On Thursday, May 5th, 2016, The Art Avenue Gallery hosted Memento 2, the second series of workshops imparted by artist Rhonda Doré. The success of the first Memento workshop resulted in more people wanting to learn about Doré’s creative process.During the workshop, Doré taught the attendees how to create amazing pieces with acrylic paint and collage.
Click on the image below to view the photo gallery of this event.
Make sure you also visit our Facebook page for the latest events.
Never a dull moment in this businessman’s life—with over 30 years in the industry, Doug Anthony Woloschek doesn’t slow down. Up at 4 a.m. everyday, he continues to look for innovative ways to step ahead of his competition in an industry some say is a dying breed. Woloschek, owner of Art Masters on El Paso’s Westside, attends continuing education classes on a yearly basis and recently traveled to a national conference and seminar in Las Vegas to master the art of framing—inviting a small group of gallery owners and artists to join him.
I traveled in late January for five days with Doug, the director of the Tom Lea Institute Arturo Flores, and artist Pat O’Winston to study the professional’s way of framing and brush up on design skills. Students from around the world journeyed to Las Vegas to learn from the masters in the industry offering 100 distinct classes, from colors and textures, technology and technique to educating the novices, enriching the masters and offering classes in marketing, social media and administrative practices.
Doug, the West Coast Art and Frame Expo is really a big event. For those that may not comprehend how this conference affects your business, can you walk us through the significance?
I have been attending this conference for six years. Each year I take staff members, and invite artists and gallery owners like you. This is an incredible opportunity to be taught by some of the masters in the art, design and framing world. There is an endless amount of classes you can take to enhance your level of education not just in framing, but also additionally in business and marketing.
Do you take your new employees or staff with tenure?
Both. There is so much to learn—from the basics to actually becoming a member of the master framers association, PPFA, which is Professional Picture Framers Association. They set the standards in framing.
Is being a member of PPFA similar to having a BA in framing?
Yes and no. Paul MacFarland, who is an internationally recognized master framer taught one of my classes this year. He has a MCPF (Master Certified Picture Framer) with over 30 years in the industry. He is a key instructor at the conference and every year they update the standards. You are introduced to the latest in product development. In his class we were shown what people are doing with reclaimed materials that doesn’t produce an outgas, which can harm your artwork. So they try and keep you updated in the latest technology and setting the international standards for preservation and conservation. There is a right way of conserving artwork and there is a wrong way.
Tell me about some of the classes you took.
This year was the third year in a row that I took a shadow box class. Each time I go to that class I learn 15-20 new things, just in that class alone. I learned new ways to use tulle to wrap items instead of gluing the work down; I studied Mylar wraps, new ways of hinging, creative cuts on mats, and viewed the latest trends in design frames. What is interesting is designers say the new wall color is white and trending colors this year are blue and pink! I also learned incredibly enough about object framing—like how to frame a violin in a conservation manner and believe it or not, I learned ways to connect in the social media world.
We both attended a class on hinging. What did you take away from it and how can you apply that information to your business?
Hinging is the process of holding the artwork in place to attach to a mat or foam board. In doing so by direct contact it needs to be executed properly in a preservation manner—this is incredibly important. There are different ways the professor showed us, for example rice starch is brushed on the back side of the rice paper and that allows for the adhesive to be placed on the back of the artwork that won’t do any damage to the artwork and the process is reversible. I am going to be offering a class at my store in the spring on hinging this year because it is so vital to preservation.
What was one of the biggest lessons learned?
You can take all of those classes every day of the week and constantly learn. This business keeps changing, adding layer upon layer. If you went last year and didn’t go this year, trust me you missed something as this industry is progressing and evolving. When you are getting 15-20 ideas out of class and then you are on sensory overload. This is why people need to return each year—you probably missed something because there is a vast amount of information packed into each session. What I heard from everyone that came with me was they had no idea of the depth of what it takes to properly frame. Even you, this was your second year Kimberly and you told us you were still amazed at the processes we as framers take, or should take.
What other aspects do you feel make this conference important?
The professors give you their contact information and you can call or email whenever you want with any questions. They also provide you with access to the PDF and PowerPoints presented during the class. Just because the class is over, doesn’t mean your access to your professors and their wealth of information is over. I recently reached out to one of my professors for a PowerPoint on how to float a piece of bark that came in from the Congo that was going on display for the Emerald Abyss exhibition at the Centennial Museum at The University of Texas at El Paso. There is a special process it takes and skipping a step will cost the integrity of the piece you are trying to preserve. He was happy to help out.
