ISSUE November 2018

THE ARTS MAGAZINE OF THE ART STUDIO, INC.

UNITED

BY ART PAGE 8

NOVEMBER 2018

INSIDE: TASI NOV. 15 FUNDRAISER, APOLLINAIRE’S PLACE IN HISTORY, AND MORE

WANTED

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

Contact Sara Tuell at saratuell@gmail.com

ISSUE Vol. 25, No. 3 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Art Studio, Inc. Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy Coughlan Copy Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beth Gallaspy Contributing Writer . . . . . . . . . . Stephan Malick Contributing Photographer . . . . Stephan Malick Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Malick

A View From The Top Greg Busceme, TASI Director First i have to say that the october exhibition was a fabulous presentation of work, diversity and sheer volume. scarlett Blanchard and anna Myers exhibited work over a year ago at the studio and i was hooked. i thought, if they produced this work now where would they be in a year and a half? i got my answer a few days before the opening when they brought in droves of work. We had to cull some pieces to allow for air space on the walls, but still the exhibition was everything i expected. Beautifully framed and well executed, the perfection in their craft is unbelievable, but believe it.

Do yourself huge favor and add these two artists to your collection. You will be bowled over by the incredibly low prices for works that will surely rise in status and price throughout these young women’s careers. so let me brag on the show you will see in

The Art Studio, Inc. Board of Directors Corporate President . . . . . . . . . . Greg Busceme Corporate Vice-President . . . . . Angela Scheibel Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Winston Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Roberts Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jessica Davis Members at Large . . . . . . Stephanie Chadwick, . . . . . . . . . Olivia Busceme, John Fulbright, . . . Stephan Malick, Sara Tuell, Jes Prince, . . . . . . . . . . Sheila Busceme, John Rollins Tenant Representative. . . . . . . . . . Kailee Viator Assistant Director . . . . . . . . . Marilyn Tennissen

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 Apollinaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 TASI ‘BEERnefit’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7 “Love & Paint” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Landry at High Street Gallery . . . . . . . Page 11 Curtis at Stark Museum . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12 BCP’s “Calendar Girls” . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13 Around & About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Thoughtcrime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15 Cover photo illustration

by Andy Coughlan

November. Mark Nesmith has been acclaimed throughout the United states since his exhibition here years ago, so it was to be a treat to see his work along with David McGee, a noted artist in his own right. Unfortunately, McGee had to back out of the show at the last minute (months in exhibition time), and so Mark had to fill in the blank. Fortunately, that didn’t take long as all he had to do was look to his side and see elizabeth Pearson, his significant other for more than a few years. elizabeth has been involved in the studio since she was a young tyke of 17 or so. We first met at Nederland high school where she was a student and i was a visiting artist at the behest of instructor Barbara Mitchell. During the workshop, one of the students was a tall lanky girl with big hair and a sassy attitude — enter

See VIEW on page 13

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT THE ART STUDIO

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

“For Love & Paint” by Mark Nesmith & Elizabeth Pearson Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November 3

Holiday Shop-O-Rama Extravaganza Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 1

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4 • ISSUE November 2018

oet

wh o r e helped t r o p p u s sha ic, t i r c p , Story by Andy Coughlan

the 1918 sPaNish FlU pandemic claimed the lives of as many as 100 million people of all ages. among the prominent victims was the poet and critic Guillaume apollinaire, the unsung

Henri Rousseau’s “The Muse Inspiring,” above, features Guillaume Apollinaire and his mistress Marie Laurencin. Apollinaire championed Rousseau’s work.

