ISSUE March 2017

THE ARTS MAGAZINE OF THE ART STUDIO, INC.

DARK ROOM, BRIGHT ART PAGE 8

INSIDE: STILL LIFE, CHILDREN’S MUSEUM, ARTS FUNDING, AND MORE

MARCH 2017

ISSUE Vol. 23, No. 6 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Art Studio, Inc.

A View From The Top Greg Busceme, TASI Director Thanks again for all those who made the Beaux arts Ball a booming success. We made more than $7,000 which will go far to recover the cost of roof repairs and other improvements. We are already in the works for next year’s event. not giving it away but it’s going to be a great time. Can we expect any less?

We continue to make improvements around The studio. one glaring eyesore is the door and wall to the office that was rife with termites. You’ve seen the gouged out door frame and decayed windows — not a good look for new visitors — but soon we hope to have an aDa-compliant chair lift to bypass the steps in the entry. We are taking estimates and pulling together a plan to install the new equipment and hope we can do it during the summer. We are still identifying grant sources for this project and, of course, any assistance toward this or any of these en-

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

The Art Studio, Inc. 720 Franklin Beaumont, TX 77701 409-838-5393 www.artstudio.org info@artstudio.org The ISSUE is a monthly publication of The Art Studio, Inc. Its mission is to publicize The Art Studio and its tenants, and to promote the growth of the arts in Southeast Texas. ISSUE is also charged with informing TASI members of projects, progress, achievements and setbacks in TASI’s well-being. Further, ISSUE strives to promote and distribute the writings of local authors in its “Thoughtcrime” feature.

ISSUE is provided free of charge to members of TASI and is also available, free of charge, at more than 30 locations in Southeast Texas.

Regular features include local artists of note and reputation who are not currently exhibiting at TASI; artists currently or soon to be exhibiting at TASI; Instructional articles for artists; news stories regarding the state of TASI’s organization; and arts news features dealing with general philosophical issues of interest to artists.

Contents Beaumont Children’s Museum . . . . . Page 4 Still LIfe at MFAH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6 “Positive/Negative Space” . . . . . . . . Page 8 TASIMJAE Call For Entries . . . . . . . . Page 10 Defending Arts Funding . . . . . . . . . Page 11 Veillon at High Street Gallery . . . . . Page 13 Around & About. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Thoughtcrime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15 Cover photo of TASI’s darkroom

by Andy Coughlan

MARCH

deavors would be greatly appreciated. along with that, we are reviving the large kilns outside. it’s been too long since we put efforts in that direction and the residents are eager for a larger volume of work to be completed. Part of that project is to rebuild the shed that used to cover the kilns before hurricane rita came along and destroyed it. it has been a long time, but i think it will be a shot in the arm and a morale builder for the artists inside and outside of The studio. anther improvement is to deal with the windows throughout the building, especially upstairs. over the years they went from fairly functional to totally broken and, of course, rita and ike had a lot to do with that as well. new functional windows that can be closed and opened as needed would be a great boon to the residents on the second floor, as it is

See VIEW on page 12

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT THE ART STUDIO APRIL

“Positive/Negative Space” Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 4

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ART STUDIO

TASIMJAE (The Art Studio, Inc. Member Jurored Art Exhibition) Opening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 1

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4 • ISSUE March 2017

Volume 23, No. 6

CHILD’S PLAY

Beaumont Children’s Museum offers enrichment, education, fun Story by Caitlin Duerler

souTheasT Texas is a unique area in that it boasts the most museums per capita in the state of Texas. The Beaumont Children’s Museum doesn’t plan to get lost in the crowd. started in 2008, BCM fills the niche of having an institution designed to enrich the children who visit by engaging them in activities that explain the world around them.

Prior to 2014, BCM existed as a series of events and programs for local families and schools, includ-

ing classroom lego kits which encouraged elementary school students to engineer and imagine all kinds of structures. since moving into its current location in the Beaumont Civic Center in 2014, the museum has been increasing the kinds of activities it offers beyond legos, says Becca amy, executive Director of Beaumont Children’s Museum. “in this world of science, technology, engineering,

A The fossil dig, which encourages visitors to excavate for surprises, is one of the interactive exhibits in the Beaumont Children’s Museum.

art and math, there are things right outside our door that they may not even know about,” she says. “They could visit a science museum, but they aren’t getting the hands-on interactive experience that our museum offers.”

The exhibitions range in representation of sTeaM themes. Bernouli blowers show how a ball can seemingly resist gravity by having air blow underneath it in the opposite direction. situated across from the blowers is a fossil dig, where kids can take little shovels and brushes and uncover “fossils” half buried by sand. Just around the corner is a puppet theatre with costumes and puppets and, very soon, a monitor where kids can see themselves perform.

There is even an interactive exhibition sponsored by ronald McDonald Charities called “our Town,” which includes a grocery store, a bank, a dentist office and two doctor’s offices, which are all sponsored by local businesses. There is a giant lite Brite and sensory stations for smaller children to feel different textures and patterns. exhibit coordinator sheila Busceme works to develop current exhibits that will better serve young visitors, in addition to working with the BCM team to create new exhibits. she says that through installing new touch screens in the “our Town” exhibit, visitors will be able to access more activities and enhance their experience.

“The touch screens are exciting because kids will get to interact with it and access activities relevant to the store or office they are playing in,” Busceme says.

