ISSUE April 2018

THE ARTS MAGAZINE OF THE ART STUDIO, INC.

MEMBERS

MAKE THEIR MARKS PAGE 7

INSIDE: STEICHEN, DUBUFFET, DERRICK, AND MORE

APRIL 2018

WANTED

Live models needed for Life Drawing, Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m.

Contact Sara Tuell at saratuell@gmail.com

ISSUE Vol. 24, No. 7 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Art Studio, Inc. Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy Coughlan Copy Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beth Gallaspy Contributing Writers . . . . . Stephanie Chadwick, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephan Malick Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Malick

A View From The Top Greg Busceme, TASI Director When you Walk into the Studio and look to your right you will see a wonderful glass wall and door. For years i have been sharing the vision of what that might look like and now there it is, beautiful and new. it is more than glass and metal; it marks a profound change in the Studio and of its perception. yes, there will be cobwebs and the usual industrial feel of the space, but there will also be a pervasive sense that we have arrived. there were many times that i wished we were able to produce a program, promote an event, offer something new to the community and now i feel we are able to present more programs more often thanks to a engaged board and a growing volunteer base. We function as a collective. one ant does not a hill make! as our programs become more successful, we must raise the bar to keep up with our progress. this means we must be more engaged and willing to put in the time to make these dreams a reality. i

The Art Studio, Inc. Board of Directors Corporate President . . . . . . . . . . Greg Busceme Corporate Vice-President . . . . . Angela Scheibel Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Winston Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jes Prince Members at Large . . . . . . Stephanie Chadwick, . . . . . . . . . Olivia Busceme, John Fulbright, . . . . . . . . Latasha Hagan, Stephan Malick, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Tuell, John Roberts, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael M. Measell Tenant Representative. . . . . . . . . . Kailee Viator Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . . Marilyn Tennisen

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 DuBuffet’s Primitivism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 TASIMJAE 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7 Steichen at DMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Stark Student Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Derrick at High Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11 Library Book Sale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12 Around & About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Thoughtcrime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15

APRIL

See VIEW on page 13

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT THE ART STUDIO MAY

TASIMJAE (The Art Studio, Inc. Member Jurored Art Exhibition) Opening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 7

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ART STUDIO

Travis Walthall, Winner TASIMJAE 2017 Opening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 5

Name(s) Address

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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Cover photo by Andy Coughlan, art by Victor Higginbotham

think we are on the right track. let me tell you about our newest activity. i’ve always wanted year round classes for children and, working with Dr. Joana hyatt, i saw the opportunity to do so. Joana teaches art education in the lamar university art department, and through her classes there is a resource of future teachers who would benefit from on-thejob training. Virginia Johnson was the first teacher to step up, and we came up with a name for this potentially groundbreaking program — Studio arts Basics: essential knowledge for Children. it is a serious program directed at teaching students a direct way to learn the essentials of art production, giving them a core knowledge from which they can continue to work.

We are starting with a drawing session with

Renewal?

Patron: $500 Angel: $1,000 Benefactor $2,000 Life Member: $10,000 Artist?

for office use pd in comp issue thanks

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Jean Dubuffet’s Primitivism

4 • ISSUE April 2018

Volume 24, No. 7

Cultural Sources for Anticultural Art

PerhaPS the FirSt reSPonSe to the French artist Jean Dubuffet’s painting is the sense that it could have been created by a child. in fact, Dubuffet looked to children’s drawings as a model of unbridled creativity, and he emulated them in his art, marking his canvases with scribbles, smears and crudely rendered figures. he was not the first european artist to mimic children’s art; many artists in the earlier 20th century had turned to the art of children for inspiration — and to breathe fresh life into european painting. the efforts of these artists to infuse their work with the seemingly innocent (read untrained) expression of children’s drawing were so successful that they made artistic revolution — the overturning of

Story by Stephanie Chadwick

academic conventions in favor of free, expressive rendering — the modus operandi for modern art. as many painters turned their backs on the formal artistic training they had received, their works expressed both aggressive revolt and efforts to tap into what they imagined to be the unfettered creativity of childhood, which to these artists suggested a primal creative impetus. yet, Dubuffet’s painting style, characterized by roughly handled paint and crude, thick marks, leans more toward unrestrained forcefulness than the presumed innocence of much children’s art. his style was particularly aggressive (if at times oddly humorous) and expressed both his aims to advance art and to picture his extreme discontent with Western culture, which by the time he painted “a View of

Paris: the life of Pleasure,” was in the throes of the second world war. one would hardly guess this by the painting’s childlike qualities and title presenting Parisian life as a “life of pleasure.” the painting is both a parody of high culture and a celebration of human activity. the rigid, quasi-formed figures, which recall the stick figures of childhood, suggest action; the three at the bottom left address the viewer directly, with outstretched arms, and the two at right march stiffly off the side of the canvas, as if leading a carnivalesque parade.

Carnivals, circuses and parades also intrigued Dubuffet, and he saw them as sites where childlike playfulness, cultural transgression and creativity collide. this was a

April 2018 ISSUE • 5

Volume 24, No. 7 collision he hoped to convey — and by which he hoped to inspire the viewers of his painting.

