Category Archives: Previous Exhibits

A South Texas Ceramic Showdown: Wedged Together

June 1, 2012Library Art Gallery, Previous ExhibitsCeramic Conference, South Texas Ceramic Showdowngotvos

South Texas College’s Library Art Gallery Program, together with the college’s Visual Arts and Music Department, brings the RGV its annual ceramics exhibition and workshop, “A South Texas Ceramic Showdown: Wedged Together.” All activities are free and open to the public.

The event includes a full display of ceramic works by art students and professors from regional universities and community colleges. The exhibit will be on view from June 4 to August 13, 2012 at the college’s Pecan Campus Art Building Art Gallery located at 3201 West Pecan Blvd. in McAllen.

A two-day ceramics workshop takes place June 15 and 16 at STC’s Pecan Campus Art Building Ceramics Lab, Room 113. Art talks will take place Saturday, June 16 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the same location. An exhibit reception will be held on June 14 in the Visual Arts and Music Gallery and the Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery from 6 to 8 p.m.

Participants will see clay demonstrations by nationally recognized and distinguished ceramicists Billy Ray Mangham and Pat Johnson. Mangham earned his Master of Fine Arts from Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. He taught at the Austin Museum of Art and Austin Community College for 10 years and currently runs the Eye of the Dog Art Center in San Marcos, Texas with his wife Beverly. Johnson earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from North Texas State University. She currently runs the Live Oak Art Center in Columbus, Texas and has been involved in civic affairs, ranging from serving as a precinct judge, to working on environmental matters.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to continue with our annual Ceramics Showdown and maintain the presentations from established ceramic artists while also experimenting a bit with the institutional participation in sharing and showing collaborative ceramic art,” said Chris Leonard, STC ceramics instructor and exhibit/workshop organizer. “This year we are fortunate to have a pair of Texas based artists, Pat Johnson and Billy Ray Mangum whose work, work ethic, and attitudes will certainly be a shot in the arm for our own RGV students. They are longtime friends and are known in ceramic circles for much more than just their ceramic wares.”

“The institutional invite has the possibility for continuing to be something unique and once again has a collaborative format,” added Leonard. “Entitled ‘Wedged Together’, the call for work is in a format of a problem to solve; it will be interesting to see the range of solutions, though at the present I am a bit apprehensive because in clay this much is true – you never know what you are going to get. Come check us out.”

South Texas College’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 Dawn Haughey at 956-872-3488 or at libraryart@southtexascollege.edu, or visit Library Art Gallery Website.

The Nature of Stillness

February 6, 2012Library Art Gallery, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

“The Nature of Stillness” a photography exhibit featuring works by Ruth Hoyt and Roel Guerra is on display now through Friday, May 11, 2012 at South Texas College’s Pecan Campus Library. The exhibit will be on view on the first and second floors of the library, which is located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. Admission is free and open to the public.

“This diverse collection of photographs lets the viewer take a walk outside and witness the spectacular beauty that surrounds us in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Dawn Haughey, STC Library Art Gallery associate. “Hoyt and Guerra present skillfully captured images of wildlife, landscapes and architecture that burst with vibrant color and dramatic shadows.”

Hoyt is a naturalist and full-time photographer who enjoys spending time outdoors. She lives on a South Texas ranch where she photographs, writes, leads workshops and tours, teaches nature and digital photography and makes public speaking appearances. Her work has been shown at the Smithsonian Institute and has appeared in publications for National Geographic, The Nature Conservancy and The Valley Land Fund, to name a few.

Guerra specializes in photographing subjects found in South Texas and Mexico. His subjects range from ancient rustic architecture to dusty valley landscapes. Since purchasing his first camera in the late 1970s, he has spent all of his free time learning as much as possible about the art of photography. Guerra especially enjoys the dramatic effect his photographs achieve when using an infrared Fuji camera. He currently runs a successful photo studio.

For more information contact Haughey at 956-872-3488 or libraryart@southtexascollege.edu, or visit the Library Art Gallery Website.