March 2017 ISSUE • 5

Volume 23, No. 6 “for example, we can download an operation game for the doctor’s office, and kids can experience a simulation of the kinds of things doctors do in their office.” another recent exhibit Busceme has developed is the Maker’s space, filled with an assortment of odds and ends and recycled old technology. guided by themes, kids design and create new objects from the bits available to them.

“The Maker’s space encourages kids to take everyday items and transform them into something else through upcycling,” she says. looking to the future, BCM is inspired by what other museums are doing across the country, as well as what they observe from the kids who visit the museum and the exhibits they are attracted to, in addition to their visitors’ interests.

“We have kids that are progressing to the next level are already ready to do something more advanced,” amy says. “already in fifth and sixth grade they want to do more with robotics and exploding science that really grabs their attention.”

Busceme says robotics will soon be a permanent fixture at the Maker’s station.

“We are going to get into robotics eventually,” she says. “We have snaps which connect to batteries and lights up different components of the kids’ creations. it is very empowering for the kids to see that they were the ones that made the light turn on — they feel capable of being able to use science.”

The museum not only houses permanent exhibits, but also has daily classroom sessions under the guidance of ellen Weimers, who coordinates the educational demonstrations for elementary school classes who visit as well as birthday parties booked at the museum. The hands-on science activities are chosen to enhance the skill areas teachers cover in the classroom. “our programming is based on Teks (Texas essential knowledge skills) and broken down to different subjects for the grade levels as a motivation for teachers to bring students out to the museum and for them to know the students are really getting something out of the experience,” Weimers says. in addition to permanent exhibits and classroom demonstrations, the museum also hosts public events throughout the year. a star-gazing party had young visitors engaging in astronomy themed activities and provided a telescope for them to look at the night sky. glow Mania provided all kinds of glow-in-the-dark devices and neon colors that light up underneath black light.

This past fall, they hosted Touch-a-Truck

which allowed kids who had only ever played with toy cars and trucks, the chance to climb up in the driver’s seat of back-hoes, tractors, military vehicles, first-alert vehicles and more. The most impressive thing about the event was the amount of volunteer help, amy says.

“There were thousands of visitors for Toucha-Truck, she says. “activities like this couldn’t happen without the tremendous support of the community.”

The Beaumont Children’s Museum staff is not only excited by the amount of public support for their institution and programming, but also about their future plans. They are working on grants and raising money to get a standalone building to create a larger, more interactive educational experience for the children who visit.

“We are rolling out our new tagline this fall — ‘Building Children’s Minds,’”amy says. “i think this community needs a place like Beaumont Children’s Museum for the families. it is about coming together as a family and coming down here and play.”

The Beaumont Children’s Museum is located at 701 Main st. in the Civic Center in downtown Beaumont. To find out more about events and admission, check out their facebook page or visit www.beaumontchildrensmuseum.org.

The museum is open Tuesday through saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

First graders, top, participate an a water-themed science activity in the classroom at Beaumont Children’s Museum. The facility also includes an HEB, above, in the "Our Town" exhibit, a favorite place for young visitors to mimic adults going to the grocery store.

All photos courtesy BCM

6 • ISSUE March 2017

Silence of a Still Life

Volume 23, No. 6

american still-life Painting from the frank and Michelle hevrdejs Collection at Mfah

“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. i want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. i want them to see it whether they want to or not.”

— Georgia O’Keeffe

“This luCkY BasTarD MusT have won the bet,” i said to myself thinking about the bet i had lost during the last super Bowl game. even though i knew that i was standing in front of a painting, i could not help casting a quick glance at the label, which identified the artist as otis kaye and the medium as oil on canvas. everything in this work defied my knowledge that this was a flat surface covered with paint. My eyes kept telling me that i was looking at real objects: a wooden board with banknotes, newspaper clippings and a baseball thrust with a great force into the planks above them.

This amazing trompe-l’oeil reminded me of the famous story of the contest between Zeuxis and Parrhasius, two great artists of the ancient greece, narrated by Pliny the elder. Parrhasius won, having painted a curtain with such truthfullness that Zeuxis tried to pull it aside. The latter admitted his defeat saying that while he, Zeuxis, succeeded only in deceiving the birds with his portrayal of grapes, his rival deceived him, the artist. it is amazing how two and a half millennia later, we still are fascinated by the images that teeter between artifice and reality. The exhibition at the Museum of fine arts, houston, “Two Centuries of american still-life Painting: The frank and Michelle hevrdejs Collection” provides an opportunity to enjoy a number of excellent trompe-l’oeils by such well-known masters of the genre as William Michael harnett and John frederick Peto, as well as lesser-known artists, like otis kaye who revived the tradition in the 20th century and excelled in painting cash and guns. ironically, he coud not sell his paintings of banknotes since the u.s. law of 1909 prohibited copying of the currency.

But the exhibition is not limited to trompe-l’oeils. it features 68 works which showcase the history of american still life painting from the early 19th century to the present day. The earliest work in the exhibition is raphaelle Peale’s “orange and Book” (1817), a carefully constructed composition which reminds of the golden age of still life painting, the Dutch art of the 17th century.

Story by Elena Ivanova

Otis Kaye. WHAT A HIT!, c. 1932, oil on canvas, the Frank and Michelle Hevrdejs Collection.

