Category Archives: Library Art Gallery

South Texas Ceramic Showdown: Continued Connections. Variable Directions.

June 7, 2018Current & Upcoming Exhibits, Library Art Gallery, Pecan CampusSouth Texas Ceramic Showdownmgonz368

South Texas College gears up for its 12th annual Ceramics Conference.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018—
6:00pm –8:00pm Opening Receptions at the STC Library Art Gallery and STC Building B Gallery.

Thursday, June 21, 2018—
9:00am – 12:00pm Clay Demonstrations at STC’s Ceramic Studio, B115
1:30pm – 4:30pm Clay Demonstrations at STC’s Ceramic Studio, B 115

Friday, June 22, 2018—
9:00am – 12:00pm Clay Demonstrations at Ceramic Studio, B 115
1:30pm – 3:30pm Ceramic Art Talk with Benjie Heu & Ron Fondaw, STC Library Rainbow Room

South Texas College brings the Rio Grande Valley its twelfth annual ceramics exhibition and conference, “Continued Connections. Variable Directions.” The exhibit will be on view from June 4 to August 8, 2018, at the college’s Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery and June 4 to July 5 at the Art Building B Gallery. The galleries and ceramic studio are located at 3201 West Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. The event includes a full display of ceramic work by distinguished ceramicists Benjie Heu and Ron Fondaw as well as ceramic work from 15 universities and community colleges across the U.S, including ceramic work by STC and UTRGV students.

The three-day South Texas Ceramic Showdown will begin with an opening reception on June 20 at the Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery and Art Building B Gallery from 6-8 p.m. The workshop will continue with ceramic demonstrations on June 21 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. and June 22 at 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at STC’s Pecan Campus Art Building (Bldg. B) Ceramic Studio. A lecture by ceramic artists Benjie Heu and Ron Fondaw will be held on Friday, June 22 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., adjacent to their exhibition, in the Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room. All activities are free and open to the public.

“For the 2018 South Texas Ceramic Showdown, we will have more collaborations expected than in the past with a few more top notch ceramic programs in the mix,” said Chris Leonard, Ceramic Showdown organizer and STC Ceramics Professor. “We are very happy to have Benjie Heu and Ron Fondaw in the mix as the established clay artists who share the geography of the ‘Show Me State.’ Benjie and Ron share a short but meaningful friendship, are well versed in the ceramic tradition, and have deep histories as productive and innovative artists and teachers. The collaboration that they are dreaming up should be very cool as South Texas heats up.”

Benjie Heu is a Professor of Ceramics at Southeast Missouri State University. He received his MFA in Ceramics at Ohio University and exhibits internationally. His work is deeply personal and a narrative of the journey of self-discovery. His work discusses his family, food, medicine, spirituality, and human nature.

Ron Fondaw is a ceramic artist whose current work investigates the relationship between the mind, body, and environment. Fondaw is known for his more than thirty site-specific installations in locations such as New York City, Denmark, and China. He received his MFA from the University of Illinois and is a Professor of Ceramics at Washington University in St. Louis.

Participating institutions in the collaborative ceramic constructions include: Arizona Western College, Baylor University, Clarion University, Edinboro University, Lawrence University, Mesa Community College, Montana State University, South Texas College, Southeast Missouri State University, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, The University of North Texas, The University of Texas San Antonio, Victoria College, and Washington University in Saint Louis.

South Texas College exhibits regional, national and international artwork, explores new visions and theories of creativity, and introduces innovative artistic expressions to the South Texas region.

For more information, contact Gina Otvos at (956) 872-3488, gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/lag.

Ansaros: The Beginnings of a World

June 6, 2018Current & Upcoming Exhibits, Library Art Gallery, Technology Campuspelizon2

Alexis Garza is an illustrator and author of several zines and comic books and is currently majoring in Studio Art at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The exhibit Ansaros: The Beginnings of a World will feature a new concept using rich and diverse watercolors, pen & ink. The exhibit will be displayed June 28th through August 10th, 2018 at the Technology Campus Library located at 3700 W Military Hwy, McAllen, TX 78503. An opening reception and artist talk will take place on June 28th, at 6:00 PM. Event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Gina Otvos at (956) 872-3488 or gotvos@southtexascollege.edu.

Sabor a Mí

May 24, 2018Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibitsmgonz368

The exhibition Sabor a Mí will be on view from June 1 to July 12, 2018, at the STC Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery on the first floor. The event will include artwork from international and contemporary artists: Macarena Peña, Monica Ramirez, Ana Marie Sanchez Varela, Ruby Avila, Irma Garza Garcia, Fany Mares, Benjamin Varela, and Diana Montemayor. The exhibit is located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd in McAllen. Admission is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Gina Otvos at (956) 871-3488 or gotvos@southtexascollege.edu.

