"Mixed Media Re-Mixed"

"Mixed Media Re-Mixed" art exhibiton at the Richardson Gallery at The University of Texas at Brownsville. The show will be on display through February 15, 2007. Don't miss the chance to see this great show!

Con Mi Gente's Coverage on Gallery 409

Click on the link below to watch Channel 5's "Con Mi Gente con Rick Diaz" news story on Brownsville's Gallery 409. Gallery 409 owner Mark Clark and artists Cande Aguilar and Oscar Alvarez were interviewed.

CLICK HERE to see Channel 5 news story on Gallery 409

Personal Note: I am so pleased to see Brownsville artists and a Brownsville art venue receive valley-wide television media attention. There are so many treasures in our city and the more often that they can be shared with people outside of Brownsville, the better! Thank you Rick Diaz and Channel 5 for your support!

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE ? CONTEMPORARY STREET ART

Art by: EEKO_2K@hotmail.com

Location: Rockwell St. Brownsville Texas
If anyone out there has any pictures of contemporary street art, graffiti art, stencil, unusual: stickers or artistic urban visuals send them in so I can post. Email: brownsvilleartform@yahoo.com

The Art Review Part 2

"The Art of Living with Art" was I thought a great title for an exhibition that featured a small series of artwork by Eduardo Ibarra. In Eduardo's most standout art yet: a series of un stretched stand alone primed canvas, painted with the coloring of a bundle of flaming hot cheetos which were glued on to the canvas imitating vibrant strokes that resemble no image but evoke feeling and thought. The work is also signed flamboyantly below with oversize bold stick on letters across the canvas. To me this work is clever and a clear representation of art imitating art. This work truly challenges the viewer perspective as to what art is and what history and time has allowed it to be. The work is almost a parody of modern art and the myth movement of the end of the 2oth century artist in desperate attempt for their 15 minutes of fame. A movement that Eduardo might characterize as Egotism.

Gallery 409 "Wildstyle" Call for Art

Gallery 409 announces a Call for Art for its upcoming
"WILDSTYLE" urban art exhibition

Top quality art of the following kind is requested:

Surfboard painting
Skateboard art
Lowrider bicycle art

Entries from artists from the Rio Grande Valley and Tamaulipas Frontera region are preferred. For more information contact Gallery 409 owner Mark Clark at (956) 455-3599 or via email at markclark812@yahoo.com or galeria409@yahoo.com.

The Art Review

Cande Aguilar is a great modern artist. His paintings are both simple, complex and truly challenge the viewers thoughts. His expressive scribbling and neon presence slashed apart on over commercialized images, pasted and overlapping discarded materials displayed in a large size choice, to me clearly suggests that he is not afraid of the freedom of his artistic neo-expressionism. I can't say I truly understand the messages in his paintings if and when there is any as it may only be deciphered by the artist but I can say I am comfortable with them the way I am comfortable with a magazine on a coffee table , the cartoons on TV or a business signs piercing the sky next to the express way. His paintings also reflect the freedom of thought in a sense or idea of a painting not entrapping the viewer on a single image but to let the viewer wonder about.


Oscar Alvarez is in my opinion a great surrealist painter. His paintings are almost all consistent of a dream world that seems to question the viewer of its existence. Some of the images reflect a life of some animal human sort consuming or wanting to consume other life. The earthly tones and dreamlike haze to multiple overlapping imagery is cleverly compose and well balanced. Oscar is not a large scale painter and in a sense doesn't need to be, his style and technique will make the viewer feel a part of the world he has created....

Gallery 409 Opening Tonight: Oscar Alvarez and Cande Aguilar

Gallery 409
Two Man Show: Cande Aguilar and Oscar Alvarez
Reception & Opening
Thursday, January 18th 2007
6pm-9pm
409 East 13th street
Gallery 409 is located between Levee and ELizabeth street, one block from the Gateway Bridge.

The Brownsville Art Scene to Kick OFF 2007

On January the 18 and 19 the Brownsville Art Scene will kick off the year with three great art exhibition openings. On Thursday the 18th check out new artwork by Oscar Alvarez and Cande Aguilar at the Galeria 409. Opening reception for this exhibition will be held (6pm to 9pm) at the Galeria located 409 (East 13th st.) downtown Brownsville.

On Friday two openings back to back : Imagenes Arts Studio @ The Paseo Plaza will hold The Art of Living with Art, an exhibit of artwork by local artist, including the artwork of Lucy Quezada "a great up and coming artist who has done several murals in Brownsville including: the Greyhound Terminal Wall ", from Jan. 19 through 21. There will be a cheese and wine reception at 7 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2007. This event is free to the public. For more information, call (956) 574-0088.

Also the New Mick Reber exhibit at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. The artwork of Mick Reber will be featured in a one-man show at 6 p.m., Jan. 19 at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. Reber’s work has appeared in Art in America, Art News, Art Week, and other publications. He exhibits extensively throughout the U.S. and was one of 20 sculptors selected for the National Sculpture Traveling Exhibition across major U.S. museums and he is listed in “Who’s Who in American Art.”For more information contact the museum at (956) 542-0941.

Many thanks for to the Brownsville Herald for its publication these great events. From what I have heard from the Brownsville art scene the support is greatly appriciated.