March 2017 ISSUE • 7

Volume 23, No. 6 The latest works on view are from 2014: “lemon, lemon” by scott fraser and “Magnolias” by sarah k. lamb.

“To have an exhibition with a singular focus on a specific genre is very extraordinary,” says kaylin Weber, assistant curator of american painting and sculpture and organizing curator of the exhibition. “This is a way to experience the history of american art, a story that has not been told before.” how different is american still life painting from european? one feels the strong influence of european masters throughout the exhibition. There is a Victorian opulence in such paintings as “still life with fruit” (c. 1865) by severin roesen. This kind of “over-the-top” abundance was appreciated by wealthy patrons who decorated their homes with paintings that emphasized their status and wealth. William Merritt Chase succumbed to the popular “Japonisme,” which was introduced to the european art world by french Post-impressionists, in “The Japanese Book (The open Japanese Book” (c. 1900.) Max Weber paid homage to Paul Cezanne in “still life with Three Jugs (spanish Jugs)” (1929.) at the same time, distinctly american overtones sound loud and clear in many works. “Cherokee roses” by Martin Johnson heade (late 1880s) convey a more profound meaning than the traditional allegory of the transience of life. although brought from asia, these flowers got their american name from the infamous Cherokee Trail of Tears, in memory of the forced relocation of the Cherokee tribe from florida in the 1830s. and who else but an american artist would find inspiration in such quintessential american subjects as baseball and lieutenant Colonel Custer’s demise, as otis kay did in his superb trompe-l’oeils “What a hit!” (1932) and “Custer’s gun” (1950.) along with traditional still life paintings the exhibition features a number of works that may puzzle a stickler for a clear-cut definition of the genre. There are garden views, portraits and interior scenes, all of which contain a still life as a compositional element.

“The scarlet necklace” (c. 1914) by richard edward Miller features an elegant lady looking pensively at her reflection in the mirror as she tries on a long string of bright red beads. The foreground is dominated by the dressing table top covered with flowers and dainty accessories of the lady’s toilette. The string of red beads runs, like a snake, all the way from her neck to the table top where it rests in a shiny mound next to the flowers. is there a hint of a romance? are the flowers, as well as the beads, a gift from an admirer? a still life exhibition cannot be complete without o’keeffe, and this one is no exception. however, it is an unusual painting for the artist known for her special interest in flowers. “from Pink shell” (1911) is a harmony in pinks and purples, with a few yellow highlights. o’keeffe did not paint shells too often; about 28 total works featuring this subject matter exist today, most of them from 1926. Mysterious and evocative, the painting escapes a definite interpretation, leaving it to the viewer’s imagination. in contrast to o’keeffe, Thomas hart Benton is probably the least likely artist to be featured in a still life show. nev-

ertheless, this macho regionalist is there, represented by “abstract still life” (c. 1923.) This small and intricate work goes back to the times when the young artist looked for inspiration to Post-impressionism, fauvism, Cezanne, as well as synchronism, due to his friendship with stanton MacDonald-Wright. Benton’s still life looks like an arrangement of mechanical parts of an obscure purpose, although it also could be flowers in a vase - as they may appear to a robot’s eye. Whatever the subject matter, the painting is an exploration of colors and shapes, not nature.

Modern and contemporary examples of still life run the entire gamut from highly realistic to nonfigurative, from symbolic to a pure self-expression. “Magnolias” (2014) by sarah k. lamb may be mistaken for a work of Martin Johnson heade, whose “Magnolias on gold Velvet Cloth” are in the permanent collection of the Museum.

Janet fish, Jacob Collins and scott fraser put a modern twist on old Dutch masters known for their love of the material world with an occasional touch of metaphysics. a canning jar filled with marinade and eggs in fish’s “Pickled eggs” (2008) enchants with a magnificent play of light, not unlike wine goblets in a panting by heda or van alst. fraser in “lemon, lemon” (2014) appropriates the ubiquitous trope of the Dutch still life - a juicy lemon with a cascading curly peel – and magnifies it out of proportion. The two lemons perched on a shelf look like rapunzel whose golden tresses seem to be running forever into

the unfathomable depth. a skull, battered pages of the sheet music and an almost empty decanter in “Vanitas with kentucky Bourbon (kentucky Bourbon Vanitas)” (2013) by Collins point to the transience of the material world and human mortality, like traditional Vanitas paintings do. at the same time, there also are allusions to life’s pleasures. The skull with a detached mandible leads our eyes to the shiny cut-glass decanter as if saying, “Memento mori – enjoy life before it’s over!” andrew Wyeth evokes a haunting memory of his favorite model of many years, Christina olson, in “Christina’s Teapot” (1968) painted shortly after her death. no less disquieting than this lonely cracked teapot are the objects in Marsden hartley’s “shells and ropes” (1936). Conveyed in the pearly grey color scheme, they look like an octopus lying in wait at the bottom of the sea.

Playfully oversized “Jelly rolls (for Morton)” (2008) by Wayne Thiebaud remind of the repetitious images of consumer goods from the 1960s. Thiebaud indeed exhibited at the groundbreaking Pop art exhibition “new Painting of Common objects” in 1962. nevertheless, he adamantly refuses to be described as a Pop artist, insisting that objects in his works possess individuality and tactile quality, unlike flat and identical images of Warhol.

