ISSUE May 2017 by The Art Studio, Inc.

THE A RTS MAGAZINE OF THE A RT STU DIO, INC .

MAY 2 017

A R T M E S S E NG E R

PAGE 8 I N S I D E : M E X I C A N AVA N T- G A R D E , A R T O F C U B A , TA S I M J A E R E V I E W, A N D M O R E

ARTSkool 2017

Week I = July 17-21 $200 (morning + afternoon) Week II = July 24-28 $200 (morning + afternoon) Morning Classes: 9:30 - 12 noon (morning only) $100 per week. Afternoon Classes: 12:30-3 pm (afternoon only) $100 per week.

This year we will be offering Clay sculpture, Film photography, Drawing, Printmaking, Paper Mache, and Mixed media collage. The student will learn to make art like TASI artists! Working in different mediums, managing their time and making decisions regarding subject matter and themes. Each week culminates in an opening reception for the students, family and friends each Friday, 5:30-6:30. The students will participate in the hanging of the work for the reception. Ages 10+. Dress for Mess. All Supplies included in the price of ARTSkool.

On v iew through Sept. 9, 2017 • Orange, Texas

See a Side of T he W Weest You’ve Never Seen Before... View more than 80 works of art and related film content higghligghting the changing brands, or imager y of violence, beaut y and celebration of the A merican We West.

sta rk museum.org

Registration op pen fo or students entering grades K-12! Forms due June 16th. William Herber t Dunton (1878-1936), Romaldita (detail), c. 1922, oil on canvas, 30 x 25 in., W Stark Museum of Ar t, Orange, Texas. 31.21.401.

Organized by the Brigham Young University Museum of Art and the Stark Museum of Art, and made possible in part by generous grants from the George S. and Delores Doré Eccles Foundation, the Nelda C. and H. J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies, and the Utah Division of Arts & Museums.

ISSUE Vol. 23, No. 8 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Art Studio, Inc.

A View From The Top Greg Busceme, TASI Director ThAnks To All The participants of our members exhibition and a big hat tip to our juror Dennis kiel. I would also like to recognize scott leBurn as one of our benefactors for TAsIMJAe 2017 who helped fund the amazing cash awards given out this year. Another wonderful contribution benefitting all the shows is a gift from signs International here in Beaumont.They have been kind enough to print our headers free of charge, i.e., the title and name of the artist that goes up on the wall of the gallery for the exhibitions. We are proud to have these sponsors contributing to the efforts to promote the arts and artists that the studio has been doing for 34 years. Many people contribute their skills and talents to our cause in many small and not so small ways you may not even notice. so it is with stephan Malick and Andy Coughlan ever in the background, who continue to put out an amazing publication, IssUe, that has won

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy Coughlan Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephan Malick Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . Elena Ivanova, . . . . . . . . . Caitlin Duerler, Stephan Malick Contributing Photographers . . . . Caitlin Duerler Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Malick The Art Studio, Inc. Board of Directors Corporate President . . . . . . . . . . Greg Busceme Corporate Vice-President . . . . . Angela Scheibel Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Winston Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kim Armitage Members at Large . . . . . . . . . Sheila Busceme, . . . . . . . . . Olivia Busceme, John Fulbright, . . . . . . . . . Stephan Malick, Tim Postlewait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Roberts Tenant Representative . . . . . Elizabeth Fontenot Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth French

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, 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 and is also available, free of charge, at more than 30 locations in Southeast Texas. Regular features include local artists of note and reputation 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

MAY

Cover photo of Kwanzaa Edwards by Caitlin Duerler

See VIEW on page 13

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT THE ART STUDIO JUNE

Kwanzaa Edwards “No Message Needed” (TASIMJAE 2016 Winner) Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 6

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ART STUDIO

The Alternative Show Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 3

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Membership in The Art Studio, Inc., provides invitations to all exhibitions and one year of ISSUE, the monthly arts magazine of The Art Studio. It also gives free eligibility for members to enter the annual membership art exhibition (TASIMJAE) and participate in various exhibitions throughout the year.

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TASIMJAE in Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 Mexican Art at DMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6 Kwanzaa Edwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Cuban Art at MFAH . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Walthall at HSG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13 Around & About. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Thoughtcrime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15

award after award, year after year and helped countless young writers receive recognition for their literary skills. From Band nite to Poetry Renaissance, Darkroom Friends to Drawing Group, people are putting in the time and effort to keep the arts and art opportunities alive. so it is that we must be diligent in our choice of local, regional, state and national representatives that support the arts in all its forms and recognize its place in the realm of the First Amendment. As a nonprofit we are limited in our ability to endorse individuals who support our efforts and the laws that can benefit our survival or reject those laws, rules or statutes that can have a negative effect on our organizations goals and purpose. educational restrictions and limits on free expression hobbling cultural 501(c)(3)s from supporting candidates

