Carmen Lomas Garza

This Thursday, February 2, 2006

10:00 A.M.

The University of Texas At Brownsville

El Gran Salon-Student Union

80 Fort Brown

Brownsville, TX

Ms. Carmen Lomas Garza, Chicana Artist, will be the speaker for Professional Women Speak at the UTB/TSC Main campus. She has published two books and has received numerous awards. One of her paintings is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s permanent collection.

The lecture is open to everyone that wishes to learn about art career opportunites from this successful woman's experience. For more information click here..http://blue.utb.edu/newsandinfo/2006_01_25LomasCarmen.htm

SUAP Fest 06 (Shut Up And Paint) Graffitti Festival

SUAP Fest 06 (Shut Up And Paint) Graffitti Festival

February 4th, 2006
"La Plazita Park" Donna, Texas
All Day
Free For Everyone!

Directions: If coming from McAllen exit Salinas Blvd. Turn Right (South)
past Bus.83 First stop light turn Left (East) 3 blocks.
Contact: Anoldfiend@hotmail.com or visit Writerzalley.com for more info.

Live Music!
...two of the hottest djs bringin' you the illest underground hip hop in a hot minute!

FUSE from Edinburg
dj DABBLE from Weslaco
Live Grafitti!
...artists or vandals?

WIZDOM from kansas city/kansas
...and local valley artists
Museo {i}menos with a stencil making booth.
...also check out
Deep Thinkers
&
Dante Everglade
from Kansas City at the after party!

Sabores del Valle: Valentine's Day Edition

Brownsville- The Brownsville Heritage Complex in historic downtown Brownsville, invites the public to Sabores del Valle: Valentine's Day Edition (Flavors of the Valley), a series of workshops on various desserts of the Rio Grande Valley.

The classes are $5 per person. In the class, participants will learn how to make desserts that can be used as Valentine's Day gifts. Participants will also receive the local recipes, as well as samples of the desserts. Reservations for the classes are encouraged.

The first workshop scheduled is scheduled for Saturday, February 4 at 10 am. It is entitled "Mexican Mini Chocolate Cakes and Chocolate Dipped Creations" The Chocolate Dipped Creations portion of the class will focus on pretzels and strawberries.

The second workshop is scheduled for Saturday, February 11 at 10 am. It focuses on "Chocolate Cheesecake and Mold Your Own Chocolate Candies." In this workshop, participants will take their own mold home!

Local artist Jessica Villescaz teaches the workshops. She is a valley native completing her M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Anthropology at the University of Texas-Pan American.

Ms. Villescaz has studied and traveled throughout Mexico and South America. A member of the anthropological society, Lambda Alpha, Ms. Villescaz has presented lectures and traditional foods and crafts on Latin and Mesoamerican cuisine at various museums, including the International Museum of Art and Science in McAllen. Internationally, Ms. Villescaz has presented lectures and television interviews on pre-Colombian art and body modification.

The Sabores del Valle Series is a component of the public programming educational initiative of the Brownsville Heritage Complex. The Sabores del Valle Series focuses on the culinary heritage of the region.

The mission of the Brownsville Historical Association is to preserve and promote all things relating to the rich history of Brownsville, Texas, and its environs. The Brownsville Historical Association manages The Brownsville Heritage Complex, located at 1325 E. Washington St. in historic downtown Brownsville. The Brownsville Heritage Complex includes the Stillman House Museum, the Brownsville Heritage Museum, the Bruce Aiken Education Center, and the Heritage Resource Center. Museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. For more information on Brownsville Heritage Complex exhibitions and programs, please call 956-541-5560 or email info@brownsvillehistory.org.

TCA 40th Anniversary

The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) Rio Grande Valley office will present an exhibit featuring the work by local high school artist Victor Alvarez. The public is welcome to a reception for the young artist during the First Friday Art Walk in February. To learn more about Art Walk go here: http://www.nuevosantander.com/artwalk.htm.

