you that. I’m off to find a gift for my little ones that won’t be too hard to put together in the wee hours of Christmas morn. Be safe out there friends and neighbors. Mahalo!
SMILE by KATY PERRY — I got a flat tire in Alabama yesterday. At the time of this writing it has been fixed but for that to happen I had to drive on a spare to Florida. On the way back I got lost numerous times and
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Volume 27, No. 1
TASI 2020 in Review
JANUARY TASI’s Beaux Arts Ball “Winter Wonder Wasteland” was quite a kickoff to the year as our tribe showed up in force and partied until the lights went out — literally. Our fearless co-chairwomen, Shana Hawa and Larena Busceme, led the charge. A fiercely fabulous Apocolypse was had by all! Photos by John Fulbright
FEBRUARY Mayor Becky Ames celebrated TASI joining the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce with a ribbon cutting, alongside with executive director Greg Busceme, Sr. and TASI board members. David
Pool, Jerome Cabeen, Mercedes Vega, Randy Edwards, Nathan Yellow-Jones and Stephanie Orta, TASI assistant director support TASI tenant Mercedes Vega’s exhibit at The Avenue Cafe, Port Neches.
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John Rollins, as a regular fixture at opening receptions, as a board member he was always willing to serve and smile and offer friendly conversation during exhibition openings. Thank you, John Rollins.
MARCH Kailee Viator and Amanda Barry unveiled their joint exhibition opening of “A Common Occurence of Time.” Lamar University’s“Poetic Souls” shared moving performances at First Thursday. John Rollins, as a regular fixture at opening receptions, as a board
member he was always willing to serve and smile and offer friendly conversation during exhibition openings. Thank you, John Rollins. Band Nite was on Leap Year in 2020. David and Jane Silvernail participated in the collabrative table as part of the “Spontaneous Construction” exhibition in March. “Spontaneous Construction” featured 3D work of all kinds and was the last exhibiton to have an inperson reception in 2020. It was well recieved and the variety and playfulness enjoyed by all. Two Workshops were held in March before all events were cancelled for the rest of the year including life drawing and workshops and camps. One was a Monoprint Workshop with Tenant Elizabeth Fontenot, and one was an Intro to Darkroom photography by Tenant Gabriel Sellers.
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MAY After closing for the month of April because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nathan Yellow-Jones’s Pop Up exhibit, “Sentiment,” was held in May. The show explored color and relationships through figures and abstraction. JUNE Other Virtual events this year included “Virtual Summer Spree,” “Christmas in July,”and “TASI Fire Sale: Hot Artists” in August. JULY Sara Lydia Tuell, left, held pop up exhibit, “Sanctuary,” featuring paintings, drawing, metal sculpture and ceramics. Her art was based on her experiences in the Roy E. Larsen Sandylands Sanctuary in Silsbee. This was the first exhibition to go LIVE STREAM on social media. Questions were answered from those submitted by viewers and the artist answered them during the stream. Kevin Williams of Snake Education Experience joined us for a LIVE STREAM video on Facebook this summer. Photo by Kinza Waheed. Volunteers were especially crucial to our operations this year whether it was moving bricks for rebuilding kilns, to technical help, to lifting large tables or hosting and entertaining virtually TASI volunteers make the dream work!
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SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
TASIMJAE 2020 was juried by Dennis Nance, Curator of the Galveston Arts Center and Dario Buchelli was chosen as first place. Matt Beshears was second place and Andy Coughlan’s work chosen as third. Thirty-one pieces were featured in the show, which was postponed twice because of COVID and storms.
TASI creative crew, Tyler Hargraves, Jake Hollier and Jordan Wright recorded local talent, Laura Edwards and Axle Wisor, for exhibition videos of Elizabeth P. Fontenot and Gail Binagia. In the first of its kind, TASI Virtual Spooky Bookfair
featured local member authors who read excerpts from their books for social media. David Hooker, Linda Pittillo, Stephen Oak, and Christopher Joubert were the first authors featured in what is hoped will become a seasonal feature of local authors of all genres.
10 • ISSUE December 2020
OCTOBER A2Z Podcast hosted Movie Night at the Jefferson Theatre, featuring “The Lost Boys,” in benefit of The Art Studio, Inc. It was the first event held at the Jefferson since it closed to the public at the beginning of the pandemic. The event raised more than $1,900 and was attended by approximately 75 costumed and socially distanced patrons. NOVEMBER Sajeela Siddiq, winner of TASIMAJE 2019, finally had her solo exhibition, “A Poetry of Line and Shape.” It featured her drawings, paintings and graphic designs. The Nesmith’s — Mark and Elizabeth — celebrated their 2nd wedding anniversary with a pop up show titled, “Still in Love and Paint,” featuring Elizabeth’s beautiful watercolor paintings and Mark’s clever animal paintings in oil. Trisha Faye exhibited in the Pop Up Gallery her very fine tuned asthetic skill in found object arrangement and multi-media art in her show, “As We Go....” DECEMBER The Annual Shop-O-Rama Virtual Extravaganza was hosted by Grace Mathis, Sparkle Motion and assistant “Shop-Bot,” Daisha Brown. During the Virtual Shop-O-Rama, Greg Busceme, Sr. gave a clay demonstration for the artist-vendors in attendance. What a unique year 2020 was. Hope to see you all in person in 2021. Fingers crossed!