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4 • ISSUE May 2017

Volume 23, No. 8

WAlThAll GARneRs ToP PRIze, eARns solo shoW In 2017

lAMAR UnIveRsITy GRADUATInG senIoR Travis Walthall placed first in TAsIMJAe 2017 with his painting “self Conscious Idiom no. 3.” Walthall earned a cash prize of $500 and a solo show in May 2018. The show attracted 85 pieces by 48 different artists, with 65 pieces from 41 artists accepted by juror Dennis kiel, director of the Dishman Art Museum. “Anyone who has juried an exhibition knows that much depends on how one feels at that particular moment,” kiel said in a statement. “Artists

Story and photos by Andy Coughlan

Travis Walthall’s “Self Conscious Idiom No. 3” was named first-place winner at TASIMJAE 2017. Walthall will be the exhibiting artist in Mat 2018. Third place went to Anna Myers’ soft sculpture titled, “Porfe.”

should, and most of them do, realize that the results are based on one person's subjective opinion, and in this case, mine. If I judged the show the next day, I'm sure the results could/ would be very different. “With that said, I was very impressed by the overall quality of the work submitted and excited to see how much artistic talent there is in southeast Texas and the surrounding area. And there was a lot of it! “Although overwhelmed at first, I started to see a number of themes popping up (portrait, landscape, abstract, etc.) and began to eliminate work that didn't seem to fit. I'm most

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interested in work that tends to stop me in my tracks, that pushes the envelope and might be considered risky, or is quirky enough to make me laugh. At this point, I got somewhat brutal and did worry for a moment that I was taking out too much. Finally I just stop. This is when I look around and everything appears to come together. I think being tired also has something to do with it. “Thinking back, I realize I could and

maybe should have used two days: one to look and absorb and another to do the actual jurying. In the end, however, I was happy with the way the exhibition turned out and thankfully, have no regrets.” second place was awarded to lisa Reinauer for her painting “Barrier.” Third place was awarded to Anna Myers for “Porfe.” honorable mentions went to Craig odle, Chance Deville and Tom vellion.

TASIMJAE 2017 included works by artists, clockwise from top, Craig Odle, Walter Siefford, Lisa Reinauer and Amanda Barry.

6 • ISSUE May 2017

Volume 23, No. 8

Uncovering identity

DMA hosts insightful view of 20th century Mexican art, culture

To DesCRIBe An All-encompassing exhibition in a few choice words is like describing a good meal as just being “tasty.” The Dallas Museum of Art’s “México 1900– 1950: Diego Rivera, Frida kahlo, José Clemente orozco, and the Avant-Garde” is worthy of several thousands of descriptions covering some of the most innovative and thought-provoking work to come out of a single country in modern times. The exhibition, which runs until July 16, is a bit of a misnomer — what visitors will see is a history lesson born of revolution, hope, tragedy and a search for identity that has so infrequently been assembled in such an exhibition. The show comes to Dallas via Paris, from its previous run at the Grand Palais in october, and presents a tornado of artistic movements that encompass surrealism, Decadentism, Cubism, neo-Impressionism, Realism (and many other isms I’ve failed to mention), Art nouveau, along with Avant-Garde, and topped-off with bits of old World Classical styles for good measure and is sure to pique the interest of any artist or admirer out there. If don’t find this exhibition of interest — you’re doing art wrong. While the 200 or so works cover the 50-year period starting just before the Mexican Revolution to the era of the Mexican Renaissance, the history lesson that is frequently drawn out is the struggle for identity that began when spanish conquistadors and indigenous peoples first came into contact, and later struggled to find itself in its own culture and a place in the world, and how that struggle manifested itself in the modern age. An underlying component of the exhibit, and the artists, is the connection with Mexico’s art schools and institutions. The national school of Fine Arts, previously known as the Academy of san Carlos, underwent reform in 1897 and 1903, along with other educational institutions. events such as the arrival of Antonio Rivas Mercado as its director and the creation of the secretariat of Public Instruction and Fine Arts in 1905 fostered the Academy’s modernization and improved the education of promising young Mexican artists such as Diego Rivera, saturnino herrán, Roberto Montenegro, Ángel zárrago and Dr. Atl. These artists renewed the iconographic and landscape motifs of the 19th cen-

Review by Stephan Malick

Rosa Roanda’s SELF PORTRAIT, above, Jorge González Camarena’s THE BATHERS (LAS BAÑISTAS), bottom right, and Miguel Covarrubias’s CLARK GABLE VS. EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES, top right, are part of the Dallas Museum of Art’s “Mexico 1900-1950” exhibition. Courtesy Dallas Museum of Art tury through vanguard movements such as Realism, Decadentism, symbolism, neo-Impressionism and Art nouveau. The lessons of young teachers such as Julio Ruelos and Germán Gedovius were significant, bringing to the Academy their experiences at the heart of German symbolism. In step with the rhythm of international Modernism, these Mexican artists sought to develop subjects that revolved around national archetypes. several unique perspectives of the exhibit are intertwined, in particular the emphasis on common people and the depiction of women, which breaks with traditional interpretations by pushing visitors to reexamine social roles in culture and society in Mexican society, often referred to as costumbrismo — a genre preoccupied with presenting local and daily life. This aimed to provide legitimacy to all of Mexico’s populations and is a significant element throughout the exhibit.