See SILENCE on page 10

Raphaelle Peale. ORANGE AND BOOK, c. 1817, oil on canvas, the Frank and Michelle Hevrdejs Collection.

8 • ISSUE March 2017

Volume 23, No. 6

Light in the Dark(room)

film photographers eschew digital for film in ‘Positive/negative space’ show

PosiTiVe/negaTiVe sPaCe are terms commonly used in image composition. They also perfectly frame the progress of what The art studio, inc.’s Darkroom friends have been trying to achieve after several years of hard work and passion.

The work of the photographers will be on display at Tasi, March 4 through March 24. a dozen photographers have been invited to participate in the show, including Darkroom friends organizers Joe Winston and John fulbright, and contributors Valerie Yaklin-Brown, laura Burlton, Marilyn Tennissen, Brandon Thibodeaux, DJ kava, nathaniel Welch, eric adams, gabriel sellers, Jacob garcia and Will stark.

“The Darkroom friends have been promoting darkroom-based photography, and the creation and use of a community darkroom that we all share,” Winston said. “This show is the culmination of those efforts to create a gathering place for us to produce, and now exhibit, our work.”

Darkroom photography is creative work by hand, Winston said, and sometimes people don’t associate photography that way. The Darkroom friends have a mission to preserve and educate people on the process for creating imagery that goes

Story by Stephan Malick

beyond painting or drawing.

Winston said people are going to see a lot of variety in the show.

“Photography is about a lot of different ways of image making, not just one thing,” he said. “Taking the digital aspect out of it is just one way — the artists are making art with a hand-crafted process. We all have digital cameras we use — we’re not in denial or living with our heads in the sand.

We just want to keep these techniques alive. “film is not dead. i get that a lot. ‘They still make film?’ They still make film! i want people to see photography as a medium of fine arts that stands alone. one great things about the change in film photography is that with the demise came no responsibility for commercial industry. relieved of commercial burden, people now can focus exclusively on making art.” gabe sellers said his attraction to film follows the idea that its capabilities are so diverse it allows him to express his ideas in a variety of ways. “i’m shooting, using older, basically antique-style cameras in large format and making large prints,” he said. “film gives TIGHTROPE, by Laura Corley Burlton, above, and TRIPTYCH by Valerie Yaklin-Brown, below, are among the works me a chance to experiment and gives me a on display on “Positive/Negative Space,” opening March 4 at The Art Studio. chance to explore. This show and the Darkroom friends gives me a chance to This show and the concept of the Dark- objects in the frame and negative space is rediscover some ideas after taking a break room friends coalesce around the conthe space between and around the objects from taking photos for a while.” cepts that positive space refers to the in the frame. The friends also encourage hands-on participation by guests making photograms.

“There is something about photography that attracts people,” Winston said. “it’s an amazing thing to take light, salt and silver, and create something that is going to last hundreds and hundreds of years possibly.”

The group’s passion for photography is evident. “i’ve always been interested in the chemistry” Winston said. “i developed my first b&w image when i was 14 and my dad graciously gave me an old travel trailer that we converted into a darkroom.

“The chemical process, the alchemy —

Volume 23, No. 6

March 2017 ISSUE • 9

there’s something about it — and the stories about the old photographers just fascinated me. i’d always to tell my students, it’s a slow process. anything can go wrong the with the hands-on process in the darkroom and this always creates a sense of anticipation.” sellers said the process is somewhat meditative.

“When i’m in the darkroom, i kind of tune out the rest of the world, because photography is imprecise, everything does not always turn out the same way,” he said. “The results are often different even when you think you’re doing things the same way.”

Winston said that several photographers will showcase work using very old techniques from the historical development of photography. “i’m showing albumen prints, which involves eggs — it’s very imprecise and involves silver, salt, and egg white,” he said. “it’s very time consuming and expensive, but it’s the process that interests me.” albumen prints, also called albumen silver print, were first commercially published in 1847 by louis Désiré Blanquart-evrard, and they were the first commercially exploitable method of producing a photographic print on a paper base from a negative. it used the albumen found in egg whites to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper and became the dominant form of photographic positives from 1855 to the turn of the 20th century.

Darkroom classes are a part of the annual Tasi artskool held every summer, but special sessions or private lessons for individual or groups can be arranged.

Winston said the group can tailor a class or lesson for just about anyone’s needs.

The Darkroom friends does not have regular meeting times, but anyone interested may contact the group through their facebook page, visiting www.artstudio. org, or call Tasi at 409-838-5393.

The studio is located at 720 franklin, in downtown Beaumont.

SNO BALLS & ICE CREAM, DUNCAN by Brandon Thibodeaux

Nathaniel Welch positions a negative in The Art Studio’s darkroom ahead of the exhibition “Positive/Negative Space,” opening March 4.

10 • ISSUE March 2017

Volume 23, No. 6

THE ART STUDIO, INC. TASIMJAE 2017

NOTIFICATION CARD

Selected

Not

JUROR Artist Dennis Kiel Director of the Dishman Art Museum Lamar University

Title

AWARDS 1st. place: $500 and a solo exhibition at TASI in May 2018 2nd. place $300 3rd. place $200

Entry #1___________________________________

AGREEMENT Although the greatest possible care will be exercised in handling work, TASI accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to work submitted, while in transit or on premises. TASI reserves the right to photograph submitted works for publicity purposes. All sales during the exhibition will be handled by TASI for which a 25 percent commission will be taken. Submission of entries implies the artist’s understanding and agreement to the rules and conditions of the exhibition.