Dubuffet’s use of irony becomes apparent with closer looking at the painting, which is a great example of the artist’s efforts to change the way people view, and think about, art. Point of view is important here both literally and figuratively. on the one hand, the painting makes use of multiple perspectives to create a forceful impact as what appear to be Parisian storefronts vacillate between elevation (frontal) and plan (birds eye) views.

Dubuffet used this strategy in many of his paintings of the mid 1940s, which were characterized by scenes of urban life and Parisian shops that, if one shifts one’s perspective, appear to flip into crudely drawn roadmaps.

Dubuffet was a wine merchant who sold his own version of Parisian pleasure — wine — before becoming a full time artist. he was concerned that art and culture would be overtaken by market forces, however, and you can see his parody of these forces in his painting. these are the signs of culture with which Dubuffet had a contentious relationship and about which he often used playful double entendres in his art. one example in this painting is the sign at left, which reads “Modes,” the French word for fashion. at first glance this sign simply advertises a clothing store, which one would expect to see situated in a bustling urban center. But the word “modes” also means “ways” something that interested Dubuffet very much and that he wanted to change, and not merely for the artistic fashions of the day. instead, he wanted to do away with the idea of artistic styles or trends altogether and make art that speaks to the viewer in a way that recalls the adventure of childhood discovery. Most of all, he wanted art to be free from rules, which he believed stifled creativity.

By the time Dubuffet made this painting he had begun to look elsewhere too for artistic inspiration, particularly to art produced by so-called outsiders including mental patients. Dubuffet had begun researching and collecting such art, which he called art Brut (roughly translated as raw art) at the end of WWii. his interest had begun in the 1920s, however, when he and many other modern artists, particularly the Surrealists with whom he associated, became fascinated with the book “the artistry of the Mentally ill” by the German psychiatrist and art historian hans Prinzhorn. Just as these artists had looked to children’s art, they emulated the crude, forceful expressiveness of the art of mental patients as signs of creativity untamed by Western art schools and cultural traditions.

Dubuffet became so fascinated with this art that he started a major collection of it that is now in a museum in lausanne, Switzerland (a must see for anyone visiting lausanne). it was precisely these raw, untrained, qualities that Dubuffet wanted to emulate and began to experiment with in his painting. although Dubuffet claimed that he did not copy the art produced by mental patients, one can see its impact, along with children’s drawings, in his painting. like many artists of the early to mid 20th century, however, Dubuffet also looked to various forms of non-

Jean Dubuffet, CHILDBIRTH, 1944, above, oil on canvas, 99.8 x 80.8 cm (MoMA), and Jean Dubuffet, VIEW OF PARIS, THE LIFE OF PLEASURE, 1944, opposite, oil on canvas, 88.5 x 116 cm (private collection).

Western art for inspiration. in their quest to infuse art with primal creativity artists such as Dubuffet erroneously conflated the art of children, mental patients and nonWestern cultures, forming pictorial associations they lumped together and called “primitivist.” Primitivism be-

came a loosely termed style and works such as Dubuffet’s were often either celebrated by fans or derided by hostile

See DUBUFFET on page 6

6 • ISSUE April 2018

Volume 24, No. 7

Finder’s Fayre’s C.L.A.S.S. to host Garcia exhibition

MoniCa GarCia Will Be the latest artist at Finder’s Fayre’s Contemporary local artist Show Series, with an exhibition from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. april 5.

C.l.a.S.S. is an opportunity for Beaumont artists to introduce themselves to the community and express themselves through their artwork. “i hope a whole lot of you can make it out so that i may get the chance to show you all my love for art,” Garcia said in a release. “expressing myself through my artwork is my passion. and i would love to share what i feel and see with everyone that comes.”

DUBUFFET from page 5 critics for its crudeness. although primitivism as a set of inadvertently eurocentric practices (approaches that critiqued Western culture while nevertheless somewhat privileging it) has been debunked, it is important to note that for artists such as Dubuffet “primitive” meant essentially art that is free from, and subversive to, Western art and whose artistic inspiration was the art of oceania — the island cultures of the South Seas.

Dubuffet’s “Childbirth” is a particularly striking example of his synthesis of these visual sources, particularly art forms that seemed untamed and were not yet appreciated

by Western galleries and museums.

Perhaps the most immediately jarring aspect of this painting is the central figure of a mother giving birth, which has been flattened and flipped forward towards the picture plane (the frontal surface of the canvas), hands raised as if gesturing, “Stop,” or, alternately, as if signaling shock or fear. also arresting, yet ambiguous, are the figure’s rounded eyes, which open wide and gaze confrontationally toward the viewer while seeming to also stare into space, an image, perhaps, of trauma.

