ISSUE SEptember 2019

THE ARTS MAGAZINE OF THE ART STUDIO, INC.

SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 7

INSIDE: D.J. KAVA REMEMBERED, BUSCEME IN JAPAN, KRASNER AT THE BARBICAN AND MORE

ISSUE Vol. 26, No. 1 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Art Studio, Inc. Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy Coughlan Contributing Writer . . . . . . . . . . Stephan Malick Copy Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beth Gallaspy Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elijah Malick

A View From The Top Greg Busceme, TASI Director

The Art Studio, Inc. Board of Directors Corporate President . . . . . . . . . . Greg Busceme Corporate Vice-President . . . . . Angela Scheibel Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephan Malick Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Logan Murphy Members at Large . . . . . . Stephanie Chadwick, . . . . . . . . . Olivia Busceme, Allison Kainer, . . . . . . . . . . . Jessica Prince, Michael Saar, . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheila Busceme, Sara Tuell, . . . . . . . . . . . John Rollins, Laurie Gordon Tenant Representative . . . . . Elizabeth Fontenot Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Orta

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 Remembering Kava . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 Above Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6 The Tenants Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7 Clay Man in Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Krasner Retrospective. . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 TASI Press Club Awards . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12 Lamar University Faculty Show . . . . . . Page 13 Around & About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Thoughtcrime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15 Cover by Andy Coughlan

magical mindmeld because they transferred knowledge at lightning speed. By Saturday Marilyn was packed up and ready to join her family and Stephanie was sitting at ... the Desk! This transition was flawless.

Stephanie is a quick study but plumbing the depth of the financial and legal part of The Studio administration is a daunting task.

Keeping up with our insurances and building notes, CPA needs, scheduling and public relations is no simple task but I believe in her.

As executive director, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome Stephanie Orta as assistant director of The Art Studio, Inc. I also extend my thanks to the residents and members of TASI for their cooperation and patience during this transition.

Speaking of new participants, I would also

SO MUCH CAN HAPPEN in two months. Since our last ISSUE, We’ve had some big changes administratively. Our dear friend, artist and studio assistant director, Marilyn Tennissen has decided to live with her sister in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Being notified four days before her departure was a shock. Marilyn had served The Studio for well over a year, while pursuing photography and her work as a journalist.

Marilyn is a delight to work with, and I enjoyed that I got to know her better.

The next half of the story stars Marilyn and a young lady named Stephanie Orta.

Stephanie worked at the Museum of the Gulf Coast, but participates in community organizations all over Southeast Texas. She is a good friend and is also dedicated to advancing the arts and networking with other nonprofit organizations throughout the Triangle.

Stephanie and Marilyn did some kind of

See VIEW on page 13

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT THE ART STUDIO SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

The Tenants Show Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 7

Christopher Troutman: Sequential: Studio Art and Comics Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October 5

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4 • ISSUE September 2019

Volume 26, No. 1

Remembering Kava TASI original member D.J. Kava dies at age 73 D.J. KAVA WAS AN Art Studio original — literally. Kava was one of the group of artists who helped found the organization in 1983 on Beaumont’s Milam Street.

David Joseph Kava died June 19 after an illness. He was 73 years old.

Kava was around at the inception of The Art Studio, but was not a tenant.

“I would probably be considered the first apprentice,” he said in a 2009 ISSUE interview. “I helped mop the floor the second time in the first building. I missed mopping the floor the first time, but I mopped the floor the second time.”

An artist, meteorologist, U.S. Air Force veteran, writer, historian and self-proclaimed scavenger, Kava was a fixture at art openings and events. He exhibited widely and had solo shows at The Art Studio, Beaumont Art League, Art Museum of Southeast Texas and the Bolivar Peninsula Art Foundation, among others, with works that included photographs, drawings, mobiles and mixed media creations, many incorporating his signature ladders.

In an interview in advance of his 2009 TASI solo show, “Thirty Days in the Hole,” Kava spoke about how he adopted the ladder motif.

“Shortly after I retired I went out to Santa Fe with some friends of mine. They have all these adobe things with ladders,” he said. “I came back home and I thought, ‘Ladders, ladders.’

“I have climbed ladders since I was a kid, and ladders have scared

Story by Andy Coughlan

Art Studio original member D.J. Kava was a car enthusiast. He is pictured above in a 1970s Cadillac. Photo courtesy Margot Holst.

Kava posed with one of his trademark ladders, right, prior to his 2009 retrospective art show at the Beaumont Art League. Photo by Andy Coughlan

Volume 26, No. 1 the living daylights out of me. Even here, I fell off the roof one time when I stepped off and the ladder slipped out from under me.