La Spiritu

May 11, 2018Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibitsmgonz368

La Spiritu, an exhibition by Leila Hernandez, will be on view May 1 through June 25, 2018 in the Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room. There will be a reception for this exhibition, as well as the Ceramic Showdown and Art x Culture, on June 20, from 6-8 pm at the Pecan Campus Library. Hernandez is a native of El Salvador and received her MFA from the University of Florida. Hernandez draws inspiration in nature and art using re-purposed mixed media that she finds in her visits to ropas, pulgas, thrift, craft and art stores.

“The term La Spritu is drawn from the Spanish word Espiritu which means spirit. In the Spanish language the word espiritu/spirit is male (El Espiritu) which becomes incompatible with the portrait of the feminine matriarch energy represented in my work,” said Leila Hernandez. ”I use elephants to represent many concepts and ideas like knowledge, strength, healing, memory and even luck.”

About her process and inspiration, Hernandez continues, “The application of garments, largely used by women, applied on the mandalas are meant to create a social and political awareness on several issues such as enslavement, obedience, communion and spirituality. Through the use of clothes worn by women, an alliance is forged and hopefully an understanding is created among viewers—especially female viewers, that binds them through common experience, even if to some it is as simple as knowing how to weave or learning a “simple” craft.”

For more information contact (956) 872-3488, gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/lag. This exhibit is free and open to the public.

Carol Flueckiger: Solitude of Selfie

March 22, 2018Library Art Gallery, Previous Exhibitspelizon2

McAllen, TX – South Texas College’s Library Art Gallery proudly presents “Carol Flueckiger” a 2-D exhibit of Cyanotype Prints by Artist, Carol Flueckiger.

Carol Flueckiger is an Associate Professor of Art at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. She has developed a mixed media painting technique that uses the blistering West Texas sun to expose blueprints of historic handwriting and vintage graphics onto painted wood surfaces, paper and fabric. She merges this cyanotype technique with feminist history, weather and geography.

STC’s Library Art Gallery Program exhibits regional, national and international artwork, explores new visions and theories of creativity, and introduces innovative artistic expressions to the South Texas region.

For more information contact Gina Otvos at 956-872-3488, gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/libraryart.

Photo: Number 25, Educated, Carol Flueckiger, 18×12, cyanotype and sharpie on watercolor paper, 2017

ON DISPLAY: APRIL 26 – MAY 30, 2018

Cyanotype Demonstration: April 26, 2:30 pm
Art Talk/Reception: April 26, 6-7 pm

David McGee: New Work

January 8, 2018Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

“Ragnar” by David McGee, oil wire and glue on canvas, 60 x 48 in., 2016.

Houston artist David McGee exhibits at South Texas College
Talk by artist David McGee slated for Feb. 22

MCALLEN, TX (Feb 16, 2018 ) – The South Texas College (STC) Library Art Gallery has curated an exhibit entitled, “David McGee: New Work” featuring the work of Houston artist David McGee that will be on display until Feb. 25, 2018.

David McGee’s work explores identity and experience. This exhibition features McGee’s large-scale, heavily textured abstract paintings he made during a one-year sabbatical on the Bolivar Peninsula, a remote area near Galveston, and his signature watercolor figurative drawings. McGee recently finished a 20-year retrospective at the Houston Museum of African American Culture.

“My paintings are also heavily influenced by my love of literature and film. I seldom go back and forth from the style of abstract painting to that of the figure, but by all facts and vocabulary, everything is abstract. So the paintings adhere to no stylistic allegiance, but just the emotional weight of what is to be human,” said McGee.

The exhibit is located on the second floor of the STC Pecan Campus Library. The exhibition and lecture are part of the college’s larger annual Black History Month celebration.

The event is free and open to the public.

WHAT: STC’s Library Art Gallery Exhibition “ David McGee: New Work”
WHO: Houston Artist, David McGee
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018 at 1pm . A reception will follow from 5p.m.-7p.m.
WHERE: Pecan Campus library Rainbow Room
3201 W.Pecan Blvd McAllen, Building F

For more information, contact Gina Otvos at gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or 956- 872-3488. For a complete listing of events visit: https://library.southtexascollege.edu/LibraryArt.

