A Night of Hope

Aids Survival Project
1st Annual Event: "A Night of Hope"

Where: Gallery 409, 409 E. 13th St., Brownsville, TX 78520
When: Saturday, August 29th from 7pm-11pm
Cost: $5.00 donation at the door, all other donations will be greatly appreciated

All proceeds and donations will benefit the Valley AIDS Council's Education Department. Join the fun and participate in a silent auction and purchase one-of-a-kind art pieces donated by supporting artists. Come enjoy an evening of great art for a great cause.

For more information contact: (956) 459-7762,(956) 465-9313 or aidssurvivalproject@yahoo.com

Art at the Park

Amigos Artistas
"Art at the Park"

Saturday, August 26, 2006
10:00am-5:00pm
Ringgold Civic Pavilion
at Dean Porter Park
(next to Gladys Porter Zoo, exit 6th st, South 77)
Brownsville, Texas

Admission Free!!!

RGV Film Commission Call for Volunteers and Artists

The Rio Grande Valley Film Commission’s Executive Committee headed by Nancy Millar of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce (Chair), Evana Vleck of the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce, Martha Noell of the Mission Chamber of Commerce, Iliana Cortez of the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce and Chelsea Benham of the University of Texas Pan American, requests a “call” for artists and technicians interested in working or volunteering in the film industry.

If you are interested in serving as a director of photography, light technician, actor, extra or other position in the film industry, your name, resume and contact information will be placed on a major contact list The list will be utilized for interested area and out of area film makers who make the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) their film project destination and are looking for individuals who have experience or who express an interest in the entertainment industry.

The Rio Grande Film Commission is a coop organization consisting of local Chamber’s in the RGV and other interested individuals and organizations that wish to promote the film industry. The Film Commission is dedicated to attracting film projects and serving as a liaison to assist film makers in having their film projects run as smoothly as possible. The Film Commission is interested in welcoming all film makers into the RGVand is currently working on creating a database of potential film locations, studios, actors, film techs and other individuals with expertise in industries relating to the film making process.

For more information and to register your name on the contact list, please contact Evana Vleck of the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce at 956-383-4974 or via email at marketing@edinburg.com. There is no cost to participate.

The Art of Brownsville Events Calendar!!!

Take a look at the new Art of Brownsville Events Calendar!
The calendar's URL is: http://freecal.brownbearsw.com/artofbrownsville

Want to see your RGV/Northern Tamaulipas arts or cultural related event on the Art of Brownsville Events Calendar? Email information to artofbrownsville@gmail.com

***Blog Note:The calendar is very basic and I will work my way up to developing a better one---but for now this one is more than suffice. It has been a concern of mine that much of the space on the blog has been used up on promoting events. While I have no issue with that, I would like the blog to focus more on documenting and commenting on local arts and culture. Keep coming back to see more additions and changes to The Art of Brownsville!

CineSol 36 Hour Film Race

Brownsville, Texas (Rio Grande Valley) – September 1-3, 2006 — CineSol 36 Hour Film Race, a 36-hour filmmaking competition, has announced a call to entries. CineSol 36 is the first competition of its kind in the U.S., and will take place Labor Day Weekend September 1-3 in Brownsville, Texas. Both novice and seasoned filmmakers will have the chance to compete in this fast paced movie-making contest. Participants, whose completed movies must be no more than ten (10) minutes long, will have their movies reviewed and judged by moviemaking professionals. On Sunday, September 3, 2006 the Top Ten (10) films will be officially unveiled and premiered at the Camille Lightner Playhouse. At the end of the evening, the winning team will receive “CineSol 36 – Bravo Award 2006” title and an industry package worth about $3,000. Other Awards and Recognition will be for the following:

Audience Choice, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Music, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Script

Best Under 18's Film - To be eligible for the “CineSol 36 – Bravo II Award 2006”, and an industry package worth about $500.00 (two- thirds of the team members must be under 18 years of age).

Participants in this inaugural CineSol 36 Hour Film Race will plunge into the world’s most extreme filmmaking. Filmmakers, musicians, and actors of all ages are invited to take part in CineSol 36 Hour Film Race. Interested parties should visit http://www.cinesol.com. Information and Entry Forms can be downloaded from the site.