Sleight of Hand

June 16, 2011Library Art Gallery, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

This exhibit dabbles in the fascinating world of magic tricks and a youthful sense of wonder and awe. This exhibit will be available for viewing through September 2nd, so you have all summer to browse in delight! There’s even a talk with the artist, Paul Valadez! Check it out:

For more information about these exhibits or the Library Art Gallery contact:

Sofia K. Vestweber

(956) 872-3488

libraryart@southtexascollege.edu

Or visit the Library Art Gallery Website at http://library.southtexascollege.edu/newsevents/libraryartgallery/

Diluvio Oriental de la Perspectiva del Chango Loco

April 4, 2011Library Art Gallery, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

For more information about this exhibit or the Library Art Gallery contact:

Sofia K. Vestweber

(956) 872-3488

libraryart@southtexascollege.edu

Or visit the Library Art Gallery at http://library.southtexascollege.edu/newsevents/libraryartgallery/

A South Texas Ceramic Showdown: POTS, Every Piece is a Part of the Solution

January 16, 2011Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous ExhibitsCeramic Conference, South Texas Ceramic Showdowngotvos

Howdy Readers! If you’ve wandered the halls of the Pecan Campus Library this June, you may have noticed our two fantastic new art installations! If you haven’t, come by the second floor and check out these exhibits. They are definitely something different, and it’s free!

One of these exhibits, hosted within the Library Art Gallery, is the Ceramics Showdown, and will only be available for viewing until July 1st:

For more information about these exhibits or the Library Art Gallery contact:

Sofia K. Vestweber

(956) 872-3488

libraryart@southtexascollege.edu

Or visit the Library Art Gallery at http://library.southtexascollege.edu/newsevents/libraryartgallery/

David Adickes: A World of Splendor

August 23, 2010Library Art Gallery, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

The art exhibit, “David Adickes: A World of Splendor,” will be on display at South Texas College’s Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery from September 16 to December 11, 2010. The exhibit will feature mixed media paintings and giclée prints. On Thursday, September 16, art talks will be held at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at STC’s Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room, Bldg F. An opening reception will take place the same evening from 6 to 8 p.m. in STC’s Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery, Bldg. F located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. Admission to the exhibition and all events is free and open to the public.

David Adickes is a Houston-based painter and sculptor whose career in the visual arts is now well into its sixth decade. Adickes received a degree in both math and physics from Sam Houston State University. A man of many talents, Adickes also studied art at the Kansas City Art Institute and in Paris, France with the modern French master Fernand Léger. Adickes later taught art at The University of Texas at Austin.

All together, Adickes’s paintings encompass landscapes, stills and figure groups that are primarily composed of geometric shapes and vibrant, bold colors reminiscent of classic French scenes. Many of Adickes’s works are in museum collections, as well as hundreds of corporate and private collections in the U.S. and around the globe. In addition to his paintings, Adickes is also known for his monumental concrete bust sculptures of U.S. Presidents. Today there are two parks adorned with Adickes’s 20 foot sculptures of all forty-three American presidents in South Dakota and Virginia.

In regard to his artistic philosophy, Adickes believes that, “art should be created with purpose and intent that should have a sense of form, and a feeling of permanence.”

“Adickes is steadfast and meticulous throughout his process and the artistic creation of his work,” said Sofia K. Vestweber, STC’s Library Art Gallery associate. “His paintings are powerful and stimulating in nature, bringing the viewer an extraordinary sense of whimsy and splendor.”

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 Sofia K. Vestweber at 956-872-3488 or at libraryart@southtexascollege.edu, or visit the Library Art Gallery Website.

Personal Expressions

June 2, 2010Library Art Gallery, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

“Teen Spirit Jaguar,” a paper mache work by Edith Rodriguez.

“Personal Expressions,” featuring artwork by students in South Texas College’s Early College High School Program and Mid-Valley Campus Underground Art Club, will be on display at the college’s Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery located at 3201 West Pecan Blvd. from June 10 to July 3. On Thursday, June 10, a reception will take place at the same location from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission to the exhibition and reception is free and open to the public.

