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Local second-graders fusing art, science into their environment

Students learn to connect science, local issues

• By Becca Nelson Sankey Special to the Standard-Times
  November 7, 2011

 

SAN ANGELO, Texas —In shaping San Angelo schoolchildren into environmentalists and water ambassadors, the Center for Creative Energy anticipates that the project-based lessons provided and their importance in drought-plagued West Texas will have a trickle-down effect.

The Center for Creative Energy, a partnership between the San Angelo Independent School District, the a.inline_topic:hover { background-color: #EAEAEA; } San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and the Upper Colorado River Authority, developed Art/Science Fusion as one of its three programs targeting children. The program provides local second-graders hands-on science lessons pertaining to community resources and encourages them to express and communicate their knowledge through art.

"There's lots of research and articles and studies that show that artists and science actually work a lot in the same way," said Megan DiRienzo, curator of education at SAMFA. "There's a lot of creativity that goes into both fields, experimentation, trying new things, not being afraid to fail. Artists are thinkers, philosophers and people who share ideas through their work. Art is about ideas and sharing a vision, and there are plenty of artists — contemporary and in the past — who use art to share messages about the environment."

Second-graders from three San Angelo elementary schools are bused to the museum four times in one semester. The first visit is for a gallery tour, which currently showcases early Texas lithographs from the museum's permanent collection. The lithographs, DiRienzo said, portray life in Texas before the Dust Bowl, which relates to the area's current drought conditions. For their second field trip, Christy Youker, director of the UCRA's Water Education Center, helps the students make the connection between what they saw during their gallery tour with environmental science, particularly as it relates to local issues.

"We have found that connecting the exhibits in the gallery with the environmental science is really easy to do, and it brings a lot more meaning to their experience in both sciences and art," Youker said.

The science content also reflects what the students are learning in the classroom, she said.

"I go directly to the curriculum for what these teachers are teaching and look to see what fits, what makes sense," she said.

SAMFA's assistant museum educator, Bekah Coleman, engages the students in their final two visits.

"For the studio component, we take all the information they've learned in their first two pieces and make a piece of art that represents everything they've learned about drought and flood, especially in our own environment," she said.

Their newfound knowledge becomes a conversation-starter within families, Coleman said.

"You would be surprised how many people still don't understand how serious our water situation is," she said. "We're not just educating the children; we're giving them the tools to educate others as well."

"That all relates back to our mission to conserve our natural resources," DiRienzo added.

In 2010, the Center for Creative Energy was awarded the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Museum Grant to fund Art/Science Fusion and related programs Aqua Squad and Camp Odyssey for three years.

"The grant will serve every elementary school in the SAISD," DiRienzo said. "We've already covered six schools, and this fall we started with another three. In the spring, we start with another three and then during year three we'll get the rest of the schools."

Alta Loma, Bowie and Goliad elementary schools are currently participating, she said, with the students' last visit scheduled for this month.

The goal, DiRienzo said, is that the issues introduced to the students in Art/Science Fusion will spur their interest in Camp Odyssey, a summer program for third- through seventh-graders, then Aqua Squad, for seventh- and eighth-graders. All three programs are developed by the Center for Creative Energy.

"When you look at these (local environmental) issues and you root that in arts education and in really good science education, these kids — from the time they're young — will come away with a deeper understanding of these issues and come at it with a basis in art and design as well," Youker said.

"It's more than just being creative; it's a way of looking at the world and engaging the community. When kids come out of Camp Odyssey or Art/Science Fusion, they come out feeling like they have a mission to do something, and they're equipped with how to do that using the design principles they've gained."

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Greenhouse holds seed of big dream

• By Laurel L. Scott
• San Angelo Standard Times

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Arts museum adds assistant educator

• By Laurel L. Scott
• San Angelo Standard Times

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ARTS: Furniture as artwork

Exhibit also has drawings, models

BECCA NELSON SANKEY Special to the Standard-Times SAN ANGELO, Texas — With their timeless design and broad appeal, the creations of American office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller are works of art, albeit not in the typical sense.
Beginning today, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts patrons will get the opportunity to expand their understanding of art forms with “Good Designs: Stories of Herman Miller,” a traveling exhibit featuring furniture from the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as drawings, models, prototypes, photographs and oral histories.	Marshmallow Sofa, George Nelson for Herman Miller [photocredit]Contributed Photos/Muskegon Museum of Art, Michigan[/photocredit]
The exhibit opening is at 5:30 p.m. today at the museum, and the exhibit will be on display through Jan. 9. “This is a really, really big deal,” said Howard Taylor, director of SAMFA. “It’s a different way of looking at art. If you think of paintings and so forth, well, it won’t be that. It’ll be pieces of furniture, but we’ll treat it as works of art, and then we’ll tell the stories of some of the designers and how they came up with their ideas.” “It goes a lot into the design and gives you the process,” added Karen Zimmerly, collections manager at SAMFA. It “looks at how a person sits in a chair and how they move and (how to make) it comfortable — all that goes into the process of designing a piece.” The objects displayed include the creations of Herman Miller designers Gilbert Rohde, Ray and Charles Eames, George Nelson, Alexander Girard, Robert Probst, Steve Frykholm, Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick, according to a SAMFA news release. Sue Mims, who worked for Herman Miller from 1988-98 and now lives in San Angelo, noted Eames’ timeless pieces and his innovations in molding wood. “Herman Miller was really out there on the edge in terms of design, especially after World War II,” Taylor said. “They brought together many of the most famous designs of that time. They are still doing that. This exhibit is mostly about looking back to that period of the ’50s and ’60s when the really iconic pieces were created.” Mims heard about the exhibit and brought it to SAMFA’s attention, which is “part of the reason it’s here,” she said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for people to see products that are both attractive to look at but also products that work they do a functional job.” According to the museum news release, “Good Designs” is a collaborative effort between Michigan’s Muskegon Museum of Art and The Henry Ford Museum of Dearborn and was inspired by the book “Herman Miller: The Purpose of Design” by John R. Berry. The exhibit will be shown at about a dozen museums in the country, Taylor said, but its local stop is a rarity for cities such as San Angelo, a small community in a largely rural area. “We’re advertising (the exhibit) from one end of the state to the other — plus nationally — to bring people” here, he said. “People realize that we’re actually pretty hip in San Angelo.”

 

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Grant will help San Angelo museum education program

Conserving water will be a focus of effort

• By Justin Zamudio
• San Angelo Standard Times

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ECO FAIR: Art draws crowd

5,000 shop, eat, browse at Eco Fair Family Day at museum

• By Jennifer Rios
• San Angelo Standard Times
  

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All things Mexico Costume collection, art on display

BECCA NELSON SANKEY Special to the Standard-Times

Posted September 9, 2010 at 6:36 p.m.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — This month, San Angelo can experience all things south of the border without ever leaving town. On Tuesday, Friends of the ASU Library and the West Texas Collection will hold their annual meeting, featuring a speaker from the Mexican Consulate in Del Rio and a Mexican costume collection representative of the country’s 32 states. The event is partly sponsored by the university’s Multicultural Center.

Thursday, the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts will hold its opening reception for “Viva Mexico,” an exhibit highlighting the country’s traditions and heritage, history and influence on American culture.

The West Texas Collection at Angelo State University also will contribute to SAMFA’s “Viva Mexico,” loaning photographs of the Mexican Revolution for the historical aspect of the exhibit as well as an extensive collection of Mexican artifacts from that time period. The exhibits all tie in with the celebration of major dates in Mexico — the 200th anniversary of its independence from Spanish rule and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. Suzanne Campbell, head of the West Texas Collection, said those dates are important to San Angelo because “we have a lot of folks whose family came to the United States because of the Mexican Revolution and the violence that was taking place in Mexico.” “We do have a lot of people who are either from Mexico or their forefathers are, so they are from Mexican descent,” agreed Karen Zimmerly, collections manager at SAMFA. “We definitely hope we get a lot of people out to see the show.” Two rare paintings by 17th century Mexican artist Cristóbal de Villalpando will be on display in the museum’s large art gallery on the third floor. According to a museum news release, the paintings were part of a series depicting the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The works “tie into Mexicans’ sacred traditions,” Zimmerly said. “It was during the period when they were under the influence of the Catholic Spanish. We have these two large paintings painted during this period, and we’re going to support that with some work from our own collection from that time.” According to the news release, the second gallery on the third floor of the museum will be devoted to the history of the Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910 with Francisco I. Madero’s attempt to overthrow dictator Porfirio Diaz. Items and photographs on loan from the West Texas Collection will depict this tumultuous time. “We have loaned some spurs that go back to the 1500s, a charred saddle that has silver on it, coins and currency, photographs, postcards, sheet music and framed posters, a bronze of a sheep shearer and some panels about the sheep shearers in West Texas and just different kinds of artifacts,” Campbell said. Campbell said the West Texas Collection has collaborated with the San Angelo museum on a couple other occasions, but has never before loaned out a collection as extensive as this. The organization had a large collection to contribute, she said, thanks to individuals’ donations. “Williwood Meador collected a lot of originals on Pancho Villa and the Mexican Revolution,” Campbell said. “Because that was on our website, we have had other people donate material. It’s kind of interesting how the word spreads, and then people begin to give you information and material about that” time period. Many of the items the West Texas Collection is loaning the museum will be on display in its exhibit highlighting American traditions derived from Mexico, the SAMFA release states. “We’ll be investigating how we’re influenced by Mexico, how the two cultures have intermingled,” Zimmerly said. The exhibit is likely to strike a chord with a number of people, Zimmerly said. “It’s also a chance to see some historical works that we don’t usually get to see,” she said. “It’s a wonderful chance to see these beautiful paintings we’re going to get, and the photos of the Mexican Revolution would be interesting, too. It’s a historical look at what went on, and I think it’s always interesting to learn something you maybe don’t know about.” SAMFA’s exhibit will be on display through Oct 24; Angelo State University’s will be on display through Sept. 17.

 

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San Angelo Standard-Times
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Editorial & Comment
SAN ANGELO, Texas — The handsome building at One Love Street on the Concho River is marking its tenth year this month, and it’s a celebration worth having. Simply put, San Angelo is a much better place because of its striking Museum of Fine Arts and the steady flow of culture and creativity it has produced over the past decade. First, the building. Its unusual slanted-saddle design drew a few raised eyebrows initially, but soon enough, it not only grew on everyone but became a community focal point and source of pride. The museum commands attention even from longtime San Angeloans during the day and gleams at night, especially with the landscaping improvements through the years. It appropriately is the most eye-popping sight along San Angelo’s defining and most important natural feature, its river. As river development continues over the coming years, SAMFA will remain the jewel that makes the other improvements sparkle more brightly. While the museum helps make San Angelo look prettier, what goes on inside feeds its soul. A vibrant arts community elevates a city’s essence, and a grand cast of SAMFA contributors has made sure the museum is creative in its creativity, blending new ideas — the current “Yard Show” is a good example — with defining events like the annual San Angelo National Ceramic Competition. The recurring Visions and Choices exhibits — the fifth one is on display now — is an extraordinary example of harnessing creative thinking to improve San Angelo and the way its people live. Perhaps most importantly, SAMFA has kept as one of its goals making itself accessible and interesting to people from all walks of life. It seems likely that lives have been changed for the better because of people’s introduction to the arts at the sway-backed building on the river. This 10-year retrospective is useful as a time for relishing the benefits of one of San Angelo’s most ambitious undertakings and expressing appreciation to all those whose work and dedication ensured that their city would be a better, more uplifting place for decades to come.
A profile view of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts after dark

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Silver beauty is on display

• BECCA NELSON SANKEY Special to the Standard-Times
• Posted December 10, 2009 at 7:16 p.m.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — For its next exhibit, the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is making a luxurious transformation.

Museumgoers attending the opening reception of “Martelé: the Silver of Le Beau Monde” on Wednesday evening will view antique handmade silver in display cases and in models of a storefront window and dining room, both crafted by local carpenters and artists especially for the exhibit.