Victor Alvarez is a gifted young artist and poet that resides in McAllen, Texas. He has a disabling medical condition that prevents him from walking or even holding up his head without help, and he spends much of his time on a ventilator. For 6 ½
years, he lived in a residence for the terminally ill. In 2002, a community of friends assumed responsibility for Victor's care, and he now lives in a family environment. Despite his physical challenges, Victor has a positive outlook on life and a passion to create. Currently a senior at McAllen High School, Victor is an A/B honor roll student and computer whiz kid. Victor looks forward to continuing his education and plans to pursue a career in graphic design.

Who: Texas Commission on the ArtsRGV office
What: Reception for artist Victor Alvarez
Where: 1418 Beech Avenue, Suite 101 (Inside The Village)
McAllen, Texas 78501
When: February 3, 2006
Time: 6pm 8pm; Viewing of exhibit will continue through 10pm.

Texas Commission on the Arts is a state agency charged with creating a receptive climate for the arts in Texas.

TCA Call for Artists

On January 13th, the Texas Commission on the Arts began accepting submissions for the new design concepts of both the state heirloom birth certificate and wedding anniversary certificate. All participating artists are required to be Texas residents and recognized for high levels of excellence in their discipline, including related degrees, job experience or participation in juried shows. The chosen artist(s) will receive a cash prize of $2,500 each. For further information regarding submission forms and contest requirements, please visit or call our offices at (512) 936-6559.

Imagenes Studio Masterpieces Art Show

Southern Junction: The Art of Lenard Brown

Brownsville-The Brownsville Heritage Complex, located in historic downtown Brownsville, invites the public the opening reception for the new exhibition, Southern Junction: The Art of Lenard Brown. The exhibition features contemporary art based on the Underground Railroad. The exhibit is organized in honor of Black History Month, which has been celebrated during the month of February since 1926.

The opening reception will take place on Thursday, February 2, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. The event is free to the public and everyone is invited to attend.

The subject of an established southern route in the Underground Railroad and how many slaves fled from Texas through Mexico is the subject of much historical speculation, as most of the focus on the Underground Railroad details the escape routes to Northern states. However, in recent years, Texas historians have taken up the subject in an effort to establish routes where slaves in Texas would have fled into Mexico.

The exhibit explores the idea of a Southern Junction of the Underground Railroad leading into Mexico. The exhibition also invites the viewers to contemplate how contemporary art can sometimes be influenced by historical topics.

The exhibition is particularly relevant in a border region, as those that crossed the Rio Grande did so in search of freedom, while today, many people continue to cross the river in search of a better life. The Southern Junction exhibition features prints and drawings by UTPA Professor Lenard Brown. Brown is a native of Henderson, Texas and he holds a BFA from Texas A&M Corpus Christi and an MFA from The Ohio State University.

Southern Junction will be on view in the Brownsville Heritage Museum through March 1, 2006. Admission to view the exhibit is included in the cost of admission to the Brownsville Heritage Museum ($2 per person). Admission is always free for Brownsville Historical Association members.

For more information please call 956-541-5560 or email info@brownsvillehistory.org.

"Nevin's History" Book Signing and Reception

Brownsville-The Brownsville Heritage Complex, located in historic downtown Brownsville, invites the public to a lecture, book signing and wine reception for Jim Sanderson, author of Nevin's History, a historical novel set in Brownsville. The event will take place on Thursday, February 16, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. The event is free to the public and everyone is invited to attend.

Nevin's History is a Novel of Texas and is touted as a sweeping saga of South Texas. It is published by the University of Texas Tech.

The turbulent lower Rio Grande Valley of the 1870s is the backdrop of this epic historical novel of romance, violence, and the struggle for civilization on the frontier. Against that backdrop, protagonist Andrew Nevin, newspaper reporter, Civil War draft dodger, informer, and self-professed coward, tells the story of three legendary figures: Texas Ranger John 'Rip" Ford and Lee H. McNelly and the bandit mayor of Matamoros, Juan Cortina. Along the way, Richard King, King Fisher, Ben Thompson, Jack Harris, Mark Twain and William Dean Howells make appearances. In fact, only two of the major characters are fictional. One fictional character is the narrator, Andrew Nevin, who puts his particular spin on his 'history."

In attempting to redeem himself by telling the history of the border wars, Nevin also chronicles the growth of San Antonio and the influence of civilization on South Texas at the end of one century and the beginning of another.