Common people are not additive as backgrounds, but the focus for many of the artist’s work shown. The same can be said of the women depicted. They are not just relegated to subservience or typical gender roles but shown as beautiful, strong, sometimes tragic, tired, worn, foundational actors for the society and culture of everyday Mexican life. Ángel zárraga’s decadent, “The Woman and the Puppet,” 1909 oil on canvas, is a large, imposing painting that draws visitors into the first gallery of the exhibit much like a siren to a rocky shore with its beauty and horror that would not seem out of place in a Rob zombie horror flick. Its glossy sheen poses a disconnection between the mysterious beauty of the Woman and the horror of a man/puppet that is both beautiful and grotesque at the same time. The visual is almost 3-D in appearance, yet carries the bearing of classical style painting of an old

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Dutch masterpiece with its brush strokes and technique. nahui olin’s “self-portrait as a school girl in Paris” is reminiscent of today’s anime, using bright showy colors to highlight her green eyes which are shown exaggerated even more. olin was known more for her social associations (she was the muse and collaborator with Gerald Murillo also known as “Dr. Atl”) than her work, but much like Frida kahlo, interest in her work grew after her death in 1978. exhibitions, such as this one, that bring so many artists together often struggle by trying to confine art to specific themes or content. What I think viewers will really like about this exhibit is the frenetic examples curated of so many styles that come together uniquely, but so complementary of each other. olin’s work in the exhibit are joined by others such as Maria Izquierdo, Tina Modotti and kahlo, who all, in the 1920s and 1930s, used their activism and creativity to form Mexican political and artistic movements. kahlo’s largest canvas, and one of her best-known works, “los Dos Fridas” — “The Two Fridas” — has a wall dedicated almost to itself. Painted in 1939, the same year she divorced Diego Rivera, it shows the pain that would often symbolize her work and personal life. The victorian Frida on the left is juxtaposed with the Tehuana-Mexican Frida on the right. Mexican Frida holds a locket with a child-Rivera picture in one hand. The other figure holds surgical clamps holding a bleeding artery or vein. so much has been made of the symbolism of this painting and what they represent to kahlo and her life would reappear throughout her work over her lifetime. los tres grandes — the big three: Diego Rivera, David Alfaro siqueiros and José Clemente orozco feature prominently throughout the show. Muralism and muralists are central to any discussion regarding Mexican art and all three have several works throughout the exhibition. Rivera is perhaps the most widely known of the three and my familiarity with him drew me more to the works of siqueiros and orozco. siqueiros’s 1931 “Woman with stone Mortar” depicting a dark and earthly frontal view of semi-nude indigenous woman toiling over a stone mortar is simplistic, yet powerful in conveying the daily work of women in Mexico in times past. This is contrasted by his surrealist, almost 3D, 1945 “self-Portrait” on celotex, that if you glance at it with your peripheral vision appears to move as it reaches its stretching arms outward with cracked, ripping fingernails and looks as if was completed yesterday.

ever since middle school, muralist José Clemente orozco has hung in my mind because he illustrated that edition of John steinbeck’s “The Pearl” I had to read for class. And throughout my time at the DMA I kept finding myself draw to certain works that when I would look at the placard, would inevitably be one of orozco’s works. For example, his 1943 “landscape with Peaks” showing a harsh, gnashing, twisted environment that is dark and stark as if some part of seussian world gone bad, drew me in from one side of the gallery to the other. orozco’s strong political beliefs objecting to human suffering and mass uniformity show through in a haze a tiny stream of marching people who appear to be going to some hellish destination under a gaze of sharp eyes coming out of the jagged and twisted peaks. you can almost hear and feel a howling wind when you look at it. elsewhere in the exhibit, saturino herrán’s 1918 “our Gods” (left panel only) is presented in its muralistic, massive scale (a wood panel at least six feet tall by 20 feet in length) showing indigenous priests or

See MEXICO on page 12

Art speaks for herself

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Volume 23, No. 8

TAsIMJAe 2016 winner’s ‘no Message needed’ shows strength, confidence

Story and photos by Caitlin Duerler

ConTeMPoRARy ARTIsTs oFTen WoRk at length to come up with the perfect title for their show, a title that will convey both the meaning of their work as well as leave a profound impression on the viewer. Artist kwanzaa edwards’ “no Message needed” bypasses the typical esoteric exhibition titles for something simple — for the artist to explain and for the viewer to understand. “The ‘no Message needed’ title started off as a kind of joke, because I always have trouble describ-

ing the meaning behind a work — that question always gives me a little bit of anxiety,” edwards said. “With ‘no Message needed,’ I like that, because I don’t feel pressured to have some profound language to talk about my work.” The 25-year-old artist won TAsIMJAe, The Art studio, Inc. Membership Jurored Art exhibition, in April 2016, with her ink on wood painting “Taking Back What is Mine.” entering the show on a whim, she never imagined actually winning first place and

the opportunity for a solo show. “My first reaction? — shock,” she said. “I entered at someone pressuring me to enter and I thought, ‘Cool, I’ll make something.’ My main concern at the beginning was even making it into the show. so when I got the call, I was really shocked. later on that day, I realized that the win really meant I had to produce an entire body of work.” The show will be edwards’ first solo exhibition. While the task may be daunting, especially with a