The exhibit comes from the collection of Joel and Suzanne Sugg of San Angelo, who in the mid-1990s began amassing pieces from the Martelé line, including punch bowls, sugar bowls, creamers, coffee pots and vases made in the late 19th century and early 20th century, according to a museum news release. Made by Gorham Manufacturing Company to reflect the Art Nouveau movement, which is characterized by motifs found in nature, the silver started out flat before being hammered into the desired form.

“The fact that it’s hand hammered makes it shimmer,” said museum Director Howard Taylor. “Most fine silver you see is cast or formed around molds, and that’s very expensive silver, but this is even more so because it’s hand hammered.”

Some of the items in the exhibit were even featured in the Paris Exposition Universalle of 1900, Taylor said, including a cup adorned with enamel that won the gold medal.

In the spirit of the time period in which the pieces were made, a dining room reminiscent of the famous Peacock Room was created in one of the museum’s upstairs galleries. The Peacock Room occupied the London home of a wealthy ship owner in the late 1800s and was built to display his porcelain collection.

Artist Laurel Dane was commissioned to paint eight panels with peacocks to hang in the dining room. The panels will be for sale to the public, Dane said.

“We’ll be strutting our stuff up here,” Dane said of the upstairs gallery. “A lot of people will be costumed beautifully.”

Karen Zimmerly, museum collections manager, said information will be on display to educate the public about the time period and Gorham Manufacturing Company.

It’s important for people to know about the era during which the silver was made, Taylor said.

“It’s when the United States emerged as one of the great industrial powers in the world,” he said. “It was a time of the labor movement, women trying to win the right to vote, the railroads — it was a boom period.

“In terms of how we were perceived artistically, the Europeans looked down on us,” Taylor added. “This silver emerged and won all these medals from the French, and the United States began to show the world that we were more than a frontier place — we were a sophisticated nation.”

It’s unusual for museums to accept contextual exhibits such as this, Taylor said, making the opportunity to see it a rarity.

“I don’t think you could go anywhere in this country or the world and find a more beautiful collection,” he said.

If you go

What: “Martelé: the Silver of Le Beau Monde” exhibit opening

When: 5 p.m. Wednesday

Where: San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.

Cost: Free

Contact: SAMFA, 325- 653-3333

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Museum showcases array of visual arts

By Howard Taylor, SAMFA Director
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Friday, January 23, 2009

When many people think of art, they often think primarily of paintings. At the art museum, about 70 percent of the art we have exhibited has, in fact, been paintings.

An important role of the museum, however, is to bring all aspects of the visual arts to our community. This is a central educational goal of our programs.

The visual arts encompass virtually all mediums and forms in which humans have endeavored to create aesthetic or beautiful objects or to visually convey information and ideas. This encompasses such things as sculpture, furniture, tableware, jewelry, weaving and fiber objects, film, video, digital and other electronic mediums and photography.

On Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m., we will present the third program in our new film series. Jeffery Mills, a noted documentary filmmaker who is the executive director of Documentary Alliance in Houston, will present selections including "Before the Curtain Rises: The Story of a Texas Story Empire." This is a wonderful opportunity to meet an important filmmaker in an intimate environment, as well as enjoy the actual films.

On Thursday, Jan. 29, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., we will be opening three exhibits simultaneously. One will feature the photography of Manuel Alvarez Bravo from the private collection of Dave and Lyn Hills of Denver. Bravo is a native of Mexico and considered to be one of the great masters of 20th-century photography.

Another exhibit coming to us from the University of Texas in partnership with Humanities Texas will show the work of photographer Russell Lee, who is also recognized internationally and who documented all aspects of American life from the 1930s until his death in 1986. Of local interest is that some of his most important photographs were taken in San Angelo.

The third exhibit features the work of a contemporary Texas artist, James Michael Starr, who creates objects that transcend sculpture and painting and combine found objects to make fascinating works with a rich narrative. The evening of the opening will be a wonderful celebration that is free to the community and will include refreshments and entertainment.

On the following day, Friday, Jan. 30, Starr will be on hand to give a tour and talk about his work.

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Celebrating traditions:
Hundreds learn of Chinese culture at SAMFA's Family Day

By SARAH P. HENRY Special to the Standard-Times
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES

Sunday, January 11, 2009

SAMFA Family Day celebrated Chinese New Year with many related hands-on activities. Several hundred people enjoyed Tai-Chi demonstrations, origami, Chinese lantern making, calligraphy, mask making, cooking and many other fun things.

Cheyenne Smith and Rebekah Loveland arrived at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts on Saturday morning ready to indulge their passion for Chinese traditions.

Cheyenne, 13, and Rebekah, 12, wore Chinese dresses in gray and blue while they learned about the art of Tai Chi from members of Tai Chi Concho. They also tried their hand at calligraphy, origami, lantern making and Chinese cooking.

"We wanted to come because we love Chinese culture," Cheyenne said. "I have no family connection, but I really like studying it."

Rebekah, who practiced calligraphy with the characters for "sun" and "moon," said she really enjoyed watching the Tai Chi demonstration with fans.

"They taught us how to use the fans and about the tradition of it," she said.

Celebrating the Chinese New Year was the theme of SAMFA's Family Day, a free event that happens every second Saturday of the month and features different world cultures. February's event will highlight customs and food from Greece, March's will be Ireland, and April's will be Brazil.

"This is a great way for parents to introduce their children to the art museum," said Christy Youker, outreach coordinator for SAMFA. "People with young kids may not think of bringing them to an art museum, but this is a way to make them feel more comfortable doing that. It's a chance for the kids to experiment and learn about a new culture."

Youker, who said approximately 400 people attended Saturday's event, said parents are welcome to bring even young infants in strollers to Family Day, which is sponsored by Ethicon.

"They get exposed to the art, and they get to hear the music," she said. "We can put a paintbrush in their hand. Even as babies they can enjoy it."

Saturday's event featured fried rice and dumplings, Chinese hot tea and Chinese dresses on display.

San Angelo residents with a Chinese heritage helped with demonstrations, decorations and art activities.

"People in the community have something to share about where they came from, and this is a chance for them to do it," Youker said.

Individuals interested in helping decorate or demonstrate cultural activities on Family Day should call the museum at (325) 653-3333, Youker added.

Two exhibits were also open during Family Day. "Cornell in the Rearview Mirror" is an exhibit by Becki Smith of three-dimensional compositions using boxes and found objects. "Rio Grande Bravo!" is a collection of panoramic photographic work by Odessa photographer Jon M. Smith.

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Photography: Display brings new sensation
Panoramic photography captures Rio Grande

By Matt Phinney
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Friday, January 9, 2009

This is exactly the type of event the Water Education Center was made for.

The building's first photography exhibit - "Rio Grande Bravo!", panoramic photography of the Rio Grande River by Jon M. Smith - opens today and runs through Feb. 14 at the center, 417 S. Oakes St.

"I hope first and foremost people will be impressed with the diversity of the Rio Grande," Smith said. "Secondly, I hope there is an appreciation of the economical and political importance of the river, not just for Texas, but also New Mexico.

"I think the format I utilize with my photography is going to lend itself to really engaging people with the work because of the amount of detail you can see in it. You can get the sensation you can walk into the image."

Christy Youker, outreach coordinator for the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, said the exhibit ties in well with the center's purpose.

"I think we always had in mind the integration of art and science," she said. "Any opportunity we have, we want to capitalize on that."

The center opened several months ago and is an educational outreach project between the Upper Colorado River Authority, SAMFA and San Angelo school district to help educate people about water issues in West Texas.

It was designed by the Aqua Squad, a group of San Angelo students from the district's Texas Research Institute for Young Scholars gifted-and-talented project that focused last year on water issues.

The exhibit is a great way to really open the center, highlight the Aqua Squad project and show the community the sorts of things the building will hold, Youker said.

The Aqua Squad will help celebrate the opening Friday night.

"This will bring life to this building," Youker said. "As we work on the more permanent exhibits, we see this as typical of what we are trying to do."

Related events

The Water Education Center event runs in conjunction with several other events presented by the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

The museum's monthly Family Day is also Saturday, and the January focus is on Chinese New Year. Along with hands-on art activities - including paper lantern making and origami - there will be Tai Chi performances, Chinese cooking demonstrations and refreshments, according to the museum.

Also, Rio Grande photographer Jon M. Smith's wife, Becki Smith, an artist specializing in mixed media, will have her work displayed at the Coop Gallery for the weekend.

Becki Smith's exhibit is called "Cornell in the Rearview Mirror" and displays 30 pieces that reflect on a variety of topics including politics, spirituality and choices, according to the museum.

Additionally, two art exhibits - "Texas in My Soul," A.C. Cook's collection of early Texas art; and "Early Texas Art in the Concho Valley," on loan from the San Angelo Art Club - will be featured at SAMFA.

* What: "Rio Grande Bravo!" Panoramic Photography by Jon. M Smith of the Rio Grande River and "Cornell in the Rearview Mirror," mixed media box assemblage by Becki Smith.

* When: Opening from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. today. Photography exhibit runs through Feb. 28 and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, or call for an appointment. Mixed media box exhibit runs through Jan. 11.

* Where: 417 and 427 S. Oakes St.

* Information: (325) 653-3333.

* What: Family Day, with the theme of Chinese New Year.

* When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

* Where: San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.

* Information: (325) 653-3333.

* What: Exhibits "Texas in my Soul," A.C. Cook's collection of early Texas art, and "Early Texas Art in the Concho Valley," on loan from the San Angelo Art Club.

* When: Through Jan. 18. 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

* Cost: $2 for adults and $1 for senior citizens. ASU, SAISD students, museum members and active military are admitted free.

* Where: San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.

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Crafts and culture meet
Museum event lets families try hand at Japanese art

By Selena Hernandez SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Saturday, November 8, 2008

Children and their parents got their hands dirty and learned about Japanese culture Saturday.

Dozens of families attended the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts' Family Day Japan, in which people were admitted to the museum for free and did arts and crafts.

Guest artists for the family day were Gus and Hisayo McCloskey of Gallery Hisago in Boerne.

The museum's outreach coordinator, Christy Youker, said they wanted to capitalize on their talents and thought a Japanese-themed family day was a perfect fit.

Gus is a Japanese-trained ceramic artist, and Hisayo is an expert at ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement.

Hisayo led a cooking class to show people how to make Japanese food.

McCloskey led a ceramic class where children made coiled pots and whatever else they could think of.

"This is a chance for families to come together and create something," he said.

McCloskey studied in Japan for five years and lived there for 15.

Sally Morales stood with her niece, her niece's friend and her daughter Dyamond in the ceramic studio, molding and shaping clay into bowls.

Morales said she attends every family day because it gives her and her daughter a chance to spend some time together.

Dyamond, 9, said she liked playing with the clay as she squashed it between her hands.

"I like making things," Dyamond said. "I'm making a bowl right now. I made a kite and a scroll with pictures on it earlier."

Morales said she likes how the children are learning about different cultures.

"This encourages them to use their imagination," Morales said. "Plus it gives her a chance to get dirty without getting in trouble for it."

In addition to ceramics, other Japanese arts and crafts included oragami, sumi-e (Japanese ink painting), kite making and sansuiga, or landscape painting.

Kelli Weed attended family day with her husband, Donni, daughters Ashley and Abbey, and son Austin.

"My husband is half Japanese, so it's important for us to come out," Weed said. "And I think it's a really good opportunity for people to learn about other cultures."

Weed said they planned to do all the arts and crafts and then go to the cooking class.

Weed's daughter Ashley, 14, started her day making a Japanese kite.

"It was kind of hard. I'm not much of an artist," she said. "It's interesting to learn about the different types of art. It is so different than other countries' art."

Ashley said she had wanted to go to the family day to see what it was like.

"It's neat that I'm learning about the culture I came from," she said.

The museum will continue to hold a family day every month, each with a different theme. December's will be France, Youker said.

"We encourage everyone in the community to come out," she said.

"We also would love those in the community with knowledge about a culture to share it with us and with others."