Of particular interest to Brownsville residents, Nevin's History was researched in Brownsville with the support of the Brownsville Historical Association. The first part of the novel briefly covers the Civil War in Brownsville and then looks at the border wards around the city after the Civil War.

Jim Sanderson is professor of English at Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas. He is the author of three other novels—La Mordida, Safe Delivery, and El Camino del Rio-a short story collection, and a collection of essays on West Texas, and his short stories have appeared in ten anthologies. He is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters.

The Brownsville Heritage Complex is located at 1325 E. Washington in Brownsville. The Brownsville Heritage Complex includes The Stillman House Museum, The Brownsville Heritage Museum, The Aiken Education Center, and the Heritage Resource Center.

For more information please call 956-541-5560 or email info@brownsvillehistory.org.

ProCantus Lyric Opera Auditions

ProCantus Lyric Opera of McAllen will be holding auditions for major roles in Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni including Santuzza, Turiddu, Alfio, Mamma Lucia and Lola.

Audition is by appointment only on Sunday, January 22, 2006 from 10:30AM to 2:30PM. Bring an aria of your choice and prepared excerpts from the Cavalleria Rusticana.

Performance dates will be at 8:00PM on Saturday, March 25, 2006 and 3:00PM, Sunday March 26, 2006 at McAllen Civic Center.

For audition time and place call: (956) 236-4588, (956)783-9867, (956) 872-3037

RGV Food Bank Ceramic Bowls Fundraiser

The RGV foodbank is looking for donations of small bowls from artists for an upcoming fundraiser. All ceramicists and student ceramicists are invited to pledge their support to the first Empty Bowls event by donating one bowl. Any bowls are welcome. Deadline (for cataloging purposes) on these donated items is Friday, February 24. Please consider being part of this. The event's media blitz will include mentions of those individuals involved and we are having an artistic commemorative poster designed to recognize those in this first-of-its-kind-here event. The Monitor is on board and they will do profiles on the artists who have pledged their support. Many thanks for any help you and your students and artists can give.

For more information contact:
Alicia Nevárez-Warner, Multimedia Specialist
Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, Inc.
2601 West Zinnia
McAllen, Tx, 78502
Office (956) 682-8101, ext. 22
Mobile (956) 227-2884

Brownsville Museum of Fine Art Website

Check out the new Brownsville Museum of Fine Art website:

www.brownsvillemfa.org

You are also invited to attend a presentation "A Founders’ Tribute” on the history of the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. It will be presented by Javier Garcia on Monday, January 23rd at 12pm in the Art Gallery Building on 230 Neale Dr. For more information call (956) 542-0941 or email bamuseum@aol.com.

Honor Soul Force

"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force."-Martin Luther King

National Endowment for the Arts Grants

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS is pleased to announce that application guidelines for FY 2007 grants are now available on-line at www.arts.gov.

The National Endowment for the Arts is a federal agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts - both new and established, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Annually, the agency awards more than $100 million in matching grants to non-profit organizations in all 50 States. In FY 2005, the agency awarded at least one direct grant in all Congressional districts.

The Arts Endowment awards grants to non-profit organizations for arts projects that are of national, regional, or field-wide significance; that tour in several states; or that provide an unusual or especially valuable contribution because of geographic location. Grants are awarded also for local projects that can have significant effects within communities or that are likely to serve as program models.

Arts Endowment funding is available for projects in the following fields: Dance, Design, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literature, Media Arts (Film, Radio, Television), Museums, Music, Musical Theater, Opera, Presenting, Theater and Visual Arts. The Endowment also awards grants to local and State Arts Agencies and to Regional Arts Organizations.

Funding Categories

Access to Artistic Excellence: Projects that foster and preserve excellence in the arts and provide access to the arts for all Americans. An organization may request a matching grant from $5,000 to $150,000. Application deadlines: March 13, 2006 and August 14, 2006. (See Guidelines to determine which deadline pertains to which type of project.)

Challenge America: Reaching Every Community Fast-Track Review Grants: Grants for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. Matching grants are for $10,000. Application deadline: June 1, 2006.

Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth: Projects that enhance the quality of, and access to, arts education for children and youth. Matching grants are from $5,000 to $150,000. Application deadline: June 12, 2006.

For Application Assistance
Please direct constituents to www.arts.gov/grants/apply to download application information, application forms and application deadlines. The website includes "frequently asked questions" and names and phone numbers of Endowment staff to answer questions about the application process. Examples of recent grants can be found at www.arts.gov/grants/recent. There is now also the option to apply via grants.gov.

If Congressional staffers have questions, please call the Endowment's Office of Government Affairs at 202-682-5434 or email Shana Chase at chases@arts.gov or Mike Burke Kirby at kirbym@arts.gov.

If you are alerting constituents to funding opportunities, please note that grant competitions are also conducted by each State Arts Agency and Regional Arts organization. To identify their addresses and contact information, go to the Endowment's website, click on NEA Partners, then State and Regional Arts Organizations.

To do a mailing, your State Arts Agency may have a list of arts organizations by Congressional district through www.arts.gov/partner/state/SAA_RAO_list.html. There is also a page below that you may want to produce and enclose to guide them through our website.

The National Endowment for the Arts' website (www.arts.gov) has a wealth of information useful to organizations seeking funding for arts projects:

* Go to www.arts.gov/grants/apply. Click on your discipline or field. Click on a funding opportunity. (Grants for Arts Projects covers all but some specialized categories.) You will find all the relevant information and forms, including the phone numbers for the Agency's professional staff, descriptions of recent grants that may be similar to your project, lists of panelists who reviewed previous applications, and Frequently Asked Questions.

* Click on Resources on the NEA home page to find many other sources of help and funding, including the State Arts Agencies, other federal agencies, grants.gov, and numerous non-profits and foundations.

* Grants.gov is the government-wide on-line application system for federal grants. We encourage organizations to use the grants.gov system. Applying online will be optional for most FY 2007 applicants but is expected to become mandatory in calendar year 2008. In order to submit an application electronically, an organization must first register through grants.gov. Since registration can take weeks to complete and to process, do not wait until the application deadline to register. Register well in advance.

* Since 2003, the National Endowment for the Arts has sponsored National Initiatives that award grants for arts presentations in all 50 States with educational outreach activities and free curriculum materials for teachers. To learn more about current National Initiatives, go to the NEA home page to access: American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius; THE BIG READ; Great American Voices Military Base Tour; NEA Jazz Masters/NEA Jazz in the Schools; Poetry Out Loud: National Poetry Recitation Contest; and Shakespeare in American Communities.

An Update, A Little Wisdom and A Call for Contributors

Hello Blog Readers,

I know, I know...it's been a while and I know it's been a while because it has been quiet. I also know I am going to say the blogger cliche excuse..."I've been busy"...but...I really have been busy! This past month my prime energies have been focused on work and on myself for a change...like getting exercise and getting some much needed rest after a heck of a semester/year.

I do wish to extend my sincerest wishes for a Feliz Año Nuevo (Happy New Year) to you and your loved ones and hope you had a wonderful holiday season! 2005 was quite a ride of year but we have much to look forward to for 2006! It seems like these days, life can offer us much to see it as the glass half-empty, but reality is...it is at it SEEMS. In other words, despite the good and the bad, you decide as to how it will affect you and your attitude towards life and towards other people. You have a choice and the power to make the right decision. A positive decision resides in you and you alone. For example, a recent CNBC Online Poll found that 53% of Americans are pessimistic about the year 2006. I say they are setting themselves up to get exactly what they expect. The concrete truth (as far as I can tell for now) is that we only get one life to live and there are only two ways to go through it, with hope or without hope. So despite all the shit that life throws our way, it's really up to us to become victims or to overcome it and move on. Got it? Good. I know, I can get a little preachy (it's my Southern Baptist upbringing), but...this wisdom came from recent experience...that I had to learn the REALLY, REALLY hard way...I REALLY know what I am saying and not just repeating Dr. Phil. Also, you have to love yourself, from the bottom of the pit to the top of heap...don't wait until you feel worthy of it...love yourself no matter where you are in life. Because if you can't do this essential thing, then everything I mentioned above has no heck of a chance of being accomplished. So again...if you want to have a Happy New Year...make it so!