May 2017 ISSUE • 9

Volume 23, No. 8 full-time job, making the artwork has been a kind of escape from day-to-day stresses, she said. “Producing the work has been a very interesting experience,” she said. “Doing this has been my stress reliever from working full time. It hasn’t always been easy. I have those days where I stare at everything I did and think I should start all over, but I have really enjoyed the challenge.” originally from Port Arthur, edwards graduated from lamar University with her Bachelor’s in studio art in May 2014. While art school was an important foundation, edwards felt more liberated in experimenting with processes and materials, as well as subject matter, after she left school. “As much as I loved art school and enjoyed the environment, the work I do now is drastically different than what I did at lamar,” she said. “In school, I was doing whatever came to mind at the time, but I always felt I had to be this stereotypical artist where I had to do things based off of nature or some profound subject, and find a way to explain that and make it sound artsy. Doing this show, my work has been reflecting more of the cartoonish/illustration person that I am. I love drawing characters and people.” While her figurative paintings and drawings are illustrative and imaginative, they have roots in edwards’ hometown. “Growing up in Port Arthur, I don’t see much celebration of African-American women,” she said. “My artwork stems from my upbringing in southeast Texas, and my feelings of being a different type of black girl. It wasn’t until recently, that I have been reading online about other women’s experiences, that I started to feel like I am not alone — I just feel different in my own city.” Feelings of alienation inspire edwards to paint subjects that project confidence and strength, characteristics she admires in women from her own family. “The idea of strong women is a very appealing thing to me, because that is what I was taught — to be strong and confident,” she said. “I feel like I might not reflect that strength and confidence in my personality, but growing up hearing that and being influenced by strong black women like my mom, my aunt, my cousins and my grandma, I strive to be like that. If I can’t project that in my own self, then I definitely try to project it in my artwork. “As hard as it can be to admit, my subjects are reflections of me in a way. People will always ask me, ‘Is that you in the painting?’ and it is a hard question to answer because it is

and it isn’t.” edwards’ portraits of strong, black women feature bright colors and surrealistic elements. “When I do these portraits of these women, I give them these things that may not generally be associated with black women,” she said. “The hairstyles, with the natural hair movement, is a more obvious feature, but as far as the colors, anything I have drawn behind the figures a lot of the black community may not identify with it. one example in my work is the use of eyeballs. eyeballs aren’t really African, but I like juxtaposing these things because I feel like I relate to that kind of different.” since moving to san Antonio in June 2016, edwards has been further inspired to experiment with color. “In san Antonio, there is a lot of latino/Mexican inspiration here — I see so much color in artwork out here,” she said. “I really love it, considering what I did back in college was more toned down, earth tones. here, I don’t feel afraid to paint with bright, vi-

See EDWARDS on page 12

Artist Kwanzaa Edwards, the winner of TASIMJAE 2016, will host “No Message Needed,” an exhibition of her work, May 6 at TASI.

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Volume 23, No. 8

Cuba Mi Amor

Modern and Contemporary Cuban Art at Museum of Fine Arts, houston Yo soy un hombre sincero, De donde crece la palma, Y antes de morirme quiero Echar mis versos del alma.

I am a truthful man From where the palm tree grows, And before dying I want To let out the verses of my soul.

— “Guantanamera,” lyrics adapted from “versos sencillos” by José Martí, english translation by solange echeverria

CUBA... WhAT IMAGe CoMes to mind when we say this name? The soothing cadence of “Guantanamera”? Bearded Fidel punctuating his fiery speech with a fist? The horror of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962? lifeless balseros washed on Florida shores? For more than 65 years, the “Island of Freedom” in the Caribbean, so close yet so distant in relation to its neighbor, the United states, lived in a Utopian — or Dystopian — dream world. When on Jan. 1, 1959, barbudos, led by Fidel Castro, proclaimed the birth of the first socialist state in the Western hemisphere, few believed that the new regime would survive. however, it did, thanks to the support of its “Big Brother,” the soviet Union. As a native of Russia, I still remember the songs of the 1960s which instilled in us the romantic aura of the Cuban Revolution. “Cuba my love, the island of crimson sunsets,” we sang with gusto at elementary school. I have recently re-lived this special feeling of awe and admiration — barbudos looked so sexy! — having watched the 1964 film “soy Cuba” (“I Am Cuba”) directed by Mikhail kalatozov at Mosfilm. Relegated to the dusty shelves soon after its debut, this amazing film was rediscovered by Martin scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola

Story by Elena Ivanova

Lázaro Saavedra. SACRED HEART. 1995, Born Havana, 1964. El Sagrado Corazón, [Sacred Heart] 1995, Acrylic on board, Patricia & Howard Farber Collection, New York.

and, with their support, was reissued by Milestone in 1995. I wholeheartedly agree with The new yorker critic Terrence Rafferty who wrote: “They’re going to be carrying ravished film students out of the theaters on stretchers.” The eventual collapse of the soviet superpower cut off the lifeline that fed the people and ensured the continuance of