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San Angelo gets boost from D.C. fan

By Howard Taylor
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Friday, November 7, 2008

Mario Castillo is a successful businessman who resides in Washington, D.C. Despite his international range of activities, he maintains strong ties to Texas and particularly to his hometown of San Angelo. He was recently appointed to serve as a commissioner of the Texas Historical Commission. Last week, at his urging, this important commission held its quarterly business meeting in San Angelo.

In true San Angelo fashion, hundreds of individuals, businesses and organizations went all-out to show off our wonderful town. I am very pleased that the business meeting of the commission was held at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. Virtually all of the commissioners and staff of the commission pledged to return to San Angelo as soon as they can. Our community is very fortunate to have such a strong advocate in Mario Castillo.

This weekend will be a particularly exciting time to visit the museum.

On Friday evening at 5:30, we are hosting a reception at our Coop Gallery on Oakes Street in front of the museum for an exhibit featuring the stunning work of Gus McCloskey, who is a noted ceramicist. He studied and worked in Japan for more than 15 years.
On Saturday, the museum will be presenting its monthly Ethicon-sponsored Family Day. The museum will be open without charge all day, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We will have a wide range of hands-on activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. based on the Japanese culture.
This will include a clay workshop for children presented by McCloskey. There will also be a Japanese cooking class for children from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. led by McCloskey's wife, Hisayo, who is a native of Japan.

There will a modest charge for the cooking class, and reservations will be required.

On Sunday, SAMFA will be open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and this will be the last opportunity to see the stunning paintings created by San Angelo artist Rene Alvarado.
Among the many things that help make our community exceptional are the people who live here or who have their origins here, such as Mario and Rene. They truly make the difference.

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SAMFA has green period at Eco-Fair

By Selena Hernandez SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Sunday, October 26, 2008

Two small children shrieked and giggled as they touched a slimy, scaly snake from the Nature Center.

Saturday marked the second annual Eco-Fair and Family Day at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

Joy Noguess, exhibit coordinator for the Eco-Fair, said this year's fair almost doubled the amount of activities from last year.

The activities included live music, a bounce house, food booths and exhibits from the Angelo Recycling Center, the Aqua Squad and others promoting a cleaner earth.

Tammy Chambers, with her son John and daughter Janna, said her daughter was in Girl Scouts and took part in a flag ceremony Saturday morning.

"We came because my daughter is a Girl Scout," Chambers said. "But after we found out what was going on, we decided to stay."

John, her 10-year-old son, sat on the sidewalk, fishing in the Concho River.

"I've caught one fish so far, and it weighed 1 pound and 9 ounces," John said. "I want to catch some more."

Chambers said she thought it was a great thing that the museum was holding the fair.

"It's great that they are focusing on the environment," Chambers said. "It is such a plus for San Angelo."

The Girl Scouts made crafts such as pencil holders, necklaces, and noise makers, all from recycled materials.

Lynda Glenn, program specialist for the Girl Scouts of Central Texas, said she wanted to teach children the value of recycling.

"By recycling, the children can make something that is unique to them, and it saves these items from the landfills," Glenn said. "We want to make the world a better place."

Linda Kornasky and her 5-year-old son, Lincoln, sat inside the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, making beaded necklaces.

Kornasky is also the director of the Sierra Club Youth Group.

"We thought it would be a good idea to come out and raise awareness about our environment," she said. "And art goes hand-in-hand with the environment. Nature inspires art, and you have to understand nature."

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Eco-Fair mixes art, ecology, fun

By Rick Smith SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Friday, October 24, 2008

What does art have to do with the environment?

"More and more you see artists responding to save the planet," said Howard Taylor, director of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

"There is real concern about how we live in the world. I think American museums in general are taking on a major commitment of leadership to help create a greener world."

Saturday's second annual Eco-Fair and Family Day at the museum will emphasize art and environmental education.

The idea for Eco-Fair "started with the art museums talking about ecology," Howard said, "but it's become a coming together of various community groups."

Event chairwoman Debbie Cross said local groups involved in the fair range from the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts to the Upper Colorado River Authority.

Debbie said the family-oriented event will offer plenty of hands-on, art-making activities for children.

Environmental displays will appeal to both adults and children, she said.

Entertainers, including local dancers and musicians, should also be crowd favorites, Debbie said.

Another highlight will be the public's first look at the Concho Valley Water Education Center.

Exhibits in the building, which is south of the Oakes Street Bridge, near the museum, deal with regional water quality. Many of the displays were created by the Aqua Squad, a group of 10 San Angelo middle school students.

Saturday, some of the students will be talking about the centerpiece of the fair, a small stream that trickles down from the museum area toward the North Conch River.

"It's pretty," Howard said, "but it also recycles the water and cleans it up."

In other words, art meets science.

Eco-Fair simply takes the idea one step further: art meets ecology meets fun.

 

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Two exhibits worth seeing

By HOWARD TAYLOR
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Friday, October 3, 2008

A couple of weeks ago, the museum opened two magnificent art exhibits that we hope everyone in the community will take an opportunity to see.

One features the brilliant work of local artist Rene Alvarado, who has gained strong recognition nationally and whose career as an artist is ascending rapidly and bringing recognition to him and to our community. His work draws inspiration from his family and his life experiences, including his youth in Mexico.

The other exhibit we are featuring is "A Time of Remembrance." It includes a magnificent collection of antique religious devotional art from Mexico. This collection was donated to the museum by Fred Pottinger of San Antonio. We have also used the exhibit as an opportunity to reflect on the generosity and importance of people in our lives who have passed on.

A number of community leaders, including the superintendent of our school district, the mayor, the president of Angelo State University, one of the young students in our education program and others, have written simple and poignant tributes to people who are no longer alive and who have had an important impact on their lives.

We have made particular note of Eva Camunez Tucker, who was one of the most benevolent and generous supporters of the arts and human services to have ever lived in our community. This exhibit is remarkably beautiful as well as deeply moving.

The evening that we opened the exhibits, more than 500 people attended. It was a true cross section of our community and included people of every age and cultural background. We are the only museum I know of in the country that invites its entire community to its exhibition openings without charge, offering enjoyable events with wonderful food and entertainment.

Besides our exhibitions, the museum hums with activity day and night, and most of our programming is offered without charge or at very modest cost. In the end, this is only possible because of the generosity and deep commitment of many individuals in our community who make the museum accessible and welcoming to all.

Our current exhibits can be seen through Nov. 9. Please stop by and enjoy these wonderful exhibits.

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Fun Times at Red Rooster Cafe

Staff Report
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Friday, September 26, 2008

A strong turnout of curious folk got a taste of the local art and music scene at the Red Rooster Café Thursday in the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

Participants enjoyed the museum’s art exhibits and very entertaining live music by Rick Lara and the Red Rooster Rockers. Attendees also grilled their own pizza, veggies and skewered meats, enjoyed fish tacos and several dessert treats. The entire museum, including the rooftop terrace, was open to event-goers.

This Red Rooster Cafe was the first in a series of three events sponsored by the Standard-Times' Web site, gosanangelo.com, and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, said Staci Roseberry, Standard-Times and gosanangelo.com marketing manager.

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Free to broaden minds
Local sites part of Museum Day

By SARAH P. HENRY, Special to the Standard-Times
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Friday, September 26, 2008

San Angelo museums offering free admission on Saturday, National Museum Day.

What: San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts
Where: 1 Love St.
Saturday hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: (325) 653-3333.
What: Fort Concho National Historic Landmark
Where: 630 S. Oakes St.
Saturday hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Contact: (325) 486-2646.
What: Railway Museum of San Angelo
Where: 703 S. Chadbourne St.
Saturday hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: (325) 486-2140.
What: San Angelo Nature Center
Where: 7409 Knickerbocker Road.
Saturday hours: Noon to 5 p.m.
Contact: (325) 942-0121.

On Saturday, San Angelo residents have an opportunity to break out of their typical weekend routine and visit a museum for free.

Saturday is National Museum Day, and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and the Fort Concho Museum will offer free admission in an effort to raise awareness of the many programs and exhibits they both offer.

"For those people who haven't come to the museum, we want them to come and get a sense of how much fun it is," said Howard Taylor, director of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. "With concerts, dances and plenty of interesting exhibits, the museum is jumping with activity and life all year long."

More than 900 million people worldwide visit museums every year, according to the American Association of Museums - that's three times the population of the U.S.

"It's a myth that not many people go to museums," Taylor said. "More people go to museums than attend college and professional sports combined."

Museum attendance in San Angelo, however, is not as prevalent as Taylor and the directors of three other city museums - Fort Concho, the Nature Center and the Railway Museum of San Angelo - would like.

"In smaller communities like ours, that level of attendance has not traditionally been there," Taylor said. "But it's starting to get better."

Last year, SAMFA recorded 80,000 visitors.

"For a city of San Angelo's size, to have four quality museums in the city limits is pretty amazing," said Bob Bluthardt, director of the Fort Concho Museum. "And the four we have represent a pretty good slice of diversity that many cities of our size would never touch."

National Museum Day was started by Smithsonian Magazine. Museums worldwide register to participate, are listed in the magazine and offer free admission for patrons.

The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and the Fort Concho Museum participated in the day last year, and 1,200 visitors participated, three to five times the normal Saturday attendance.

Admission at Fort Concho normally ranges from $1.50 to $5 depending on the visitor age and the type of tour. Charge to get into SAMFA or the Nature Center is normally $2.

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Dances teach new moves leading up to competition

By Nicole Sawatzky
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Sunday, September 14, 2008

Looking for a way to spice up the weekend? What could be better than an evening of drinks, fellowship and dancing under the open sky?

On Saturday, The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts will have its second installment of the special program "Dancing Under the Stars" on the museum's rooftop terrace.

"It's a program that we have at the museum that's kind of a fundraiser," said Joy Noguess, museum graphics designer. "It's three different evenings of a different type of dancing."

Each night begins with an instructor providing lessons in a specific type of dance.

"Basically the first night was tango, the second night is swing, and the third night is salsa," Noguess said.

After a bit of instruction, dancers can spend the rest of the evening trying out their new steps. The event also features some light refreshments and a cash bar. And the event isn't only for couples.

"They also schedule dancers that are singles dancers and can dance with people if they don't have a partner," Noguess said.

The event concludes with a grand finale on Saturday, Nov. 15.

The final evening will feature a full dinner and a dance competition.

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The Madonna as muse

By Rick Smith
Rick Smith is a local news and community affairs columnist. Contact him at rsmith@gosanangelo.com or (325) 659-8248.

SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Sunday, September 7, 2008

Stern-faced women stare from the canvases. Some look like Aztec goddesses, others like Elizabethan duchesses.

They're haunting. The stuff of dreams. From another world.

But the artist who painted them is a San Angeloan.

"Visual magic."

That's how San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts Director Howard Taylor has described Rene Alvarado's paintings.

The museum director has compared the San Angelo artist to a Renaissance master, "a modern Raphael."

See for yourself.

An exhibit of the artist's paintings opens Thursday at SAMFA. "The Madonna as Muse: The Paintings of Rene Alvarado," will include 25 of his paintings from the past five years.

A 60-page catalog, a book based on the exhibit, is available for $20 at the SAMFA gift shop. It includes color photographs of the 25 paintings on exhibit plus an essay about the artist by curator Jim Edwards.

Written in English and Spanish, the book examines the artist's roots.

As a young boy, Rene moved with his family from northern Mexico to San Angelo.

Rene has written that his art comes from the two places: his family's past in northern Mexico and "the subtle, mystical environment of my adopted home in West Texas."

The Mexican influence give the paintings a "quality that transcends time," Jim wrote. "There is something magical, in general, about Mexico and its people, in the timelessness of their celebrations of life and death.

"All times must be kept alive."

A Central High School graduate, Rene studied art in San Antonio and has been part of the art community at the Old Chicken Farm Art Center in San Angelo.

Rene's art, Jim wrote, "is constructed in the same way as the poetry, using the images as visual metaphors."