What are your next steps? Are you ready to execute what you learned in the conference?
We are designing a new sign for outside the store, ramping up our website and starting a social media program. We are re-investing in our company to allow our customers to tap into events and workshops that we will sponsor at the store, partnerships we are developing and new services we are excited to add. For an industry that appears to be a “dying breed” we are blessed to continue to offer our services to the community.
It’s currently one of the largest and most prestigious installations of contemporary art in El Paso. Spanning seven different media and over four decades of work, Knot: The Art of Sebastián features 53 pieces of art from the internationally acclaimed Mexican sculptor Sebastián at the El Paso Museum of Art.
“He’s one of Mexico’s most important contemporary master artists, with a tremendous influence on younger generations all around the world,” says the Consul General of Mexico in El Paso, Jacob Prado Gonzalez. The Chihuahua-born artist’s mix of math, science and culture in his large-scale steel and concrete structures has intrigued the art world for nearly half a century. “The technology of the moment is always present in my work. Art, science and technology create a better man—a better understanding as a person,” says Sebastián.
Two years in the making, the show is quite the get for the El Paso Museum of Art. “It’s very important,” says Christian J. Gerstheimer, who curated the show. “To show contemporary Mexican art in El Paso is not done that often. Our biennial event includes Mexican artists, but to focus work on one particular artist is important.” The exhibit (which runs now through June 5) spans Sebastián’s career, featuring his latest work as well as pieces from his breakthrough series from the 1970s, Transformables and Desplegables. All of these mind-bending pieces are simultaneously feats of manual labor, design, engineering and mathematical paradoxes. “My thoughts and my brain processes things in a different manner—I view things in a different world,” said the artist.
“He visualizes these mathematical concepts and forms and that’s not as easy as it sounds,” said Gerstheimer. “Steel and iron aren’t always cooperative mediums, but he’s made them very effective.” On display are several pieces from Sebastián’s most recent series Parallel Universes, which makes reference to, among other complex notions, Chaos Theory. “Torus Knot” is a six-foot-tall circular structure, enclosed by purple rungs of twisting metal. “It’s truly amazing to figure out how he did that,” said Gerstheimer, who says he’s been reading up on subjects from Cosmology to fractals in preparation for the show.
Making reference to those two very subjects, the exhibit features a piece from the artist’s early-90s series Cultivated Sculptures. The steel and iron work was submerged in the ocean for two years, becoming encrusted with fractal-patterned coral. “The fact that the corals accumulate on this sculpture and add to it and become a part of it is something he doesn’t really control but he does,” said Gerstheimer. “It’s a collaboration with nature.” The show also includes a video component, presenting Sebastián’s work process, and explaining the more intricate theories of his work.
Even the element of color—most of his pieces are monochromatic—becomes anything but simple through Sebastian’s eyes: “My sculptures are made monochromatic because there are so many different values of color within the one color used, especially when they receive light. The light brings all of the colors in the spectrum. If you pay attention, the light transforms and bathes the work in a manner that creates various colors.
Although you can find Sebastián’s work from Japan to Switzerland, his Mestizo culture and the border region remain consistent themes in his art. “The colors [in my work] have a lot to do with the colors of the mountains of my land, my hometown, mi tierra. The different colors that reflect on the mountains as the sun sets, the deep oranges, yellows and reds that then turn into purple, and blue hues,” said the acclaimed artist, who was born Enrique Carbajal González, adopting his pseudonym after Botticelli’s painting of Saint Sebastian. “The origin of my roots is my constant influence…I choose to work with such brilliant colors because I am Mexican. My perception of color is painted and embedded in my culture.”
Most recently in the region, Sebastián presented “Esfera Cuántica Tlahtolli,” a large spherical sculpture, to the University of Texas at El Paso for the school’s Centennial Celebration in 2014. Also in the area are “La Equis” (the bright red X-shaped sculpture stands nearly 200 feet tall at the south bank of the Rio Grande in Juarez) and “Aguacero” (the 45-foot-tall steel sculpture depicting a desert rainstorm found at the Paso Del Norte international bridge).
Reflecting over his 40-plus year career, which includes architectural design, painting, jewelry making, public art, costume design and multimedia productions,
Sebastián said, “Each piece has love, attention, care and time invested in them. When an artist creates a piece, they are all excellent, they are each a work of art. I believe that I have achieved that with each piece, with each work in my career. There is no point in creating a mediocre work of art.”