Dubuffet used these compositional strategies, combined with his rough looking brushwork, use of pronounced outlines, and a blend of murky and vivid colors to achieve just this kind of glaring, slightly disturbing impact. in fact, he wanted his painting to be so agitational that it could change the way people look at art, the way people feel about art and even the ways they think about what art could be — a liberating encounter Dubuffet believed Western museums and mainstream art galleries suppressed (as

he oddly enough continued cultivating gallery representation — and a cash-ready audience — for his art). the painting “Childbirth” is riddled with references to non-Western art, particularly the oceanic art thought by many artists at that time to express this primal creativity. take the central figure with raised arms, for example. it is an image of childbirth, the most basic starting point for life and a motif in oceanic art that conveys a variety of meanings and can refer to fertility and kinship. Dubuffet’s use of this form is one of his creative adaptations. on the one hand, it speaks to a modernist viewer, emphasizing the painting’s flatness and foregrounding its status as representation (rather than following the renaissance tradition of painting an illusionistic window onto idealized scene). on the other hand, the act of childbirth signals a most primal impetus to create.

Dubuffet’s composition even plays with the notion of framing and our expectations for viewing a painting. the flattened figures of mother and child have been tipped up so that the white rectangular gurney upon which they lie presses forward rather than receding back into space, legs resting firmly on a depicted floor. this is one of the ways Dubuffet subverts renaissance perspective while calling attention to his intent to do just that. the vertical rectangle that serves as the bed is framed by bluish rectangles on all sides, forming geometric planes occupied at left and right by additional figures. this is another convention Dubuffet borrowed from oceanic art that adds to the tension he creates between the ordinary and extraordinary in his art. in Dubuffet’s painting the framing figures could represent a mother and father (perhaps the woman’s parents) or perhaps the father of the child and another female ob-

the Beaumont native said the show is a dream come true.

“Being able to showcase my artwork in a very personal art show is a huge honor and step forward as a developing artist,” she said. “i am just so thankful because i want to be able to give back to the community that help influence a big part of my art. “i will be there for opening night and will explain and answer any kind of questions about the pieces. i look forward to meeting everyone that comes out to support me.

Finder’s Fayre is located at 1485 Calder ave. in Beaumont.

server, such as a sister or midwife. these figures, too, are crudely rendered and may actually symbolize parenthood in general as Dubuffet was interested in what Carl Jung called “archetypal” figures — images we hold in our minds of figures we associate with primal human experience. a key difference between the visitors or spectators and the active participants of this scene is the fact that the visitors wear Western garb (suits and dresses) whereas both mother and child are nude, a most primal state of nature that here, in the act of childbirth, represents a fundamental creative act. this was the way Dubuffet viewed art making — and the raw immediacy of creation he wanted to impart to his viewers.

Shortly after creating these paintings Dubuffet began experimenting with his haute pâte technique — a process of painting with a thick conglomerate of oil and industrial paint mixed with sand, gravel and studio detritus. he continued making crude figures that seemed, on the one hand, to have been smeared in the mud and, on the other hand, to be built up of fleshy pigments using a spatula, spoon or even his fingers — such as a child might do while finger painting. although simultaneously muddy and fleshy, these figures also called to mind the Paleolithic cave paintings and modern street graffiti that also inspired Dubuffet and his peers. in fact, it was just this suggestion of anonymous urges to make marks that Dubuffet sought emulate in his art.

Dubuffet’s efforts to suggest raw creative processes made him one of the most important artists of the late 20th century. his work has influenced artists ranging from robert rauschenberg to Jean-Michel Basquiat and has also informed today’s mixed media practices.

April 2018 ISSUE • 7

Volume 24, No. 7

Annual membership show to open April 7 the crown jewel of the art Studio, inc.’s season returns to the gallery walls with taSiMJae (the art Studio, inc. Member Jurored art exhibition), which showcases the multi-talented taSi membership. this year’s show opens april 7 with a reception from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. the juror for this year’s show is Christopher troutman, assistant professor of art at lamar university. taSiMJae regularly draws an eclectic group of artists working in all media. taSi director Greg Busceme said that the exhibition is a chance to showcase the work of the Studio’s membership. “We get people to show work they haven’t shown before, and we are also interested in getting new memberships,� he said.

First prize is $500 plus an exhibition of the artist’s work in May 2019. last year’s winner was travis Walthall who will be the featured artist in May’s iSSue to accompany his solo show at the Studio.

Prizes are also awarded for second and third places.

While entries were still being accepted at press time, the show typically features a wide range of media, from painting to photography to ceramics, and both 2- and 3-dimensional work. the 2017 show attracted 85 submissions by 48 different artists, with 65 pieces from 41 artists accepted by juror Dennis kiel. “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,� kiel said.

Many of the artists will be at the opening and are open to questions about their work. the show will be on display through april 26 at the Studio’s gallery, located at 720 Franklin St. in downtown Beaumont.

Travis Walthall’s “Self Conscious Idiom No. 3,� right, was named first-place winner at TASIMJAE 2017.