The exhibit features sophomores from McAllen ISD, Mercedes ISD, Progresso ISD and PSJA ISD, who took Art Appreciation with STC art instructor Chris Leonard. The students are part of STC’s ECHS Program, which allows participants to earn an associate degree at the same time they earn a high school diploma. This is the first year an art course is offered as part of the curriculum at the schools.

Through the exhibition, the students share their versions of the jaguar, an endangered species native to the Rio Grande Valley and STC’s own mascot. The depictions are three-dimensional and paper mache figures. Sixteen students are displaying artworks within the exhibition including Marcela Banda, Adrian Castro, Jerry Contreras, Sonia Garcia, Angelita Godinez, Jerry Grimaldo, Ezra Huerta, Zuremia Marquez, Alvaro Martinez, Melody Navarro, Heriberto Picasso, Edith Rodriguez, Ramona Saenz, Alma Viera, Maria Fernanda Villareal and Brenda Zuniga.

“Untitled,” a charcoal, India ink and oil pastel on paper work by Angy Garza.

In addition to the ECHS students, student members the college’s Mid-Valley Campus Underground Art Club, which formed in spring 2010, will also experience their very first exhibition together. The seven club members are exhibiting a combination of drawings, paintings and sculpture. Participants include Victoria Almaguer, A.J. Alvarado, Angy Garza, Mariana Hernandez, Jorge Martinez, Frank Ramirez and Rick Ramon.

“The collaboration of artworks ranging from high school to college students provides our community with an opportunity to see the next generation of rising Rio Grande Valley artists,” said Gina Otvos, STC Library Art Gallery Program technician.

For more information contact Sofia K. Vestweber at 956-872-3488 or at libraryart@southtexascollege.edu, or visit the Library Art Gallery Website .

Ceramics Showdown: Up and Down and All Around

May 26, 2010Library Art Gallery, Previous ExhibitsSouth Texas Ceramic Showdowngotvos

Carl Block, “Face Jug,” earthenware clay, colored slips and glaze.

South Texas College’s Art Department, together with the college’s Library Art Gallery Program, presents “A South Texas Ceramic Showdown: Up and Down and All Around.” Featuring the RGV’s fourth annual ceramics exhibition and conference, the event includes a full display of ceramics works by art students and professors from 11 regional universities and community colleges. Participating institutions include South Texas College, The University of Texas-Pan American, The University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M Kingsville, Galveston College, Central Arizona College, Kent State University and Northwest Vista College.

The exhibit will be on view from July 8 to September 4, 2010. A reception will be held on Saturday, July 17 from 4 to 6 p.m. at STC’s Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery, Bldg F. located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. The free, two-day conference and workshop begins Friday, July 16 and ends Saturday, July 17 at STC’s Pecan Campus Art Building Ceramics Lab. Art talks will also take place Saturday, July 17 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the college’s Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room. All activities are free and open to the public.

Max Butler, “Rooster Platter,” Eathenware.

The conference includes clay demonstrations and talks by Carl Block of Flatland Pottery and Max Butler of Butler Pottery. Both ceramicists are graduates of The University of North Texas, currently teach at Texas ISD schools, own clay studios, and are active musicians. Among Block’s vast accomplishments, his work is featured in permanent art collections including the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., Rice University, The University of Houston, The Chinati Foundation, and the personal collection of former president George H. Bush, to name a few. Butler studied in France and was apprentice to Jean Louis Gaudin. In 2004, he received the prestigious Fulbright Memorial Grant to study in Japan.

“We are pleased to have Block and Butler as our featured clay artists for ‘A South Texas Ceramic Showdown,’” said Chris Leonard, STC ceramics instructor and conference organizer. “As friends, Block and Butler share a history of creating utilitarian forms that are delightful. They don’t decorate, they do.

“Both of these UNT alums know their way around the wheel, but their work is anything but faceless,” Leonard added. “Both gentlemen, who teach school by day, make hard work look effortless, and yes, even fun. They are entertainers with muscle and thought provoking products. Their pieces tell stories and I’m sure they will tell a few stories, too.”