The poet Guillaume Apollinaire suffered a head injury when he was wounded by shrapnel during WWI.

e,

driver of the pre-WWi art scene. as a poet, he was also a visual artist, pioneering the calligram, a process where words are laid out in such a way to form pictures. apollinaire was friend of Pablo Picasso and henri Matisse, and a champion of both in a time when the two men had yet to dominate the art world. he also introduced Picasso to Georges Braque, thereby effectively fathering Cubism. apollinaire was born Guillelmus (or Wilhelm) apollinaris de Kostrowitzki in rome on aug. 26, 1880. he was the son of a Polish emigree and an italian officer but kept his upbringing a mystery. at the age of 20 he traveled to Paris before traveling to Germany where he fell in

er n f mod rth o e bi fin de

P

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An example of Apollinaire’s calligrams.

art move ments

love with the countryside and wrote several poems. he also fell in love with an english girl, whom he followed to london only to be rebuffed, which caused him to write his poem, “Chanson du mal-aimé” (“song of the Poorly loved”). apollinaire returned to Paris where he earned a reputation as a writer and befriended many of the city’s struggling artists, many of whom went on to some acclaim, including andre Derain, raoul Dufy and Maurice de vlaminck. he championed the work of the folk artist henri rousseau. apollinaire introduced the artists to african art, which was beginning to become popular in France. his influence on the young artists of the time is immeasurable. through him the artists became Cubists — he wrote the preface to their catalogue, producing his own “Peinture cubist” (Cubist Painters) in 1913. apollinaire’s writing on art was more than

November 2018 ISSUE • 5

Volume 25, No. 3 simple review. he captured the spirit of the movements. of Picasso, he wrote in the March issue of Montjoie!, “he is a new man and the world is as he represents it. he has enumerated its elements, its details, with a brutality that knows, on occasion, how to be gracious.” apollinaire, in 1918, wrote of Matisse, “With the years, his art has perceptibly stripped itself of everything that was non-essential; yet its ever-increasing simplicity has not prevented it from becoming more and more sumptuous.”

While producing a large quantity of art criticism, he also found time to publish a book of poetry, “the rotting Magician” in 1909, a collection of stories, “l’hérésiarque et Cie” (“the heresiarch and Co.”), in 1910, a collection of quatrains called “le Bestiaire” in 1911, and what is considered his masterpiece, “alcools,” which contains poems scanning the years 1898 to 1913. the poems in the collection do not follow any consistent theme. “alcools” is pronounced “al-coal,” meaning “spirits,” although it is also an obvious pun on “alcohol.” indeed, the original title was “Brandy.” laurence Campa, assistant professor of the University of Paris east, writes, “the result of a long gestation, the work traces, in singular detours, the personal and poetic itinerary of apollinaire since 1898, from symbolist-inspired youth poems … to the most modern pieces, … and removed any punctuation since in his eyes, the rhythm and the cut alone are important.” the poems in “alcools” are not arranged chronologically and, as a result, the dates of each are not always clear.

Donald lyons, in his journal article “Modernist spirits: apollinaire’s ‘alcools,’” writes, “in apollinaire’s best verse there is no aimlessness or total surrender but an electric tension between innovative impudence and the formal French poetry he knew and loved.” the opening poem, “Zone,” which was one of the last written, opens with the classic rallying call, “let us go then you and i ….” apollinaire was caught up, along with Picasso, in the theft of the “Mona lisa” from the louvre in 1911, an incident that would indirectly lead to his death. his reputation as a radical and as a foreigner, led to his being arrested in august 1911, on suspicion of stealing the painting and a number of egyptian antiquities, although he was released five days later for lack of evidence. the egyptian sculptures had been taken by apollinaire’s former secretary honoré Joseph Géry Pieret. in order to protect himself, as he was also considered a suspicious foreigner, Picasso publicly denied that he and apollinaire were friends, causing a rift in the friendship.

When World War i broke out in 1914, apollinaire, desperate to prove his allegiance to his adopted country, volunteered for the army, where he was a first lieutenant. he suffered a serious head injury in March 1916, which required him being trepanned. he never really recovered from the wound, although he continued to write and promote the avant-garde on his return to Paris, coining the term “surrealism” in the program

See APOLLINAIRE on page 6

Portraits of Guillaume Apollinaire by, clockwise from above, Pablo Picasso, Juan Metzinger, Georgio de Chirico, Picasso and Hernri Matisse.