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Friends

8 • ISSUE April 2018

DMa

ConSerVation ProJeCt ShineS liGht on rare

eDWarD SteiChen’S rePutation aS a pioneer of photography is an understatement at best, but his work as a painter is not as widely known. a rare exhibition and conservation project of his mural paintings, “in exaltation of Flowers,” is on view at the Dallas Museum of art through May 13. the title of the murals might rather be called “in exaltation of Friends,” as the subject matter of the project takes a biographical context, in that, the subjects come from Steichen’s circle of friends in a decidedly art deco presentation originally slated to be placed in the foyer of eugene and agnes Meyer’s new york townhouse.

Story and photos by Stephan Malick

Flowers

Volume 24, No. 7

the murals have only been shown in their entirety once in public at a 1915 exhibition at the knoedler Gallery in new york. the murals were never installed in the Meyers’ home. Financial difficulties forced the couple to sell the townhouse before the panels were installed.

Steichen, born in luxembourg and later naturalized as a u.S. citizen, and his wife, Clara, neé Smith, frequently traveled to europe, particularly Voulangis, France, to live and visit with a circle of friends that included photographer alfred Stieglitz, isadora Duncan, arthur Carles, katherine rhodes and Steichen’s mistress, painter Marion h. Beckett.

SteiChen MuralS

the group often referred to itself as the “Magical Garden.” among those friends, financier eugene Meyer and his wife, agnes, often visited the home near Voulangis, which featured a beautiful garden where Steichen entertained guests. the Meyers were influential patrons and socialites within new york City’s avant-garde art and bohemian social scenes. eugene would later serve as chairman of the Federal reserve Board, 1930-1933, and own the Washington Post from 1933 to 1950. agnes formerly worked as a reporter for the new york Sun. it was likely during the couple’s honeymoon in Voulangis that the idea to commission a mural series

April 2018 ISSUE • 9

Volume 24, No. 7 for the Park avenue townhouse was born. the seven canvases are large, some 10 feet in height, and command a presence that makes you wonder about the size of the Meyers’ foyer. the styling and fashion of each has a futuristic, almost religious quality of orthodox Christian iconography and the binding boundaries of a Gustav klimt. yes — it’s that impressive. the muted light in the rachofsky Quadrant Gallery does justice to the panels with angled light that lets visitors see each piece tell a story while keeping the panels cohesively together like a giant storyboard of myth and beauty. the canvases were created prior to World War i, between 1910-1911 (-ish. two different DMa press releases have different start dates) and 1914, as a mural series to decorate the foyer of the Meyers’ townhouse on Park avenue.

Steichen, at this point in his work, was still equally devoted to painting and photography. he had originally come to the united States for a lithography apprenticeship in Milwaukee at the age of 15. in keeping with the aforementioned “Magical Garden,” Steichen’s friends often adopted flower counterparts. Beckett, for example, was “Petunia Beckett” and rhodes and Carles were known as the “Geranium Club.”

Steichen immortalized his friends within the mural using a language of flowers. on each canvas, he placed the botanical specimens that aligned with his sitter’s dominant personality traits alongside their human counterpart. Steichen drew inspiration for these floral personifications from the book “the intelligence of Flowers” (1907) by Symbolist poet and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck. Steichen was also familiar with other standard Victorian publications devoted to the meanings of flowers, according to a DMa press release. the group members used their floral nicknames in correspondence, and Steichen exploited this nomenclature in humorous and creative ways. Just like an inside joke, the meanings embedded in this decorative cycle were not readily apparent to those outside the Meyers’ social circle.

What is also impressive about the mural is the conservation effort that is a significant factor for the exhibition. the DMa began a two-stage treatment and a technical study of the canvases in the summer of 2017, with the first stage complete

and the second stage continuing at the conclusion of the show in May. all the panels except one had been stored rolled for many years. new stretchers and a lining to support the canvases were created, and they were each brushed, repaired, cleaned of grime and their paint stabilized.

Steichen’s playfulness within the murals show an insight to his painting that is later exemplified in his photography.

“Coleus — the Florence Meyer Poppy” was based from a sitting of the Meyers’ daughter Florence, and the poppy represents fruitfulness and wealth. Florence would follow her mother’ interest in art, becoming a protégé of Man ray and an accomplished photographer of artists and celebrities of her time. a particularly imposing panel is “rose – Geranium,” featuring painter katharine rhoades. She was known to be boisterous, flamboyant and the one-time love interest of alfred Stieglitz. She carries a piercing gaze that coalesces with Steichen’s characterization of a rose, signaling love and beauty, and the geranium for gentility and true friendship. the panel shows rhoades in repose bordered in areas with glinty-gold reminiscent of klimt’s “adele Bloch-Bauer” — while not as ornate or complicated as klimt, the emerging patterns of light and dark within the gold show an artist creating movement in the piece.

Coincidently, Steichen’s career was just beginning as klimt’s was coming to an unforeseen end in the 1918 worldwide Spanish Flu epidemic. another panel is cast with Steichen’s mistress, Marion Beckett. Shy by nature and quiet, the opposite of rhoades, Beckett was considered a beauty of her day. elusive, she avoided being photographed, even by her famous camera-wielding friends, Stieglitz and Steichen. her retiring nature, however, did not prevent Steichen from featuring her front-and-center as the main figure in one of the two largest panels in the mural. although the exhibit is in one of the museum’s smaller galleries, it has much to digest — it is comfortable and one can easily spend an hour or more with the mural.