“So I found a dictionary of symbols, and it had a long section on stairs and ladders. And all the references were positive — transformation, change, in some cultures chastity and purity. The Egyptians had a ninestep ladder in their hierarchy, but the 10th step was their invisible god. Ten became part of their numerology and came to mean the whole. By leaving the 10th step off, for the invisible god, it implied the god was always there.

“Nobody takes a ladder to hell,” he said. “You are cast into hell, but you climb up to heaven.”

Born March 9, 1946, in Oregon and reared in Minnesota, Kava spent 29 years as a meteorological technician for the Air Force, which he joined in 1964, for the Navy as a civilian, and for the National Weather Serv-

September 2019 ISSUE • 5 ice.

He joked that he would go anywhere for a promotion and ended up in Beaumont — “Once again, serendipity,” he said.

Kava considered himself to be a recycler, finding objects that have potential and working with them until an idea presents itself. Not all of his creations ended up how he envisioned them, but Kava had a wry philosophical outlook.

For the Sound/Insight show I curated in 2017, Kava contributed a painted shower door. After filling out the paperwork in the office, he carried it outside to the gallery. Suddenly there was an almighty crash. Several of us rushed out to see what had happened to find D.J. standing, looking sheepish, next to a pile of shattered glass. He had tapped the frame against the wall and the piece broke. Or rather, it transformed. We decided to leave it exactly as it was and exhibited the piece as

being the end of its artistic journey. Kava was rather unfazed by most things.

An accomplished car historian, he had been a member of the Society of Automotive Historians since 1973, specializing in Hudson motor cars. He was also a birder with more than 400 species on his record.

Kava said art has provided a good way of expressing himself.

“Originally, I couldn’t really express myself due to restrictions on my behavior as a federal worker,” he said. “Being an artist was a godsend for me to be able to get rid of that frustration.”

Kava was a regular contributor to the ISSUE’s Thoughtcrime section, as well as contributing book reviews.

With his ever-present Birkenstock sandals, D.J. Kava was an integral part of the history of The Studio, and he will be missed.

The original members of The Art Studio, Inc., left, included D.J. Kava, left, Bill Anderson, Arval and Lou Hebert, Suzanne Garrett (holding Greg Busceme Jr.), Greg Busceme Sr. and Sandi Laurette.

Photo by John Fulbright.

D.J. Kava, above, in his trademark Birkenstocks, on The Studio’s back porch in 2002.

6 • ISSUE September 2019

Volume 26, No. 1

Above Board Board workshops to achieve future TASI plans, goals

Stephan Malick, TASI Board Chairman

THE TASI BOARD OF DIRECTORS, for the second consecutive year, has completed what has become an annual event for the group. A strategic workshop was held Aug. 7 to identify, plan and reflect on the state of The Studio for the past year and for the foreseeable future.

The workshop idea began under then board chair Joe Winston in June 2018 with the intent that it become a regular function within yearly operation. This time, we didn’t have to reinvent the process and were able to jump into the work part very quickly.

We brought back Dennis Kiel, director of the Dishman Art Museum at Lamar University, as the independent, third-party facilitator.

Having an outside facilitator is important because it allows an opportunity for a different perspective to referee or umpire the strategic process. The more objective point of view we can get, the better chance we have to define and

address the issues we need to. Thank you again, Dennis!

Organizations are a challenge to operate and having key personnel is necessary. TASI has its administrative staff of founder and executive director Greg Busceme and the recent addition of Stephanie Orta as assistant director that run the day-to-day operations of The Studio.

Stephanie comes to us from the Museum of the Gulf Coast. Former assistant director Marilyn Tennissen recently moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to care for family members and will be greatly missed.

In a small organization like The Studio, board members are relied upon to fill gaps and assume duties that might be covered in a larger institution.

Nonprofit work, regardless of type, is often a work of passion — or as I sometimes say, “an example of gluttony for punishment.” I jest with

that, but it is undoubtedly hard work. The passion comes from seeing an organization serve its community — and for The Studio, that means creating and sustaining arts culture for Southeast Texas.

To do that means not only providing programming and exhibitions for our patrons and members, but bricks-and-mortar work, too.

TASI is still putting finishing touches on our Hurricane Harvey repairs — like many, many of our SETX neighbors. It is always a challenge in regular times to address the institution’s resource needs. Adding disaster repairs makes everything more difficult. We’re still working on our roof and leaks.

The strategic workshop is important not to just address awareness for projects, but it’s re-

See BOARD on page 13

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Volume 26, No. 1

September 2019 ISSUE • 7

Tenants Show to open 2019-20 season DESPITE THE OPPRESSIVE HEAT of a Texas summer, a dedicated gang of creatives have been toiling — and boiling — away to prepare for The Art Studio’s traditional season opening exhibition.