The images float from the paintings: flowers, cacti, animals, crescent-shaped moons, vases, masks, fish, water, clouds.

And the women. Always the women. Mysterious. Mythological. Staring at us from their framed world.

So much time. So much life.

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New SAMFA exhibits include paintings, essays

By Rick Smith- rsmith@gosanangelo.com or (325) 659-8248
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Friday, September 5, 2008

One new exhibit at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts explores the recent work of a successful local artist, and another remembers and celebrates the lives of the dead.

The show includes 25 of his paintings from 2003 to 2008. Alvarado's paintings use the theme of the Madonna to express himself as well as to honor the influential women in his life.

Alvarado has written that his early interest in art helped him maintain his Mexican heritage while adapting to his new life in Texas.

"I have come to realize that my work is defined by my familial roots in northern Mexico, and by the subtle, challenging and mystical environment of my adopted home in West Texas," the Central High School graduate wrote.

"My creative process is immersed in this dual identity. I paint what I feel, that which is me, and my surroundings."

In addition to the exhibit, Alvarado also is installing a Day of the Dead Shrine at the museum to honor the memory of Eva Camunez Tucker, his patron and friend.

"A Time of Remembrance" includes Mexican church statuary, santos (religious sculpture) and religious art from the museum's permanent collection.
Intended to celebrate the lives of those who have died as well as to remember them, the exhibit also includes essays by community leaders such as San Angelo Mayor J.W. Lown, Bishop Michael Pfeifer and San Angelo Police Chief Tim Vasquez. In their essays, the writers reflect on remembering the lives of loved ones who have died.

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Pupils have designs on eco education

By Sun Cha
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The Aquasquad, a small group of young gifted students with a name that resonates like that of a comic book superhero, is pursuing a big goal: to help educate the community on water-related issues affecting the Concho Valley.

To do that, the group is designing a public exhibit that is part science, part art and all education.

"These kids, they have a task in front of them about helping the public," said Carol Ann Bonds, superintendent of the San Angelo school district.

"We're calling them the exhibit advisers," said Christy Youker, the group's director, who works with San Angelo Fine Arts Museum Director Howard Taylor. "Between Howard, Dr. Bonds and I, we concocted this idea. We get kids through the (Texas Research Institute for Young Scholars) project."

Students in TRIYS, part of the SAISD Gifted and Talented program, completed projects having to do with global water issues and presented them to a panel of judges, Youker said. Students were chosen from the finalists based on teacher recommendations to be a part of what would become the Aquasquad.

"These are really bright kids," Youker said. "They blow me away."

The self-named Aquasquad consists of 10 students in grades six to 11 who were assigned a big task - help design what is tentatively being called the Concho River Basin Aquatic Research and Education Center.

"It was a big honor to be a part of this project," said Sebastien Forbes, a seventh-grade student at Lee Middle School.

Sebastien said he learned a lot through working with the project, in particular, exhibit design.

"Historically, schools have not realized the potential of what a young person can produce," Bonds said. "In this case we are investing in these kids. We are saying to everyone that these kids can do far more than what we normally give kids credit."

The Upper Colorado River Authority plans to use the center to educate students and the entire community about the process of filtering stormwater runoff before it joins the Concho River.

The whole experience has been almost unreal, said Conner McLaughlin, an eighth-grade student at Lee Middle School.

"I have this feeling of, 'Wow, is this really happening to me?' I really didn't think I was going to be doing something like this until I was much older," Conner said. "I'm glad to be a part of it."

On Wednesday, the students presented proposed panels for the education exhibit to their clients, the UCRA and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

Their presentation included proposals on explaining water pollution, conservation, stormwater runoff and the process of filtering it. The Aquasquad also offered ideas for interactive, 3-D models, maps and displays for the education center, which will be set up permanently in a small building outside the museum, off South Oakes Street.

"It's really phenomenal," UCRA Senior Hydrologist Fred Teagarden said after the presentation. "I would like to enlist this group for however long as they choose to be involved."

The idea is for the group to continue to work with the UCRA to spread information on global water-related issues.

"I love your ideas," Teagarden said. "I love your presentation. I want you to seriously consider my invitation. This is exactly what we're trying to accomplish here."

Howard Taylor, director of SAMFA, said he was impressed.

"I'm blown away," Taylor said. "I can see everyone's handprints, or mindprints, on this project. Your ideas are provocative. Your sketches and drawings are really excellent."

Youker said the students will start working on the pieces in the fall. "Our plan is to have a portion of it up by Ecofair, which is Oct. 25."

The students' presentation included ideas they brought back from their trip to Washington D.C., funded by SAISD, where they visited with government officials including U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway. The students also met Dr. Michael Mason, chief exhibit designer for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, which helped them understand the concept of exhibit design at a more in-depth level, Youker said.

McLaughlin said his favorite part of the trip was visiting the Library of Congress: "The architecture there was amazing."

Bonds accompanied the group to D.C. and said the experience is one of the highlights of her career.

"To watch kids behave as mature adults and interacting with the scientists..." Bonds said.

The education center project joins art, science and the SAISD to make an unlikely trio, she said.

"A relationship with a school district, an environmental agency and a museum of art all working together, you just don't see that," Youker said. "To collaborate this much on something is so rare, to involve students in a meaningful way. The fact that these three entities are not just working together, but they're also producing something for the community."

Added Bonds: "These kids have been inspirational to me."

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Museum adds "Dancing Under the Stars"

By Sun Cha
SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Friday, August 29, 2008

Professional instructors will teach tango, swing and salsa as a part of a new series called "Dancing Under the Stars," said Howard Taylor, museum director.

"Each one will have a different theme. We will be teaching people the steps, and they can learn how to do it," Taylor said. He added that guests who are already familiar with the dances are also encouraged to attend.

"People can just go to dance," he said. "It doesn't have to be lessons."

The highlight of the event is the location.

"It's going to be on our rooftop" terrace, Taylor said.

Guests can learn how to do the dance of the evening as well as have a view of historic downtown San Angelo.

The museum's rooftop terrace overlooks the Concho River, where one can view the Celebration Bridge and the city's historic buildings.

"It's so beautiful up there," Taylor said.

Casual dance attire is accepted, and a cash bar and light refreshments will be available.

Today's tango dancing might have to be moved indoors because of weather. A 20 percent chance of rain is expected, but it will not hinder festivities for the evening, Taylor said.

"If the weather gets bad, we have essentially a ballroom right inside the museum," Taylor said. "We'll have a really fun time."

The idea for "Dancing Under the Stars" originated when the museum's committee suggested having a dance on the roof of the museum after a party held for some visiting artists in the ceramics competition this year.

"Everyone had such a great time, our committee said, 'Well, let's have a dance program at the museum, and let's have it on the roof,'" Taylor said.

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Science and art mix in new program

Staff Report - Howard Taylor

SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Friday, June 20, 2008

Everyone knows that, "Water and oil do not mix." This is an expression that is often used to describe groups or ideas that don't seem to work together logically. Some people believe art and science are two fundamentally different enterprises and ways of thinking that don't mix well. At the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, we believe we are on the path to demonstrating that this is not true.

Working together, the San Angelo Independent School District, the Upper Colorado River Authority and the museum have just launched a pilot program that will involve nine middle school students of diverse backgrounds, all of whom are gifted and enthusiastic students.

The young students will assist in designing exhibits and education products that will be used in a wonderful, renovated older building on Oakes Street, the Concho River Basin Aquatic Research and Education Center. The Upper Colorado River Authority will use this building for public programs to challenge and inform the community about the vital issues related to regional water quality.

The students also will be challenged to learn about our local concerns related to water quality and, through their creative thinking, art and design, convey those ideas to others.

One thing the students will certainly learn is that in terms of water quality - water and oil and all of the other toxic runoff of our modern civilization do not mix! They will be made aware of the fact that San Angelo lives in one of the most water-challenged environments in our nation.

I fully expect that in a few years, when they are adults, some of the children participating in this pilot project will help lead the way toward solutions related to environment issues that will have an impact on the entire world.

This will be the result of a wonderful mixture of art, science and community institutions working together for a better future.

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Family Day fun for all

By Sun Cha, SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Friday, June 6, 2008

If you want to sign your child up for the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts' summer program, come on out to Family Day on Saturday.

If not, come on out anyway.

Although the main purpose of Family Day is to register children for the Summer for Kids program, it evolved into an activity and art-filled day for the entire family.

"This event traditionally kicks off our Summer for Kids," said Howard Taylor, museum director. "It's registration for anyone who wants to sign up. About 15 years ago, we decided to add a lot of activities while people are here so they can have something to do."

He said the museum holds Family Day twice a year, but he hopes to expand it to once a month.

"It's lots of fun. We have refreshments and various things going for the families," Taylor said. "It's kind of like a party, free and fun. We make the museum free that day as well."

Jade Norris, museum educator and coordinator of Family Day, said families will be able to participate in several activities.

"Everyone, especially those who don't come out to the museum, can find out what the museum does all the time," Norris said.

She said people can participate in making sun prints, drawing, painting, collages and more.

"It's a good way for families to come and have a nice day together, to bond together," Norris said. "I always find that the adults have just as much, if not more, fun than the kids do."

Taylor said those who do not wish to enroll in the Summer for Kids program are still welcome to join in the activities.

About 500 people attended Family Day last year, Taylor said.

"It's a very good turnout," he said.

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Summer for Kids slated

By Nicole Sawatzky, SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Friday, June 6, 2008

Young minds are about to get a chance to think outside the box.

The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts will begin its Summer for Kids art classes Monday. The longtime annual program is designed to give children more exposure to art.

"It's our summer program for children ages 3 to 12. What we do is we offer classes for seven weeks in the summer. They're able to come to the museum for an hour a day and get to work with different techniques and materials," museum educator Jade Norris said.

The program features a new art project each week. Scheduled activities include drawing, American Indian art, mask making, pottery and more.

"It's a way to expose them to new things," Norris said.

Classes are divided by age. Younger children may learn only the basic methods, while older children learn more advanced techniques. Norris said children in the 3- to 4-year-old classes should have a parent, older sibling or other relative attend the class with them.

"It's a good experience because they get to work together and make something together," she said.

Registration is required for the program, which more than 800 children participated in last year. Participants can register at the museum's Family Day on Saturday.

Norris said the children enjoy working on the various art projects, some of which they may not experience at home or at school.

"They always have those cute little smiles on their face when they finish," Norris said.

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Art Museum will need volunteers

Staff Report - Jade Norris

SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Friday, May 30, 2008

The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is asking for volunteers for its SAMFA Family Day.

Volunteers are needed to set up, clean up, assist children with art activities and assist with registration for the Summer for Kids program.

The Family Day will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 7 at the art museum, 1 Love St.

To volunteer or for more information, call Jade at (325) 653-3333.

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Bull stakes claim to Concho shore

Staff Report - Howard Taylor

SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES Friday, May 16, 2008

In front of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, looming over the banks of the Concho River, is a giant longhorn bull. He stands more than 10 feet tall and weighs more than a ton. He looks as though he has just stopped grazing and is ready to move to the riverbank to refresh himself.

Fortunately, this bull will stay exactly where he is until early September. He is the creation of master sculptor Joe Barrington of Throckmorton. Barrington's amazing work can be seen in museums, sculpture gardens and private collections throughout the country. In commenting on this work, Barrington said, "My images are drawn from a lifetime of living in rural Texas, with the people, animals and folklore being an integral part of the tales I share."

The bull is on loan from a private collector. After visiting San Angelo, it will reside permanently on the ranch of its owner. From the perspective of craftsmanship and skill, this massive sculpture is an amazing work to behold. Barrington grew up around welding, and his father gave him his first welding lesson when he was 2. It is amazing to see how he can take heavy sheets of steel and cut and weld them into shapes and forms that possess an uncanny sense of life.

The art museums in Midland, Odessa, Abilene and Albany also will be featuring a major work by Barrington this summer.