DMa is located the heart of downtown and offers free general admission. the museum is open tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and until 9 p.m. on thursdays.

For more information visit dma.org.

Edward Steichen’s “Rose” panel, part of “In Exaltation of Flowers” at the Dallas Museum of Art through May 13.

Stark to host student art exhibition, April 4-June 2 10 • ISSUE April 2018

the Stark MuSeuM oF art will honor 108 local student artists on april 4, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. the student artists are featured in this year’s juried student art exhibition, “this land Was Made for you and Me.” the reception will include light refreshments, a special performance by the lCM Jazz Band and an award ceremony.

Family, friends and neighbors are encouraged to join the museum in celebrating the student artists’ achievements.

For this year’s exhibition, student artists were asked to create an original work depicting an image inspired by the lakes, prairies, mountains, coasts or deserts of the united States of america. the museum received over 400 entries from k-12 students across Southeast texas and Southwest louisiana. each entry was judged by museum staff on five criteria: skillful use of chosen medium commensurate with artist’s grade level, composition and design, artist statement, impact of the image and creativity. all entries were carefully considered by a team of museum staff, and the best entries were selected to be matted, framed and hung for the exhibition. this year’s exhibition features artwork from 14 campuses: Bridge City intermediate, Bridge City Middle School, Bridge City high School, Buna Junior high School, lighthouse homeschool Co-op, orangefield high School, Port neches-Groves high School, St. Mary Catholic School, St. louis Catholic high School, Sabine Pass high School, Sam houston high School, Vidor Middle School, West orange Stark elementary and West orange Stark high School. in addition to recognizing all featured student artists, the museum will also present special awards during the reception for outstanding works in the exhibition. two special awards will be given: Merit and Director’s Choice awards. Merit awards will be presented to students receiving the highest scores from the team of judges. the Director’s Choice awards will be presented to students selected for outstanding achievement by trina nelson thomas, director of art and history venues. a full list of award winners is available online at starkmuseum.org. “each year i am overwhelmed by the amount of talent and creativity that our

Volume 24, No. 7

local students display in their entries,” said Jennifer restauri Dickinson, curator of education. “i am so excited for students, teachers, family and friends to visit the exhibition in the new Walter G. riedel iii education Center and to celebrate the students during the reception.” the student artwork will be on view in the Community Gallery located in the Walter G. riedel iii education Center until June 2.

Stark Museum of art is located at 712 Green ave. in orange and is open tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more, visit starkmuseum.org.

· Paige McKee, St. Mary Catholic School · Grace Wimberley, St. Mary Catholic School · Hannah Allison, St. Mary Catholic School

· Lizbeth Terrazas, Sabine Pass High School · Elijah Reynolds, West Orange Stark High School · Monica Vasquez, West Orange Stark High School

6-8 Merit Award Winners · Ava Gassen, Bridge City Middle School · Samuel Kulovitz, Bridge City Middle School · Samara McMullan, Bridge City Middle School · Reesie Ryder, Bridge City Middle School · Chelsi Gore, Buna Junior High · Marissa Menard, Buna Junior High · Josie Beck, Lighthouse Homeschool Co-op · Andi Drake, Lighthouse Homeschool Co-op · Verck Rincon, St. Mary Catholic School · Madelyn Smith, St. Mary Catholic School · Maggie Granger, St. Mary Catholic School · Jessica Hughes, St. Mary Catholic School

Director’s Choice Awards

Merit Award Winners K-2 Merit Award Winners · Matthew Nguyen, St. Mary Catholic School · Paris Dugas, St. Mary Catholic School 3-5 Merit Award Winners · Michelle Hamilton, Bridge City Intermediate · Abigail C. Bodin, St. Mary Catholic School · Allie Broussard, St. Mary Catholic School · Kinsley Doucet, St. Mary Catholic School · Catherine Tam Doan, St. Mary Catholic School

9-12 Merit Award Winners · Diana Barriga, Bridge City High School · Andrea Chavez, Bridge City High School · Marc Story, Bridge City High School · Hannah Huff, Bridge City High School · Jaelyn Nichols, Bridge City High School · Lauren Jordan, Port Neches-Groves High School · Alexis Copeland, Orangefield High School · Narica Edwards, St. Louis Catholic High School · Adam Verrett, St. Louis Catholic High School · Lauren Nichole Gray, Sam Houston High School

K-2 Director’s Choice Awards · Kirra Jaarah, St. Mary Catholic School · Conner LeJuhm, St. Mary Catholic School · E’Deric Boone, West Orange Stark Elementary 3-5 Director’s Choice Awards · Eizabeth Khatt, St. Mary Catholic School · Thomasina Nguyen, St. Mary Catholic School · Jeremy Finister, West Orange Stark Elementary 6-9 Director’s Choice Awards · Kayson Hebert, Bridge City Middle School · Kendall Phillips, St. Mary Catholic School · Shayan Rahim, Bridge City Middle School · Shyanne Nash, Buna Junior High School 9-12 Director’s Choice Awards · Tuyen Le, Bridge City High School · Malayna Motomorua, Bridge City High School · Ben Burguieres, St. Louis Catholic High School · Andrea Puerta, Sam Houston High School · Cristlyn Harbert, Port Neches-Groves High School · Moriah Manning, Port Neches-Groves High School