The Art Studio’s annual Tenants Show will begin Sept. 7 with an opening reception 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The tenants cover all media, including painting, ceramics, sculpture, photography and more, and the show offers a glimpse into the processes of the artists who call The Studio home.

“We really enjoy being able to show people the mechanics of the creative process,” Greg Busceme, TASI director, said. “The Tenants Show gives us a chance to start the new exhibition season by showing how we make art.”

Artists represented include Renee McLain, Pam O’Neil, Barbara Allamon, Karen Dumesnil, Bill Ku-

jawski, Sandra Laurette, Suzanne Garrett, Rhonda McNally, Sue Wright, Andy Coughlan, Yolanda Perez, Lisa Baumer, Amber Howard, Karen Albright, Elizabeth Fontenot, Misti Hill, Donna Ware, Jenny Petross, Maria Petross, Lauren & Kent Collins, Madison Smith, Alex Murphy, Juliana Rutledge, Kailee Viator, Gina Garcia, Madison Stuckey, Nathan Jones, Chris Presley, Betty Smith, Gabriel Sellers, J. Winston, J. Fulbright, Eric McLain, James King, Beau Dumesnil and Greg Busceme, Sr. The Studio hosts nine exhibitions each season, which runs from September to June, as well as hosting work spaces for artists. The facility also holds classes, Band Nites, theatrical performances, fashion shows, and multiple other events involving local organizations.

“The Studio is entering its 37th season and has

grown to be an important and vital artistic hub for the entire Southeast Texas community,” Stephan Malick, TASI board chairman, said. “The Tenants Show showcases the work of the artists who form the foundation on which the nonprofit organization is built.”

During the opening reception, visitors will be able to tour the facility, and many of the artists will be on hand to talk about their work.

“It’s always a great way to kick off the new arts season,” Busceme said. “It’s a chance to celebrate the creative process and also to invite people in to see what we do.”

The Art Studio, Inc. is located at 720 Franklin in downtown Beaumont. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.artstudio.org, or like the Facebook page.

8 • ISSUE September 2019

Volume 26, No. 1

Clay Man in Japan

Greg Busceme, in red, poses with students in Beppu, Japan.

TASI FOUNDER GREG BUSCEME VISITS ASIA TO TEACH, LEARN TECHNIQUES Story by Stephan Malick

TRAVEL STORIES AREN’T ALWAYS about just a physical journey — they are often about a process. Art Studio founder Greg Busceme’s summer trip to Beppu, Japan, was the product of several processes over many years.

“Lamar drawing instructor Chris Troutman, who has had a relationship with that community through his wife and through him working for years teaching English as a second language in the region, made this come trip come together,” Busceme said.

This trip really begins in 1984, roughly a year after The Studio’s founding, and just like Marty McFly in “Back to the Future” that would soon follow in theaters, Beaumont’s art scene had an opportunity to grow by something that happened in its past.

In 1984, then-mayor Maury Meyers and a group of local business owners affiliated with the Rotary Club of Beaumont began an exchange of letters and ideas to join the two cities in a mutual relationship of cultural exchange and development.

Both cities had a delegation visit each other’s, and while the relationship started an introduction and connection, the association never took root and faded over time.

“During the Beppu dignitaries’ Beaumont visit back in the ’80s-’90s, one of the places they visited was The Studio when we were in the original Neches-Milam location,” Busceme said. “They visited for a while and had a tour of the place, and we gave them a clay demonstration — that was pretty much it.”

Now fast forward to the present day for the next wrin-

kle in time with Troutman entering the scenario.

Troutman and his wife, who is from the Beppu area, had previously founded and operated a conversational English school in Kagoshima City. They continue to spend every summer in and around the region visiting family and teaching. It was there they had a chance meeting with someone who knew about the BeaumontBeppu exchange.

“Chris told me he was teaching something at Beppu University and participating in an exhibition,” Busceme said. “He was introduced to a man at the show, and they began the usual conversation one has, you know, ‘Where are you from?’ ‘What do you teach?’ etc., etc.

“The guy asks Chris if he knew a guy who was an artist in Beaumont, and the group visited his studio, and on and on. Chris came back and told me about the conver-

Volume 26, No. 1 sation, and I was like, ‘Yeah, that was me.’

Chris continued and went on how this man recounted his experience visiting Beaumont and the art place he saw.”

Troutman told Busceme they wanted to know if he was still making art and if The Studio was still operating.

“Apparently, I made an impression on them after only one day 30-odd years ago, and they wanted to know if I would want to come there to make art,” Busceme said.

