Spring is here! OK, so it wasn’t much of a winter. Chilly, rainy and damp, sure, but no blasting cold, freeze your pipes, where’s my long johns and gloves kind of cold. It’s slightly disappointing because we were prepared this year more than ever with new heaters and tight double-paned windows, thanks to Foundation for Southeast Texas and the Meadows Foundation, Inc.
Summer is coming and, alas, there is no recourse for cooling our facility yet. We are planning a major reconstruction of the roofs of all our buildings especially the main facility. Working with David Perkins of Perkins Roofing, we are on track for major renovations in the integrity of The Studio’s badly worn roofs. In store is a high-tech roof structure with an insulation rating of R 33. This will make the painters’ studios far more habitable in the hot summer months and will offer a chance to provide some level of, dare I say, air conditioning. This project is an overall plan to prepare for the next 25-30 years.
Windows, walls, storage, lifts, insulated roofing, lighting, fans — all will contribute to the sustainability of an organization that has survived, against all odds, and deserves a facelift.
This is not happening for free. Perkins’ Estimate comes to $140,000. For this we will have cooler facilities, stop the leaks, the ruined equipment and art, rotted wood and damaged archives. The next massive storm will not bring untold damage that will take years to recover. We already have a possibility of funds and are out to make a concerted effort to raise the needed capital to make this happen. With your help it can be a reality.
March’s show, “Capsula Stellis Iter In Nave: Have Spaceship, Will Travel,” was the brainchild of Beau Dumesnil, who brought us Oceana five years ago. This time we went from the sea to the sky and beyond. Artists contributed their artwork about space and alien monsters. Appropriately, DJs Space Capsule brought ethereal music to the event. Chapo, the smartest creature in the universe, graced us with its almighty presence, incarnated as a glowing salamander. The Moulin Rouge windmill evolved into a photo-op space ship and live streaming was projected out into the world for the first time. Beau and his stalwart crew transformed The Studio into an otherworldly environment that was filled with throngs of participants who gladly donned their best alien attire to celebrate our weightlessness in the ether.
Caitlin Clay, the new registrar at AMSET, will judge TASIMJAE this year. She brings a high level of expertise, and since she is not familiar with the local art community, she can not only make unbiased judgments but also get to see the scope of art that is being produced in Southeast Texas. I extend my warm appreciation to Caitlin for taking the time to take on this task and am happy to welcome her to our community.
The drawing group has moved from Tuesdays to the first and third Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m., due to schedule changes. Along with board member and drawing group coordinator, Sara Tuell, we decided that twice a month made sense until we see an increase in participation. We also decided to add a beginners life drawing class for 18 years and up on the fourth Wednesday of each month to encourage lovers of art to become makers of art.
As I’ve mentioned before, I will be travelling to Japan to spend three weeks in June to produce a show and do lectures and workshops. My wife, Sheila, and my longtime friend Dana Dorman have taken on the task to raise some funds to be sure this little traveler can eat and have somewhere to sleep while in the far east. My two sponsors have set up a Go Fund Me page and some fun programs to help me pay for living space and food. I’ve already covered my flight.
I want to make a special thanks to our board of directors, especially Stephan Malick who has generously offered to become the new chairman of the board of directors as Joe Winston, John Fulbright and John Roberts step down from the board. But fret not, they will remain the friendly faces you often see at the refreshment counter during openings.
A big welcome to our new board members, Laurie Gordon and Adriel Adams, for offering their skills and services in such a critical time.
As we adapt with the times and refine our goals, purposes and bylaws to make the changes needed to adapt to the coming decades, it is imperative that we meet the challenges our mission presents to us. Support us in our move forward with our vision of the future. The work this board is doing now will have a positive affect on our productivity in years to come.
Thanks also to our volunteers. The Key Club and the Beta Club of Beaumont United High School have assisted us in the expansion and beautification of our facility for almost a year now. People in need of community service hours, by choice or not, are a major asset to our volunteer force. Recently, corporations began offering incentives for their employees to help us maintain and improve The Studio. We are honored to have earned the trust and goodwill of these institutions that do so much for our community and help us better serve our community.
Greg Buseceme is founder of The Art Studio, Inc.