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APOLLINAIRE from page 5 notes for the ballet “Parade,” created by Picasso, erik satie, sergie Diaghilev and Jean Cocteau. in 1918, apollinaire published “Calligrammes: Poems of Peace and War 1913-1916,” a collection that was both visual and verbal. Calligrams are poems where the arrangement of the words on the page adds meaning to the text. in a letter to andré Billy, apollinaire writes, “the Calligrammes are an idealisation of free verse poetry and typographical precision in an era when typography is reaching a brilliant end to its career, at the dawn of the new means of reproduction that are the cinema and the phonograph.” the poet was still on the forefront of new cultural conventions. take, for example, “the stunned Dove and the Water Jet.” the image features a bleeding dove with spread wings, followed by a fountain with the water coming out of a vase that is reminiscent of the dove’s wings.

Guillaume Apollinaire by an anonymous French photographer.

the following is a translation, rearranged conventionally, by Charles Bernstein. sweet stabbed faces dear floral lips Mya Mareye Yette and lorie annie and you Marie Where are you, oh young girls But near a crying jet of water and praying this dove is ecstatic all the memories of yesteryear o my friends gone to war Well up to the firmament and your eyes in the sleeping water Die melancholy Where are they Braque and Max Jacob Derain with gray eyes like dawn Where are raynal Billy Dalize Whose names are melancholisent like steps in a church Where is Cremnitz who engaged Maybe they are already dead From memories my soul is full the stream of water cries over my pain. those who went to the war in the North are now fighting the evening falls o bloody sea Gardens where bleed abundantly laurel rose flower warrior.

Weakened by his war wound, apollianaire succumbed to spanish Flu on Nov. 9, 1918, at the age of 38. By the time of his death, his reputation was secure as one of the great French poets and art critics. a century later, apollinaire has been forgotten by many, yet his influence on modern art is incredible. he inspired, cajoled, encouraged and supported many of the early 20th century’s most influential artists through his writings, as well as being a poet that captured the zeitgeist of the period. it is time that apollinaire is restored to the pantheon of the giants of pre-WWi arts and letters. there has rarely, if ever, been a single man who has been the central hub of so many artistic spokes.

Apollinaire’s “Eiffel Tower” in French and in an English translation by Claudia Habergham.

Volume 25, No. 3

‘BEERnefit’ on tap

November 2018 ISSUE • 7

hFa’s to headline tasi Nov. 15 fundraiser for music programs the art stUDio, iNC. will host “arts & Drafts: a Beerefit for art” at Madison’s, Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. the proceeds will all go to support the art studio’s Band Nite music program and performance space for aspiring musicians across the southeast texas region. the evening, underwritten by Frankie randazzo and Madison’s, starts with a craft and artisanal beer tasting, sponsored by Giglio Distributing, highlighting exclusive and diverse offerings for a $5 donation with a commemorative glass. the tasting will go from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and sets the stage, in studio style, for a special performance by one of Beaumont’s favorite bands — the hFa’s. “this is a great opportunity for everyone to come out and have fun and support local musicians and businesses,” Joe Winston, tasi board president, said. “live

music is one of the life-blood elements of our area, and we have a rich musical history here from the likes of Johnny and edgar Winter, Barbara lynn, tracy Byrd, Bun B and Janis Joplin, and the list goes on.

“Many great artists began by playing on stages in this area, and the art studio has been a place to foster and encourage the next generation of musicians to practice their craft for 35 years. this event will help us repair, replace and upgrade sound equipment for the performance space.” the studio is known as a venue that holds no boundaries for artists of any age creating and performing original music or for having limits on genres or experience level. olivia Busceme, tasi music director, said performing in a venue is more than just knowing songs.

“Most venues don’t often want to book new bands that have no stage experience and no audience to bring in,” she said. “the art studio is a place for them to learn the ins-and-outs of setting up their equipment, running live sound checks with an audio tech, promoting themselves and interacting with the audience.” hFa guitarist Ben Jorden played his first gig at the studio years ago. “i played my first show at the studio, and it encouraged me to keep playing all these years,” Jorden said.

“We’re happy to support the tradition of giving bands and musicians a place to play.” local musician Cody scheaffer will open the show with his brand of americana and folk.