The rest is now history. Troutman proposed that Busceme go to Beppu.

“Chris really put this all together,” Busceme said. “He gave me advice and pointers how to organize the trip. He was my adviser, and it took about two years for everything to come together and make this happen.

“I cannot say enough good things about Chris and his generosity at making this come together.”

Busceme’s trip — his first trip overseas — was very intensely scheduled, he said.

However, he did have former TASI apprentice Heather Butler (neé Eager) accompany him and assist for the first week of the journey, along with Troutman.

“They had a pretty heavy schedule for us,” he said. “They laid down every day what I should be doing, and they revised it as we went along. The biggest challenge was teaching classes and at the same time finding time to make art for the show.

“Heather was going to assist me, but she was only available for the first week.

Our hosts wanted us to see all of these dif-

September 2019 ISSUE • 9 ferent things, so we had to rework the schedule a few times to arrange everything. I don’t think I would have changed a thing.”

One of the most heartfelt and touching things they got to do, Busceme said, was to participate in the local rice planting ceremony.

“The whole community participates in it,” he said. “You can see how important this is to everyone there, and you have everyone, not just the farmers, participating in it. It was very touching to see the whole community doing it.”

Busceme said it was interesting to find that the hotel he stayed in did not have

locks on the doors, and the doors and some walls were made out papered panels. Japan is know as one of the safest countries in the world, he said.

“Beppu is a decent-sized city, well over 100,000 people in population,” he said. “I wasn’t ever worried for my safety. I worried about my stuff, but our hosts told us not to worry about anything because theft is very rare.”

The visit stirred a lot of local media attention. The trio were featured on local TV and in the newspaper. The newspaper article featured the group meeting with the deputy mayor and other local city officials in their city hall.

Busceme said one thing all involved wanted to accomplish was to rekindle the cultural relationship between the two sister cities.

“Arts and culture have an important quality-of-life factor,” he said. “Areas that have sustainable and vigorous art communities are better places to live — that’s the world over.”

He added that arts and culture have an economic function as well providing jobs and spending in the local community.

“The arts are an important part of our area,” Busceme said. “The arts has had an amazing impact on this area, and this trip is the next step in developing this.

“We hope within the next year or two we’ll have someone from Japan return to Beaumont and have them visit and engage with our community, with some classes and art-making opportunities.”

Next month: Busceme discovers the challenges of teaching in another culture.

Greg Busceme and Heather Butler, far left, dressed in traditional garb for the local rice festival. Students work in Beppu University. Sensei Nagata and Greg Busceme, above, wait patiently for the kiln. Photos courtesy of Greg Busceme.

10 • ISSUE September 2019

Volume 26, No. 1

No Mere Woman’s Work Barbican retrospective proves Lee Krasner is equal of greatest Abstract Expressionists

LONDON — THE ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST MOVEMENT has been described as the first uniquely American art movement. The Abstract Expressionists’ work is visceral, aggressive, spontaneous, dynamic — traits that seem to typify the masculine, a trait that has been ascribed to the movement’s leading figures, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Franz Kline, and arguably its most high-profile exponent, Jackson Pollock.

But this blanket perception unfairly dismisses the contributions of the women whose work is a vital part of the movement — Joan Mitchell, Elaine de Kooning and Lee Krasner.

That both Elaine de Kooning and Krasner were

Review and photos by Andy Coughlan

married to leading Abstract Expressionists — de Kooning to Willem and Krasner to Pollock — has only served to diminish critical perception of their value to 20th-century art.

However, the spotlight is beginning to be shined on these women. The Barbican Centre is hosting “Lee Krasner: Living Colour,” a major retrospective of Krasner’s work that not only installs her at the forefront of the movement, but also establishes her as one of the movement’s most accomplished and influential practitioners. In fact, one could argue that her innovative career surpasses that of her celebrity husband.

The exhibition begins with a film that features Krasner talking about her life and is a must-see before entering the exhibition as it

A visitor studies “Another Storm,” part of the retrospective “Lee Krasner: Living Colour” at the Barbican Centre in London. Krasner was a leading figure in the American Abstract Expressionist movement.

Volume 26, No. 1

“Embrace” by Lee Krasner. sets the artworks in context direct from the artist’s mouth.

Lena Krassner was born in 1908 to Russian-Jewish immigrants and changed her name to Lenore and finally the genderfree Lee, dropping an S from her last name. During the Depression, Krasner studied life drawing under Job Goodman before studying with Hans Hofmann, the German Bauhaus artist-teacher who introduced her to Cubism. The work from this early period is represented in the show, including the muscular life drawings and the loose Cubistic drawings. Hofmann’s teaching style often involved drawing over students’ works or ripping them up and reconfiguring them, something that Krasner would adopt throughout her career.

