Unconscious Landscape

August 7, 2013Library Art Gallery, NAH Campus, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

South Texas College’s Nursing and Allied Health Campus Library presents “Unconscious Landscape,” an exhibit featuring artworks by Delvis Cortez. The exhibit opens Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 and will be on view through Friday, Dec. 6. An artist talk will be held on Oct. 3 at 6:30pm at the college’s NAH Campus, located at 1101 E. Vermont Ave. in McAllen. Admission is free and open to the public.

Cortez’s current body of work was created through a transferring process called Decalcomania. This is a process in which diluted oil paint is spread across a large glass surface, and the canvas is pressed to the surface and then carefully peeled away. The technique produces smudges and blots of color which suggest turbulent skies, landscapes and/or abstract humanoid forms.

“Cortez’s recent work expresses the feeling of freedom and spontaneity that paint is so capable of achieving,” said Dawn Haughey, STC Library Art Gallery associate. “The fluid composition and muted tones of the work create a relaxing and introspective experience for the viewer.”

Cortez received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas-Pan American. He currently instructs painting parties at the Weslaco Museum.

STC’s Library Art Gallery 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 via email at dhaughey@southtexascollege.edu.

Animating the Inanimate: Finding Stories within Objects

August 7, 2013Library Art Gallery, Previous Exhibits, Starr County Campusgotvos

South Texas College’s Starr County Campus Library Art Gallery is proud to present “Animating the Inanimate: Finding Stories within Objects,” featuring paintings by Jerry Lyles. The exhibit will be on display from Sept. 6 to Dec 6, 2013 at STC’s Starr County Campus Library (Bldg. F), located at 142 FM 3167 in Rio Grande City. An artist lecture will be held on Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

In Lyles’ current body of work, he focuses on the objects that people collect and surround themselves with, and what they say about the person who collects them. Through his skilled still-life paintings, which incorporate color, form, value, shape and space, Lyles suggests a story within these objects that places the viewer in an active role in relationship to his work.

“Lyles’ current exhibition invites the viewer to make up their own stories,” said Dawn Haughey, STC Library Art Gallery associate. “He presents enticing, colorful imagery and then leaves the rest of the work up to the observer. This produces an internal interactive experience.”

Lyles received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the American University in Washington D.C. and works as an assistant professor at the University of Texas Pan-American.

For more information, contact Dawn Haughey at 956-872-3488, or via email at dhaughey@southtexascollege.edu.

Inventa La Vida (Invent Life): Works by Juan De Dios Mora

August 7, 2013Library Art Gallery, Mid-Valley Campus, Previous ExhibitsHispanic Heritage Monthgotvos

South Texas College’s Mid-Valley Campus Library Art Gallery presents “Inventa La Vida (Invent Life): Works by Juan De Dios Mora.” The exhibit opens Thursday, Sept 19, 2013, with an artist lecture held at 6 p.m. The exhibit will be on view through Friday, Dec. 6 at the Mid-Valley Campus Library Art Gallery, located at 400 N. Border in Weslaco. Admission is free and open to the public.

Mora’s detailed, black and white print work depicts characters interacting with devices that are poorly made, yet highly adorned. These customized inventions are made up of hybrid cultures of the Mexican-American border and are decorated with traditional imagery, food, objects, materials, banners and sayings. Through these devices, the artist expresses the characters inventiveness, resourcefulness and their strong will to survive. Mora’s surrealistic visions are filled with symbolic meaning and a hopeful optimism that our character will live on forever.

Mora was born in Jalisco, Mexico and immigrated to the United States in 1998. He received a Masters of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in printmaking from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and is currently an art instructor at the UTSA Art & Art History department.

“It’s inspiring to see characters of little means depicted so proudly by Mora,” said STC Art Gallery Associate Dawn Haughey. “When he portrays a man with a broom, the broom is then embellished with flags, wings, mirrors and a saddle. His work reflects the idea of making the most of what you have and never feeling ashamed of what you don’t. This series, although focusing on Mexican-American culture, is empowering to people of any race.”

For more information, contact Dawn Haughey at 956-872-3488, or via email at dhaughey@southtexascollege.edu.

Border Studies

August 7, 2013Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

South Texas College’s Pecan Campus Library and Humanities Texas will present “Border Studies,” an exhibition of images by eight gifted photographers and maps showing historical relocations of the border, highlighting the vitality of places, people, and patterns of culture along the Texas-Mexico border. The exhibit will be on display from Sept. 9 to Oct. 21, 2013 at the Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room, located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Texas-Mexico border is more than a line between two countries. It is a realm unto itself with a culture of its own, shaped by the millions who choose to live and work there. The border is a cradle of hope—and anxiety—for the well-being of both Mexico and the United States.

