Wing Mural represents native birds of Rockport
– The Rosetta Spoonbill
– The Whooping Crane
– The White Ibis
– The Blue Heron
– The Green Jay
– The Iconic Blue Crab Claws
art
FRIDAY FOTO: LIBRARY MURAL
PERSONAL NOTE: It seems I have been mostly absent from WordPress since late July. Husband and I got COVID, thankfully it was mild, and then Husband experienced a medical emergency that involved two hospitalizations, blood clots and a fractured ankle. He is home now and recuperating well. I venture back into the blogging world with this Friday Foto and look forward to visiting my blogging friends again. TGIF!
Portions of mural on the outer walls at the entrance of the local public library (Portland, Texas) by artist Cameron Walls completed in 2024.
FRIDAY FOTO: MERRY TIME ROMANCE
PHOTO BY SON
Merry Time Romance in bronze 2021 by local artist Kent Ullberg at the Rockport Center for the Arts in Rockport, Texas.
FRIDAY FOTO: MIRROR WITH A VIEW
From Elizabeth’s at the Art Museum of South Texas; credit unknown
I saw this photo on the Facebook page of a restaurant, Elizabeth’s at the Art Museum of South Texas. The photo was taken inside the restaurant with the mirror reflecting the interior and the USS Lexington Museum across the way. The Art Museum of South Texas is located right beside tihe Corpus Christi Ship Channel and offers views of ships coming in and out of the port. Often one can catch a dolphin playfully breaking the water.
The restaurant is located inside the museum and is available even if you are not visiting the museum. The menu is Mediterranean-inspired and the Turkish coffee is excellent!
FRIDAY FOTO: FARRAH FAWCETT MURAL
PHOTO BY SON
“SWEET FARRAH” by artist Krystal Cook
This is one of six new murals in downtown Corpus Christi as part of Mural Fest 2023 held in June. The quote at the top right hand corner reads : “Every day is a good day, just some days are better. – Farrah Fawcett” The traffic light and palm tree distract a bit to me, but it is a colorful addition to the downtown area.
Below is a part of the description of the mural on the plaque next to it on the lower left.
This artwork commemorates the late Farrah Fawcett, celebrating her talent and the vibrant city she hailed from. Born in Corpus Christi on February 2nd, 1947, Farrah attended Ray High School before becoming an award-winning actress and beloved international icon. The mural portrays her using black and white imagery, blending her. classical aura with modern elements. Surrounding her are Texas wildflowers, emphasizing the beauty of her hometown.
LUNCH AT LA CUEVA
Portland, Texas is not funky, cool or artsy like Port Aransas or even Rockport; it used to be a quiet bedroom community to Corpus Christi where many of us commuted ten miles to work there. Community life revolved around schools, sports and churches. The few small restaurants could not sell alcoholic drinks, and if you wanted to buy liquor, you had to make a run to Jessie’s Liquor in Gregory, a tiny town five miles away. There was no public art.
Today industries,some international, have taken advantage of our location on the Gulf of Mexico and our connections to the Port of Corpus Christi. Industries brought jobs and growth. Chain restaurants have opened and one can enjoy an alcoholic drink with dinner and purchase liquor at one of three liquor stores. With good schools it is still a good place to raise a family. There is still no public art other than a memorial tribute to the military and veterans at city hall.
When an art gallery that serves lunch opened up recently, I persuaded Husband to check it out with me. I keep telling him we need more art in Portland.
La Cueva (the cave in Spanish) is owned and run by Gilbert Cuevas, who is also the artist in residence. He moved to Portland from San Antonio after a successful career in graphic advertising. Growing up in the west side in the barrios, he painted what he saw around him.
The ambiance of La Cueva is unexpected for Portland: intimate dining area, dark wood, tall columns, small bar, sophisticated, elegant yet relaxed and casually classy. His paintings – for sale – are displayed gallery style. A curved staircase leads to more art upstairs. The facility is available for private events. The menu offered salads and sandwiches; wine was available. We had The Cubano – deliciosa!
For a look at some of the art of Gilbert Cuevas and his art, go to La Cueva Art Gallary.
Reproductions of some of his original art was available in postcard form. Here is one of several I purchased to share.
LGBTQIA +ARTIST EXHIBITION
Several events for PRIDE Month 2021 were scheduled in the Corpus Christi area including poetry reading and a PRIDE Pet Paw-rade where owners and their pets could show their support and show off their PRIDE colors and accessories. A PRIDE parade and block party will be held in October during LGBT History Month when the weather is cooler and more have the opportunity to get vaccinated.
PRIDE Corpus Christi put out a call for artists who “personally identify, or feel they have been defined by society, as a part of the LGBTQIA+ demographic.” The goal of the exhibit was “to celebrate the achievements of and gain recognition for LGBTQIA+ artists in the Coastal Bend.” Artists selected had their art on display at the La Palmera Mall in Corpus Christi from June 1 to June 30 for PRIDE Month.
