Institute of Texan Cultures Texas hosts Texas Contemporary Artists Series

By James Benavides
Senior Communications Specialist, Institute of Texan Cultures

(May 15, 2014) -- For the last five years, the Institute of Texan Cultures, in collaboration with UTSA art specialist Arturo Infante Almeida, has brought 12 Texas artists to show their work in the museum’s galleries. The series comes to a close with a group exhibit, featuring works from all participating artists, through Oct. 26.

The Texas Contemporary Artists Series was established to showcase the talents of some of Texas’ premier artists. Almeida described the featured artists and a unifying element to the series: their work embodies a bold vision and an unbridled exuberance that encapsulates Texan culture.

Participating artists either were born in Texas or have been long-time Texas residents with Texas inspiring and informing their work: landscapes, people, customs and cultures, colors, cities and symbols.

"We've seen unique perspectives of big Texas cities and small towns," said Almeida. "And, we’ve seen landscapes captured in painstaking, hand-drawn detail. We've seen styles and techniques that recall great Texas artists from the past. We've seen a year captured in daily photographs. The range of subjects and styles these artists have shown us has been fascinating and brilliant."

As curator for the 12 individual shows, Almeida selected the artists and worked closely with them to create their exhibitions. Each artist from the series will contribute two works to the finale. The series has included a variety of media and styles such as painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media, photography and textiles.

"It's difficult to single out any one artist as a stand-out from the series," said Almeida. "It has been a wonderful experience to put together these shows and to experience the story they've told us about ourselves and where we live."

"Culture is the sum of everything that defines our way of life," said Angelica Docog, ITC executive director. "Art is a vital part of culture. It adds perspective and depth to our identity and our humanity. It enables us to contemplate and understand the world around us. It has been a pleasure to host this series at the Institute of Texan Cultures."

The Institute of Texan Cultures will host a Sunday, May 18 family day, noon to 5 p.m., with opportunities to interact with some of the series' artists. Activities include a gallery walk with the curator, conversations with contributing artists, hands-on opportunities to create art with found objects and "future contemporary artist" self-portraits.

The Institute of Texan Cultures is on the UTSA HemisFair Park Campus, 801 E. César E. Chávez Blvd., a short distance from the Alamo and the River Walk. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults (ages 12-64); $7 for seniors (ages 65+); $6 for children (ages 3-11); free with membership, UTSA or Alamo Colleges identification. For more information, call 210-458-2300 or visit TexanCultures.com.