In 1953, after an unsuccessful show at the Betty Parsons Gallery, she tore up all the works in her studio and reassembled them as collages. The recycled images, such as “Burning Candles” and “Desert Moon,” are layered and graphically exciting. In the 1970s, Krasner rediscovered her drawings from her Hofmann period and cut them up, creating vibrant, exciting ab-

September 2019 ISSUE • 11 stractions, adding color to elements.

She was a member of the Abstract American Artists group, where she met Willem de Kooning, Kline and, ultimately, Pollock. She also created art for the Depression-era Public Works of Art Project and the Works Progress Administration, which was non-discriminatory against women artists. Throughout her early career she was an activist for artists rights, a position she continued her whole life.

The couple, who married in 1945, moved to a house in Springs, Long Island, where Pollock developed his large-scale drip paintings, while Krasner worked on her “Little Image” paintings. Works such as 1949’s “Composition” are filled with hieroglyph-like symbols that invite the viewer to decipher hidden messages.

In the mid-1950s, with Pollock’s selfdestructive alcoholism putting a strain on the marriage, Krasner painted “Prophecy.”

She was disturbed by the image, although Pollock encouraged her. Krasner left it on her easel when she left for a trip to France.

While she was gone, on Aug. 12, Pollock died in a car crash that also killed Edith Metzger, a friend of Pollock’s lover Ruth Kligman, who survived the accident. Following the funeral, Krasner continued the series she had begun with “Prophecy,” adding “Birth,” “Embrace” and “Three in Two.” The four paintings comprise a stunning series of work. The exhibition catalogue quotes Krasner, in response to a question about how she could paint in the midst of such profound grief, responding, “Painting is not separate from life. It is one. It is like asking — do I want to live?

My answer is yes — and I paint.”

The Barbican is an excellent venue for an art show. The upstairs galleries offer a perfect setting for Krasner’s early works, but it is in the large open spaces of the downstairs galleries that one is really immersed in Krasner’s stunning abstracts.

Some of Lee Krasner’s life drawing done when she studied under Hans Hofmann.

“Courtship” by Lee Krasner.

“Another Storm,” from 1962, is a stunningly visceral swirl of red and white paint daubs. The viewer is overwhelmed by the vibrant image. Similarly, 1960’s “Polar Stampede” is full of violent fury. Both images appropriate the “masculine” aggressiveness of the Abstract Expressionists, at the same time destroying the myth that the movement was necessarily male-centric.

Krasner’s career latest longer than her husband and as a result, it is fair to argue, her work was more developed and nuanced. Her abstracts were as vibrant but more thoughtful. She constantly experimented and shifted her focus, continually surprising the viewer with new concepts.

Her work from the mid- to late-1960s, such as “Courtship” from 1966, is fluid and entrancing and shows her mastery of form.

Then, just as suddenly, Krasner pivots from the fluid and organic to return to her Cubistic roots. In 1974, she rediscovered her drawings from her studies with Hofmann. Krasner noticed that several had ghostly images on the back as she had not used a fixative. She set those aside to be framed and took the rest to her studio where she planned to destroy them. However, in 1975, Krasner decided to create a new series of collages. Rather than tear the works, as she had in her earlier collages, she used scissors. The resulting works, including “Imperative” from 1976, are aggressively sharp images that almost assault

Krasner’s “Composition,’ one of her “Little Images.” he viewer, while at the same time both fascinating and inviting us to delve into the work.

“Lee Krasner: Living Color” is an exciting exhibition on several levels. It is exciting to see an exhibition that showcases vibrant work that is still fresh and innovative. It is also exciting to see an underrated artist finally get her due as one of the leading artistic visionaries of the 20th century.

12 • ISSUE September 2019

Volume 26, No. 1

TASI media earns 15 awards at Press Club BEAUMONT — THE ART STUDIO, INC. was well represented at the Press Club of Southeast Texas Excellence in Media Awards, held June 9, earning 15 awards for related publications including two first places.

“The ISSUE staff is comprised entirely of volunteers, and I think the awards speak to their commitment the arts and The Studio,” Andy Coughlan, ISSUE editor, said. “These talented individuals are willing to donate their time to promote all the arts in Southeast Texas.”

Caitlin Duerler placed first and second in the Fine Arts Review/Critique category for “Contemporary Artifices” and “Guns, Gators and Gals.” Coughlan completed a category sweep for TASI contributors picking up third and honorable mention.

Stephan Malick placed first in the Magazine Feature category for “Passion On and Off Canvas.”

Coughlan placed second for his Oscar preview “And the Winner is…?”