Castro’s regime. The past two decades have been a testimony to the tenacity, resourcefulness and indomitable spirit of Cubans. The recent history of Cuba unfolds in the exhibition “Adios Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art since 1950” at the Museum of Fine Arts, houston. This is the first large-scale exhibition of Cuban art

in the United states since 1944 when the Museum of Modern Art in new york presented “Modern Cuban Painters.” Conceived by the Cisneros Fontanals Fundación Para las Artes (CIFo europa) and The Cisneros Fontanals Arts Foundation (CIFo UsA), it features more than 100 of the most important works of painting, graphic design, photography, video, installation, and performance. A poster display, with “Revolución” spelled in big letters, marks the entrance to the show. however, the first gallery holds a surprise: instead of revolutionary heroes we are greeted with abstraction in every form and shape. looking at this carnival of geometry I had a flashback to Russia of the 1920s when Malevich, Rodchenko, Tatlin and other giants of the Russian avantgarde created their best works in a sincere belief that the october Revolution signalled the coming of the era of free thinking. echoes of Russia are heard throughout the exhibition, and not in a flattering context. The Cuban regime recast itself according to the soviet model and, therefore, became afflicted with the same debilitating sicknesses. one of them — the passion for pompous political events — is parodied in Glexis novoa’s large-scale installation “Untitled, from the Practical stage series.” Customarily, during the Communist Party conferences the stage was decorated with ostentatious posters and banners with political slogans. At the first glance, that’s what we see in novoa’s work — large red banners with words in Cyrillic. however, at a closer look it becomes clear that the writing is gibberish. The artist alludes to the influence of soviet iconography and propaganda in Cuba and at the same time exposes the absurdity of the Party gatherings which served no other purpose than to eulogize the leaders. next to novoa’s installation, Fidel Castro’s voice blasts from the speakers: “Thirteen hundred... forty thousand... twelve...” This 5-minute recording accompanied by a creepy black and white static on the monitor sounds like a meaningless listing of

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Volume 23, No. 8 numbers. Using clips from various Castro’s speeches, artist José Ángel Toirac made an audio montage which ridicules the Cuban leader’s obsession with statistics. Many works in the exhibition use Cuba’s map as a visual metaphor, a starting point for a philosophic contemplation on the country’s past, present and future. Concrete blocks on the floor that are laid out in the shape of Cuba in “The Blockade” by Antonio eligio Fernández (Tonel) are a transparent pun and a reminder of the political isolation of the country over the past 65 years. The seeming simplicity of Tonel’s work conceals a deeper meaning. What is a blockade? Is it a symbol of the imperialist ambitions of the United states? or it is a reflection of the rigidity of the Cuban leaders, their reluctance to change? or maybe it is their excuse for justifying the policy of harsh restrictions, privations and social control? sandra Ramos projects herself onto the map of Cuba, with palm trees growing out of her body, in her etching and aquatint titled “The Damned Circumstance of the Water everywhere.” When the flow of goods and commodities from Russia dried out, Cubans fully realized what it meant to live on an island cut off from the rest of the world. For the title of her work Ramos used the opening lines of a poem by virgilio Piñera from 1942: “The curse of being completely surrounded by water / condemns me to this café table./ If I didn’t think that water encircled me like a cancer / I’d sleep in peace.” The sea is an open space, a way out, and

also an enclosure, a border. so many Cubans risked their lives on makeshift rafts across the Florida straits taking a leap of faith — just like the man in the photograph by Manuel Piña. There he is caught on camera in mid-air as he jumps off the Malecón, the magnificent esplanade in havana, into the sea without even removing his shoes. Boats, rafts, rafters — these are recurrent images in the exhibition. “selected Works” by Alexis leyva Machado (kcho) is a wry commentary on the usefulness of education in a totalitarian state. It features a boat made of books attached to a metal frame. you may study all your life — it will get you nowhere, just like this boat can’t get you across the sea. José Bedia portrays the sea as a mystical element, a spiritual being in his painting “To the Possible limit.” At the first glance the image looks like a large black half-disc, like some ancient artifact; its arch is pointing down and there is a golden band running along the diameter. strings of lights are radiating from the center of the band giving the painting a mysterious glow. At a closer inspection one realizes that the golden band is actually a row of elaborate buildings, a reference to the Malecón. And at the lower edge of the arch, barely visible, a tiny figure is helplessly floating on a lifebuoy. Will he survive or drown? he is at mercy of the powerful sea that watches him with a pair of unblinking eyes. While Bedia is influenced by the symblism of Afro-Cuban religions, such as santería and Palo Monte, other artists find

Manuel Piña, Born Havana, 1958, SIN TÍTULO, DE LA SERIE AGUAS BALDÍAS, [Untitled, from the series Water Wastelands], 1992-94, Inkjet print, printed in 2017 by Aker Imaging, Houston, Daros Latinamerica Collection, Züric

inspiration in Christian iconography. Juan Francisco elso looks for answers in the life of famous Cuban patriot and poet José Martí who died fighting for Cuba’s independence from spain in 1895. Using wood, plaster and even his own blood and that of his wife, the artist created a three-quarter size figure of Martí as a popular saint who sacrifices himself for his country. his body is pierced with darts; the red ones symbolize the blood that he shed and the green ones stand for the new growth, the rebirth. The work is titled “For America”: Martí dreamed of a unified continent, with no borders. elso surreptitiously placed a stone from the Andes inside the statue. lázaro saavedra also uses Christian iconography in his tongue-in-cheek version of a popular reigious image — “sacred heart.” his Jesus is a true Cuban: he has Cuba in his heart, the soviet rhetoric on his lips, and the United states on his mind.