On another note, the plans for the renovation of The Art of Brownsville is still on hold. The main thing is...the blog and future full-blown website needs work and time from volunteer contributors. I want people to share their pictures, share their web or design expertise, share their marketing or networking expertise, to share their stories, share their art and share their opinions on all that is art and culture of Brownsville and the greater RGV/Tamapulipas region. If you would like to contribute to the Art of Brownsville leave a comment on this post or send me an email. Thanks guys for reading the blog and for all of your support! We will be posting more information on events and activities as well posting on topics so keep coming back! 2006 if going to be a great year!

The Poor Man's Portable Printing Press

Museo {i}menos presents…
The Poor Man's Portable Printing Press
(a stencil making workshop)
 
Museo {i}menos and founder René Z.Garza  (956.534.1997), Museoimenos@gmail.com

The workshop includes a brief history of the stenciled image and basic stencil making techniques. You can make your own images, freely and ready to reproduce, using this historic, democratic art. We will also make a collective work of art for future exhibition.

The stencil making workshop will be held
Sunday , January 22, 2006
1:30 – 4:30
Weslaco Public Library Meeting Room,
525 S. Kansas Avenue
Weslaco, Texas 78596

This is the first of twelve monthly workshops in 2006 held by the Museo to promote independent arts and independent arts practice (that is to say art with very little resources). Donations are accepted but not required to take part in Museo {i}menos activities. It is our goal to make artistic practice accessible to everyone.

To participate you will need to attend with posterboard, an exacto-type knife, a can of spray paint and something to paint your image on. Also, {i}menos will lend you materials or they may be purchased as they are available.

Museo {i}menos is a different kind of museum without walls, formal attire or admission fees. We pop up wherever we can and even in some places that we can not. Museo {i}menos is a work of art.  We are an independent arts museum currently developing mail art and stencil art events, collections and workshops (but many more independent arts exist and need to be included). Our goal is to make art public and the only real way to do that is to have the public produce its own art. It is only through active participation that art becomes truly public.

 Museo {i}menos  ¡Para los que hacen mas con menos!

TCA Performing Arts Grant Opportunities

Texas Commission on the Arts to accept performing artists/companies application for Touring Roster

Deadline to apply is Jan. 31st. If you already have a user id and password, you will log into the TCA Online Web Applications. If you do not have user id and password, please call our main office at 1800-252-9415 to request a user id and password to apply. Please read below for application guidelines and a link is provided with more information.

Applicants may be any Texas performing arts organization or artist wishing to present performances at least thirty miles outside their city of residence. Applicants must have a history of touring and maintain a reasonable fee range. Roster artists are required to perform outside their community regularly. Touring artists offer single performances as well as optional services that may include workshops, master classes, lecture-demonstrations, arts education components, residencies, or short performances. The fact that an artist is approved to the roster does not imply or guarantee that the artist will receive bookings in the coming year.

http://www2.arts.state.tx.us/tcagrant/TXArtsPlan/TRC.htm

***

Mia M. Buentello-Andrade
Administrator of Community Development & Rural Svcs.
Texas Commission on the Arts-RGV Office
Office 956-682-5336; Email mia@arts.state.tx.us

"When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy."--Jelaluddin Rumi

NMCAC "El Second Weensdee"

The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center presents

"El Second Weensdee"
featuring

Los Dos Gilbertos
Gilberto Garcia and Ruben Garza

Wednesday, January 11, 2006
7:00 PM

at the historic
La Villita
261 W. Robertson
San Benito, TX

In the Rio Grande Valley, the conjunto sound of Los Dos Gilbertos reigns supreme. Led by vocalist/accordionist Gilberto Garcia and bajo sexto player Ruben Garza, Los Dos Gilbertos have developed into one of the most popular South Texas dance bands since they began performing in 1965. The group's sound is distinguished by their smooth and sultry compass, driving dance rhytms and the group's smooth vocal harmonies. Gilberto and Ruben will tell their story and perform at the next "Second Weensdee," this month to be held at the historic dance hall of San Benito - La Villita.

$5 admission

(956) 361-0110 NMCAC
(956) 276-0420 - La Villita