In the Magazine News category, Coughlan earned second and third place. Coughlan also earned second place in the Magazine Personal Profile category for “Eye Candy,” and second in the

Writing Portfolio category.

ISSUE magazine staff earned third place for Overall magazine. John Fulbright and Coughlan earned third place for their Photo Essay of TASI’s Beaux Arts Ball. Third place awards also went to Coughlan for TASI’s Alternative Show poster and for Photo Portfolio. Coughlan also earned honorable mention for Magazine Photography.

Coughlan also earned first place for his independent arts and travel blog “English with a bit of Texas.”

The Excellence in Media awards are presented for work produced in 2018.

The Press Club draws its membership from Jefferson, Orange, Hardin, Liberty, Chambers, Jasper, Tyler, Polk and Newton counties. Press Club members are professionals in media, public relations, academia, public affairs, and corporate communication and public information.

The ISSUE is distributed at 40 locations around Southeast Texas and is also available to view as a pdf or individual stories at www.artstudio.org.

To contact or advertise in ISSUE, email info@artstudio.org or message the ISSUE Facebook page.

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MeMbers only preview 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6 Join at the door: Individuals, $10; Families, $20 public sale 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 Downtown library 801 Pearl St. (College and Main) Enter through basement door facing Main Street

Bring tote bags or boxes for your treasures!

we take cash or checks!

Volume 26, No. 1

September 2019 ISSUE • 13

LU presents faculty art show The Lamar University faculty and staff in the Department of Art will present their work in an exhibition at the Dishman Art Museum through Sept. 13. A reception will be held Aug. 30, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Sixteen faculty and staff will be represented during this exhibition with a range of art work including sculptures, photography and drawings, among others.

“This is an opportunity for the faculty and staff to display their work that they’ve been diligently working on, said Dennis Kiel, director of the Dishman Art Museum. “We invite everyone to come out and see the talent of our Art Department.”

Art faculty being represented include Greg Busceme, Keith Carter, Stephanie Chadwick, Kurt Dyrhaug, Xenia Fedorchenko, Julia Fischer, Sherry Freyermuth, Richard Gachot, Joana Hyatt, Donna Meeks, Prince Thomas and Christopher Troutman. Adjunct faculty and staff include Linnus Blanton, Elizabeth Fontenot, Audra LaCour and Billie Rose Smith.

Admission to the Dishman Art Museum is free of charge and open to the public.

For more information about the museum please visit lamar.edu/dishman.

“Großer Flügel #262” by Kurt Dyrhaug

VIEW from page 3 like to welcome Michael Saar to the board of directors of The Art Studio, Inc. Michael comes from a theater background, working with Ad Hoc Theatre group and Beaumont Community Players. We hope the interdisciplinary input will direct our ideas toward a much needed performance center that would accommodate theater, music and dance, as well as rentals for meetings, parties and events, along with additional space for classes.

As a final note we lost a pair of Studio originals. D.J. Kava, whom we all know and love, passed on last month (see page 4). We thank all who came to remember D.J. on Aug. 2. It was an enlightening experience.

The second Studio original was Gary Laird. He served on the board at the White House and directed a very precarious period of The Studio’s development. It is Gary you must thank for bringing up the tradition of post semester parties in 19th-century France, the Ecoles De Beaux Arts (School of the

Beautiful Arts). The Beaux Arts Ball continues as our signature event of the year.

Also, congratulations to Sue Bard and my fellow members of the board of the Downtown Beaumont Cultural Arts District — DBCAD for short — for receiving Arts District designation for our downtown. This opens up the possibilities of Art Studio expansion and much needed infrastructure repair and upgrades. The grant also expands cultural and artistic presentations and programs.

With this designation we will not be limited by the state funding through the Hotel Motel Occupancy Tax, of which very little goes to support the arts. The state would rather give to programs that promote cultural events but not support the organizations that present the activity.

Great things are happening here and I hope all of you come to experience the unique atmosphere and rustic surroundings of an artist space open to the public.

Welcome all — we are your community.

BOARD from page 6 ally important to be able to reflect and assess what we’ve done. We always ask ourselves not only what have we done, but whether or not we’ve done things well, and we always seek room for improvements.

The Studio has entered its 37th exhibition season, and as we always kick off the season with our Tenants Show on Sept. 7, we’re also continuing the practice of hosting our public board meeting following the first opening. The public meeting will be Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at The Studio, where patrons can meet tenants and board members, have Studio tours, hear about upcoming initiatives and events at The Studio, and, of course, get a TASI membership.

This year we are providing additional incentives to encourage and grow our membership so that we can deliver activities that no other institution can like The Studio can. The announcement for some of our membership initiatives will be introduced at the Sept. 11 meeting.

