October was an eventful month full of ad-hoc events peppered into our usual schedule of activities.
The basis of the hoopla was the exhibition presented by Christopher Troutman, drawing professor in the Lamar University department of art and design, that created quite a bit of excitement around The Studio. Three Lamar faculty members, Troutman, design professor Sherry Freyermuth and adjunct instructor Sirena Le Burn brought their drawing and graphic design classes to The Studio to view and critique the exhibition, and to participate in the Life Drawing Group held at The Studio every first and third Wednesday of each month.
Students were treated to a tour of the facility and a short history of The Studio’s humble beginnings, along with the drawing experience. We were delighted with the faculty’s decision to utilize our facility and broaden the students’ perspective on what other opportunities are available in the arts community.
An important part of The Studio’s mission is to offer space and support for artists, especially those coming out of college and needing a facility to continue their work. Collaborations like these are vital to the artistic health of our community.
I am thrilled that the faculty of Lamar University’s department of art and design has become more involved in the Southeast Texas arts community, and thankful they are able and willing to share their considerable skills and wisdom with us.
As The Studio grows we must have a way to keep up with the volume of administrative requirements that comes with every activity. Stephanie Orta has done a “phenomenal” job of taking the reins and handling an awesome amount of paperwork, finances, events, printing and mailing, and a plethora of details that has made The Studio run more efficiently. To keep up the pace we had to look for another person as administrative assistant. Luckily we were able to acquire the assistance of Michelle Cate, formerly with the McFaddin-Ward House, skilled in archival preservation and office administration, as well as being an excellent photographer.
Another addition to the administration is Studio board member Laurie Gordon, who has taken on the daunting task of directing us on grant applications as well as serving as Treasurer for the Studio board.
We were encouraged by the visit from our good friend and former Beaumont resident, Tony Chaveaux from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Gary Gibbs, executive director for the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) who were on hand for the official designation of the Downtown Beaumont Cultural Arts District (DBCAD) on Oct. 26.
We also went to a grant workshop presented by our two honored guests that was encouraging for our future funding. With the staff that we have and the support of our board members and friends we have a good chance to receive an NEA grant which would give us funds for the year-round interdisciplinary youth classes. TCA would also be helpful in the operational and program support, possibly funding for Bandnite or other performance events.
The Port Neches Art Walk was held Nov. 6 and The Studio was there in force. We were in a small building that served as a venue for more than 15 artists from Southeast Texas. We were excited when patrons showed an interest in our utilizing the facility and they asked if we would move in. That’s a bit of a big step for us but the enthusiasm for our services has opened some possibilities that we need to explore.
We were excited about the apparent local enthusiasm! It creates an opportunity for the Studio to reach new audiences and identify new artists.
We are sorry to announce that our good friend, fellow artist and Summer Artskool printmaking teacher, Neal Pitak has passed away. He was an enthusiastic artist and avid bicycle rider. He loved to share his knowledge of printmaking and was a warm and sincere person and we will miss his loving hugs. He will truly be missed.
Greg Busceme is executive director of The Art Studio, Inc.