Derrick to exhibit ceramics at High Street, April 6

April 2018 ISSUE • 11

Volume 24, No. 7

the hiGh Street Gallery will host “Curiosity,” an exhibition of highfire reduction ceramics by Stephen Derrick Jr., 7-10 p.m. april 6. the gallery is located in Victoria house, 2110 Victoria St. in Beaumont. entry is free and the artwork will be for sale. refreshments provided during the event.

Derrick is a native Southeast texan. Born in Beaumont but spending most of his life in austin, he returned to Beaumont to study at lamar university and graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree in 2006. During his third year at lamar he was introduced to ceramics by professor linnis Blanton and soon became fascinated with the medium and its process. after a 10-year hiatus from art, Derrick returned to Beaumont to pursue his passion for ceramics. his work is a reflection of his interest in science and nature, more specifically chemistry and astronomical phenomena. “Curiosity” will exhibit two specific series

of his current work — Cosmic imaginings and alien topography.

“Cosmic imaginings was inspired by hubble deep-field images of nebulas, star fields and galaxy formations,” Derrick says. “alien topography originated from chemical experimentation with layering stable and unstable glazes. When combined, gas is produced under the outer layer of glaze, which creates raised surface textures and crater-like formations while exposing the glaze underneath. these textures mimic impact craters and landmass formations one might expect to see on a lunar surface. “in today’s society, more time is spent checking one’s Facebook status than learning about the world and universe around them. the desire to learn seems to be snuffed out as soon as someone is handed a diploma. By illustrating some of the beauty and wonder of the universe, this exhibit seeks to help reignite the spark of curiosity and

imagination.”

For more information, visit high Street Gallery on Facebook and lizardworks Pottery on Facebook.

Annual Praying Mantis Festival set for April 14

the annual PrayinG MantiS Pop Surrealist Festival is set for 2 p.m. april 14 to 2 a.m. april 15 at 2555 Jirou St. in Beaumont. admission is free but a $5 donation is suggested to cover overhead, travel expenses for performers and sound. attendees are encouraged to tip the performers. this year’s theme is “Mythical Creatures and Bugs” — mermaids, fairies, butterflies, bees, mantis and more. the event features music and performance arts, as well as all manner of arts and crafts in an atmosphere of fun, peace and creativity. anyone interested in being a vendor should contact nathan McCray at 409-880-5222, or email nathanmccray2555@yahoo.com. Booths are available for $15. attendees should ByoB, but no underage drinking will be allowed.

Friends of the Library to host huge 10-cent book sale, April 6-7

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Volume 24, No. 7

a BaSeMent Full oF books – novels, non-fiction, histories, biographies, cookbooks, crafts and more – awaits shoppers at the Friends of the Beaumont Public libraries sale april 6 and 7. the price is 10 cents a book, so bring a big tote to carry away your literary loot. the event will feature more than 10,000 books. the event is at the Main library at 801 Pearl St. in downtown Beaumont, starting with an early sale for Friends members from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., april 6. individuals who want to shop early can join the non-profit service group for $10 when they arrive, or get a family membership for $20. the public sale is from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., april 7.

Volunteers will be continually restocking tables from the array of donated items.

Money raised supports Beaumont public libraries and their literacy programs.

SUPPORTS THE ART STUDIO, INC.

info@signinternational.com 409.832.0117 7398 College St. in Beaumont

April 2018 ISSUE • 13

Volume 24, No. 7

VIEW from page 3 Virginia that will cover the basic elements of the drawing technique. She will cover four classes each Saturday, beginning March 31 ending april 24, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Cost will be $80 with all supplies included.

Soon to follow will be Gonzalo alvarez with illustration and Grace Chadwick with painting. i hope you will give your children the opportunity to learn the skills needed to create art. it is a great activity and provides the much needed thinking processes that will help them be more successful students.

We have two grants waiting in the wings. We’ve applied to Meadows Foundation for a match to our harvey support grants and also a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) through the City of Beaumont for repair of the roof at the Barn (840 Franklin St.). With the Meadows, we hope to replace the windows upstairs, revive our sound system, upgrade our kilns and provide better ventilation for our residents and patrons through an efficient systems of fans.

With grants in mind we are also developing a Strategic Planning Meeting to catapult this organization into the next decades. We hope to establish a game plan we can use as our roadmap for the next 20 years. the art Studio is 35 years old, and we are looking at the long term plan and what we can do to make this organization sustainable in the years to come. i am so excited to find out what our future will hold, and i truly appreciate the residents and board members who offer their time, knowledge and enthusiasm toward the success of this organization.

Guidestar is the definitive source for all non-profit organizations. through it we and others are showcased to the public so they can learn about the myriad groups doing good works and helping communities throughout the united States. the art Studio was eligible to enter a contest put on by Guidestar that rewarded groups who upgraded their status through an “olympic” competition.