For more information, call 409-838-5393, or visit www.artstudio.org.

8 • ISSUE November 2018

Volume 25, No. 3

Passion on and off Artists Pearson, Nesmith unite in art, marriage

Story by Stephan Malick Photos by Andy Coughlan

art CoUlD Be DesCriBeD as the creation of form and beauty, and van Gogh said, “Nothing is truly more artistic than to love people.” either could be a fitting description for Mark Nesmith and elizabeth Pearson’s Nov. 3 exhibition, “love and Paint,” at tasi. the show is a celebration of their art, but also their personal relationship. in a first for the studio, an exhibition opening will also double as a wedding cere-

mony and reception. and it has come to fruition by chance. originally, Mark was scheduled to have a joint exhibition with David McGee, a photographer and colleague from Dallas, but a scheduling conflict prevented McGee’s participation in the show. some might say the change is fate or destiny. “it only seems fitting that after all these years the studio would be the place we

November 2018 ISSUE • 9

Volume 25, No. 3

canvas

would make ourselves official,” elizabeth said. “We first met at the studio 20 years ago, and we’re still here.” elizabeth and Mark have long been fixtures in the area art scene, but each had their own independent life of family, work and art that has come full circle over that time. approximately six years ago, Mark returned to southeast texas after living several years in Dallas, teaching and raising a family. “i joke that we first met when i was naked,” elizabeth said. “i was modeling for tasi’s life drawing class, and Mark was in the session — we just hit it off with a mutual interest in art and in the studio.”

While life drawing and the studio may have brought the couple together, it has been art that has made their partnership last.

“We’ve always bounced ideas off each other, and we discuss everything from the colors in the sky or a canal we’re driving past,” Mark said. “she understands when i suddenly stop the car and jump out to snap some pictures. Most people would call that crazy and wouldn’t tolerate it, but something like that will turn into a conversation about light and color.”

Mark said if one is painting all night, the other doesn’t get mad or upset about it. to be able to share the things they love is “amazing.” “she’s helped me develop both in my artwork and in my career,” he said. “i owe much of the success i’ve had to her influence in my life. she’s my curator. she’s my critic. she helps me hang shows, and even drives me when she has to.”

Mark is known for natural and outdoor-themed oil paintings that heavily reinforce his connection to the southeast texas landscape of water, forests, swamps, coastal environs and wildlife. he has received wide acclaim and recognition for his commissions and his unceasing creative output on canvas, and additionally for his musical performances.

“What i love about this area are big expansive landscapes, and i try to imagine the land without a trace of mankind,” he said. “and what the world would have been like before humans came around and screwed it up. For the most part, i remove people and the element of people from what i’m looking at. “it’s never one specific scene. it’s always just kind of a combination filtered through memories of my dad when i was young and all the family vacations we took.

“We had a big family, and my dad was a teacher. We didn’t have a lot of money, so all of our vacations usually

See LOVE on page 10

Elizabeth Pearson, left and Mark Nesmith will share more than their art at the opening for “Love & Paint,” Nov. 3. The couple will get married during the reception.

10 • ISSUE November 2018

LOVE from page 9 were outdoors at state parks.” elizabeth’s body of work has previously focused on large oil and encaustic paintings, but she transitioned to watercolor in the past year.

“Watercolors are unforgiving, and it forced me to be more patient in how i paint,” she said. “i hate to wait for things to dry before i continue on to another part and that’s been a new challenge for me. “i also wanted something to do at the house that didn’t require a lot of space, and i didn’t want to have to set up easels all over the house and have the smell of turpentine where we live with kids and dogs.” elizabeth said she has also scaled down the size of her work and just wanted to start making art again on a manageable level.

“With kids and dogs and living there’s not a lot of space, so i’m working smaller than what i’m used to,” she said. “i’ve always done things out of pretty large scale. (i wanted) some-

Volume 25, No. 3 thing that i could do smaller at home just to start making art again, because it has been so long since i’ve painted anything or shown anything or been involved in the community.”

Both artists credit the other as inspiration for their work.