“This event will bring the best rookie and experienced filmmakers of the region together in Brownsville to compete in a non-stop weekend of action and fun,” says Nancy Russell, CineSol Film Festival Chairperson. Russell, who welcomes inquiries from additional sponsors, expects CineSol 36 Hour Film Race to draw several hundred competitors to Brownsville. Early interest in the event has been extremely high. “Brownsville is the ideal place to have the first 36-hour filmmaking contest of its kind in the area,” says Peter Goodman with Brownsville Border Film Commission, “because of the city’s high percentage of students, artists, entrepreneurs, and local companies eager to support such a unique event.”

Artist Beth Fedigan at the BHC

Brownsville-South Padre Island artist Beth Fedigan will be one of the featured artists in the exhibition Hecho a Mano: A Heartfelt Tradition at the Brownsville Heritage Complex. The exhibition opens at 6:30 pm on August 10, 2006 with a reception. The reception is free to the public. The exhibition runs through October 9, 2006 and is included with general admission to the Brownsville Heritage Complex.

Fedigan, who is well-known for her watercolors of fish and beach life, will feature her hand-made baskets which are made from local materials found around South Padre Island.

According to Fedigan, “My work is strongly influenced by texture. Texture is surface enrichment. It’s manipulative; and by staining, scratching, weathering, and whatever else we can do to surfaces, it makes the piece beautiful. We live in a primarily visual world. I feel that the more ways we find to express our ideas and reactions to the world, the more effectively we will respond to the stimulation we receive from our immediate environment. Art is a form of communication, and/or self reflection. Art should make a viewer think, but it shouldn’t tell a viewer what to think. For me, the act of creating is spiritual; it is communicating with the creative forces that drive me. Ultimately, art allows me to express things through visual means that cannot be communicated with words.”

Hecho a Mano: A Heartfelt Tradition explores the hand-made traditions of South Texas and Northern Mexico.

Along with Fedigan’s original baskets, Mission artist Julian Rodriguez will showcase his ceramic bowls, plates and cups, as well as his more sculptural folk-saint series. McAllen artist Raquel Hinojosa will display her paper mache art.

Also on display will be paper crafts, local hand-made piñatas, and textiles of Mexico from the private collection of UTPA Special Collections Librarian George R. Gause.

Through the duration of the exhibition, workshops and public demonstrations are scheduled in conjunction with the exhibition.

The Brownsville Heritage Complex is located in historic downtown Brownsville at 1325 E. Washington St. The Brownsville Heritage Complex includes: The Stillman House Museum, The Brownsville Heritage Museum, The Aiken Education Center, The Heritage Resource Center and the Children's Heritage and Cultural Learning Center.

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

EL Second Weensdee

The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center
presents

"El Second Weensdee"
with

FLAVIO LONGORIA
and special guest Max Baca

Wednesday August 9, 2006 at 7:00 pm

In preparation for the 15th Annual Narciso Martinez Conjunto Festival,
"the Chicho" will feature accordionist Flavio Longoria at the next "El Second Weensdee." The Conjunto Kingz de Flavio Longoria will perform at the Conjunto Festival on Friday September 15, and this "Second Weensdee" conjunto fans will have the perfect opportunity to get to know this rising accordion star.

Longoria is destined to a life of music following his famous father's footsteps, Texas conjunto pioneer Valerio Longoria. The young Flavio learned music quickly, playing accordion, saxophone, bass guitar, drums, singing and recording with his father's band. Together they toured nationally, but one of Flavio's most fond memories is performing with him in 1985 when Don Valerio was honored with a National Heritage Award and proclaimed a National Treasure. With his new group, the Conjunto Kingz, Flavio is committed to keeping his father's style and musical legacy alive, a talent he has keenly inherited, especially with those beautiful and romantic boleros that continue to resonate in the hearts of the Chicano people.

To the delight of "Second Weensdee" fans, the highly acclaimed bajista Max Baca will once again appear at "the Chicho's" stage. Best known for his participation with groups such as Flaco Jimenez, The Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven, Baca has toured nationally and internationally. Baca has participated in three Grammy Award-winning albums and is now the front man of the group Los Texmaniacs, which will also perform at this year's Conjunto Festival.

a reception follows the presentation

$5 admission
225 E. Stenger Street, San Benito, TX 78586
(956) 361-0110