STC Alumni Show: Priscilla Elizondo & Olga Alanis

January 3, 2018Library Art Gallery, Previous Exhibits, Technology Campusgotvos

South Texas College presents the work of STC Alumni

McAllen, TX – South Texas College’s Library Art Gallery proudly presents “STC Alumni Show,” a 2-D exhibit of both drawings and paintings by former students, Priscilla Elizondo and Olga Alanis.

The exhibit opened Tuesday, January 23 and runs through April 23, 2018. There will be an artist lecture and reception on February 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Technology Campus Library Art Gallery. The exhibit is located at 3700 W. Military Hwy. in McAllen. Admission is free and open to the public.

Priscilla Elizondo and Olga Alanis both attended South Texas College before moving to UTRGV to complete their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Alanis and Elizondo’s work both lean towards 2-D figurative work with Elizondo primarily working in drawing and Alanis in painting. The technical skill, quality and stories of the former STC students’ progress will be inspiring to current students and public.

For more information contact Gina Otvos at 956-872-3488, gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or visit https://library.southtexascollege.edu/libraryart.

Photo: Ecology of Mind, Olga Alanis, 2014.

ON DISPLAY: JAN. 23 – APRIL 23, 2018
ART TALK/RECEPTION: FEB. 15 6-7 PM TECHNOLOGY LIBRARY

Sarah Castillo: Art as an Embodied Practice

January 1, 2018Pecan Campus, Previous ExhibitsWomen's History Monthpelizon2

Sarah Castillo

South Texas College Presents: Sarah Castillo | Art as an Embodied Practice: Artistic Expression, Conocimiento, and Identity formation.

Sarah Castillo is the co-founder of the Chicana Art Collective, Mas Rudas, in San Antonio who create video, photography, painting, sculpture, fiber, performance, audio, and text installations since 2009. She is also the gallerist and founder of Lady Base Gallery whose mission supports women and LGBTQIA+ artists. She recently received her M.A. in bi-cultural Studies from UTSA with the thesis: Art as an Embodied Practice: Artistic Expression, Conocimiento, and identity formation.

ON DISPLAY: MARCH 1 – APRIL 20, 2018
ART TALK: MARCH 1, 1:00PM
RECEPTION: MARCH 1, 5-7PM (PECAN LIBRARY ART GALLERY)

100 Women, 100 Words

January 1, 2018Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous ExhibitsWomen's History Monthgotvos

South Texas College to host “100 Women,100 Words” Exhibition Reception

MCALLEN, TX (Feb 28, 2018 ) – The South Texas College Art Department and Library Art Gallery have curated an exhibit entitled, “100 Women, 100 Words” to honor South Texas Women who have made an impact in the community. The exhibition will be on display until May 16, 2018.

On Thursday, March 1 from 5 to 7 pm there will be a reception to celebrate the exhibition at the Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery. The reception will mark the opening of the college’s broader annual Women’s History Month celebration and will include light refreshments, guitar by Micaela Miranda, and readings by local poets.

“In the Rio Grande Valley, a tremendous number of women have made and continue to make a difference in our community through their generosity and dedication. The participants are native and non-native to the RGV and include educators, business owners, community activists, and artists,” said Gina Otvos, Library Art Gallery Associate. “Their contributions through their work, community service, and philanthropy positively impact literacy and education, the arts, social causes, and the environment in the Valley. We are excited to share the visual and literal stories these women have to tell.”

The event is free and open to the public.

WHAT: “100 Women, 100 Words” Exhibition Reception
WHO: Women have made and continue to make a difference in our community
WHEN: Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 5 p.m.
WHERE: Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery
3201 W.Pecan Blvd McAllen, Building F

For more information, contact Gina Otvos at gotvos@southtexascollege.edu or 956- 872-3488. For a complete listing of events visit: https://library.southtexascollege.edu/LibraryArt.

Macarena Peña: Wings & Love

December 31, 2017Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibitsmgonz368

Macarena Peña, known as Ma K Art was born in McAllen, Texas and started painting in oil in 1997 in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. Macarena became blind in 1999. She revived her artistic abilities as a blind artist in 2015 when she became the co-founder of Visual Challenges Art Project in conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind. Peña is an active advocate for the blind and visually impaired.

Macarena creates her work using vivid colors and different textures; the artist communicates through the canvas what the eyes cannot see but what the heart can feel. Macarena’s inspiration comes from life emotions that can only be seen with the heart.

Exhibit on view: Feb, 7 – April 20, 2018

Paint in the Dark Workshop- April 10th, 10am Library Art Gallery 2nd Floor

“High Expectations with No Limitations” Lecture- April 10th, 12pm Library Rainbow Room 2nd Floor

South Texas College Pecan Library