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Art workshops
benefit soldiers
A
diverse group of El Paso artists and
arts organizations have been
rewarded with the knowledge that
“yes” is one of the most powerful words in
the English language, for their affirmative
responses have turned an idea into a
dynamic new program: “The El Paso Art
Association’s Soldier Art Workshops
Project.” The program’s goal is to offer a
12-month schedule of workshops taught by
local artists to assist members of the Fort
Bliss military and their families in dealing
with the difficulties and stress related to
the soldiers’ return from combat areas.
Thanks to combined efforts of arts organizations such as El Paso Art Association,
the El Paso Museum of Art, Plein Air
Painters of El Paso, and various agencies
at Fort Bliss, the program launched its first
workshop Jan. 24, a class in encaustic
painting taught by Jan Wisbrun Dreher at
the El Paso Museum of Art.
While art has been recognized in military
and civilian programs as a way to cope
with stress and depression, the U.S. military has limited resources for art therapy
except in cases of acute trauma and posttraumatic stress.
Based upon their close contacts in both
the military and arts communities, local
artist Krystyna Robbins and her husband,
John (a retired Army lieutenant colonel)
realized this was an opportune time for
local artists and art organizations to join
forces with Fort Bliss in addressing this
situation.
John and Krystyna began by contacting
members of the El Paso Art Association,
the Plein Air Painters of El Paso and other
arts groups asking them to volunteer for at
least one workshop session, which would
consist of a three-day instruction period
for six hours per day. Each artist will work
with 15 to 20 students, who will be given a
kit of their own which includes brushes,
paints and other items needed for the class.
The kit will be theirs to take with them to
use on their own or with another class.
The response from artists was so gratifying that workshops in oil, watercolor and
pastel painting, encaustic, drawing, sculpture and photography will fill the calendar
through December 2015.
The January encaustic workshop will be
followed by painting workshops led by
Krystyna Robbins, Julie Caffee-Cruz, Nina
Walker, Becky Avant, Pat Winston,
Melinda Etzold, Ron Fritsch, Candy
Mayer and Rami Scully. Jimmie Bemont
will teach sculpture and Darrell McGahhey
will offer photography instruction.
The El Paso Museum of Art and the Fort
Bliss Family Service and Assistance
Center will provide space for these workshops. The Fort Bliss Center also will
arrange transportation for soldiers to workshops conducted at the museum.
Dietra Ford, Information and Referral
Coordinator for the Family Service and
Assistance Center, has been facilitating the
soldier workshop program.
“The soldier response to the concept of
workshops thus far has been overwhelming,” she said. “Soldiers love art! It is so
therapeutic for them to be in a calm environment which relaxes them, so they are
extremely excited about this opportunity.
February 2015
Tumblewords Project — The free writing
workshops are 12:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Saturdays at the Memorial Park Public Library,
3200 Copper. Information: 328-5484 (Donna
Snyder) or on Facebook at Tumblewords.
Nancy Green — The Esperanza Acosta
With about 75 percent of the surveys now
in, it appears the mediums they are particularly ecstatic about are the oil painting
workshops, and drawing is also a wonderful outlet. Classes for the next few months
are already filled so it looks like we might
have to think about adding more workshops that would include family members.”
The committee, co-chaired by EPAA
President Gary Crossland and John
Robbins, reports that the group has raised
about half of the money needed to cover
equipment and supplies for this year’s
workshops. Donations may be mailed
directly to the El Paso Art Association at
500 West Paisano, El Paso 79901, or by
going to their website, elpasoartassociation.com. Interested volunteers can contact
John Robbins at [email protected]
Exhibits highlight migrants
In contrast to the classic Southwestern
imagery portrayed in the evocative exhibition, “Impressionism: from Europe to the
American Southwest,” which recently
graced the walls of the Hunt Family
Gallery, the El Paso Museum of Art is now
challenging its audience to move into the
present by showcasing two exhibitions
spotlighting the often controversial subjects of immigration and the lifestyle of
migrant workers in the United States.
The first of these “Migrant Series” (touring from the Phoenix Museum of Art), is a
collection of 15 large-scale airbrush canvases created by Colorado-based artist
Don Coen between 2001 and 2010, documenting the daily lives of migrant workers
and their families. The second, “Octopus
(2011),” is a recent creation by Yoshua
Okon, one of Mexico’s leading video/performance artists.