You will hear and see many of the improvements The Studio has made over the past year. It’s also an opportunity for the community to give input directly to administrative and board members about concerns or ideas for events or programming.

SUPPORTS THE ART STUDIO, INC.

cueblue.com 713-357-6650 2024 Naomi St, Houston, TX 77054

14 • ISSUE September 2019

Volume 26, No. 1

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 website at www.artstudio.org. Be sure to include the location and dates of the subject, as well as any costs.

ing that time, will tell as to what the future holds for me and the canvases that cross my path.”

AMSET is located at 500 Main St. in downtown Beaumont.

For more information, visit www.amset.org or call 409-832-3432. _______________ FINDER’S FAYRE ANTIQUES will host an exhibition of work by KERI STINNETT, part of its Contemporary Local Artist Series. The show opens with a free reception Sept. 5, 5-9 p.m., as part of First Thursday in the Mildred.

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

For more information, call 409-833-7000, or visit their Facebook page. _______________

“I don’t Want No Water, Ma!” by Craig Odle THE ART MUSEUM OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS will host CRAIG ODLE: EXPERIMENTS AND EVOLUTION, Aug. 29–Nov. 17 in AMSET’s Café Arts Series for Local Artists.

On Sept. 15, 2-4 p.m., AMSET will host a free and open to the public artist’s reception.

Born in Houston in 1987, Odle grew up in Beaumont, where he now resides. A pop-surrealist/lowbrow painter, Odle finds inspiration in day-to-day life. The concepts he uses in his paintings come to him from conversations, music, movies, dreams and at times just odd thoughts. The titles for his pieces generally speak to whatever idea was used in the conception of the piece. Sometimes, his artwork has a deep or dark meaning while other times the piece may insinuate a riddle or a pun. Most of his work is done on canvas using acrylic paint.

Odle believes that his life experiences have

shaped the way he views and creates art.

“If we look at life and the world all around us, we can see evolution firsthand,” he said. “I believe that my experience and progression with my passion to create is no different. I had an experience around four years ago that changed my outlook on art and what it would take to move forward with my craft, and since then I have, one day at a time, moved further away from my comfort zone.”

A mixture of experimentation and evolution, as evidenced by the series’ title, has influenced Odle’s work.

“Over time I have begun to believe that my art is a living thing – when it is pushed and nourished it evolves like every other living being in the universe,” he said.

“These pieces showcase many of the experiments that took place to help my painting practice grow into what it is currently. Only time, and the evolution that takes place dur-

The STARK MUSEUM OF ART has received a 2019 COWBOY KEEPER AWARD from the National Day of the Cowboy. The award recognizes organizations and individuals that have made a substantial contribution to the preservation of pioneer heritage and to those who support the continued growth and preservation of Cowboy culture.

The organization cited the collections and programs of the Stark Museum: “The Stark Museum of Art opened in November 1978, exhibiting the extraordinary Western American art collection assembled by H.J. Lutcher Stark and his wife, Nelda Childers Stark, which encompassed art from John J. Audubon to 20th century artists of New Mexico. The museum is committed to preserving, researching, exhibiting, and expanding its collections.”

The museum, which has four permanent galleries that feature Western themes and collections, also makes its collections available digitally through its website and with loans to educational exhibitions at other museums.

Stark Museum of Art is located at 712 Green Ave. in Orange.

For more information, visit starkcultural venues.org.

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

September 2019 ISSUE • 15

Volume 26, No. 1

Entanglement

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:

Seeing you

ISSUE 720 Franklin St. Beaumont, TX 77701 or e-mail info@artstudio.org Authors must submit a daytime telephone number and email along with all submissions. Pen names are acceptable, but authors must supply real names for verification. All printed works are protected by copyright. The author retains rights to any published work. ISSUE does not notify rejection by mail or telephone.

… she quickly realized great difficulties would be derived from having lost the very thing that most endeared her to the gathering throng … (1759)

You said you’d never forget that day Neither would I You said you felt free I imagine it is where you might lie

… and once again, the grey skies hung above the deepening swell, as it had so many years before, when the dark tides took everything but … (1803)

Hands on time moved, pixels changed Memories stopped

And by nature, with nature, Because of you The two forces are the same In the stuff of it: I shape the clay given to me At the dusted table room In the warehouse under steel-cage bulbs and volunteers

Fragments from forgotten poets

I brought you into the sun today The rays cast were gleaming, glinting over the water

How has time passed?

The blast of Summer sun Is too much for curtains So that surface tension pooled water Reach to draw them open, My bubbles and fighting breath still At odds with air inside

… the labor was punishing yet he was determined to prevail.