Guidestar has a program called Seal of transparency that goes through stages of information important to a future donor — Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. as the organizations advance in levels they are eligible for cash awards. the Studio was at

the Gold level and advanced to the Platinum level, which made us eligible for the $500 award through a random pick. lo and behold we won the 500 smackers! at the Platinum level they offer a donation button on your site and encourage contributors to shop for a charity. hopefully, someone will make us that choice.

Welcome to the new residents to the art Studio. as some artists slip across the yard to the new facility there were open studios to be filled. i am honored to welcome rachel Wright, Chris Presley, Chris holmes, eric McClain and Steven rousset.

We have a wonderfully diverse community of ages, backgrounds, genders and philosophy. i am so excited about the growth of our arts community. i was just speaking to a publishing representative who travels to many small towns throughout the united States. She was pleasantly surprised with A DIFFERENT VIEW

the active arts community here in Beaumont, saying that it was rare to find so many artists and institutions that support the arts in a relatively small community. that is good to hear. i spend so much time trying to build a strong arts community i don’t often compare what we are doing next to other places.

So, feel good about our efforts and know we are on the right track. it takes everyone with the commitment to advance their own art skill to create a collective as dynamic as ours. taSiMJae 2018 is here. our illustrious judge this year is Christopher troutman, assistant professor of art at lamar university. i am so pleased to have Chris as our juror this year and look forward to seeing the selections he makes and the awards he gives. it is only right that i, again, thank Mr. Scott leBurn for his contribution toward the cash awards this year. Gifts like

that are greatly appreciated and our appreciation for them knows no bounds.

Work days are coming up, and there is a list of projects that we need to attend before the heat of summer is upon us. We want some able-bodied people to haul some large equipment and supplies to the new facility so we can set up our welding and fabrication space and store our supplies of metal, forge and foundry equipment. Check out our Facebook page for announcements.

We hope to open up some space at 720 Franklin and make it more maneuverable and safer for our residents and the children during classes and summer art camp. as always i believe in intensive work to be done in a few hours and allow our volunteers to live their regular lives. With enough help it will be relatively painless.

Many hands make easy work.

by Andy Coughlan

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Volume 24, No. 7

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. each year in april, SHANGRI LA BOTANICAL GARDENS AND NATURE CENTER celebrates earth Day with an ECO-FEST CELEBRATION and BUTTERFLY RELEASE. “in celebration of ongoing progress in the rebuilding of Shangri la Gardens, join us for a three-day long earth Day celebration that signifies what Shangri la is all about,” a release states.

Family-friendly activities and games will take place on april 19, april 20, and april 21, culminating with an inspirational Butterfly release at 3:30 p.m. april 21. “each day has a different theme, so be sure to join us for all,” the release states. the event schedule is listed as follows: April 19: Blooms Join us for a day filled with family friendly activities focusing on our garden! Families will enjoy a scavenger hunt, story time, planting in the children’s garden, a botanical craft and the opportunity to take part in a celebratory tree planting. Children of all ages are invited to take part in a day dedicated to the plants that surround us. activities begin at 10:30 a.m. and continue until 3:30 p.m.

April 20: Bugs Calling all lady bugs and gentleman bees. Join us for a fun-filled day full of family friendly activities designed to showcase our beneficial bugs. Families will have the opportunity to participate in several ladybug releases and honey tastings. Bugthemed crafts and activities will be scattered through the garden. activities begin at 10:30 a.m. and continue until 3:30 p.m.

April 21: Butterflies Join us to celebrate earth Day with an eco-Fest celebration and Butterfly release. the day will be filled with family fun that highlights sustainability and natural history. local and regional organizations and businesses will be on site hosting booths that provide information about earth-friendly products, services and opportunities. Games, activities, engaging presentations and live music provide enter-

tainment for the whole family. enjoy the gardens in full bloom and view baby birds in their nests on ruby lake. the day begins with activities starting at 10:30 a.m. and concludes with a Butterfly release at 3:30 p.m. enjoy the gardens in full bloom and view baby birds in their nests on ruby lake. Strolls through the garden provide relaxing escapes from the hustle and bustle.

Shangri la Botanical Gardens and nature Center will open for three days only to celebrate ecoFest 2018 and will re-open after labor Day. Visit the Shangri la Gardens Facebook page for future updates. ________

register now for the ART MUSEUM OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS SUMMER ARTVENTURE courses from June 18 through July 27, taught by professional artists.

Classes are divided into age groups for half day, week long, intensive art courses.

Children ages 5-7 (young artVenturers) sample clay, paint and mixed media in classes augmented with story times and outdoor activities.

Children ages 8-11 (Summer artVenturers) are offered courses in ceramics, illustration, mixed media and even sculpture. teens ages 12-14 (teenVentures in art) will explore 3D art making practices. teen campers will be introduced to works by internationally acclaimed artists such as Martin Puryear, louise nevelson, Frank Stella and lee Bontecou.