These four museums, together with SAMFA, have come together to help celebrate West-Central Texas as "the space for art" and as a destination for visitors from other parts of the country to see and experience the wonderful museums, cultural amenities and communities of our region.

We have created a Web site, westtexastriangle.org, that will connect you with each of the museums and their local chambers of commerce. We are regularly running full-page ads in Texas Monthly magazine and major travel publications, and we are seeing a significant influx of visitors from outside the region.

We certainly want everyone in San Angelo to visit our museum first, but we encourage you to see and enjoy the truly remarkable cultural richness that exists within these other great communities that are only a very short drive away. You won't want to miss all the sculptures by Barrington, an artist whose work is powerful enough to require a vast area of Texas to be truly appreciated.

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Artwalk highlights poetry by a former San Angeloan

By Nicole Sawatzky, Special to the SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Thursday, May 15, 2008

Former San Angeloan and poet Max Preston will give a poetry reading from his new book, "The Phoenix Collection and Other Poems," as part of the Downtown Artwalk event today at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

"I have memories here in this book that are part of my life in San Angelo," Preston said.

He lived in San Angelo for 18 years. He moved from the city in 1977. While here, he served on a number of community panels, including the Tom Green County Bar Association and the Tom Green County Library Board.

Although "The Phoenix Collection and Other Poems" is Preston's first book, the former GTE vice president said poetry has been a part of his life for decades.

"I actually started in high school," Preston said. "It was one of those things where you write poetry about situations and memories and never show anyone."

Preston said his late wife, Norma, urged him to publish his writing. It was also Norma who helped establish a tie with the San Angelo museum. She was a skilled artist, and some of her works are part of the museum's collection.

"We have around five paintings of her artwork in the permanent collection," said Karen Zimmerly, museum collections manager. "So we have a relationship with Max."

After he remarried, Preston's second wife, Patricia, continued to encourage him to compile a poetry collection.

"Both my wives had pushed and said, 'Look, you have these folders full of poems that are actually very good,'" Preston said.

"The Phoenix Collection and Other Poems" includes poetry about a wide range of subjects, from spirituality to nature. The book received high praise from Lee Smith, New York Times bestselling author, who called his poems "experiences to identify with, lines to savor."

Preston said he tries to write his poetry in a way that all readers can identify with.

"If you can't make it accessible to the people, you haven't done a good job," Preston said.

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Something for everyone showcased

By ANGELA SHAFFER, Special to the SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES

Sunday, April 20, 2008

What happens when there's a ceramics show in town, but you know next to nothing about art, much less ceramics? Don't worry - the 17th annual San Angelo National Ceramic Competition has a little something for everyone.

The show opened at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts with an awards reception Friday night, but the interesting part takes place after the prizes have been awarded and artists praised.

The best part of this show is when you show up and see all of the amazing, weird, and just plain cool pieces on display.

Open until June 22, the ceramics show has everything from the mundane to the zany, but one thing's for certain - people won't be bored. Fans of the TV series "The A-Team" will appreciate Jason Huff's Mr. T-Pot, a small teapot sculpture that captures the image of Mr. T perfectly. From the layered gold chains to the audacious gold glitter adorning the pot's base, this Mr. T speaks to visitors. He says, "I pity the fool."

If that isn't your cup of tea, try first-place winner Steve Hilton's "53.405 53.406 53.407." The piece is bizarre and awe-inspiring. A 2005 graduate of Arizona State University, Hilton said the inspiration for the prize-winning installation came from money - or lack of it.

"I came up with the idea by recycling clay pieces discarded by undergraduates while I was a graduate student," he said. "I was broke, and I hated throwing anything away."

A world traveler educated in geology, Hilton's piece is evocative of South Dakota's badlands and the atolls of the South Pacific rim, places where he's lived and worked. Multicolored and jagged, the individual stoneware bits create stark mountains, dark pits and swirling vortices. It is art that simply can't be missed.

If you're looking for something a little lighter, try second-place winner Leslie Lewis' "Siren's Song." Women everywhere are likely to love these curvy beauties that do not represent sex symbols. With heads raised, eyes closed and mouths open in song or supplication, these gals have lived long and full lives, and it shows. They are realistic portrayals of women - the ones that have seen it all and still rise daily to fight the good fight. No wonder each of the sirens is adorned with her own set of golden wings.

This art show will offer you dancing bottles, a dangling bleached heart and amoebas dancing with water lilies. The spritz and glitz of this year's show is thanks to juror Anna Harris. Harris was saddled with the seemingly impossible task of whittling thousands of entries down to a comparatively meager 130 pieces.

Curator of the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Miss., Harris said that this year's show is impressively varied in content and style.

"I really love the whimsy and fun present in lots of the work," she said. "There's lots of light and fun pieces that borrow from pop culture. Everyone will find something to love."

An added treat to this year's ceramics show was a workshop at the Chicken Farm Art Center hosted by ceramicist Jack Earl. For seven hours, participants in the workshop were treated to Earl's vision - a lifetime of experience and a love for clay.

"When I was younger, I copied everything my teachers did, and one of those teachers worked in clay," Earl said. "I picked it up, and it's stuck ever since."

That's not what Earl sees as the primary goal of teaching or artwork.

"People can learn the general techniques," he said. "But it's character that makes the artist. Perseverance just can't be taught."

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SAMFA gets $250K endowment gift

By Rick Smith, SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Friday, April 18, 2008

A recent endowment of more than $250,000 will help the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts continue to enhance its national reputation in contemporary ceramic arts, said Howard Taylor, executive director of the museum.

John and Darlene Williams, owners of Trinity Ceramics Supply of Dallas, made the gift as "seed money" for a permanent endowment for the museum, Taylor said.

He said the Dallas couple have been supporters of the museum for more than a decade.

The recent gift coincides with today's opening of the 17th National Ceramic Competition at the museum. Taylor said the Williamses' endowment will support the competition as well as other ceramic events held at the museum.

Taylor said the national competition and SAMFA's ceramics collection have "helped put the museum and the community on the map."

The ceramics competition, held every other year, is a three-day event that includes workshops, a symposium, receptions, exhibits and discussions.

The event is hosted by the museum, The Chicken Farm Art Center and Angelo State University. It attracts more than 200 artists and collectors from around the nation as well as scores of local art patrons, students and others.

The Williamses' endowment will be held at the San Angelo Area Foundation, a community foundation established in 2002 that is overseen by a volunteer board of directors from this area.

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The Mind's the Limit

Local ceramics competition showcases medium's diversity

By Jenny Michaud, SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Friday, April 18, 2008

From the depths of the Earth to the outskirts of the imagination, the art that comes from clay never ceases to amaze even a seasoned ceramics critic.

According to organizers of the 17th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition, this year is no exception.

The event, which kicks off today, has long been a collaboration between the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, the Old Chicken Farm Art Center and the Art Department at Angelo State University. Nearly 500 ceramics artists from across the continent submitted pieces for consideration in the competition.

It was up to this year's juror, Anna Harris, to sort through more than 1,000 slides of the artists' work and narrow it down to an exhibit of 120 pieces. Those pieces will be on display at SAMFA through June.

"It's really fun and very overwhelming," she said of the task. "You want to have a wonderful show that's representative of the world of contemporary ceramics."

Harris is curator of the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Miss., and of a traveling exhibit featured through the weekend's festivities. George Ohr was an early American potter who has only recently been recognized for his contributions to modern art.

SAMFA Director Howard Taylor counts Ohr among the early pop and funk artists, and called him an eccentric who was ahead of his time.

Harris agreed.

"He was one of the first artists' potters," she said. "He was really one of the first abstract artists in the 20th century. Even today, his work feels contemporary."

Harris added that she took inspiration from Ohr's whimsical and innovative work when selecting pieces for the upcoming event.

"A lot of these artists are doing new and amazing things," Harris said. "The variety is amazing. It's well-rounded. It shows all of the elements."

The competition is only part of the fun throughout the weekend. Organizers take this time to showcase the diversity and creativity involved in working with clay.

Various workshops, gallery openings and receptions will take place.

Taylor emphasized that the ceramics competition is a communitywide event. All activities are open to the public, and free transportation is provided around downtown on opening night.

Harris said eventgoers can all find something that catches their eye, inspires them or even makes them laugh.

"It's a lot to take in. It's really neat just to see the variety," she said. "It's going to be a great show."

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Edgy topics offer different view of video, film world

By Nicole Sawatzky, SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Sunday, March 30, 2008

You won't find these flicks in Tinseltown.

On Tuesday, the Best of the Fest video event at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts will give film lovers a chance to see some of the best in short films.

"It's a program that's done through the Video Association of Dallas," said Valerie Bluthardt, program manager at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. "They have done this for 20 years. It's a competition that they do, that people submit videos."

Tuesday's event will feature a collection of the best entries from the competition, both professional and amateur. The films include a wide range of subjects and styles - animation to drama.

"Most people, when they think film, they think film classics. This is something that is different," Bluthardt said.

The event is one that is usually found in larger cities, but has drawn a good local attendance, she said. The short films differ from traditional movies, and sometimes include "edgy" material.

"You need to come to it with a little bit of an open mind," Bluthardt said. "It gives you a different perspective on what's going on (in) the video and film world."

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Online Exclusive

San Angelo Live recently featured an online exclusive interview with artist Dixie Friend Gay whose paintings are currently on display at the Museum. Read the interview here!

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SAMFA works on giving buildings new life

By Howard Taylor, SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES

Friday, January 4, 2008

On Dec. 20, the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts broke ground for the next phase of adaptive re-use of a block of buildings it owns on South Oakes Street, adjacent to the museum, called the South Oakes Street Cultural and Education Center.

The museum has been gradually repairing and upgrading these facilities. The former gas station at South Oakes and Love streets has been restored, and an adjacent building at 421 S. Oakes St. has been converted to a community space known as the Coop Gallery.

The new phase of construction will remodel the building at 415 S. Oakes St. in a joint venture with the Upper Colorado River Authority. The UCRA will operate a "Concho River Basin Aquatic Research and Education Center." Partial funding for this building is the result of a grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This is an extension of the recently completed Paseo project that is a major element in filtering storm water runoff and helps to improve the Concho River's water quality.

With the completion of the education building on Oakes Street, the UCRA will be able to undertake ongoing education programs related to the Paseo area and the entire Concho River ecosystem.

There will be emphasis on programs and exhibits for children, many of which will be undertaken jointly with the art museum.

The entire complex of buildings will feature regular exhibits and programs for children such as a recent art exhibition in the Coop Gallery that featured a special ecology-based project done in collaboration with Fort Concho and Santa Rita Elementary schools.

The museum will continue to raise funds for two other phases of this project.

We will build an open-air deck linking Oakes Street to the nearby art museum and complete the two buildings at 421 and 423 S. Oakes St. for use as an artist-in-residence apartment and studio. A final phase will include an adaptive re-use of the former gas station.

The effort to acquire these properties began in 2002 under the leadership of Angela Williams, a museum board member and former board president. It has taken years of hard work, numerous donations and hours of donated labor from various community groups. We are deeply grateful to the visionary people who have brought us so far and know that this project will have an enormous impact on the overall attractiveness and livability of our community.

Howard Taylor is the director of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. Contact him at director@samfa.org or (325) 653-3333.

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Ambassador lauds economy

By Jayna Boyle, SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES
Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Pictured Left to Right: San Angelo Mayor, J.W. Lown, European Union Ambassador, John Bruton, SAMFA Director, Howard Taylor.
The idea of improving education for everyone in a community struck a chord with several San Angelo leaders who attended a luncheon featuring John Bruton, European Union ambassador to the United States.

The ambassador, who was on a three-day trip to San Angelo from Washington, D.C., is a former prime minister of Ireland and helped transform the Irish economy into the "Celtic Tiger," one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. While speaking Monday in San Angelo, Bruton outlined what has led to Ireland's economic success, and some local leaders drew parallels with concepts San Angelo is trying to adapt.

"The smallness and remoteness of San Angelo is a strength," Bruton said. "People who are outside investors know that they will have community support."