“Mark is always working and is very prolific, and so much of his work goes out the door as soon as he makes it because it is either for sale or sold very quickly,” elizabeth said.

Mark said the secret to his work ethic is simple.

“We don’t have a television in the house that is connected to cable or the internet,” he said. “We have recently gotten one of those digital things where you can get Netflix or something, but i learned long ago if i had a hundred channels i would find something to watch. tv can be numbing if you let it, and it just takes you away from doing something else.”

Mark’s studio isn’t at home; it’s in his art classroom at Port Neches Middle school. “i always keep a little pochade box in my room,” Mark says. “While my

Artwork by Mark Nesmith, left and Elizabeth Pearson

students do their work, i work, too. i’m really lucky i’ve got an incredibly supportive administration who loves the idea that i’m a practicing artist. i keep a spot setup in the back of my room, and in-between classes, before school, after school or lunch time, i always find some time to paint.” the couple approach their work differently, but it is a complementary dichotomy of styles. “elizabeth likes to make things and paint when she’s interested in painting something, but she doesn’t have to do it all the time,” Mark said. elizabeth said Mark is more driven, more consumed with a regimen of work.

“Mark has to always be working,” she said. “he gets a little cranky and anxious if he doesn’t paint for a couple of days.”

Mark finishes her answer and likens the feeling to a craving more than a compulsion.

“For my entire life i was sketching, drawing, whatever, and if i’m not doing something like that i’m just not right,” he said. “i have ideas, and

there’s no better way to get them out than to draw or paint.”

Both echo that painting is not only a bonding experience, but a positive outlet for their ideas.

“We find inspiration and the desire to have art in our everyday life,” elizabeth said. “We’re always sharing with each other photos of our ideas, and it pushes us to work in a healthy way.”

For this show the two are sharing subject matter, but with a different view on how their depictions are painted. “i’m taking the same type of subject matters he’s doing in oil then create a watercolor of it,” elizabeth said. “so we’ll have a couple of pieces that are pretty much the same thing, but different views how we see it.”

Mark says that daily life and having a passion for art isn’t exclusive of each other. “art doesn’t necessarily need to be something separate from your everyday life,” he said. “in most cultures around the world, art is not just made to be held separate and on a gallery wall. “it’s like when van Gogh wrote in letters to his brother, theo, that he never imagined his work in a museum or a gallery, but how it was going to look in someone’s home and where they would hang it. he expected it would be in a bedroom or where they eat, so the artwork would be a part of their life. We look at art the same way.” that mindset on life started at tasi.

“We’re excited about the show, and, of course, getting married,” elizabeth said. “it seems the right time for both. it was by chance we met at the studio. it was by chance that David (McGee) was unable to make the show — so it only seemed natural that we join together for our life and our art.” the opening reception for “love & Paint” will be held 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Nov. 3, and the show will remain on display until Nov. 23.

For information, visit www.artstudio.org, or call 409-838-5393.

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Volume 25, No. 3

High Street to host Presley Landry paintings the hiGh street GallerY Will host an exhibition of paintings

by Presley landry, 7-10 p.m., Nov. 17. the gallery is located in victoria house, 2110 victoria st. in Beaumont. “high street Gallery has been spotlighting up-and-coming southeast texas artists for five years now, and i’m excited to have Presley’s first solo show as our final exhibition in the gallery,” olivia Busceme, high street director, said. “Presley’s work has been quickly developing as she continually produces beautiful work.

“We’re really looking forward to how she uses the space and expect this to be a perfect time for people to own a piece of her work.” entry is free and the work will be for sale. refreshments will be available at the event. eighteen-year-old, self-taught southeast texas native landry will be showing paintings and mixed media drawings on wood and paper, mostly centered on figure draw-

ing with a focus on shape. “i like to take influence from the people and situations around me,” landry said. “though my art is personal, i hope the audience finds it personal to them as well, and leave with the truth that everyone can find their passion.” landry says she’s also found a lot of influence and development of her style by attending the weekly life drawing sessions at the art studio, inc, where she recently became a tenant. “this exhibit will show me exploring paint in a looser way,” she said.