RETURN OF ALL ENTRIES Work not accepted must be picked up by 5 p.m. on April 1. Works selected for exhibition must remain on display until April 27 and may be picked up April 28.

Title

SUBMISSIONS Entries must be delivered to TASI, 720 Franklin, Beaumont, Texas, Tuesday-Saturday between the hours of noon and 5 p.m. No works will be accepted after 5 p.m. on March 25. Works must be shipped prepaid and/or hand delivered. Limit two (2) entries per person.

Please fill in the titles above, and

ELIGIBILITY Open to all members in good standing of The Art Studio, Inc. (TASI). Membership fee of $35 may be paid at time of entry. Works completed within the last two years that have not previously been shown at TASI may be submitted. All two-dimensional work must be ready to hang (wires, not sawtooths). All three-dimensional work must have firm base. Work may not exceed two hundred pounds in weight or 10 feet in height.

Completed entry label must be firmly attached to the back upper left corner of 2-D work or base of 3-D work.

STAMP and ADDRESS

CALENDAR Entry dates .................................................March 21-25 Notification by mail ........................................March 28 Pick-up works not accepted............March 31 by 5 p.m.

Opening/awards reception .................April 1, 7-10 p.m.

Pick up exhibited work .....................................April 28

reverse side of card (for dowloaded forms, please send SAE)

PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY! ENTRIES NOT ADHERING TO THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED!

Entry #2___________________________________

TASIMJAE (The Art Studio, Inc. Member Jurored Art Exhibition) CALL FOR ENTRIES

TASIMJAE 2017 ENTRY APPLICATION (Please print clearly)

Name_____________________________________________ Address___________________________________________ City_________________________St_______ Zip_________ Phone_______________ E-Mail_______________________ Title of Entry #1____________________________________

Medium________________________ Price______________ Title of Entry #2____________________________________

Medium________________________ Price______________ TASIMJAE 2017 ENTRY LABEL #1 (Please attach to art piece)

Artist_____________________________________________

Title______________________________________________ Medium___________________________________________ Phone___________________________ Price_____________ TASIMJAE 2017 ENTRY LABEL #2 (Please attach to art piece)

Artist_____________________________________________

Title______________________________________________ Medium___________________________________________ Phone___________________________ Price_____________

SILENCE from page 6 “...in a still life, there is no end to our looking, which has become allied with the gaze of the painter,” poet Mark Doty says,”we look in and in, to the world of things, in their ambiance of cool or warm light, in and in, as long as we can stand to look, as long as we take pleasure in looking.” let us take advantage of this rare opportunity to feast our eyes on the masterpieces of american still life painting showcased at the Museum galleries this spring. frank and Michelle hevrdejs have pledged the collection to the Mfah in honor of frank’s mother, Bernice hevrdejs. The exhibition will remain on view through april 9.

Scott Fraser.

LEMON, LEMON, 2014, oil on board, the Frank and Michelle Hevrdejs Collection.

March 2017 ISSUE • 11

Volume 23, No. 6

Cultural Cutting

reducing government arts funding threatens foundation of civilized society hisToriCallY, a CounTrY and should be, defined by its culture. from greek philosophy to the roman empire to the renaissance, it is the arts that survive and give us a sense of the value of the society — there’s a reason the so-called Dark ages were so bleak and largely overlooked except for oppression and war. oliver Cromwell’s rule in england saw a ban on theater and an absence of color — and the Puritans were anti-intellectualist and, frankly, boring as hell.

But in the “failing to learn from history” category, there always seems to be those — mainly on the right of the political spectrum — who see arts funding as an unnecessary evil that is sending the country’s budget spiraling out of control.

Who can forget the dreadful north Carolina senator Jesse helms, dubbed the “artificial art official,” who waged a one-man crusade against the arts in the 1990s? in January, reports circulated that President Donald J. Trump was proposing to cut funding for the national endowment for the arts, the national endowment for the humanities and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which includes PBs and nPr. once again, the arts are under attack, this time from a man whose concept of high art is a giant portrait of himself (paid for by money from his charity) and incredibly gaudy, gold-painted architecture.

The notion that arts funding negatively impacts the economy is a myth that is easily disprovable. in fiscal year 2015, the federal budget was $3.8 trillion, which equated to approximately $12,000 for every woman, man and

Story and cartoon by Andy Coughlan

is,

Inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s “Magna Britannia: Her Colonies Reduc’d” (1766)

child in the united states.

The CPB is the largest of the three organizations, costing a “whopping” $445 million, at a cost of $1.37 for each man, woman and child in the u.s. The neh humanities costs approximately $150 million, the same as the neh, for a total of 46 cents for each american. These numbers are rounded up. The nea actually reports funding of $147.9 million, but this is an arts column so let’s make

the numbers easy on ourselves. Contrast that with defense, which, according to Business insider, costs $601 billion, more than the defense spending of the next seven countries on the list combined. according to the Congressional Budget office, the country has a $559 billion deficit. so how will de-funding 0.00107 percent of the deficit fix the economy? it is an argument that is eas-

ily refuted. another consistent argument that anti-arts campaigners turn to is that if the art is any good, then the free market will support it. Before we counter that, let’s look at what the three organizations actually do.

