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.”
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 956- 872-3488 or visit http://library.southtexascollege.edu/libraryartgallery.
