Staff Report | May 7, 2016 | Valley Star Inspire Magazine
HARLINGEN — Valley Proud Environmental Council is proud to announce Valley Impressions, an art show and silent auction organized in conjunction with and held at Beyond Arts Gallery, 114 North A Street, Harlingen.
The opening reception is on May 12 at 6 p.m. at Beyond Arts Gallery. The show will remain open until June 30.
Curator Charles Wallis, along with 10 other artists, will be showing unique pieces that celebrate the mission of Valley Proud. Each artist will contribute a piece of work for a silent auction and will be donating a portion of the proceeds to Valley Proud, a nonprofit organization, to aid in their efforts to preserve the natural beauty and environment of the Rio Grande Valley.
Artists include:
Wallis, a graduate of the Baylor University fine art program, paints in a traditional realistic style as well as impressionistic and abstract styles.
Kirk Clark, who was born in McAllen. He studied sculpture and drawing in the mid-1960s and graduated from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
Mark Clark, who commented, “My most notable work as an artist has been to create Galeria 409 in downtown Brownsville, a venue for the artwork of others, and a catalyst for the creation of paintings, sculpture, photography, music, performance art and poetry.”
Barbara German began as a middle school art teacher. She enjoys working in acrylic and mixed media. Each piece of her artwork has a special story or meaning attached.
Nancy Hampton Elliot has been exhibiting primarily in the Brazos Valley for the past seven years. She is a former art educator now working as a full-time artist. She holds a BFA in Visual Art from Auburn University and a teaching certification from Birmingham-Southern College.
Hailey Herrera works in watercolor, watercolor batik, ink and acrylic. Her art has found a home in many private and public collections around the world.
Jessica McBride was born in Edinburg. She studied commercial art and advertising at TSTC in Waco, and began her career in graphic design. After 15 years in the field, McBride shifted her focus to a full-time career in fine arts in 2004.
Jessica Monroe Martinez was born in McAllen. She holds a BA from Southwestern University and studied painting at New York University and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. For more than 15 years, Monroe has exhibited her work throughout Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.
Monika Pate was born and raised in Warsaw, Poland, and has a master’s from Warsaw University. Pate works with transparent watercolor. Her artwork is included in private and corporate collections in the United States, Poland and Germany.
Anna Varela was born in Phoenix and her parents settled in South Texas. She said, “Interestingly, my Mexican-American culture has played a significant role in the depiction of the scenes found in my work … in the creation of the characters found in my work; and in the teachings I have conducted.”
Benjamin Varela, born in Brooklyn, New York, is a Puerto Rican artist who has exhibited in Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City. In addition, his work is in many public collections.