No limits...and The end of 2006

"I am a big believer of the idea that art should have no limits and should exist with or without museums or galleries. The purpose of making art should be greater than where it is to be exhibited.
If art sells and you feel a success because it pays the bills or buys things, there should be nothing wrong with that, a plumber, carpenter or doctor will feel the same way for the work has served its purpose for its success."

A cold early morning, a day before new years eve I put my hands in my pocket as I stood proudly in front of my artwork at the 77 Pulga . I didn't expect a heavy flow of people but I felt compelled to be there one more time before the new years. Joe Saldana the front man for The Livends an already legendary band in the underground punk scene took time to chit chat. Turns out that Joe is also a painter and UTB fine arts graduate. Joe commented how Carlos Gomez :Chicano painter, professor and curator is his mentor and big inspiration to his art. During our talk I notice the flow of people began to increase. Joe went off with his business in search of old records and nostalgia, but before he left I told Joe I wanted to post an artist interview on TAOB blog. He agreed and exchange contact info and set a date for the near future.

Among the passers by, a gentleman by the name of Humberto Jimenez stop by to say hello. He said to be from Monterrey and a friend of Daniel Maldonado and had seen my artwork before which he commented that he liked. He also mentioned how he had currently finished several paintings and was in Brownsville to talk to Dr. R. Montalvo a great supporter of the Arts. In our conversation he mention how he had exhibited with Ray Smith "an artist just recently in exhibition at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts. It was nice to talk to him for he had plenty to say. As we talked crowd gathered again to check out my artwork. I had already sold a few drawings and had two great conversation I thought it had already been a good day.

A little later local artist and art teacher Eduardo Ibarra passed by with a quick stop to say hello. It was almost noon and I was already thinking about closing shop but it was kind of too early. A couple of more people stop by some of which had baught art from me before. They were interesting in aquiring one or two more. I was flattered and truly honored to have already a following.

As I waited for a pickup of my last sale, I was approach by a crowd. It was Marisela Cortez Executive Director of the Historic Brownsville Museum with family and freinds. She told me she had heard about me selling my artwork at the pulga . She looked delighted and please to talk for a good while. She mention how Cliff had recently visited for his plans to do a photo realistic painting of her. Cliff, an artist with plans to do a series of several photo realistic portraits of local art aficionados. It was a good conversation of the local art scene and and upcoming events. Before she left one of the person she with , a young girl, baught a painting acrylic on canvas titled: el padre, el hijo, el espirito santo which she said was a great painting a a bargain for the price. I left shortly after that thinking it had been a good year..........

Gabriel Treviño

This Friday: McAllen ArtWalk

TAOB NOTE: Douglas Clark Sculpture Studio (located at 700 N. Main Street in McAllen) is looking for musicians (acoustic) and any other performance artists (dance) who are interested in performing in his studio during the first Friday monthly Art Walks in McAllen. If interested in performing, please contact Virginia Haynie Gause (vgause@rgv.rr.com) – 956-358-3915 or call Douglas Clark’s answering machine at the studio at 956-682-9893. http://www.douglasclarkart.com/gallery.htm

D'Arte Center Benjamin Varela Exhibit

Who: “Varela: A Second Life” Art Exhibit/Reception
When: Reception: Saturday, January 6, 2007, 5:30-7:00 pm, exhibit will run throughout January.
Where: D’Arte Center at 115 E. Jackson in Harlingen, Tx.
Contact: Celeste De Luna @ litebluna@yahoo.com or (956)454-1809

D’Arte Center is pleased to announce the opening of a new art exhibit titled “A Second Life” by artist Benjamín P. Varela. Varela was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived and made his art in Wisconsin, Chicago, and currently in South Texas. In 1980s Chicago he was a member of the respected Mexican Printmaking Workshop during which he made large abstract prints (monotypes). Varela’s prints are in the collections at the Bronx Museum and The Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi. He is affiliated with the Narciso Martinez Cultural Center in San Benito and co-curated the exhibit “Graphico Popular En Chicago” in June 2006. In 1999 he received his BFA in Kingsville and his MFA from UTPA Edinburgh in 2005. He is also a member of the Harlingen Art Forum and teaches art at UTPA and STC.

Varela is well known regionally for his unmistakable style of painting, using dots and patterns depicting a personal iconography based on his life and memories. Flying turtles,
“casitas” with faces, checkered horses, the sun, and moon are all part of Varela’s harmonious opera of imagery. The artist states “The mind produces images of our experiences, which gives energy to create the ideas in visual form. This is what I call the power of the image.”

An interesting aspect to this exhibit is the artist’s connection to Harlingen. Bill De Brooke, local Harlingen community leader and art collector has the largest collection of Varela’s work, a total of about 20pieces. DeBrooke will be lending D’Arte Center part of his collection for this exhibit. A reception will be held with artist January 6, 2007 from 5:30-7:00pm at D’Arte Center (115 E. Jackson St.) This will be followed by Varela giving a lecture on his work on January 22, 2006 at D’Arte Center at 6:30pm.

TAOB Note: Harlingen will be hosting its fourth artwalk on January 6, 2007 from 4:00-6:00 pm after Jackson Street Market Days. People can expect to see walk to 12 locations to see art, have refreshments, as well as a live band on the street.

D' Arte Center at 115 East Jacson will have maps to the Artwalk locations. Please contact Artwalk organizer Celeste De Luna at litebluna@yahoo.com or (956) 454-1809 for more information.