lexis Novoa, Born Holguín, 1964, Sin título, de la serie Etapa práctica [Untitled, from the Practical Stage series] 1989, Oil on paper, wood and fabric, Collection of Pérez Art Museum Miami, gift of Craig Robins.

however, there is hope for a better future epitomized in the “Felled lighthouse” by los Carpinteros, the dynamic duo of artists Marco Antonio Castillo valdés and Dagoberto Rodríguez. The huge structure is helplessly lying on its side unable to provide guidance; the country is no longer following the course which proved to be a deadend. so what lies ahead for the “Island of Freedom”? “There is some pruning to be done,” says Francisco de la Cal, an imaginary alter ego of artist Fernando Rodriguez, as he is wielding his scissors cutting away dead branches and unwanted growth in “necessary Pruning.” he is undaunted by the fact that he himself is made of the same rusted material as the one he is reorganizing. After all, Cubans are nothing if not resilient. The exhibition “Adios Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art since 1950” is on view at MFAh through May 21.

Los Carpinteros Founded Havana, 1992 Marco Antonio Castillo Valdés Born Camagüey, 1971 Dagoberto Rodríguez Born Havana, 1969. FARO TUMBADO [Felled Lighthouse] 2006 Mixed media American Fund for the Tate Gallery, Courtesy of the Latin American Acquisitions Committee 2006.

12 • ISSUE May 2017

Volume 23, No. 8

MEXICO from page 7 shamans supplicating to some unseen god with gifts of incense and offerings. The depiction of kneeling and bowing of these people upon some unknown altar shows a completeness to their devotion and intensity of their spiritual conviction. herrán was able to convey a sharpness, a realism to the panel that makes a visitor feel they could walk into the panel and be transported to a different time and place. one of the most striking sculptures is Francisco zúniga’s “Group of Women,” a black, life-size cast bronze of four women standing apart and all facing outward in different directions contrasting women in stages of life — young and old, pregnant and tired. They are all solemn as if holding back some great secret

of life or perhaps waiting to give a warning of something that lies ahead. There is so much to see and if you’re headed up north to the Dallas area, make time to see this. Besides, the DMA is in a great area, easy to access and park with a surrounding area that is also great to find a good nosh and a toddy (My fav is zenna, 300 n. Akard — $4 mini sushi rolls and $4 potent long Island Iced Teas during happy hour — say what? — you heard me). The edward larrabee Barnes-designed Dallas Museum of Art is located the downtown Arts District at 1717 n. harwood and can be found on the web at www.dma.org. It is open Tuesday –sunday and closed on Mondays. A special “Thank you” goes out to Maria lociano, DMA visitor services, for her assistance with my visit.

José Clemente Orozco’s THE SOLDADERAS (LAS SOLDADERAS), left, on display in “Mexico 1900-1950.”

EDWARDS from page 9 brant colors as much as I did back in school.” Besides the colorful sites in her new city, edwards has always been inspired by pop culture in cartoons and Tv, as well as works by other artists. “I am a huge cartoon nut — I love cartoons and animation,” she said. “Audrey kawasaki is an artist that inspired me to paint on wood. I am definitely drawn to strong female characters in films and shows.” Another important influence is music. “I listen to all kinds of music and I might hear the most random song that starts a chain of thought,” edwards said. “The piece that won TAsIMJAe was inspired by a Panic at the Disco song called “The emperor’s new Clothes,” and it inspired the movement in the piece — with an overly confident feel to it with the grin and posture.” edwards is a self-proclaimed night owl, working at her full-time job from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., and then painting until four in the morning in a small, designated space in her apartment. After leaving school, she had to stop working with oil paints and look for a different medium. After trying acrylic and being not satisfied with the effect, she started using ink on wood.

“I had to stop using oil because I lacked the space with the proper ventilation,” she said. “I started searching the web and I found some artwork that was done on wood, and I thought it would be a cool surface to work with. I had a bunch of inks that I had bought back in college for my drawing class, so I played around with these inks and it makes a really interesting look on wood. I have really been experimenting with wood gesso and varnish with the wood.” After the show, edwards hopes to catch up with friends and all the movies and shows she has been missing out on. she also plans to experiment with a new medium, wood burning, as well as continue working so she can begin the transition to full-time artist, she said. “Doing this show helped me to see that. I am much more happy and calm when I am sitting down and doing some sort of creative thing, and I like being an actual artist,” she said. “I used to think it was not possible. I could get a job that was in the field but not actually make artwork. “My goal in the next year or two is to work enough so I can stop working and start focusing full time on my art. That is my hope, if not in san Antonio, then in the next place.” kwanzaa edward’s “no Message needed” opens May 6 with a reception from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The show will be on display through May 26. For more information, visit artstudio.org.