“Summer artVentures is a lively experience for children and teens that enjoy making art,” Christle Feagin, curator of education/programs, said. “young artists are introduced to a variety of materials and techniques geared toward expressing their creativity and honing their artistic skills.”

Summer artVentures camps are $75 for aMSet members and $135 for non-members. registration includes the child’s first class and one-year family membership to

aMSet. Scholarships are available. registration closes Friday, June 8.

For course descriptions and registration forms, visit www.amset.org.

For more information, email cfeagin@amset.org, or call 409-832-3432. ________

the ART MUSEUM OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS is hosting SHAUN ROBERTS: REBELS AND RENEGADES, through June 3. roberts lives in nacogdoches where he is assistant professor of painting at Stephen F. austin State university. this solo exhibition, featuring recent oil paintings by the emerging artist, is his first solo museum feature. roberts’ compositions are often inspired by italian renaissance and Baroque masters, including Caravaggio, as seen in his dynamic, painterly strokes and theatrical settings. the artist has eschewed the characters of the early modern paintings and instead created a scene from everyday life in deep east texas and incorporated contemporary people as actors and actresses in his compositions. roberts frequently inserts himself into his compositions, as well as his father and other friends and family, giving his Baroque-inspired compositions contemporary appeal and vigor. aMSet is located at 500 Main St. in downtown Beaumont.

For more, visit www.amset.org.

RECENT ART STUDIO NEW OR RENEWING MEMBERS

Melinda McWhite Wayne Goodman andrew Strange Melinda McWhite Jim oakes k.r. Wallon

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

Volume 24, No. 7

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:

My Own Personal Dance each and every one of us

have our own personal dance.

our private dance our secret dance

the dance that no one sees i myself, used to love to dance to boogie to a different beat to raise out of my seat

and move my feet

i didn’t feel totally complete

unless i was dancing, prancing

Wrapped in the arms of a man while glancing into his soulful eyes

romancing him while he’s romancing me you see, i used to love to dance

i practically opened up the place had my own special table

Because back then i was able

to party all night until the morning light eyes tight, hugged up in the corner at the time, it felt right

now the mirror is my partner i’m like a duck out of water. i used to love to dance.

Dorothy Sells Clover

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.

Feeling Numb

Feeling numb with a hole in my head i need to get up, but instead i’ll lie in bed

Crease the blinds hiding from the sun Ducking under covers, shielding myself from the ceiling fan’s wind hours pass Dogs come and go

isn’t life fun the less i say, the better things go i can’t find my feet on the ground i guess i’ll never know i thought i had plenty of time i’ve lost the light in my eyes i guess now i’m just passing time Cover up and say goodnight this is where i want to be i’m drifting in and drifting out

i can’t tell one day from another Did you find me? now the animals are looking for a home Will they notice me?

Feeling numb with a hole in my head i need to get up, but instead i’ll lie in bed Stephan Malick

April 2018 ISSUE • 15 Inquisition “how can you attribute your ability to extemporaneous poetry lines? all those rhymes?” he sobs burying his head in his hands.

“Speak up, What was it?” he lifted his head, thinking he soon be dead.

Wiping his eyes, and drawing a deep breath he admitted with a stammer, “it’s just grammar.” “i like your elocution and dedication Would like to be the next Secretary of education?”

DJ Kava Impaired Vision to imitate the crippled, my son will giggle on a cane. to mock the slow of thought, he thinks of things insane. he laughs at those who cannot talk. the deaf, he teases loud, unkind. and, sometimes, when he smiles, he says, “i wish i were not blind.”

Jesse Doiron

Learning to Accept a Gift When she gave me the gift i was surly. i could not see past the future into the present — to receive it with a smile.

But if she, in my eyes, is most worthy and if she chooses me, well, then, Maybe i should bow to her better judgment. thank you for your gift — for all of them.

Andy Coughlan

720 Franklin, Beaumont, Texas 77701

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Permit #135 Beaumont, TX

RETURN SERVICE REqUESTED

INSIDE • TASIMJAE 2018 • THOUGHTCRIME: MUSINGS FROM AREA POETS • STEICHEN AT DMA • DUBUFFET’S PRIMITIVISM

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 rhonda Mcnally John roberts Beau Dumesnil karen Dumesnil Sheila Busceme kailee Viator Stephan Malick terri Fox Michelle Falgout Stacey haynes Joe Winston John Fulbright Mark Jacobson nathaniel Welch Gina Garcia Jack hays tyler hargraves aslinn Garcia Paisley Polk Zoe Williams rana Matthews Caroline Badon David Granitz latasha hagan James king Madison rose Stuckey Dawn S. Fischer Madison Bonds Chris Garcia taylor VanDevender Jaycie henderson nathan West kay o'neal olivia Busceme Chad Barrows

JOIN US

FOR ART OPENINGS ON THE FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH

THIS MONTH:

OPENING RECEPTION IS APRIL 7, 7-10 P.M.

this project was funded in part by the B.a. & e.W. Steinhagen Benevolent trust through the Southeast texas arts Council.

ISSUE

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