“My paintings tend to be a time-intensive labor of love that, by the time i finish a piece, i’m unable to part with. since my ultimate goal is to be a working artist, i’m trying to find a more relaxed, accelerated approach without sacrificing attention to detail.”

For more information, email victoriahousetx@gmail.com, or visit the high street Gallery Facebook page.

Stark Museum hosts exhibit of Curtis’ work 12 • ISSUE November 2018

“lastiNG iMPressioNs: the WorK of edward s. Curtis” is on display at the stark Museum of art.

Curtis’ “big dream” was to document traditional indian life through his photogravures, writings and sound recordings.

More than 100 images and books from his project “the North american indian” are on view. also featured in the exhibition are other recent acquisitions of Curtis works. a copperplate shows the process Curtis used in the production of the photogravures. an orotone, a photograph printed on glass with gold-toned effects, presents the photographer’s romantic imagery. in 2013, the museum purchased a complete set of “the North american indian,” which includes 20 portfolios of exquisite photogravures, along with 20 bound volumes of text and additional illustrations.

Curtis published descriptions and im-

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ages of Native american peoples from throughout the american West during the years 1907-1930. “edward s. Curtis produced an astonishing body of work in his project ‘the North american indian,’” curator sarah Boehme said. “he made beautiful photographs including sensitive portraits and compelling scenes portraying traditional cultural life. Yet his project raises questions about his devotion to his goal.

“We at the museum invite the public to engage with this extraordinary project and the stories of people that it portrays.” the exhibition is open through June 8, 2019. admission to the exhibition is free. stark Museum of art is located at 712 Green ave. in orange. the museum is open tuesday-saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

For more information, visit stark museum.org.

SUPPORTS THE ART STUDIO, INC.

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

November 2018 ISSUE • 13

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BCP presents comedy ‘Calendar Girls’ Beaumont Community Players will continue its 2018-2019 texas strong season (#BCPtexasstrong) with the award-winning play, “Calendar Girls” by tim Firth. this heartwarming comedy will be performed at the Betty Greenberg Center for Performing arts located at 4155 laurel ave. in Beaumont and is directed by BCP favorite Gina hinson. the story: When annie’s husband dies of leukemia, she and best friend Chris resolve to raise money to help the local hospital. they manage to persuade four friends to pose nude with them for an “alternative” calendar. the news of the women’s charitable venture spreads like wildfire, and hordes of press soon descend on the small village. the calendar is a success, but Chris and

annie’s friendship is put to the test under the strain of their new found fame.

Based on a true story, “Calendar Girls” runs oct. 26 & 27, Nov. 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m., with an additional 2 p.m. matinee Nov. 3. as an added promotion, BCP will be selling “Calendar Girls” calendars featuring the cast of the show. the cost is $12 and all proceeds benefit BCP. orders are being taken now at 409-833-4664 tickets for all performances, including the matinee, are available online at www.Beaumontcommunityplayers.com. or by calling the BCP box office at 409-833-4664 BCP is located at the Betty Greenberg Center for Performing arts, 4155 laurel ave. in Beaumont.

VIEW from page 3 elizabeth. she was soon at the studio as an apprentice and grew as a person and as an artist in her time with us. still sassy. so Mark had this great idea to have a loving couple show, which sounded perfect to me. there is an extra surprise to be revealed at the show, so don’t miss out. Be sure to see what transpires in this collaborative effort this month.

Now that the windows are complete and installed, and our accessible lift and door are installed, it is time for the next project. headed up by our newest board member, allison Kainer (aka allykat), the roof project is underway. our first steps are to identify the best possible roof for each of the three facilities. the main roof on the brick facility is the most challenging as to the complexity and amount of work to be done. allison seems undaunted in this task as she is an expert organizer and finds solutions regularly. We also have a variety of resources to work from and make the right decisions. the other two roofs are much more direct with a complete tear off and reapplying metal with a heavy dose of insulation. We also envision solar panels to assist in improving the environment of the studio interior. the goal is to have a progressive approach to the reconstruction, using green, ecologically friendly, safe materials. We also see a chance to improve the look of the building while adding additional safeguards to the life of the walls and the look of the exterior. the high level of insulation, high tech skylights and improved circulation should make the facility far more effective as a working environment.