Brightly colored ink drawings on wood panels will be part of Kwanzaa Edwards’ solo exhibition “No Message Needed,” on display at The Art Studio, May 6-26. Edwards in the winner of TASIMJAE 2016.

Walthall to show work at High Street Gallery

May 2017 ISSUE • 13

Volume 23, No. 8

The hIGh sTReeT GAlleRy WIll host an exhibition of recent paintings and drawings by Travis Walthall, 8-11 p.m., May 6. The gallery is located in victoria house, 2110 victoria st. in Beaumont. “I am very excited to present sets of drawings and paintings from the previous year,” southeast Texas artist Travis Walthall said. “The works involve a variety of themes from identity, life/death relationships, conceptual artwork to even more traditional, still life approach. Portraiture has been a primary focus for me the past year and I hope to display a variety of my portraiture work along independent pieces.” entry is free and the work will be for sale. Refreshments will be available at the event. “My childhood was lined with sketchbooks, covering animation characters to religious imagery,”Walthall said. TRAVIS WALTHALL

VIEW from page 3 openly and restricting our ability from educating our constituents about who would best serve our unique place in this community. It muffles our ability to lobby for the best political advantage our organization can have. There is a real threat that there will be federal legislation to allow religious nonprofits to openly endorse candidates who support their agenda but that does not include cultural, historical, educational or artistic organizations (think nPR, PBs, neA, sesame street). These local concerns are threatened by restrictions imposed by our government yet they cannot speak out to defend themselves even as the walls of tyranny close in around them. We cannot say who to endorse as your next leaders, but please remember to consider those who would benefit the arts and demand that their platform reflect that support.

“I began taking private lessons in middle school, with Mr. Roy Bares as my artistic guru and life mentor. “As a student at lamar University, I have the pleasure to study artwork under the phenomenal minds in the lamar Art Department faculty; specifically, my advisor Christopher Troutman and Donna Meeks, the chair of the art department and painting instructor.” Walthall plans to graduate with a BFA in the fall and then pursue a Master’s degree in painting. “I love communicating about the workforce of art and all of its technicalities,” he said. some of Walthall’s artistic influences include Alex Grey, salvador Dali and Marcel Duchamp. “I respect traditional practices, such as academic modeling and atmospheric perspective, as shown by the masters such as leonardo Da vince and Renoir, but I am in love with the concept of artwork which goes beyond the physical understanding to make the illusion happen or bring fantastical ideas to visual life,” he said. “The imagery I use is surreal and liquefied; and I’ve developed this alternative route to comment on the uncertainty of essence and ambiguity of nature that is commonly taken for granted or overlooked.” The exhibition is titled “Mused” and the opening reception will feature live atmospheric music by echoed sycamore. “The sensational, multi faceted creative process is a master component in order to making my work honest, for it is a communication between something abstract and

Painting by Travis Walthall

captivating, with the mark coming from my hand — some call it style,” he said. “It never ends up exactly as predicted and it would be absurd to think so.” For more information, email victoriahousetx@gmail. com, or visit the high street Gallery Facebook page. More of Walthall’s artwork can be found at www.Arts MindfulMedium.com.

14 • ISSUE May 2017

Volume 23, No. 8

Around & About

If you come across any interesting exhibitions, museums or other places on your travels, share them with us. Call 409-838-5393, or contact us through our web site at www.artstudio.org. Be sure to include the location and dates of the subject, as well as any costs. The DISHMAN ART MUSEUM will host MIND GARDEN, the spring 2017 lamar University senior thesis exhibition, in which art students will fulfill the requirements for their degree by presenting their thesis projects, ranging from graphic design and painting to ceramics and sculpture. The show begins with a reception, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., April 28, and will be on display through May 21. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Admission and parking are free. light refreshments will be served at the reception. For more information, visit www.lamar.edu/dishman, or call 409880-8959. _____________ each spring, parents and area students seek new exciting opportunities for sum-

Individual

John Alexander Barbara Allamon Ines Alvidres kimberly McGlothlin Armitage Marty & laura Arredondo Amanda Barry ken Baskin Michael Cacioppo Michelle “Rusty” Cate stephanie Chadwick susan Chu Chance Deville Dana Dorman Dawn s. Fischer elizabeth Fontenot Gina Garcia shanna hawa Jacycie henderson luis F. hernadez santiago victor higginbotham

mer camps and classes. ART QUEST SUMMER CAMPS & TEEN WORKSHOPS offered by STARK MUSEUM OF ART and ecoRangers summer Camps offered by SHANGRI LA BOTANICAL GARDENS AND NATURE CENTER may be the path to summer fun that is educational, too. Registration fee for Art Quest summer Camps is $45 for stark Cultural venues' (sCv) Members; $60 for the general public. Registration for Art Quest Teen Workshops is $25 for sCv Members; $35 for the general public. time to when native Americans lived in the area of shangri la. Registration deadline is June 16, and forms are available online at starkmuseum.org and shangrilagardens.org. _____________ Adhoc Beaumont will premiere "Waiting for Godot" at the Federal Correctional

Complex in Beaumont, followed by performances at The Betty Greenberg Center for Performing Arts on April 28-29 and May 5-6. voted the "most significant english language play of the 20th century in a 1998 survey of playwrights, "Waiting for Godot" is considered a masterpiece of surrealist existentialism. Two wandering vagabonds wait by a lonely tree to meet Mr. Godot, an enigmatic figure in a world where time, place and memory are blurred and meaning is where you find it. The men hope that Godot will change their lives for the better. This poetic meditation on life and the human experience in this samuel Beckett play is bound to inspire. For tickets and information, visit www.beaumontcommunityplayers.com. BCP is located at 4155 laurel in Beaumont.