The CPD produces “sesame street,”

See FUNDING on page 12

12 • ISSUE March 2017

FUNDING from page 11 home to Big Bird, Bert and ernie, Cookie Monster and a plethora of recognizable characters. it is also home to, dramas such as “Downton abbey,” and programing that focuses on history and the arts in all forms. The CPB is backing a program through Wisconsin Public Television called “Veterans Coming home,” a series depicting what some of the 2.5 million veterans endure as they reenter society.

Where else does one find such a range? Bravo TV was once an arts-centered network, but is now home to multiple “housewives of somewhere” or “Duck Dynasty” shows which revel in obnoxious people becoming famous for being, well, obnoxious.

The neh offers research funding to institutions like museums, colleges, and libraries, including funding 16 Pulitzer winners, including ken Burns’ “The Civil War” series, among other notable endeavors. Taylor Tepper of Time.com cites the example of Michael Bernath, an associate professor at the university of Miami, who received $6,000 for his project “in a land of strangers: northern Teachers in the old south and the emergence of american sectional identity, 1790-1865.” surely a variety of outlets are lining

VIEW from page 3 sweltering hot upstairs in the summer. our exhaust fan will soon be functional again that will also aid in raising comfort levels--. lastly, we need to replace the heater that has gone bad upstairs. The exchanger has holes in it and cannot be used for fear of carbon monoxide poisoning. although we’ve had a very mild winter, it won’t always be that way and there should be at least half of the year that artists don’t need to suffer the weather.

While i’m dreaming, i see a vision of expanded facilities that would provide more studios and better work spaces for foundry and fabrication, as well as a permanent space for our Bandnite events that have become an important

Volume 23, No. 6 up to fund Bernath’s project for its obvious ratings attractiveness.

The nea supports art and those who make it. Tepper argues that eliminating funding would kill hundreds of programs, like art 365, which grants five oklahoma artists $12,000 to support their work, adding that past grantees photographed “remote portions of our national Parks and wilderness areas,” and used aerial photography to look at churchgoing demographics in oklahoma. little of what these organizations fund is “sexy” or “commercial.” art is not always immediately commercial, nor should it be beholden to market forces.

Does a lack of broad appeal mean the work has no value? Jesse helms pet peeves were robert Mapplethorpe’s homo-erotic photographs. While these may not be to everybody’s tastes, the general consensus among art critics is that Mapplethorpe captured the essence and sprit of a time and a community.

Who is to say what at will last and, ultimately, define us historically? What if Theo Van gogh had refused to subsidize his brother? Vincent sold one painting in his life time, but only a Philistine would deny the value of the stunning body of work he produced. let’s look at the impressionists. Their work is considered beautiful, even pretty, and incredibly commercial. The

images are used on greeting cards and calendars that are safe to hang in granny’s kitchen to brighten the place.

Yet they were laughed at when they first started to exhibit.

Probably the best example of “statefunded” arts is the Medici’s subsidies of florentine art which gave us Botticcelli’s “Birth of Venus” and Michelangelo’s “David,” among many other classic works. The Medicis were powerful bankers, merchants and rulers, yet they understood that their legacy lay in the arts.

Contrast arts funding in the u.s. with other industrialized countries. in 2013, according to alternet.org, germany’s culture budget was the equivalent of $1.63 billion. northern ireland’s population of merely 1.8 million people found an arts budget of $21 million. The allowance for france’s culture ministry was $10 billion. This was actually a 2.3 percent decrease, which led to largescale protests and strikes. Britain uses lottery money to fund the arts. in 20122013, the department of Culture, Media and sports funded 16 major museums and galleries for the amount of $728 million. arts funding, far from being a drain on budgets, increases cultural awareness, promotes diversity and improves the quality of life for everyone. in her excellent article, “What We Can learn

from the Brief Period When the government employed artists,” Tess Thackara writes about Works Progress administration, a government initiative to fund artists during the great Depression of the 1930s. she writes that, “(it) left a striking legacy. in producing many thousands of paintings, sculptures, murals, photographs, and posters it pioneer(ed) new technical innovations in these cultural fields. it gave numerous important artists a leg up in a desperate time, among them Jacob lawrence, alice neel, and louise nevelson. in a country split by political vitriol, we must ask how do we wish history to judge us? and who will document our times for these future judgments to be made?

Thackara writes that, “artists were employed with specific goals in mind: to help the government communicate with the rest of the country, to inspire pride in a nation that had been brought to its heels, and to document the country’s recovery effort.” arts funding is not a luxury, it is essential for the health of a free and flourishing democracy. Thackara writes that artist lee krasner called the WPa program a “lifesaver.”

By opposing any funding cuts, it is the life and future of this country that we may be saving.

institution for local originating musicians for more than 20 years. enough with the dreaming already!! a special thank you to Terri fox for curating the “Party-cipation 2.0” exhibition for february’s show. Terri, who is the exhibition designer and manager at the stark Museum of art, along with her able and talented cohorts amanda hamilton Burkhart, annmarie Ventura and curator of education Jennifer restauri, transformed The studio into a working studio for a day. They, along with printmaker neal Pitak and Chris Presley, opened their talents and their hearts to future and would-be artists to try their hand at the task of creation. and did they create! a steady stream of curious clients crowded the studio between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., feb. 4, to ply their skills and have some fun. Many have never come to the studio before and

i was pleased to dispel the notion that artists are always aloof and introverted.