For more information, contact Dawn Haughey at 956-872-3488, libraryart@southtexascollege.edu.

Nothing to Declare but the Clothes on our Backs

August 7, 2013Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

South Texas College’s Pecan Campus Library presents “Nothing to Declare but the Clothes on our Backs,” an exhibit featuring collaborative artwork by Phyllis Evans, David Freeman and Leila Hernandez. The exhibit opens Sep. 6 with an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Talks with the artist will be held the same day at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room, located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. The exhibit will be on view through Dec, 2013. Admission is free and open to the public.

South Texas College art instructors Evans, Freeman and Hernandez collaborate on an art installation that focuses on the U.S. – Mexico border and the dangers and challenges that have arisen due to the building of the border wall. The installation also speaks of the blending of cultures on both sides of the border as well as the economy of selling mass-produced border kitsch items.

Through photography and Xerox transfers on fabric, Evans documents political divisions created by the border wall as it commands traffic in agriculture, industry, natural resources and international relations. Her work critiques U.S. policy and poses as a reminder that historically and universally, walls have repeatedly failed in their purpose and have only served to create divisions without solving problems.

Freeman also uses photography and transfers to create printed conceptual trophies based on situations that plague the border including drug runners, illegal immigrants and coyotes. “The trophy is a symbol of dedication and hard work in achieving a goal in life and in Mexico today the cartel are the victors, not the police or the citizens,” said Freeman.

Hernandez utilizes fabric from local ropa usada stores (second-hand clothing stores) to create dolls of Mexican and Central American influence or muñecas de trapo. Her work represents the undocumented work force crossing the border to work as maids, gardeners and pickers.

“This work manages to touch on the biggest issues that plague our area, while still maintaining an overall playful and tactile quality,” said STC Art Gallery Associate Dawn Haughey. “The printed scenes of barbed wire, labor workers and large machinery on colorful flowered bed sheets, produces a visually satisfying juxtaposition of imagery.”

For more information, contact Dawn Haughey at 956-872-3488, or via email at dhaughey@southtexascollege.edu.

National Park and Recreation Month Book Display

July 26, 2013Book Displays, Our CollectionsElizabeth Hollenbeck

Since 1985, America has celebrated July as the nation’s official Park and Recreation Month. Check out our books and videos to help celebrate!

Permenter, Paris, and John Bigley. Open Road’s Best National Parks with Kids! Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Open Road Publishing, 2007. Print. E 160 .P47 2007

Burns, Ken. The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. United States: PBS Distribution, 2009. E 160 .N385 2009 DVD

Wohlforth, Charles P. Frommer’s Family Vacations in the National Parks. New York, NY: Macmillan Travel USA, 1999. Print. E160.W64 1999

Nader, Albert J, and Dennis Burkhart. America’s National Parks: A Video Tour of All 55 National Parks. Chicago, Ill: Questar, 2001. E160 .A44 2001

Molvar, Erik, and Tamara Martin. Best Easy Day Hikes. Guilford, Conn: Falcon Guides, 2007. Print. GV 199.42 .U8 Z566 2007

Contributed by Maureen Mitchell, Librarian.

Delicate Statements: Works in Pastel

May 17, 2013Library Art Gallery, Mid-Valley Campus, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

South Texas College’s Mid-Valley Campus Library Art Gallery presents “Delicate Statements: Works in Pastel,” featuring artwork by Luis Fernando Hernandez. The exhibit opens Monday, July 1, 2013 and will be on view through Friday, Sept. 13. The Mid-Valley Campus Library Art Gallery is located at 400 N. Border in Weslaco. Admission is free and open to the public.

Luis Fernando Hernandez was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and has received artistic training in oil painting, watercolor, pencil, carbon, pastel, drawing, wash, color pencil, and acrylics. He was personally trained by master miniaturist Sergio Martinez Sanchez from 2008 – 2010. Hernandez continues his training in the dry pastel technique while working as a Director at Greco Consulting in Veracruz, Mexico.

“Hernandez’s soft and precise application of color allows the viewer to be easily drawn in,” said STC Art Gallery Associate Dawn Haughey. “He is very skilled in his technique and uses it to create a feeling of femininity and cultural pride.”

For more information contact Dawn Haughey at 956-872-3488, or via email at dhaughey@southtexascollege.edu.