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ISSUE, TASI win 21 awards at Press Club THE ART STUDIO, INC.’S ISSUE magazine, and TASI-related work was recognized with 21 awards at the Press Club of Southeast Texas Excellence in Media Awards, held virtually Nov. 14. The awards cover work published in 2019. The awards are traditionally given out in June but were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. ISSUE staff earned seven first-place awards, and ISSUE placed third for Magazine Overall Excellence. “The ISSUE staff has always been comprised of volunteers, so we are grateful that so many talented people are willing to devote their time to promote the arts in Southeast Texas and beyond,” Andy Coughlan, outgoing ISSUE editor, said. Stephan Malick placed first in the Column Writing category for his “Above Board” series that shared the process of The Studio’s board. Malick also earned third place in the Magazine Writing Portfolio category and honorable mention for Magazine News Writing. Coughlan earned several first-place awards in a variety of categories for his work with ISSUE. Coughlan placed first in the Magazine Writing Portfolio,
which covered a variety of stories. Coughlan also placed first in the Magazine Photo category for his picture of Keith Carter and his write up of JooYoung Choi’s exhibition at The Art Museum of Southeast Texas won the Fine Arts Review category. The layout for Malick’s news story about TASI’s February 2019 “Capsula Stellis” show earned first place. Coughlan won first place in the Travel Writing category for his series on Barcelona and the work of architect Antoni Gaudi which ran in three consecutive publications in fall 2019. His piece on Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia cathedral placed first in the FaithBased/Inspirational category. In the Magazine Feature category, Coughlan placed second and third for his feature on Christopher Troutman’s TASI exhibition, and his piece on a pair of art-themed films. Elaine Wikstrom earned a third-place award for her Travel piece on the Crystal Bridges art museum in Arkansas. Michelle Cate earned honorable mention for Magazine Photo for her image of Beaumont’s Children’s Museum. Coughlan also earned second place for Magazine Photography. The 2019
Alternative Show poster, designed by Coughlan, placed third in the Poster category, and he placed third in the Personal Profile category, as well as third and honorable mention for Fine Arts Review. Hornorable mention also went for Magazine News and Layout. Coughlan stepped down as ISSUE editor this spring after 18 years. “It has been an absolute pleasure working with so many wonderful contributors over nearly two decades,” he said. “My goal is always to promote all the arts and I think these awards are
validation for the contributor’s efforts, as well as the importance of The Art Studio in the community.” Coughlan also earned second place for travel writing and for his independent blog. The Press Club draws its membership from Jefferson, Orange, Hardin, Liberty, Chambers, Jasper, Tyler, Polk and Newton counties. Press Club members are professionals in media, public relations, academia, public affairs, and corporate communication and public information.
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14 • ISSUE December 2020
VIEW from page 3 am met with a person in their 40s who asks if I ever did pottery in their 4thgrade class. On affirming that I did, I ask, “What do you remember?” and they always say, “Don’t give up.” It is important to note that we all have the ability to offer our children encouragement. I am honored to have that demonstrated to me through people who remember that crazy hippie guy with the long ponytail. Our untragic final destination is 720 Franklin, where all the knowledge from our past experiences came together to grow in this amazing facility. Bandnites have become a regular monthly event for originating musicians for the past 26 years. Eighteen oversized studio spaces and a bi-level gallery present the full spectrum of artists in age and skill, as we have no age limit on participants. This history of inclusion, support and presentation are a formula we can and do live by. We have offered a blank canvas and the community of artists responded by filling it with color and shape.
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I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some people who are helping in an amazing way. Grantors EDAREN foundation, Foundation for Southeast Texas and Hancock-Whitney support projects on all levels at The Art Studio. Also, a big thank you to all the people who have supported TASI through the years, some tougher than others. Our public support is the kind that keeps our doors open and our programs running, and, yes, keep our small staff from becoming smaller. All these sources make us able to maintain operations and activities, and allow us to up our game, raise our bar and see beyond the horizon (enough with the metaphors). As we grow, with your help, we can continue to influence young and not so young people to find pleasure in the arts and seek the joy it can provide.