He attributed Ireland's economic success to these factors:

The country joined the European Union in 1973, giving the country access to the largest market in the world.
The decision was made in the 1960s to make secondary education free.
Ireland invested in technical education for high school graduates. "Synergy between university and businesses is an explanation for Ireland's success," Bruton said.
The country established a 12.5 percent corporation tax on trading income that will not increase for the next 20 years.
Ireland is a small country, so those wanting to establish businesses or trade in Ireland have fewer people and steps to go through.
"That intimacy I've seen in San Angelo - people don't need to give someone a business card when they shake hands because they already know each other - is a tremendous asset," Bruton said.

People like living in Ireland. Residents have activities and interests, as well as a sense of history.
"That's why I commend San Angelo - for its celebration of history," Bruton said.

The ambassador visited Christmas at Old Fort Concho on Sunday and saw a depiction of times when the fort was in use.

Mayor J.W. Lown said he was pleased with the full house at San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts on Monday that greeted Bruton - about 175 people came to hear him speak at the luncheon, which was hosted by the Standard-Times.

The mayor drew a few similarities in economic approaches between Ireland and San Angelo. He said the city is working to make San Angelo a place where people want to live, and the half-cent sales tax for economic development helps.

Lown also said the idea of investing in education and creating a trained work force is something that the city is interested in. The city recently approved a $163,000 economic development incentive for Howard College to help fund the renovation of the West Texas Training Center.

"We recognize that people have to have jobs for the future," Lown said.

LeAnne Byrd, chief academic officer of the Howard College campus in San Angelo, said the community college, and the West Texas Training Center are working to promote technical education in the Concho Valley.

She said it was nice to hear Bruton validate that push.

"He said we need to be ready for the next thing," Byrd said. "The key is finding out what is going to be the next thing. We're always having to train for what doesn't exist yet."

During a question-and-answer segment later Monday, Bruton said that if San Angelo were in Ireland, it would be the third- or fourth-biggest city. His advice for San Angelo is to continue strong K-12 education and go to great lengths to prevent dropouts.

He stressed that education is important for everyone, saying, "We need infantry as well as generals."

A. Mario Castillo, a San Angelo business owner and president of The Aegis Group, Ltd. in Washington, D.C., persuaded Bruton to visit San Angelo. He brought a group of boys from the West Texas Boys Ranch to Bruton's luncheon, calling the group "San Angelo's future leaders."

Castillo and Bruton are neighbors in Washington, and last Christmas, Castillo told him he needed to visit the city.

"I said he needed to come to San Angelo to see real hospitality," Castillo said. " I called the mayor and told him to invite the ambassador."

Bruton's 25-year-old son, Matthew Bruton, accompanied his father on the trip to San Angelo. Matthew Bruton said he doesn't often travel with his father on business trips, but he wanted to see rural America.

"People are so friendly here in a way that's really welcoming," Matthew Bruton said. "I feel like I'm back in Ireland, in a way, because the people have that warmth."

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Period Christmas cards, aquatints, metal beasts and Sheeptacular sheep all on show at San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts

By ANGELA SHAFFER
Special to the SAN ANGELO STANDARD-TIMES

Saturday, December 8, 2007

The San Angelo Museum of Fine Art combines fun, education, and the merriment of Christmas in its latest exhibition.

The museum's second-floor gallery houses two displays - gifts given to typical children of the late 19th century on loan from Fort Concho, and postcards and paper dolls from the Raphael Tuck and Sons Company.

The Tuck exhibit doesn't just offer a glimpse at dolls and cards. The British mid-Victorian era company was responsible for the popularization of both postcards and Christmas cards. But what makes the exhibit truly special is that the pieces are on loan from Christopher Tuck, a former San Angelo resident and descendant of Raphael Tuck.

SAMFA Director Howard Taylor said the Tuck exhibit is particularly special because of the San Angelo link.

There is also a portrait of Tuck given to him by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and illustrations for Charles Dickens' "The Pickwick Papers" on display.

"We have a local tie to the company that created the Christmas card, and that's really something special," Taylor said.

The first third-floor gallery hosts art from Skeeter and Linda Bockman. The couple creates images of endangered African animals from recycled metal. Upon entering, you're greeted by a yawning hippo and the promise of a metal safari. Look right, and you'll see a large silverback lowland gorilla, complete with fingers and toes made of railroad spikes.

The museum, Taylor said, "shows only top-notch artwork. When we take interest in a folk artist like Skeeter, it means that his work is exceptional."

Upon entering the third floor's back gallery, you'll be welcomed byan array of spectacular and precise pieces by Karl Bodmer.

Bodmer was an early Victorian-era artist who was commissioned by the naturalist Prince Maximillian to capture the spirit of native Americans during an exhibition along the upper Missouri River in 1832.

While Bodmer's pieces are attractive in prints and online, the actual art is an impressive sight to behold. The detail of facial features and coloring is extraordinary.

Many of the 73 Bodmer pieces on display are hand-colored aquatints, a form of printmaking that uses acid to etch into copper or zinc plates that are then placed into a printing press to create the final work of art. The result is apparent in the collection's vivid colors and lifelike imagery.

Move onto the roof and you'll be greeted by a colorful flock of 11 sheep that look westward, keeping a keen eye on downtown San Angelo. If you missed October's Sheeptacular parade downtown, come see what all the hubbub was about.

Though the sheep were interesting on their first public appearance, they are an amazing sight close-up.

Taylor invites everyone to see the current exhibits, on display until Jan. 6.

"Come to the museum, and you'll definitely be treated to a wonderful show," he said.

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Gifts from past in spotlight

Howard Taylor
San Angelo Standard-Times
Friday, November 23, 2007

 

In 1984, I experienced my first holiday season in San Angelo.

I was amazed by the wonderful and joyful way that this community celebrated the season.

Besides the spectacular Christmas at Fort Concho event, there were endless other offerings throughout the community. Today, Christmas at Old Fort Concho remains as exciting as it ever was and is a fresh and new event each year.

All the other cultural organizations add their own flair to the season. The Civic Ballet's Nutcracker, the highly entertaining offerings of the Civic Theatre and the brilliant holiday concerts produced by the Symphony make our town a holiday wonderland.

In recent years, other events have emerged, such as the celebrations at the Historic Orient and Santa Fe Depot and one of the nation's most-dazzling Christmas light displays. All these events can be looked on as a gift to the community, and as we attract more and more visitors during this season, as a gift to the world.

Each year, the art museum contributes its own special offering. We are particularly pleased this year to present a special exhibit called "The Gift."

The tradition of gift-giving during the holiday season around the time of the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice goes back to ancient times and spans many cultures. The exhibit takes a look at gifts that would have been given to children as long as 150 years ago.

It highlights a collection of rare items from Rafael Tuck and Sons, the British company that, in the Victorian Era, created the printed Christmas card and paper doll. Former San Angelo resident Chris Tuck, a descendant of Rafael Tuck, lent us this remarkable collection.

The museum also will host a flock of "painted sheep" on our rooftop deck. They were created through a project organized by Downtown San Angelo, Inc. and will eventually be displayed throughout the city.

We'll also have two other exciting exhibits: one featuring an amazing menagerie of folk sculpture animals, and the other the engravings of one of the most important artists to explore the early American West.

These exhibits open on Thursday, Nov. 29, with a free public reception with refreshments from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. They continue through Sunday, Jan. 6. Call us at (325) 653-3333 for more information.

All of us at the museum wish you a warm and wonderful holiday season!

Howard Taylor is director of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

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Environmentally friendly arts

Eco Fair focuses on educating community through beautiful displays, booths

BY ANGELA SHAFFER
Special to the San Angelo Standard-Times

Sunday, October 21, 2007

The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts stepped outside its usual boundaries Saturday. The first annual Eco Fair was held on and around the museum's grounds, inviting people to see art and learn about environmental issues. Santa Rita and Ft. Concho Elementary Kids perform eco songs at the Museum.

The day opened with a dedication ceremony for the new Eco Ponds, a four-tiered structure between the museum and Celebration Bridge. Using reclaimed and cleansed runoff, the ponds serve as visible evidence that green projects don't have to be unsightly. The ponds will be stocked with aquatic life, including minnows, catfish and local plants.

The ponds are the culmination of a decade-long project aimed at cleaning up water runoff from storms and other sources that used to drain into in the Concho River. Mayor J.W. Lown stated that the Concho hasn't experienced a mass fish kill in five years thanks to water filtration systems in place along the river.

Remodeling of several museum-owned properties on South Oakes Street will begin in early 2008, and those buildings will be used as educational environments, specifically targeting water conservation and cleansing.

The event hosted many vendors and information booths, including artists from the Chicken Farm Art Center and several energy agencies, but the day's primary focus was on the preservation of the environment.

SAMFA Director Howard Taylor believes the focus on environmental issues is not only a timely but necessary component of the art community.

"Part of the job of museums is to be provocateurs," Taylor said. "We chose to create the Eco Fair because the art museum is not just about art, but the world we live in and, without a doubt, critical issues and how we deal with these issues."

Gary Gibbs, executive director of the Texas Commission on the Arts, believes that the water reclamation project and others like it are needed for the community to gain awareness of ecological issues.

"I think it's an absolutely wonderful example of art partnering with governmental agencies to create a project that's going to bring higher global awareness to the community," he said. "In the arts, and especially in this community, there is an inherent atmosphere of cooperation to get projects out there."

Fifth-graders from Santa Rita and Fort Concho elementary schools had a Trash-to-Treasure project on display. Students gathered items that would otherwise have gone into the trash and created anything from soda-can sculptures to a work of fish made from plastic bottles.

Santa Rita teacher Tracey Ferguson said the project "helps us to realize that our trash can be recycled into something useful."

Keep San Angelo Beautiful and the San Angelo Friends of the Environment were also on hand to educate the public about landscaping and recycling options. SAFE director Terri Calderon said that even though it's not traditionally a common practice to recycle, current events, popular figures and word-of-mouth have helped the community to participate in recycling more. She urges community members to remember that "it's really easy to lessen the footprint that we leave."

SAFE sold reusable, eco-friendly canvas bags to support the financial demands of the center and gave recycling bins away. Calderon wants everyone to remember that Texas Recycles Day is Nov. 15, and that the center will accept numerous items free of charge.

The BigBag1 was also on display. Created by the West Texas Lighthouse for the Blind, the BigBag1 is an 8-foot high canvas bag. The "Bagonaut," Holistic Rodeo director Egan Sanders, was on hand to discuss the environmental benefits of reusable shopping bags.

"These are great for everyone. There are bare-bones bags, canvas and designer bags," he said.

The bags are on sale at Albertson's grocery store and will soon make an appearance at H-E-B.

Martha Visney has been involved with SAMFA for many years, and knows that sometimes people think the museum is only for wealthy people. "The museum is here for the entire community," she said. "It is a learning environment, and it's for everyone in San Angelo."

She hopes more people will come and learn, not only about the artwork that the museum offers but also about local and global environmental concerns.

Taylor recognizes the importance of the community members in the creation of projects such as the Eco Ponds. "This is a grass-roots, home-grown project," he said. "That just makes me happy."

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Museum's artistic touch spreads out

Howard Taylor

Friday, October 19, 2007 San Angelo Standard-Times

In front of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts on Saturday, there will be a ceremony to mark the dedication of the new Aquatic Ecosystem and completion of El Paseo de Santa Angela.

This will be an event of major historic significance. The Paseo was conceived more than 15 years ago as part of a plan for linking some of our community's greatest assets such as Fort Concho to downtown.

The museum's board and staff led the way in the conception of this plan, which, under the dynamic leadership of Lee Pfluger in partnership with the city, the Standard-Times, dozens of other businesses and hundreds of volunteers, has become a vital force in the heart of our community.

This last 100 yards of the Paseo is the most dramatic and exciting piece of this vast effort of urban renewal. It is the outcome of public-private partnership and resources and input from citizens and numerous agencies.