We are seeking funding toward this goal and are plan-

ning for long-term improvements, not patches.

We are still working on our youth educational program, studio art Basics: essential Knowledge. as with all new programs there are hiccups and snags, even an occasional FUBar. as we looked into how to approach the programs, where to put the students, how long each session should be, and how many students and classes in a year, it was apparent that this october was far too soon to offer a organized, effective and reasonable program. We put off the beginning of the program until early February so we can organize, develop a plan and be able to execute the classes properly. We want this to be a signature program that will best serve our young artists. in the meantime, as a young person 15-ish and up there are lots of ways you can be a part of the studio and contribute your time and energy toward helping us do a better job in serving the community. saturdays are especially great for volunteers and as a “studio apprentice.” studio apprentices have a long history, and many of those young people are with us as adults today. it is a long-running tradition of which you can be a part. some work is hard, some mundane, some is boring but all of it is necessary to put on the series of events we provide year round. interested students can come visit with their parents or guardian and see what it is all about. the Downtown Mural Project has had a slowdown of late based on a lack of wall owners willing to allow artists to paint what they propose for the project. this is an issue of taste over content and trepidation over public reaction. it does take a bit of courage to allow original work to be put on a building or wall. although i assure the possible patron that nothing sexual, political or controversial will be tolerated, we do ask that the owner step outside their personal taste to allow a spectrum of ideas and images to be presented on the community’s behalf.

this is anything but easy. When a wall is offered, there are certain parameters set by the owner to be maintained and respected, yet, there must be some level of acceptance by the owner.

Many great public art works were regarded with caution when first presented — the eiffel tower in Paris, the vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., “Winning” by David Cargill in the Beaumont Civic Center Plaza — but soon became beloved symbols of those communities. it is important that this program provides murals that can grow on people, that gently challenge their aesthetic while raising the bar on our progressive approach to the arts. it is also noted that artists have to meet somewhere in the middle without compromising their integrity and offer something engaging and wonderful to our visitors. again, not an easy task.

While this is worked out (and i do intend to work this out) i have proposed an option. i would like to invite the art departments of West Brook, Beaumont United and Kelly high schools to each propose a mural to go on a designated wall in downtown Beaumont. the schools can decide how they develop the proposal, and the final results will be presented for review. the work will be the standard 26 feet by 10 feet, and the students will create the work with the guidance of their instructor(s). each school will receive $2,000 for their efforts, which will go directly to the art department for tools and supplies and any future needs. this will be a great way to showcase our future artists, the schools and the openness of our community. everyone wins. art, visual or otherwise, is a barometer of the health of a society. the more the society can accept, the stronger it is. We know more about past cultures through their art than by anything else.

What do we want to be our legacy?

14 • ISSUE November 2018

Volume 25, No. 3

Around & About

If you come across any interesting exhibitions, museums or other places on your travels, share them with us. Call 409-838-5393, or contact us through our web site at www.artstudio.org. Be sure to include the location and dates of the subject, as well as any costs.

the DISHMAN ART MUSEUM is hosting MUM: NANCY NEWBERRY, right, through Nov. 9. today, the homecoming mum ritual has expanded to include elaborate local customs that vary from school to school. award-winning fine art photographer Nancy Newberry captures this phenomenon in the context of current teenage cultural traditions and rites of passage attached to the uniquely texas custom of the homecoming mum.

Native texan Newberry’s focus on the ritual may at first appear lighthearted, but themes of self-representation and the dynamics of current teenage social landscape are apparent through her process and unexpected juxtapositions of the subjects photographed in their own private world.

Newberry’s masterful photographic skills combined with a unique sensitivity to the subject have gained much deserved international attention. the Dishman is located at 1030 east lavaca st. on the lamar University campus. hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. admission is free.

For details, visit www.lamar.edu/dishman, or call 409-880-8959.