In truth, he had no alternative — only the pain killed the desire … (1824)

Using pencils and wires I sculpt my damaged sedan, A ceramic Toyota Taking you to the airport Us, cruising in overcast discussion of El Dorado And natural dreams of our own living We only live suspended!

From our flower bed in the brig, Roots tangled, Mocking everything affectionately.

Michael Alan Lyle

Andy Coughlan The heart lingers in limbo between then and now There is no sacrifice to expiate you from my soul

Waiting Observation

I stay until the rays fade wanting....

How beautiful… the sun as it floats above the billowing morning clouds.

This day I lay dreaming… and Through the bent blinds of my bedroom window, The suns rays strike the walls cutting it into precise pieces.

I imagine…

Those very clouds that rock the sun so gently this morning could be my sanctuary. Up among the clouds I’d be… swaddled like a newborn babe.

And like a babe, I’d cry…not tears of sadness But tears of joy, for I can’t fathom being more Blissful than a contented child, Cradled within those very same billowing clouds that the sun floats above.

How beautiful…

Stephan Malick

Dorothy Sells Clover

I can still see you in the shining, shimmering water I can still hear the echoes of your laugh My hands reach out and play catch with the warming rays and coolness of the waters They are you and feel like breath and tears

Time is another name for pain and no one knows when even it were to end there is always memory that stays and then you wait remembering what happened wondering if it will again it is not easy then.

Time is another name for pain.

Jesse Doiron

720 Franklin, Beaumont, Texas 77701

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

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

INSIDE • TASI TENANTS SHOW • THOUGHTCRIME: MUSINGS FROM AREA POETS • REMEMBERING D.J. KAVA • KRASNER RETROSPECTIVE

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 Michelle Falgout Stacey Haynes Joe Winston John Fulbright Mark Jacobson Nathaniel Welch Gina Garcia Jack Hays Aslinn Garcia Paisley Polk Zoe Williams Rana Matthews Caroline Badon 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:

TENANTS SHOW OPENING RECEPTION IS SEPTEMBER 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

DISTRIBUTION POINTS DOWNTOWN THE ART STUDIO, INC. 720 FRANKLIN ART MUSEUM OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS 500 MAIN BABE DIDRIKSON ZAHARIAS MUSEUM 1750 IH-10E BEAUMONT CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 801 MAIN BEAUMONT ART LEAGUE (FAIRGROUNDS) 2675 GULF ST NEW YORK PIZZA & PASTA 790 NECHES SETAC 701 NORTH STREET, STE. 1 STARBUCKS EDISON PLAZA TEXAS ENERGY MUSEUM 600 MAIN SOUTH END/LAMAR UNIVERSITY CARLITO’S RESTAURANT 890 AMARILLO @ COLLEGE SUNRISE 2425 S 11TH SIGN INTERNATIONAL 7398 COLLEGE SWICEGOOD MUSIC CO. 3685 COLLEGE LU ART DEPARTMENT DISHMAN ART MUSEUM UNIVERSITY PRESS 202 CARL PARKER BUILDING OLD TOWN ALDEN HOUSE SALON 2415 CALDER ANNA’S MEXICAN BAKERY 2570 CALDER JAVELINA TATTOO 2510 CALDER CHAPAS TAMALES 2305 CALDER THE BREW SHOP 2410 CALDER HEADSTRONG HAIR STUDIO 215 18TH ST. JASON’S DELI 112 GATEWAY SHOP CNTR KATHARINE & CO. 1495 CALDER TACOS LA BAMBA 2005 CALDER RAO’S BAKERY 2596 CALDER CENTRAL/WEST END BAR LOCAL 6358 PHELAN COLONNADE CENTER SMALL TOWN VINYL 6356 PHELAN COLONNADE CENTER BASIC FOODS 6220 PHELAN BEAUMONT COMMUNITY PLAYERS 4155 LAUREL BEAUMONT VISITORS BUREAU IH-10 COLORADO CANYON 6119 FOLSOM JERUSALEM CAFE 6260 PHELAN KATHARINE & CO. CARRY-OUT CUISINE 4455 CALDER GUITAR & BANJO STUDIO 4381 CALDER LOGON CAFE 3805 CALDER MADISON’S 4020 DOWLEN RED B4 BOOKS 4495 CALDER REED’S LAUNDRY 6025A PHELAN @ PEYTON ICON 6372 COLONNADE CENTER THIRSTY’S 229 DOWLEN PARKDALE RAO’S BAKERY 4440 DOWLEN PORT NECHES THE AVENUE COFFEE CAFÉ 1226 PORT NECHES AVE. ORANGE STARK MUSEUM OF ART 712 GREEN AVE.