THE ART STUDIO, INC. NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS Jacob hooker Allison kainer Greg landry Debbie lavergne lynne lokensgard Melinda McWhite Grace Megnet Melody Montero-ortiz Mildred R. Morgan Chrissie Mouton Jim oakes Craig odle Joyce e. Philen Gayle Pugh Paul Quebodeaux John Raney, Jr. Jody Reho lisa Reinauer lynn Reynolds John Roberts Phil Rogers Mary eileen Russell Pat satterwhite

kelli scofield Walter siefford Rose stark Andrew strange Madisan Rose stuckey Richard Tallent lanee Tesch Tom veillon Annmarie ventura samantha vonDeman Travis Walthall Mary Welborn Rachel Wright valerie yalkin-Brown Family/Group

Mr. Milton h. Bell Rob Clark Bill & nancy DeForest Melanie Dishman Albert & Amy Faggard Mark kubala

Rhonda Mcnally Anna & Matthew Myers David & Anne Payne lou Ann & hoke Peacock henry & Janelle Ramsey Dr. sam & hail showalter Friend/Business

DJ kava Dennis kiel Regina Rogers Patricia Daugherty Tatum Texas Coffee Co. Chuck & sue Wright Patron

Mr. Carlo Busceme III Beth Gallaspy & Pete Churton

Mission Statement Founded in 1983, The Art Studio, Inc. is devoted to: providing opportunities for interaction between the public and the Southeast Texas community of artists; furnishing affordable studio space to originating artists of every medium; promoting cultural growth and diversity of all art forms in Southeast Texas; and providing art educational opportunities to everyone, of every age, regardless of income level, race, national origin, sex or religion. PURPOSE The purpose of The Art Studio, Inc. is to (1) provide educational opportunities between the general public and the community of artists and (2) to offer sustained support for the artist by operating a nonprofit cooperative to provide studio space and exhibition space to working artists and crafts people, and to provide an area for group work sessions for those artists and crafts people to jointly offer their labor, ideas, and enthusiasm to each other. GOALS 1. To present public exhibitions 2. To provide educational opportunities 3. To provide accessible equipment for artists 4. To provide peer feedback through association with other artists and crafts people OBJECTIVES 1. To present nine art exhibitions per year 2. To maintain equipment for artists in a safe working environment 3. To provide better access to artists for the public 4. To offer regularly scheduled adult and children’s classes 5. To develop and maintain public activities with all sectors of the community 6. To develop and maintain equipment to aid artists in their work 7. To provide a display retail outlet for artists 8. To expand programming and activities with increased facility space

Thoughtcrime

May 2017 ISSUE • 15

Volume 23, No. 8

She Was a Saint

her excrement smelled of roses, her urine tasted like champagne. The doctors claimed diabetes. A priest from Reims called it a sign. each day a crowd of people came to sip from out her chamber pot. At night she filled it up again with scarlet petals and sparkling wine. her gardener husband prayed and smiled. Jesse Doiron

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, 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. Adversity

A tree bends when turbulent weather bears down on its seemingly strong stature. Appearances can be deceiving. I have endured the brunt of brutal adversity yielding and bending…slashing and slamming repeatedly against the hard cold ground only to spring back and rear up against all odds looks can be deceiving. I’m not a tree. But look at Me! Adversity Dorothy Sells Clover

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INSIDE • EDWARDS’ ‘NO MESSAGE NEEDED’ • THOUGHTCRIME: MUSINGS FROM AREA POETS • ‘MEXICO 1900-1950’ AT DMA • CUBAN ART AT MFAH

When you support The Art Studio with your membership, you receive ISSUE, Southeast Texas’ and Southwest Louisiana’s alternative press, as well as class schedules, invitations to opening receptions and various Studio functions. Volunteers These people are the life blood of our organization. WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! To volunteer, drop by The Art Studio, Inc., or call 409-838-5393.

elizabeth Fontenot Bryan Castino heather & Adam Butler Rhonda Rodman sue Wright Cyndi Grimes Rhonda Mcnally Andy Coughlan John Roberts Beau Dumesnil karen Dumesnil sheila Busceme kailee viator Caitlin Duerler stephan Malick Terri Fox Avril Falgout Michelle Falgout stacey haynes Joe Winston John Fulbright Mark Jacobson nathaniel Welch Gina Garcia hayley hardin Jack hays Tyler hargraves Aslinn Garcia Chase kiker Paisley Polk zoe Williams Rana Matthews Michael Beard Caroline Badon Jake hollier Breanna Workman David Granitz Pat Grimes

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