Part of the studio mission is to bridge the gap between artists and the local community, and Terri and her charges did a phenomenal job of crossing that bridge. Terri fox was instrumental in the early ’90s in the transition from the White house building to our present location, handling much of the finances and logistics while not really having an office. i look forward to working with the stark Museum again and i thank the board and benefactors of the stark Museum for the chance to work with such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable group of people.

Change can be good — scary, but good. We would love to enjoy a steady stream of sameness, a sure bet that tomorrow will have no awkward surprises, no unexpected turns that puts us in a

quandary of what best to do and how to act in the wisest way possible. no one person can achieve that task without a wave of doubt and the weight of responsibility crushing their energy and verve. few can stand up to that pressure nor should anyone be expected to do so. Many hands make easy work and many minds work better than one. i want to thank all the people who put in their time energy and minds to make The studio what it is, because no one person can do all the things that need to be done but each person has a definitive job that they and they alone can do. individuals working as community and community acting as one — that is the miracle we to are lucky to experience daily as we contribute our skills to the greater good.

We are moving mountains.

High Street Gallery to host Veillon paintings March 10 March 2017 ISSUE • 13

Volume 23, No. 6

I DREAM OF FJORDS by Tom Veillon

The high sTreeT gallerY will host an exhibition of paintings by Tom Veillon, 7-10 p.m., March 10. The gallery is located in Victoria house, 2110 Victoria st. in Beaumont.

“The collection of original work i’ll be hanging largely consists of landscapes and natural themes i’ve experienced over the last two years in my travels and backpacking trips,” Veillon said. “i use a variety of media from oil and watercolor to paper mache to bring these experiences to life through the filter of my imagination.” entry is free and the work will be for sale.

Vidor-native Veillon has returned to the area after spending the better part of a decade in Colorado and Central Texas. he draws much of his inspiration from a

love of the outdoors.

“My heroes in art, such as Van gogh, gauguin, Matisse and Picasso, have had a huge influence on my approach to a new piece,” he said. “especially, when i was just starting to take art seriously in my late teens. Prehistoric cave art, the transcendentalists and new orleans art have also had a profound impact on my style.”

Veillon’s style implements large flat planes of solid color and broad black outlines. “instead of focusing on light and shadow i rely on repetition of patterns to create depth in my images. That paired with a vibrant color pallet creates unique depictions of the wilderness similar to how i see the world,” he said. “i have always felt that humans have

wrongly placed themselves above the order of the natural world. it is especially easy to believe that way with the convenience of modern life and global connectivity through social media. “i want my art to convey to the viewer a sense of smallness, that we are merely one tiny part of a giant world. similar to standing at the rim of the grand Canyon or in an alpine valley carved out by a retreating glacier i want to replicate that feeling of humility and wonder. hopefully, when people leave the gallery they will want to walk into the wild and find their own path in this world of infinite beauty.” for more information, email victoria housetx @gmail.com, visit the high street gallery facebook page, or visit www.nakedDads.com.

Branding the American West: Paintings and Films, 1900 – 1950 See a Side of The West You’ve Never Seen Before...

View more than 80 works of art and related film content highlighting the changing brands, or imagery of violence, beauty and celebration of the American West.

Exhibition Opens March 11, 2017

712 Green Ave., Orange, TX • starkmuseum.org Oscar Edmund Berninghaus (1874–1952), Movie Night at Taos Theater (detail), 1939, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in., Private collection.

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

14 • ISSUE March 2017

Volume 23, No. 6

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 BEAUMONT ART LEAGUE will host a BEGINNING DRAWING WORKSHOP, Thursday, March 9 through March 30.

The workshop will explore observational drawing in graphite on paper, and introduce terminology related to drawing and techniques of observational drawing, such as mark making, shading, measuring and seeing 3D form as 2D shape.

The instructor is Christopher Troutman, assistant professor in the lamar university art department Cost is $125 per person (supplies included).

The workshop is for adults 18 and up and enrollment will be capped at 15 students.

To register, call 833-4179 or email info@beaumontartleague.org to request a registration form.

Born in kansas City, Mo. and raised in Peoria, ill., Christopher Troutman has lived in Beaumont since 2013, where he teaches all levels of drawing at lamar university. in his work, Troutman uses drawing to define the form and space of figures and environments, as well as examine storytelling inspired by personal narrative. in 2003 Troutman received a Bfa from Bradley university in Peoria, ill., where he grew up, then moved to Japan, where he and his wife opened a conversational english school in kagoshima City.

While living in southern Japan, in 2005 he was the first foreign resident of kagoshima to be awarded the grand Prize at the 52nd kagoshima Prefectural art exhibition. after completing an Mfa in drawing and painting at California state university, long Beach in 2008, Troutman taught in at eastern kentucky university, Vincennes university and eastern illinois university. he has had solo exhibitions in Japan and at several locations throughout the us. in 2014, Troutman was awarded the grand Prize (Paris Prize) at the 66th Miyanichi sougou art exhibition in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. he and his family return to Japan annually.