South Texas Ceramic Showdown: Clear as Mud

May 13, 2013Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous ExhibitsCeramic Conference, South Texas Ceramic Showdowngotvos

STC’s Library Art Gallery and the Visual Arts & Music Department present “A South Texas Ceramic Showdown: Clear as Mud.” This is the seventh year we’ve collaborated with VAM on the Ceramic Showdown, and this one is going to be great. We will be featuring ceramic works by nationally recognized and distinguished ceramicists Kirk Mangus and Billy Ritter.

Mangus earned his Master of Fine Arts from Washington State University. He has been the Head of Ceramics at Kent State University since 1985 and has taught at numerous institutions including the Cleveland Institute of Art and the University of Georgia Athens Cortona, Italy Program.

Ritter earned his Master of Fine Arts from Kent State University. He currently works as a Ceramics Instructor/Ceramic Lab Technician at the Art House Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio and as a Ceramics Instructor at the Orange Art Center in Pepper Pike, Ohio.

An exhibit reception will be held on June 6 in the Visual Arts and Music Gallery and the Pecan Campus Library Art Gallery from 6 to 8 pm, respectively. A two-day ceramics workshop will be held June 7th from 9 am – 12 pm and 1:30 – 4:30 pm and June 8th at 9 am – 12 pm at STC’s Pecan Campus Art Building Ceramics Lab, Room 113. Art talks will take place Saturday, June 8 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. The exhibit will remain on display until August 12, 2013.

The Library Art Gallery is also proud to present “Machistas Y Vanidad” (“Macho and Vanity”), an exhibit featuring artwork by Noel Palmenez. This exhibit addresses a person’s exterior appearance and how we wish ourselves to be perceived. It also dissects what it means to be “macho.”

Noel Palmenez earned an MS from Texas A&M University and an MFA from The University at Texas Pan-American in painting, drawing and sculpture. He currently teaches at UTB Brownsville.

The exhibit opens Thursday, June 6 and will be on view through Friday, August 12, 2013. Artist talks will be held on the opening day at 2:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room. Reception will follow from 6 pm – 8 pm on the library’s 1st floor.

Lectures and receptions are always free and open to the public! Please see the flyer below and be sure to share it with your friends and family.

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

Wildlife Photography

April 11, 2013Library Art Gallery, Pecan Campus, Previous Exhibitsgotvos

South Texas College’s Pecan Campus Library proudly presents its newly acquired collection of wildlife photography. This large-scale photo display will be unveiled before the library open house events on Thursday, April 18 at 10:30 a.m. in the library foyer. The STC Pecan Campus Library is located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Library Art Gallery’s permanent installation of local wildlife photography features bright and vivid images taken right here in the Rio Grande Valley by photographers Steve Bentsen, Kaitlyn Ciomperlik, Dennis Erhart, Cody Gregg, Ruth Hoyt, Seth Patterson, James Nabours, Rolf Nussbaumer, John Pickles, and Daniela Setien.

Smaller scale photos have been installed in the information commons room in the new West Academic Building, while larger photos will grace the walls of the library foyer.

“We’re very proud to be able to display these photos as a permanent exhibit at STC’s library,” said Cody Gregg, STC director of instructional technologies. “Many people are unaware of the incredible diversity of wildlife in the Rio Grande Valley. These photos highlight the beauty of our wildlife and the works of talented photographers.”

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

Filmmaker Laura Varela at Starr – April 2nd

April 1, 2013Author / Scholar Visit, Library Events, Movies, Previous Events, Starr County CampusWomen's History MonthElizabeth Hollenbeck

April 2nd at 1pm – Starr Campus Auditorium

On April 2nd Laura Varela, filmmaker, media artist, activist and educator will be a guest speaker at South Texas College, Starr County Campus.

Laura Varela is a San Antonio-based documentary filmmaker and media artist whose work as a storyteller is shaped by her roots growing up on the US/ Mexico Border in El Paso, Texas. Her work navigates between ideological, cultural, linguistic and physical borders through the use of film and contemporary art installations.

She will speak about her upcoming projects and her experience with her film As Long as I Remember at 1 pm at the campus auditorium, located at 142 N FM 3167 Rio Grande City, Texas. The event which includes reception afterwards is free and open to the public.

As Long As I Remember: American Veteranos examines the steep personal toll and enduring legacy of the Vietnam War on three artists from south Texas: visual artist Juan Farias, author Michael Rodriguez and actor/poet Eduardo Garza. Through the personal histories and experiences of these Chicano veterans, the film examines the role art plays in the sorting of memories, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), activism and the conflict in Iraq.

For more information about the event contact Terri Rosalez at 956-488-5822 or mtrosalez@southtexascollege.edu.