The free exhibit was tucked away in a small space on the upper level of the mall. I visited the simple installation last week and was moved by the personal expression of their feelings through art. Husband photographed several for me. Scroll for more of art by these mostly young people who have come out personally and artistically.
KIRA GONZALEZ ‘LOVE IS LOVE’ (2021) ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
GUILLERMO “GUY” GALLEGOS ‘CIERVO O VENADO (2019) ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
JOSHUA DUTTWIELER ‘WE ARE ALL HOUGHTON #1 ‘ 2021) PHOTOGRAPHY
JOSE “JOEY’ GONZALES ‘SELF PORTRAIT’ (2019) OIL ON CANVAS
BRYSON OLIVAREZ ‘THE PLAYFUL CARCASS’ (2021) MIXED MEDIA
BRYSON OLIVAREZ ‘PLAYING WITH COLOR’ (2020) MIXED MEDIA
SCOTT-ALEXANDER RIVERA ‘THE HEART OF LOVE IS LOVE’ (2020) ACRYLIC POUR ON STRETCHED CANVAS
SCOTT-ALEXANDER RIVERA ‘PRIDE EXPLOSION’ (2020) ACRYLIC POUR ON STRETCHED CANVAS
SAMANTHA TREVINO ‘LIM JAEBEOM’ (2021) ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
PHOTOS BY HUSBAND. HE IS REFLECTED IN THE SIGN THAT WAS BEHIND DOUBLE GLASS DOORS AT THE ENTRANCE.
Yes, I think Ike would like Frank!
Ike Campaign Button
In 2012 I wrote a post about the controversy over the design of a planned memorial honoring the Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during WWII and 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhowser. Frank Gehry was to be the architect. That post can be found here, “Will Ike like Frank?
The Eisenhower Memorial will be dedicated today after almost ten years of planning. It is located in Washington, D.C. near the National Mall. I think Ike would approve of the final design.
National Public Radio had an excellent description by Susan Stanberg with good photos. You can read her review or read it. The link is here at Eisenhower Memorial, NPR.
The “I like Ike” campaign button reminds us of a time when presidential campaigns were a bit tamer than the one facing us in 2020.
LOST PORTRAIT OF MY FATHER
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS BY CHERYL LYLES SMITH
Some of you may remember my writing about the loss of my sister’s and brother-in-law’s home by fire the morning before Hurricane Harvey hit. My brother-in-law had called me to invite us out to stay with them if we did not want to ride out the storm here on the coast. They lived eighty miles west of here on the family ranch and in the house that I grew up in.
The above portrait of my father was painted by their daughter (my niece) who died of cancer at age 57 in 2012. The painting was done from a small photo of him in exactly the same pose taken probably in the late 1950s. It hung in the entrance to her parents’ home. A few years ago when we were visiting I had Husband take a photo of it because it was very special to me. Now I am so grateful that he did as the painting was destroyed in the fire along with everything in the house. Perhaps I should explain the painting for those of you not familiar with the practice of burning prickly pear cactus.
In the painting my father is filling up his pear burner with butane from the tank in the pick-up. He would then strap it across his shoulder and go out into the pasture where there was plenty of prickly pear cactus. As he turned it on fire would come out of the end of it and he would burn or singe the thorns off the cactus. With the large thorns gone the cattle would eagerly eat the cactus as a good source of protein and contained water. During times of drought when there might be little for the cattle to eat and feeding hay might be too expensive for a rancher, this method would help to get through the lean times. Burning pear was most common in the fall and winter, but I have seen my father burn pear into the spring and fall if it was a really dry year.
Today times have changed and few people burn prickly pear. The pear burner was invented in 1914 by John Bunyan Blackwell. A photo of one can be seen at the Bullock Museum website.
As a footnote, my sister and brother-in-law built a new house on the same spot as the one that burned and were able to move in just before Christmas. Husband and I went out Christmas Eve to see it and to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. I had prints made from the photo Husband took as gifts for family members. Life goes on.
Here is a close-up of prickly pear cactus so you can see the sharp thorns.
Here is a cluster of them together with the red fruit or tuna.
MONDAY MADNESS: The Light in the Tunnel
Photo by Son
Husband and I are silhouetted in the James Turrell tunnel, “The Light Inside,” at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas.
The tunnel connects two buildings of the museum and seems a fairly normal route for pedestrian traffic at first. Then we were enveloped in a light that challenged reality and space as darkness beckoned from either side while the black-clad museum guard urged us to stay on the black walkway. I had visions of the River Styx and was grateful to find that the other side merely led to more museum exhibits with normal lighting.
Learn more about American artist James Turrell’s obsession with light and space here.
THE COASTAL CRONE 