The Upper Colorado River Authority led the way, working closely with the city of San Angelo. It is a space that will immediately impress all who go there with its beauty and the way in which it unites the formerly disconnected elements of the Celebration Bridge and Concho River, the RiverStage, the 9/11 Memorial, the museum and the pathway that leads to the Fort Concho National Historic Landmark.

This space also includes four aquatic life ponds that filter river water and collected rain runoff and return the cleaned water to the river. The project will serve to educate all of us about our river assets and the need to protect them.

On this exciting day, the museum will present art activities for children, craft booths, entertainment, exhibits and products that highlight conservation, and a fishing competition for children. This event, called Eco-Fair/Family Day, will become an annual event and underscores the museum's commitment to encouraging sound ecological living.

We will soon be partnering with the river authority in a new education center the agency will develop on museum property. We are creating a support group to help us relandscape and interpret the grounds of the museum using native plants.

From the beginning, the museum has looked at the community as the greatest work of art, and we are very pleased to help celebrate this historic day in the life of our community.

Howard Taylor is the director of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

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First Eco Fair to bridge art, Paseo, Earth

By Rick Smith San Angelo Standard-Times
Friday, October 19, 2007

Saturday's first Eco Fair is really three celebrations rolled into one.

1. It's an expanded, eco-friendly version of an old favorite celebration: Family Day at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

2. It celebrates the completion of the final piece of El Paseo de Santa Angela.

3. It celebrates the latest step in a 10-year program to clean up water that flows into the North Concho River.

Eco Fair is a new event that combines fun family events with ideas on how to help protect the planet. The fair will feature art, food, drinks, demonstrations, exhibits, speakers, music and more.
The Paseo-to-Celebration Bridge link is a walkway built around a series of four ponds, water channels and terraces that descend to the river. The walkway includes steps as well as ramps.
The ponds eventually will become a "living laboratory" of native fish and aquatic plants.

The walkway runs from the "old" Paseo path (which ended alongside the museum) to Celebration Bridge.

The new pathway also links the Paseo to the museum, the Sept. 11 Memorial and the Don Aylor Sr. Memorial RiverStage.

The third reason for the celebration, the part you can't see, may be the most important. A huge structure, buried near the pathway, captures and cleans runoff water from the museum's parking lots, then releases it into the ponds or river.
"We wanted the public to see that you can do a good, efficient job of storm water treatment without making it unsightly," said Fred Teagarden, senior hydrologist for the Upper Colorado River Authority in San Angelo.

The new treatment device is the last piece of a 10-year program to filter storm water along a 4.75-mile stretch of the North Concho.

Fred said the program, which was undertaken by the UCRA, the city of San Angelo and other agencies, is a success.

"We've really made a difference and improved the water quality through downtown," he said.

I can't vouch for water quality, but the look of El Paseo has improved dramatically with its last link in place.

Before, the tiered path ended abruptly at an ugly parking lot between the museum and RiverStage.

Now it flows steadily downhill, finally joining Celebration Bridge by the mermaid statue.

When I visited Wednesday, workers were putting finishing touches on the walkway and ponds.

Even with the landscaping not quite complete, the walkway and water look gorgeous. They tie the museum, memorial, RiverStage and river together like a ribbon and bow on a special gift.

Saturday's Eco Fair is the perfect way to celebrate this special present that's for us and for future San Angeloans.

Rick Smith is a local news and community affairs columnist. Contact him at rsmith@sastandardtimes.com or (325) 659-8248.

If you go

What: Eco Fair Family Day and dedication of the Upper Colorado River Authority Water Reclamation Project.
When: Dedication of the reclamation project is at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The Eco Fair follows from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: In and around the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St.
Cost: No admission cost to the fair or museum. A few events, such as the fishing fiesta and pumpkin painting, do have small fees.
For more information: See www.samfa.org or call 653-3333

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Grants awarded to arts entities

By PAUL A. ANTHONY, San Angelo Standard-Times

Thursday, October 11, 2007

A trio of San Angelo organizations received grants Wednesday from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

The grants, which provide essential funds for arts-related budgets and programs throughout the state, will help fund museum salaries and a summer music series in San Angelo.

"In the nonprofit world, a single dollar can make a huge difference," said Lorie Cantu, executive director of the San Angelo Cultural Affairs Council. "That's more that we can put in the community."

The Cultural Affairs Council received nearly $16,000 from the commission - $6,500 to fund its annual summer Cactus Music Series and nearly $9,400 to subgrant to other San Angelo arts organizations and programs, such as the Angelo Civic Theatre, the Boys & Girls Club and the San Angelo State School.

The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts received about $6,500 for museum salaries, said museum Director Howard Taylor, and the San Angelo Symphony Society received nearly $3,000.

The grants are awarded each year from a pool of applicants, Cantu said.

The Cultural Affairs Council received nearly triple the amount it received last year, she said.

SAMFA received about the same amount it did last year, Taylor said.

The grants come just before a visit to San Angelo by newly appointed Texas Arts Commissioner Dr. Gary Gibbs, who will visit the museum Oct. 19, Taylor said.

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Museums give everyone freepass today

BY ANGELA SHAFFER, Special to the San Angelo Standard-Times

Saturday, September 29, 2007

You can see it all for free today.

Across the country and in San Angelo, today is National Museum Day. Started by the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., National Museum Day encourages museums nationwide to offer free admission for one day to encourage people to become more culturally and artistically aware.

This year, four San Angelo museums are participating - the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, Fort Concho, the Railway Museum and the Nature Center. All entry fees will be waived for the day, but donations are appreciated.

Bob Bluthardt, director of Fort Concho and organizer for San Angelo's participation in National Museum Day, said the museum at Fort Concho has a special display courtesy of Bill Stevins, a longtime volunteer at the fort.

"Bill's donated a world-class collection of books, military paraphernalia and weaponry," Bluthardt said. "Many of the swords and other weapons are authentic; others are replicas."

Stevins said all the weaponry on display is from the mid- to late 19th century, and many of the weapons would have been used at post-Civil War outposts such as Fort Concho.

Stevins first visited Fort Concho in the 1950s and worked at the fort as a living history volunteer from the early '80s until a few years ago, Bluthardt said. Stevins now volunteers as a docent and will be available today at Barracks 1 at Fort Concho.

Visitors are welcome to tour the fort's 40-acre grounds and museum. Staff will show visitors the buildings, including the barracks, commissary, headquarters and officers' quarters buildings. Living history volunteers will answer questions.

The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is hosting exhibits of the work of Jesus Moroles, a sculptor who works primarily with granite, and Jeffrey Mongrain, an artist who specializes in visually arresting ceramics.

The San Angelo Nature Center offers exhibits including Baby, a 15-foot Burmese python, two bobcats and a large collection of insects and arachnids.

The Railway Museum chronicles the history of railways in San Angelo, offers a variety of historical photographs and a host of model train displays. The museum's latest project is a model of railway areas in West Texas and the Copper Canyon region of Mexico.

Bluthardt encouraged San Angelo residents to enjoy the city's museums.

"To have four functioning museums in a city of this size is pretty spectacular," he said. "I want everyone to come out and have a good time."

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SAMFA welcomes visits year-round

Howard Taylor, Arts Department
Friday, September 14, 2007 San Angelo Standard-Times

In the museum world, September marks the beginning of the new season.

In reality, the year never ends — the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is intensely active 362 days a year, taking time off only for Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s days.

We are open for visitation six days a week and more than 2,000 hours a year. We also offer another 2,000 hours of programming that often takes place on weekends or in the evening.

This past week, we initiated our exhibition season with the sculptural work of one of the nation’s most remarkable young artists, Jeffrey Mongrain.

Some of our exhibits are easy to grasp, but others are more challenging. Jeffrey’s work falls somewhere in between.

From the printed information, labels and other information we offer, you will be able to learn more. We offer group tours and work with our audiences to help them understand the artist’s intentions.

Sunday at 2 p.m. also marks the beginning of our Chamber Music Series, which this year will feature eight performances by nationally recognized musicians. The first program is a wonderful group called Wayanay Inca that performs Indian and South American music.

In the course of the coming year, there will be nearly 300 programs at the museum, including exhibition openings, films, lectures and artist demonstrations.

The American Association of Museums notes that 800 million people visit museums in our country annually, and this number continues to grow.

It’s also obvious to us through our records of attendance that we attract a strong representation of every age and ethnic group in the community and, indeed, thousands of visitors from around the nation and world.

There are two significant aspects to our attendance.

One is that approximately one-third of our audience is comprised of smaller groups such as social clubs, military units and people who associate for special things such as book clubs. They have a sense of comfort and belonging when they come here.

The other side of our attendance is that we are a community crossroads; it is common to see large groups of people who are made up of a wide range of backgrounds attending events such as openings.

The museum is a place for everyone, and everyone is always welcome.

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Sculptor captures what humans leave behind

By Jenny Michaud, San Angelo Standard-Times
Thursday, September 13, 2007

An exhibit opening at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is timely during the week that we remember 9/11, said Director Howard Taylor.

“The Sculpture of Jeffrey Mongrain: Secrets and Revelations” opens today and continues through Nov. 4. The artist’s sculptures examine people — their presence, the things they leave behind and the objects we look to in their absence.

“It’s interesting that objects are so symbolic of human beings and their spiritual needs,” Taylor said. “These things become very deep and contemplative about the human experience.”

“The Luckiest Man” is a large wall piece. Ripples on the surface of the black clay disc represent the sound waves from the famous speech made by Lou Gehrig at Yankee Stadium. A hole in the center of the piece holds grains of sand from the stadium’s home plate.

“An Evening’s Breath” is a sculpted pillow suspended in air. The pillow retains the impression of a sleeper’s head, and in place of it is 8.5 ounces of water — the amount of water vapor respired by a woman during eight hours of sleep.

Some of the pieces might not yet be on display. A shipping mishap damaged some, and they are being reshipped by the artist. However, Taylor said the exhibit and opening will happen as planned.

Karen Zimmerly, collections manager of the museum, said the exhibit has an intellectual element beyond the pieces’ aesthetics.

“It’s not something you’ve seen before,” she said. “It really makes you think.”

Taylor calls the artist’s work serene, elegant, minimalist and provocative. It’s also spiritual.

In addition to his sculptures, Mongrain specializes in large, site-specific installations in religious spaces around the United States and Europe. The SAMFA exhibit will include large, framed photographs of the installations.

Mongrain’s works have appeared at Christus Church in Cologne, Germany, Cathedral of St. John of the Divine in New York City, La Scala Santa in Rome and Corpus Christi Church in Baltimore.

Zimmerly said one of the interesting aspects of the installations is seeing the contrast of contemporary art in old-world settings.

Taylor added that museums and churches have something in common — providing a place of sanctuary in times of need.

“One of the roles that museums have is of being a place of contemplation, of quiet,” Taylor said. “In a sense, the exhibit is kind of like a chapel.”

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SAMFA GRAM

We have been working hard over the last several months to put together a new e-newsletter called the SAMFA GRAM. This newsletter will be e-mailed bi-monthly to anyone who requests it, and it will also reside on our website. It includes feature articles, events, staff news, and much more.

E-mail joy@samfa.org to sign up for the SAMFA GRAM or go directly to the online newsletter.

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The following articles appeared in the San Angelo Standard Times, other publications, or were written by SAMFA staff.

Family Day June 3, 2007

Family Day last Saturday was a great success! Thank you to our education program sponsors Ethicon, Citigroup Foundation, and Target, our volunteers from Central and Lakeview High Schools and our Board of Trustees. We had an array of art activities for the whole family, a jumper for the enjoyment of the kiddos and registration in the Museum for our Summer for Kids program. A few classes are still open so give Jade, our Educator, a call at 325-653-3333.

 

Guests stand beneath the sculpture, Purgàre, by Denise Pelletier at the opening of the show Multiplicity.