Despite the contrasting mediums, both
artists are focused on giving visual reality
to the existence and plight of the more
than 1.3 million migrant workers who
travel from state to state planting and harvesting crops. While some have work
visas, most are undocumented laborers
who dwell in a shadowland.
Born in 1935 and raised in rural eastern
Colorado, Coen draws inspiration from
working the fields on his family’s farm
and from Latino families who lived and
toiled alongside him. Coen’s commitment
to documenting the lives of migrants, however, would not come to fruition until later
in his career.
After earning an M.F.A. in Ceramics and
Fine Art from the University of Northern
Colorado in Greeley, Coen settled in the
college town of Boulder where he tried his
hand at abstract and non-objective work
for the next two decades.
Please see Page 38
Moreno Regional Library, 12480 Pebble Hills,
will celebrate Black History Month with a
workshop and stories of everyday African
Americans with local poet Nancy Green 4:30
to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5. Admission is
free. Information: 921-7001.
Memorial Park Library workshops — El
Paso Public Library’s Memorial Park Branch,
3200 Copper, hosts a variety of workshops.
Call for times. Information: 566-1034.
• Three-part bilingual Feng Shui workshops for
ages 18 and older are Saturdays, Feb. 7-21.
• A Jewelry making class is Thursday, Feb. 12.
Supplies provided.
Books Are Gems — 7744 North Loop Ste
B (behind Compass Bank). The nonprofit
organization sells and gives away new and used
books. Books are sold for $1-$2, and children
who come to the store may receive five free
used books. Teachers can also receive free
books for their classroom. Hours are 11 a.m.
to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday;
and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Information:
845-5437 or booksaregems.org.
Local attorney and children’s book author
Larry Phifer will read from his new book
“World on a String,” at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb.
14. This picture book with a uniquely uplifting
perspective on loss won the 2013 Silver Medal
Moonbeam Award in the Best Illustrator category and the Writers’ League of Texas’ 2014
Discovery Prize.
Sisters in Crime — The Eastside chapter of
the book discussion group supporting women
mystery writers meets 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday,
Feb. 3, at St. Paul Methodist Church, 7000
Edgemere, to discuss “Sworn to Silence” by
Linda Castillo. Information: 629-7063 or [email protected].
Barnes & Noble (East Side) — The
Fountains at Farah, 8889 Gateway West, Suite
120. Information: 590-1932. Author Beverly
Blount will sign her books “The Blount Guide
to Reading, Spelling and Pronouncing English”
and “Treasure of the Haunted Hacienda” 2-4
p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7.
Barnes & Noble (Las Cruces) — 700 S.
Telshor in Mesilla Valley Mall. Information:
(575) 522-4499. Prize-winning author Philip
Connors will host a reading of his book “All
The Wrong Places: A Life Lost and Found,” at
6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Chinese Calligraphy — A free Chinese cal-
ligraphy class with Jean Norton is 2 to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 21, at Westside Branch Library,
125 Belvidere. Information: 581-2024 or elpasolibrary.org.
Customer Appreciation Sale — Friends
of the Esperanza A. Moreno Branch Library,
12480 Pebble Hills, hosts a book sale 11 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. with hardcover
books, fill-a-bag paperbacks, magazines, and
more. Rummage items inside bookstore.
Information: 921-7001.
Journalism on the Border — Las Cruces
Press Women host a free panel discussion on
border journalism 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday,
Feb. 28, at Branigan Memorial Library, 200 E.
Picacho, in Las Cruces. Speakers are Mónica
Ortiz Uribe of the Frontera Desk, Diana
Washington-Valdez of the El Paso Times, Molly
Molloy of the Frontera List, and Angela
Kocherga of KHOU. Information: (575)3123242 or [email protected].
Southwest Book Awards — The annual
Border Regional Library Association Awards
Banquet is Saturday, Feb. 28, at Ardovino’s
Desert Crossing, One Ardovino Drive in
Sunland Park. The event honors the latest
works of area authors, and also awards scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students
pursuing degrees in library/media. The BRLA
librarian and library staff member of the year
also will be honored. Cocktail hour begins at 6
p.m., buffet dinner at 7 p.m. Cost: $35.
Reservations by Feb. 20. Information: brla.info.
El Paso Scene
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