The Beaumont art league is located at 2675 gulf st. _____________

The ART MUSEUM OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS will present JOSE ARPA: A SPANISH IMPRESSIONIST IN TEXAS, March 11 through May 28. an opening reception will be held 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., March 17, featuring a gallery6 talk by Michael graur.

Jose arpa y Perea (1858-1952) opened a studio in san antonio around 1901 and became an important part of the san antonio school. Born in Carmona, the son of a cobbler, arpa began studying part-time at the academia des Bellas artes in seville, spain, in 1868. he became a full-time student by 1876 and from 1882 to 1886 painted in rome. returning to spain in 1886, arpa sent paintings as part of the spanish contingent for the World's Columbian exposition in Chicago in

1893, where impressionism was all the rage. he traveled to san antonio in 1899, and exhibited in the san antonio international fair in 1900. arpa met robert and Julian onderdonk and divided his time between Mexico, spain, and san antonio until 1923, when he founded a painting school in san antonio. arpa continued to exhibit frequently at museums and galleries throughout Texas as well as new York and spain. he won the “Texas Prize” at the Texas Wildflower exhibition in 1927, and exhibited in the remaining two “Davis Competitions” in 1928 and 1929. arpa permanently returned to spain in 1931. This exhibition is the first major arpa exhibition since 1998, and is organized by the Panhandle-Plains historical Museum in Canyon. a full-color catalogue will be available. aMseT is located at 500 Main st. in downtown Beaumont. for more information, visit www.amset.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

Jose Arpa, GALVESTON DRY DOCK, c. 1924, oil on canvas, 20 x 24 inches, Collection of Linda and William Reaves

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 23, No. 6

Thoughtcrime Not by Chance

Well, Boy, you asked about the trees – weed trees they’re called ’round here – but what they are to me is shade.

Time’s though when they were not.

Submission Guidelines and Disclaimer ISSUE solicits and publishes the work of local authors. Poetry, short fiction, scholarly works and opinion pieces may be submitted for review.

All works must be typed and may be sent to TASI by email or by messaging the ISSUE Facebook page.

The opinions expressed in “Thoughtcrime” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TASI, its Board of Directors, ISSUE’s editorial staff, or donors to TASI. Send typed works to: ISSUE, 720 Franklin, Beaumont, TX 77701 or e-mail info@artstudio.org Authors must submit a daytime telephone number and email along with all submissions.

Pen names are acceptable, but authors must supply real names for verification. All printed works are protected by copyright. The author retains rights to any published work. ISSUE does not notify rejection by mail or telephone.

Zion

sometimes i wonder if i should go back to Zion. i doubt it. it can’t really Be like my memories. inside the canyon, with the painted red earth threatening to swallow all of the life that somehow thrives so far from the sun— that sun that scans the narrow canyon every day, letting the water stay cool as it smooths grey-green-blue pebbles that fill the fissure. i saw that place, where deep below the cracked earth, life decided to be rebellions. it can’t be real.

Haley Bruyn

Back then, i had no place to rest and get out from the sun. right where we’re here, it was just hot, over yonder – hotter.

it all seemed empty to me then, like what i had inside, a place where there was too much space but not enough of time. ‘guess both yard and me were ready, for when the trees came up, by chance, since ’round here, like i said, they’re weeds, i thought, “Why not?” and so i lined them up to make them what they are right here: four trees in the yard with purpose.

Weeds, yes, but not by chance

in how they stand – that’s mine, you see. a right nice place to shade.

You think so, Boy? Well, i do too.

Time’s though when they were not.

Jesse Doiron

as a prelude to the awakening alarm, Dawn spills in through the blinds and lays my dreams to rest Caught between dimensions, i stir longing for one more taste of us, i stir frantically grasping, i stir aching in the absence of you Melody Boyd

March 2017 ISSUE • 15 Just Beyond the Lights

Judging eyes… peering out from beyond the lights. smirking eyes… dancing in a trance delight.

You know they’re there… just outside the platform stage. eyes so wide… waiting for a word or phrase…

You’re stating what you hold too dear, broadcasting your hopes and fears.

Don’t hold back, just spit it all… your success and your downfall.

Proclaim why god brought you here.

Tell the world (while you fight back angry tears).

They need to know…

Why you carry yourself with grace.

They crave to know… how those scars got on your face. and they should know…

What gives you a certain drive. and they will know…

Why (after all that) you’re still alive!

To stand up here and tell your story sugar coats the pain and glory. for they’ll never know the reason You went through that horrendous season. god only knows…

‘Cause he was there those dreadful nights.

Yes, god knows… he stopped the fists during bloody fights. he gave me peace to cope each day. and the courage to finally get away. i realize…that beyond the lights People out there should hear my plight.

These words that pour forth from my lips… i don’t recite for applause or tips. i do because it cleanses my soul. i’m glad to share so please behold What god has place upon my heart. i convey my personal feelings through the art of spoken word…of Poetry so i should tell you, what you see… just beyond this searching glare There’s not one feeling to compare.

My life is like a book, and each page tells of why i’m on this stage.

Your eyes are witness to a feat i never ever thought i’d see But god saw fit to lead me here.

Because of him, i have no fear…

This gift of mine rings true and clear. standing proudly, all eyes on me… on his stage!

Dorothy Sells Clover

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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.

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