The Art Studio, Inc.’s has been located in three buildings over its long tenure as a staple in the Southeast Texas community. Originating at 1076 Neches and Milam,top, the organization moved to the White House building, middle, before settling at its current location at 720 Franklin.
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December 2020 ISSUE • 15
Volume 27, No. 1
Thoughtcrime Submission Guidelines and Disclaimer ISSUE solicits and publishes the work of local authors. Poetry, short fiction, scholarly works and opinion pieces may be submitted for review. All works must be typed and may be sent to TASI by email or by messaging the ISSUE Facebook page. The opinions expressed in “Thoughtcrime” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TASI, its Board of Directors, ISSUE’s editorial staff, or donors to TASI. Send typed works to: ISSUE 720 Franklin St. Beaumont, TX 77701 or e-mail info@artstudio.org Authors must submit a daytime telephone number and email along with all submissions. Pen names are acceptable, but authors must supply real names for verification. All printed works are protected by copyright. The author retains rights to any published work. ISSUE does not notify rejection by mail or telephone.
That Bolivar Night
A Lover’s Death
Like wind whispering over the dunes of Bolivar Our hands trace our outlines There are dancing twinkles in your eye Back and forth they go, from the fire nearby
Hear me woman, I die of love for you. Though all my words, I know, you will repeal, I must entreat you as I know them true — My love for you is such, and it is real.
The wind is a muse as we survey it all Sight and sound of rolling waves, making long, furrowed brows The caws of faraway squabbling gulls All in the sky’s waning eventide Some bits of glass, Some strands of wire, A crushed beer can, And the partial skeleton of some sun-bleached fish As darkness comes, those things we saw They all blink in-and-out in the fire’s light We can now see the stars And far off, some oil platform’s light Laughter and touching helps us warm We tell our stories and drink our wine And watch the stars starting to hide The wind’s misty breath and the moving clouds conjure the coming storm We clamor and huddle after the first lightning crack We laughed out how quick we were able to pack Sandy, and soon steamy, the windows began to veil With an embrace, the sound of the storm began to fade Lost to the intensity of space and time Animated by flashes of light and the sounds that we made The dark of night and curtain of rain Only encouraged us to remain Once again, we heard Bolivar’s wind blow It got so late, but we still hesitated to go Revving and bouncing across the darkened sand We turned on to a road on more stable land The dunes were still shrouded by the last of the night We were on asphalt road by the morning light Stephan Malick
It hangs my heart, now, ripe upon the bough, For you to pluck and take upon your tongue. Devour if you will, it will allow. For that brief meal is why my heart was hung. Or if it please you judge me and condemn — A villain filled with fault to dance the tree And swing until his life ends on a limb, Justice for the crime for which love’s guilty. Either one – the garden or the gallows. Dearest one – is but the same what follows.
I Ache for Someone I ache for the one I can be childish with, Giddy with, Silly with, Stupid with. Someone with whom I can explore the forest Breathing in earthy scents, Listening to the chorus of nature, Seeing the imperfect perfection of the twisting branches reaching toward the sky. I ache for the one who will lie with me on soft meadows watching clouds, Tumbling down hills in childish play, Landing with my body on hers, My leg between her thighs, Kissing her lips in-between uncontrollable smiles, Rolling and giggling among the flowers, Butterflies flying like fairies, After dusk, chasing fireflies until they leave to greet the stars, Then lying on our backs in the darkness, hand in hand, Finding constellations and patterns, Searching for planets, Giggling at jokes, Drunk with the sleepiness that makes normal things seem silly. And when the night gets chilly, We make a fire, Hypnotized by the dancing flames, Flickering light reflecting off our faces as we stare Pondering the things that burn within our soul Snuggling in closer for comfort and warmth As we drift off to sleep in each other's arms.
So nice after the rain. Sparkling drops of newness lands on trembling wet tendrils. The moisture spirals down to Mother Earth's supple face. Rain delivers a freshness like no other. Steam rise from streets as if sterilizing the pungent and infected world. The roofs on each house shines as sunbeams prance skimming the tops warming the hearts of the families within. A newness. not so easy to transform our world
I ache for the one who still observes the world with childlike curiosity and awe But is mature enough to know how to grieve and feel when the earth mourns. Someone who finds everything about me fascinating, Who lets her guard down when I'm around Because together we are safe. Someone I can explore both physically and mentally, Fingers painting her every curve, Loving her perfect imperfections Giving her goosebumps. Moonlight reflecting in her eyes, I'm asking her questions and hearing past her answers, Through to her soul, Holding her passions and loving them as mine. Making her dreams come true, Cherishing her and loving her with my entire being... Together we are romantically creating our own reality, Living with the tenderness of past griefs and sacrifices, Healing them in our own fairy tale, Writing our own story, Happily Ever After.
Dorothy Sells Clover
Kate Ellen
Jesse Doiron Aftermath
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