El Paso Artist Rhonda Doré often props a blank canvas against a set of drawers near her easel.
As she works on one piece of art, applying layer after layer, she’ll dash streaks of paint onto the blank canvas below.
“I hate a white canvas,” Doré said. “The first thing I do is just cover it with something—anything. I mean, I’ll grab any random color, just to cover that white—it’s so accusatory.”
For Doré, the blank white page is like a mystery—daunting to behold, yet full of potential. It’s not until she begins covering the canvas that she begins uncovering the mystery of what the work could someday become.
“It’s like stepping into the void, every single time,” Doré said of creating abstract art. “Sometimes things come to you while you’re working, and you don’t even know where they came from. It’s amazing to watch the unfolding of it.”
Doré’s work is slated for an exhibit March 11 at Art Avenue Gallery, 1618 Texas St. Suite E. Titled Above & Below, the exhibit features artworks from two of Doré´s recent series: The Archaeology of Memory and Where Things Bloom.
Doré’s abstract paintings, built in layers, rich in color and texture, often contain hints to hidden mysteries—stories that tell of the passage of time and of “the small, meaningful occurrences in our lives,” according to her artist’s statement.
Doré is vice president and group creative director at Sanders/Wingo, an El Paso advertising agency.
About 15 years ago, one of Doré’s clients invited her to a continuing education art class at UTEP.
“The first day, they gave us the primary colors on a paper plate, and I mixed mud,” she said. “I mean, everything was just brown. I had no clue what to do.”
But Doré stuck with it. Eventually, she discovered she had a fondness—and a talent—for abstract painting. She began exploring art theory, listening to podcasts about artists and searching for methods she could adapt into her work. Despite her full-time position at the advertising agency, she carved out time to paint. And her desire to master the craft fed into her passion for it.
“The more that you do of anything, the better you become,” Doré said. “And there’s a reason for that. You learn things other people can’t teach you. If you want to draw a picture of a bird, you better draw 50 pictures of a bird. And pretty soon, you’re going to go, ‘Look, I can draw a picture of a bird.’”
Las Cruces resident Ron Fritsch, who retired in December from Sanders/Wingo, said he’s followed Doré’s work and process for about a decade.
“She’s had tremendous growth in her work,” said Fritsch, who’s also an artist. “It has a spontaneous look to it. It’s very carefree, but, at the same time, precise.”
Doré’s works contain scraps of paper surrounded by layers of textured paint. She collects these papers from places so wide and varied as to defy categorization: garage sales, alleyways, junk stores, foreign countries and more.
“Everybody has papers attached to their lives,” Doré said. “They help tell your story. Whether you like it or not, you’ve got a birth certificate, you have a driver’s license, a courthouse record. Everybody has something…And, to me, those kinds of papers are the fascinating ones.”
Part of that fascination stems from each paper’s mysterious history, Doré said. For example, she once bought a box of papers that belonged to a Kansas farmer named Harold Nelson. She included one of Nelson’s old checks in a painting that would later be exhibited at the El Paso Museum of Art.
“As I worked on the painting, I found myself thinking about Mr. Nelson every once in a while,” Doré said. “I wondered, ‘What was he like? Who was he?’”
She later did some detective work and found an online listing for Nelson’s headstone in a church graveyard.
Before presenting the piece, Doré made a press release, and, on a whim, sent it to newspapers near the Kansas town where Nelson had lived. She hoped to find someone who knew him—someone who might find it interesting that one of Nelson’s old checks “would be hanging on the wall of a museum. ”
To Doré’s delight, an editor rang her on the phone.
“He said, ‘Harold Nelson was my very best friend,’” she recalled.
Doré and the editor had a long chat. She learned that after Nelson died, his adopted children organized an estate sale. The newspaper editor attended the sale. He tried to buy as many of Nelson’s personal items as possible, so as to keep them from scattering, but he evidently “missed this box,” as Doré put it.
Before hanging up, Doré agreed to send the box of papers to the editor. In return, the editor sent her a photograph of Nelson.
“For me, it was proof that every little thing has a story,” Doré said. “You may not know the story, but it’s got one. And that’s a wonderful mystery to explore.”
