Expand Your Cultural Horizons!

Pam Smith (she can be contacted for directions, parking , etc..  lot #324) is bringing our attention to the following:

Peña is a professional artist and native of Weslaco. Although he has experimented in working with a wide array of mediums including stained glass, copper
sculpture and jewelry, the central element of his work is vibrant color.
His dynamic surrealist landscapes are bursting with vivacious color, extraordinary figures and symbolism. When beginning a new piece, Peña chooses colors
that personify his mood.
“Pablo Peña’s artwork is a celebration and testament to his successful use of color,” said STC Library Art Gallery Associate Dawn Haughey. “While his skill in color usage
and blending is truly spectacular, he is also able to ignite a variety of emotions through his bold style. This exhibition is sure to speak to a very large audience.”

 

Ritchie is a La Grulla native and Brownsville resident who has been painting for over 50 years. She has studied oil and watercolor techniques under teachers from Raymondville and Corpus Christi, and has been a member of the Brownsville Art League since 1951.
“Minerva Ritchie has a very keen eye on the natural world around her,” said Dawn Haughey, STC Library Art Gallery associate. “She specializes in painting birds and floral subjects and does so with such precision and sensitivity. Ms. Ritchie continues to be an inspiring member of our local valley artist community.”

 

Through her brightly painted images of local cemeteries, Guzman Velasquez seeks to cherish and understand the role death plays along the Mexico-Texas border.
In her works, life and death co-exist in the same place, just like in the Mexican holiday, el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). This popular celebration holds many traditions including building private altars called ofrendas , and honoring the deceased by leaving gifts of sugar skulls , marigolds , favorite foods, beverages and possessions at their grave sites.
Guzman Velasquez earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting from the University of Texas Pan-American and participated in the San Miguel de Allende Study Abroad Program in Guanajuato, Mexico .

“Guzman Velasquez’s breathtaking use of color is what initially draws viewer’s in,” said STC Art Gallery Associate Dawn Haughey. “It is then the movement and play of the medium that holds our attention. We are so excited to be able to share her work with all of our students, faculty and community members during el Día de los Muertos.”