SAMFA opened 3 new exhibits on Friday evening, April 27th, 2007. Different Directions: Coming Together in Clay, Multiplicity, and the works of Danville Chadbourne will all remain on exhibit through June 7, 2007. Invited artist, Robert Farmer, sponsor and owner of Trinity Ceramics, John Williams, and invited artist, Louis Katz talk over the clay sculpture, Goober the Dog, by Farmer. Pictured in the top left corner is a snapshot from one of the artist-led workshops (in this case Kent McLaughlin) that took place Saturday morning at the Old Chicken Farm Art Center. In addition to art openings and workshops, there was a BBQ dinner Saturday evening followed by live music and dancing at the Chicken Farm. If you didn't make it to the festivities this year be sure to make time for Ceramic Weekend next April when we celebrate the 17th National Ceramic Competition!

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Public Art Symposium

l-r: Howard Taylor, Director, SAMFA, Lynn Barnett, Executive Director, Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, Phillip Collins, Chief Curator, African American Museum of Dallas, Janet Seibert, Civic Arts Coordinator, Austin, Tx, Jesús Moroles, Artist, Rockport, Tx, Jill Nokes, Horticulturist and landscape designer, Austin, Tx.

Panelists speak about public art on Thursday, March 22 at the Museum as part of the 3 day event Shaping San Angelo- A Celebration of Sculpture and Public Art. Shaping San Angelo is the San Angelo Schools Foundation's 2007 fundraiser- a collaborative effort involving the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, Downtown San Angleo, Inc, the newly-created San Angelo Public Arts Commission, and numerous corporate and private benefactors.

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Picture-perfect West Texas on display

San Angelo Standard Times
By Rick Smith (Contact)
Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Image at left titled Wood Shed
Photographed by Darwin Harrison

Some of you will love the photographs in an exhibit at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

Some of you won’t.

You could say the same of the West Texas scenes the photos capture. After all, out here, what you see is what you get: achingly bare fields; long-abandoned buildings in small, struggling towns; weather-beaten old men who have spent their lives working — hard — outdoors.

However, art alters our perception of the world and helps us see the familiar in new ways.

Is a straight-on snapshot of a rusty, decaying metal building art?

All I know is that, after seeing this show, I’ll never pass by another abandoned service station without taking a second look.

Don’t be put off by the show’s fancy title — “Vernacular Sightings.”

Vernacular means speaking like the natives — using the common, everyday language of the people who live in a particular place.

The three photographers do this, focusing on ordinary West Texas scenes: a man on a porch swing; a pink house in Marfa; a white, plastered wall.

The results are anything but common.

Two of the photographers, San Angelo native Jason Reed and Austrian Uli Eig-ner, focused on regions south and west of San Angelo.

Their photographs include several portraits of people in places where they live or work — including X B Cox Jr. and his wife, Melba, in San Angelo; Pete Billings in Langtry and Danny Berzoza in Big Lake.

They also took time to look for the unusual in everyday scenes in small towns: an old evaporative “swamp cooler” air-conditioner balancing on a pole by a building in Sanderson; a long-vacant stone foundation from a former oil town in Pumpville; a plain white plaster wall — shining like a movie screen — in Langtry.

Writing about their photographs, the two said they were intrigued by the pull of the past in West Texas, by the emptiness, the isolation and the wide-open feel of this place and the effect those forces have on the people and the land.

“The white plastered wall of the abandoned gas station exists as it does because of time, the weather and the lack of human contact — not because of some town plan or historical designation,” they wrote.

“The weathered face of Pete Billings exists because he worked outside all of his life, not because he is trying to fit some predefined fashion.”

The third photographer, Darwin Harrison, grew up in West Texas and frequently travels this area, working as an architect and freelance designer.

Anyone who spends time crossing West Texas by car knows there’s lots of time for looking but not much to look at.

Or is there?

Darwin sees what most of us overlook.

In his photographs, a simple wooden shed squatting in the middle of a scrubby field becomes the focal point for a series of seven large color photographs taken over a period of two years.

In the photos, earth and sky constantly change as weather and earth and vegetation go about their business.

Only the shed remains the same: solid, constant, unperturbed by time and wind.

Writing about his photographs, Darwin said his images show us “that the ordinary, everyday buildings and places of West Texas are quite noble and grand, full of life and worthy of a second look.”

I’ll second that.

Darwin’s photographs focus on the Panhandle and South Plains, but they also include shots from West Texas towns such as Eden, Brady, Big Spring, Sterling City, Colorado City and San Angelo.

You will see several places you recognize. You will also see places you’ve driven by hundreds of times and never noticed until now.

Photographs, he said, can “isolate and expose” qualities in people and places we might otherwise miss.

They help us take notice. Help us see. Help us find the extraordinary in something as ordinary and everyday as a man on a porch swing; a pink house in Marfa or a white, plastered wall.

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Instrument for inspiration

Violin project’s aim is to encourage youngsters’ creativity

Photo by Cynthia Esparza

Donovan Kading, a Bonham Elementary School third-grader, dried marker on the foil he used to decorate his paper violin Tuesday morning after a presentation given by the San Angelo Symphony and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. About 80 third-graders at the school, who were shown the 16 violins finished for The Painted Violin Project, listened to Dorothy Douthit play and talked with one of the artists.

San Angelo Standard Times
By Matthew Phinney
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Dozens of students in San Angelo learned Tuesday that art is something to fiddle with.

“There is no right or wrong,” said Jade Norris, educator at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

“Just do what you like. Do what you feel.”

About 80 Bonham Elementary third-grade artists turned a paper violin into their own creative canvas as part of an educational program called The Painted Violin Project designed to get students involved in art.

The campaign will be brought to 15 San Angelo campuses and is geared around the “For the Love of Music” art exhibit. That exhibit and two others will be unveiled Thursday and remain on display until Feb. 10 at the museum, at 1 Love St.

For the violin project, 16 area artists turned real violins into works of art that will be up for auction on Feb. 10 in a joint fundraiser for the San Angelo Symphony and San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

On Tuesday, students listened as Dorothy Douthit played the violin and talked about the instrument. She had the students clapping along to fiddle music, and listening quietly to slower songs.

The students then watched a slideshow of the 16 pieces that will be highlighted at the museum.

The works include a violin turned into the whale that swallowed Jonah in the Bible, a rendering of the Flight of the Bumble Bee and a depiction of the Roman emperor Nero, who, according to some legends, fiddled as Rome burned.

Hector Garcia, who runs the Texican Chop Shop with the locally based band Los Lonely Boys, talked to the students about the violin he helped create at his custom auto shop. The violin is “classic low-rider green” and is signed by the blues-rock trio of brothers, along with a message for students to follow their dreams.

Art is everywhere, Garcia said. Sometimes a person just has to look harder to see it.

“The imagination is so vivid,” he said. “That’s what excites the mind. I think it can expand boundaries when they realize that they know there are good things on earth. We have enough destruction.”

After the presentation, students were left to create their own work.

Four classrooms bubbled with excitement as students dug their hands into buckets of art supplies. They used colored feathers, pipe cleaners, marker, colors and anything else they could to create a violin.

Katie Robinson, 8, and Ashley Lara, 9, made tie-dyed violins. Donovan Kading used foil for a violin’s neck, cotton balls for the tuning knobs and pipe cleaners for strings.

The only rule was, there was no rule.

Young students introduced to art tend to be more interested in art as adults than students who weren’t, Norris said.

“We wanted the kids to make the connection that music and visual art all makes a connection,” Norris said. “All of it follows the same idea. We want to get them involved before people start telling them they shouldn’t be creative.”

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The Painted Violin
In-School Program

Join in the fun as school children from around San Angelo take part
in a unique experience with local artists, art teachers, the San Angelo Symphony, and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts!
Over the next two weeks, elementary school children in San Angelo will be presented The Painted Violin, a program which brings together a violinist, an artist, and a child's imagination. The presentation includes a lesson on the history and sound of the violin with a slide show highlighting the sixteen violins painted by local artists for the Painted Violin Project. Children then take that message and produce their own masterpiece, creating a work of art on their own paper violin. This is a great way to expose children to the power of music, art, and creative spirit.

 

 

 

 

Fannin Elementary Students show off their work, Great Job Guys!

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The touch of the
masters’ hands

San Angelo Standard Times
By Jenny Michaud
Monday, January 15, 2007


Photo right by Cynthia Esparza

Barbara Barnhart (right) discussed the face of Elizabeth Steving’s violin piece with her during the unveiling of 13 violins Thursday at the River Terrace Restaurant. Barnhart also had a violin shown that night. The artists, all local, had about four weeks to complete their works for the joint project by the San Angelo Symphony and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.

Pictured in the top left corner is "Flight of the Bumble Bee" painted by Peggy Niño.

At first it was hard for Jennifer Odom to fathom the idea.

The act of taking a musical instrument, removing its strings, sanding down its surface and covering it with paint was something Odom, executive director of the San Angelo Symphony, would never do.

Instead, she posed the challenge to 16 area artists, whose efforts can soon be seen around town as part of “The Painted Violin Project.”

The project is a joint effort between the symphony and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. Odom borrowed the concept from similar projects around the country and decided to bring it to San Angelo.

Starting Tuesday, the 16 violins will be split into groups and displayed at various locations in San Angelo. Several of the violins also will be taken to local schools, giving students a chance to learn about the violin and about creative art.

The entire collection will be displayed at the SAMFA from Feb. 1 until Feb. 10, when they will be auctioned off as part of a Valentine’s dinner and dance to benefit the symphony and the SAMFA.“I fell in love with the idea and thought, what a great combination,” Odom said before an exclusive unveiling ceremony last week, “I wanted to bring it here because there’s such a great collaboration with the arts in San Angelo.”

For the project, the symphony bought old violins on eBay and at thrift stores for $10 to $15 apiece.With the help of SAMFA Director Howard Taylor, the artists were selected and given a violin with the instructions to interpret it with their own visions.

“We really chose people that we thought could respond to it,” Taylor said. He added that the 16distinctive pieces that resulted represent a “variety of attitudes” from the artists.

The Texican Chop Shop even lent its talents to a violin. The instrument is covered in brilliant green auto paint and signed by San Angelo musicians Los Lonely Boys, who are involved with the shop.

While the body of the violin remains intact, the results do vary greatly. One violin is painted like a fish with purple and blue scales, and sprinkled with gold glitter. Another is covered in heavy mosaic tiles, seashell pieces and barbed wire.

Artist Max Hulse has been painting for many years and owns a gallery in the Cactus Hotel, but said the project was a new experience for him.

“At first I was overwhelmed with the prospect of painting a violin,” he said, “but then it kind of evolved.”

Hulse said he was encouraged as he realized he could paint not just the front of the instrument, but the sides and back as well.

His take is an Impressionistic wildflower scene, adorned with a golden piece of jewelry shaped like a bee. He had been looking for a butterfly to complete the scene but happened upon a bee instead.

It was then that inspiration struck him, he said. His piece is called “Flight of the Bumblebee.”

Hulse’s daughter, Elizabeth Steving, also crafted a work for the project, using the violin in a larger work using paint, decoupage and wooden pieces.

“I just kind of went crazy with it,” Steving said. “I kind of wanted to do something with the way music makes you feel. Music is fire and soul and color and passion.”

For some of the artists, such as René Alvarado, it will be hard to part with their creations. He said he grew attached to his piece, “Eve,” which he painted to emphasize the female form and its similarities to the shape of a violin.

This was his first time painting an instrument, but Alvarado said he is now encouraged to paint another.

“I just kind of approached it the way I do a canvas,” he said.

Several of the violins, including Alvarado’s, are still playable, something that impressed Odom.

“Most of them are very respectful to the instrument,” she said, adding that she is pleased with all of the results. “We have a lot of talent in San Angelo.”

The Painted Violin Project

Beginning Tuesday, groups of painted violins will be on display at various locations across San Angelo, including both branches of San Angelo National Bank, San Angelo Community Medical Center, the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Royal Estates and Sunset Mall.

The violins will be reunited and displayed at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 1 Love St., Feb. 1-10. On Feb. 10, they will be auctioned off to benefit the SAMFA and the San Angelo Symphony, which cosponsored the project.

News Articles from 2006

News Articles from 2005