For more information contact Sofia K. Vestweber at 956-872-3488 or at libraryart@southtexascollege.edu, or visit the Library Art Gallery Website .

Visions of the Rio Grande Valley

February 4, 2010Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

Gabriel Salazar is a self-taught artist who has been painting for 30 years. A Rio Grande Valley native, his inspiration is his home environment. Now he has an entire collection of Valley-inspired art and is sharing it with the students of South Texas College

“Visions of the Rio Grande Valley,” featuring oil on canvas paintings by Salazar will be on exhibit at the college’s Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery from Thursday, Feb. 4 through March 27. An opening reception will take place Thursday, Feb. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the gallery located in Bldg. F at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. Admission is free and open to the public.

“Once I have an idea, I place myself in it, as if I’m there,” said Salazar. “I imagine it, a landscape situation, and I live what I paint.”

Salazar knows and envisions what he wants in his paintings and changes things as he works along the way. He is inspired by the beauty of the Valley and paints what the Valley “used to be” and, in some areas, still is, including open fields and orchards with blue valley skies.

“Salazar’s mastery of depth and perspective within his paintings are amazingly displayed in this exhibition,” said Sofia K. Vestweber, STC’s Library Art Gallery Program associate. “His paintings are incredibly detailed and rich with nostalgia for rural valley landscapes.”

For more information contact 956- 872-3488 or visit http://library.southtexascollege.edu/libraryartgallery.

Dreamlands of Pedro Reynoso

July 9, 2009Library Art Gallery, Mid-Valley Campus, NAH Campus, Previous Exhibits, Starr County Campus, Technology Campusgotvos

College puts spotlight on artistry of local, self-taught octogenarian

“Montañas Rojas,” (Red Mountains) an oil on canvas painting by Pedro Reynoso

South Texas College’s Nursing and Allied Health Campus Library Art Gallery is proud to present “Dreamlands of Pedro Reynoso” featuring a collection of acrylic and oil on canvas paintings by self-taught artist, Pedro Reynoso. The exhibit opens Friday, May 8 at STC’s Nursing and Allied Health Campus Library Art Gallery with an Art Talk at 1 p.m. given by Jennifer Cahn, Curator at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. An opening reception will immediately follow from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The exhibit runs through July 3, 2009. STC’s Nursing and Allied Health Campus Library Art Gallery is located at 1101 E. Vermont Ave. in McAllen. Admission is free and open to the public.Currently 87 years old, Reynoso took up painting at the age of 65 after his diagnosis with cancer and later Alzheimer’s disease.

“Reynoso relies on his vivid imagination and a fluid, sensitive use of color,” said Cahn. “Most of the scenes in the exhibition are drawn from the artist’s youthful memories of Mexico, from which he creates vibrant landscapes expressing a sophisticated eye and a tender nostalgia for his birthplace.”

“The exhibit is a multi-tasking force helping us all see that creativity is a vital force of self-expression, positive memory experience and also an incentive for capturing a sense of therapy and healing,” said David Freeman, curator and programs coordinator for STC’s Library Art Gallery Program. “Reynoso is a self taught artist yet his vision is incredibly astute and rich in an astonishing parallel with many of the mainstream styles and genres of art of the 20th century. There is evidence of a common intuitive phenomenon within the technique, process and creative effort of Reynoso’s work and our cultural artistic art world of today.

“His work reflects the look of surrealism, impressionism and expressionism even though he knows nothing of these movements,” continued Freeman. “There is a vast wealth of understanding color, texture and form that mirrors and defines his emotional feelings of the day and reflects the landscapes of childhood and his present day experience. He expresses in his work that he is in control and alive, and creating in an almost defiant manner in resistance to challenges that he faces. It is stated that wherever there is creativity there is God; Reynosa lets us see that where there is creativity there is also faith that art can heal.”

The event was organized by the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art.

For more information call 872-3488.