________

PORT ARTHUR LITTLE THEATER is currently presenting LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.

the play is described as an enchanting, brutal vampire myth and coming-of-age love story, adapted from the best-selling novel and award-winning film. Directed by Jeff Courts. show dates are oct. 26 and 27, Nov. 2 and 3, at 8 p.m. tickets are $20 and are available online at palt.org or by calling 409-727-Palt oskar is a bullied lonely teenage boy living with his mother on a housing estate at the edge of town when a spate of sinister killings rock the neighborhood. eli is the young girl who has just moved in next door. she doesn't go to school and never leaves the flat by day. sensing in each other a kindred spirit, the two become devoted friends. What oskar doesn't know is that eli has been a teenager for a very long time. this is the first event of the theater’s partnership with Max Bowl Port arthur, located at 3500 regional Drive. this is a special event and is not included in season membership packages.

Palt is located at 4701 Jimmy Johnson Blvd. in Port arthur.

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 25, No. 3

Thoughtcrime

What do you when you finally figure out your kitchen has been silently infested? it creeps in like termites, silently and relentlessly. then one day you open a cabinet and you are faced with it. like me you just close the door and with a mental note to deal with them someday.

Finally one day you reach in for an item and can’t find it. Devoured by the environment. Your tolerance level has suddenly been exceeded and rip them all into out in the bright daylight! Confronted they roll out, trying to escape into sink and floor. they infested three shelves.

Damn, plastic containers! amnesty was given to the oldest rubbermaids that coded both tops and bottoms with a number. a half dozen lids were united only discover another eight lids without numerical companions. off with their heads and into the trash, though you could argue they were the heads and their bodies were long gone! the remainder was mixed with substantial bodies and heads and were put aside. then there was the commercial containers that arrived with a product like dip or fake whipped cream, these were originally kept for leftover “take homes.” then there dozens of basically throw a ways, some actually had names like “Butterball”, “storage”, “Glad” & “Ziplock.” Found a box and pitched a handful in for future use, the rest were swept into trash. the cleanout revealed four antique refrigerator glass accessory containers, one quart and three pint size complete their glass lids. they were moved to the front and probably become my mainstay in usage, at least they won’t multiply.

DJ Kava

Underlying Disease

Speaking of love

love is not for the faint of heart an illness with which there is no real cure No quick remedy from this disease worse than cancer For even cancer has treatments treat the pain treat the growth treat the ill effects ridding the body But never the heart love lingers like some underlying virus resurfacing when you least expect it Your heart never rejected it You feel lost and dejected loves ravaging effects take hold Back with a vengeance like black mold -never really eradicated and definitely wasn't anticipated love is not for the faint of heart.

speaking of one, sounds like the right time now

Abotare

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:

Kitchen Infestation

November 2018 ISSUE • 15

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.

speaking of love, sounds like you had hate before

relax and let me show you how let me see if i can make you right i know what you want to feel let me see if i can make it real i know what i want to feel Being with you makes it real

No need to worry, no need to run Being together will be fun No need to rush, We’re too old to blush No need to rush No need to make a fuss

We’ve put each in our heart We’ve just begun to get a start

learning you will be fun You’ve got me not to run We’ll show each other how there is just no more time now only shadows are left But they still speak love and they still speak of one Stephan Malick

Dorothy Sells Clover

“it would have died anyway.” she lied to her friend, Whose ruby-eyed smile struggled like a juggler attempting equilibristic flight Beneath an upright feather of immeasurable weight.

“Yes.” he said. “it might have, anyway.”

Was anything ever righter to say? it might have . . . anyway, it did. it died.

Yes. and to understand it if you can– Balance as you stand and juggle Beneath a feather of immeasurable weight, and Do Not Move.

Jesse Doiron

720 Franklin, Beaumont, Texas 77701

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

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

INSIDE • LOVE & PAINT • THOUGHTCRIME: MUSINGS FROM AREA POETS • TASI NOV. 15 FUNDRAISER • APOLLINAIRE

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:

love & paint OPENING RECEPTION IS NOVEMBER 3, 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.

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