The Art Avenue Gallery presents
NORTHERNMOST: FRAGMENTS OF AN ARTIC FIELD SEASON
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Argentinian photographer Florencia Mazza Ramsay spent years jaunting from one private island to another capturing the latest fashion and automotive trends—but nine months ago, she traded in her Prada heels for something warmer to visit Barrow, Alaska. The trip, which took her thousands of miles away from the desert Southwest, found her in the Antarctic producing thousands of images to document the change in culture, climate and direction of a small yet impactful heritage.
NORTHERNMOST: FRAGMENTS OF AN ARTIC FIELD SEASON is the premiere exhibition for Ramsay since returning from Alaska last year. After traveling for three months with UTEP graduate students, professors and international scientists, she hopes to share her experiences with the world.
Ramsay’s past portfolios include work for Ralph Lauren, Porsche and Juxtapoz. After some time analyzing life and its voices, Ramsay delved into documentaries that express an expansive collection of life, its challenges and changes. Her black and white digital images captured life’s experiences with the residents of this deeply isolated area and provide an artists journey into the climate changes they endure.
“This is a powerful presentation of images Ramsay compiled from her time in Barrow. I couldn’t think of a better time to display her work, allowing El Pasoans a glimpse of life beyond our own borders, conceptualizing how others live on a border thousands of miles away which contribute to the isolation of those lines,” said gallery owner, Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek.
“I had to leave everything in El Paso to go to the middle of nowhere. It’s the complete opposite of what life is in El Paso—there is a lot of sacrifice to gain this knowledge. My main purpose was to document scientific effort and the way of life of the local culture and how they react with a very threated environment,” said Ramsay.
The premier of Ramsay’s exhibit serves as a platform for future documentaries in the region. NORTHERNMOST: FRAGMENTS OF AN ARTIC FIELD SEASON will kick off Thursday, April 14 at 6 p.m. and continue through May 5, 2016. A workshop led by the artist will be revealed during the opening exhibition.
The Art Avenue Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Monday and Saturday by appointment only, at 1618 Texas Ave. Suite E. For additional information or questions, please email info@theartave.com or call 915.213.4318.
On Thursday, March 24, 2016, The Art Avenue Gallery hosted the workshop titled: Memento, a workshop imparted by artist Rhonda Doré. During the workshop, Doré talked about her creative process and how that leads to the creation of her unique paintings. By the end of the evening, the attendees had learned how to paint unique pieces that where both rich in color and texture.
Click on the image below to view the photo gallery of this event.
Make sure you also visit our Facebook page for the latest events.
The University of Texas at El Paso’s loss is Kent State University’s gain. Visiting Assistant Professor Demitra Ryan Thomloudis was working in the metals department for the 2014-2015 academic year when she was offered to head the Jewelry/Metals/Enameling program at Kent State University in Ohio. She is currently settling into her new position and found it hard leaving El Paso after making strong connections at UTEP, with both faculty and the community. The Art Avenue met with Thomloudis to discuss her influences, her message and her future.
You just moved from Texas to Ohio, what are your plans for 2016?
I am currently in the process of settling into my new studio and new academic life here. I will be continuing my research with the hopes to continue to build new material vocabularies for future projects.
How does material and techniques influence your work?
Materials are a major aspect of my practice and truly the driving force behind my work. Aspects of material I feel can speak loudly and signal significant information to the viewer.
What materials do you typically work with?
I typically work with industrial materials that are commonly associated with architecture or construction. I am interested in how these materials can be repurposed within the context of jewelry.
Is there a message you are hoping to create through your design?
My work directly relates to architecture and the built environment. I aim to create jewelry that captures a moment between material, time and place that purposefully interacts with human form. By relating to the aesthetics of architecture in this way I see jewelry having the potential to connect us closer to the world we are surrounded by.
As you are designing and creating your works, do you envision the individual that would be wearing your pieces?
No, I see my work as being universal to all.
What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on a personal body of work and a collaborative collection of works Influenced by a distinctive stretch of the Interstate 10 corridor that links the metropolitan cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez to the sweeping landscape of Las Cruces. The result of these works will be debuted in an exhibition entitled Cross Pass which presents new and collaborative works by myself and Motoko Furuhashi as we explore this unique country/state border region.
Together we aim to create works within the construct and intentions of jewelry/object to enable an intimate physical connection between the body and the vastness of our surroundings. We are devoted to this particular stretch of highway as the baseline for our personal and shared inquiries, and respond to a land awash with dramatic terrain, vernacular architecture and a multitude of boundaries.
The current works we are showing in the magazine reflect the landscapes of El Paso—can you tell our readers a little more about this?
Yes, this work is part of five other works all entitled “Viento: BLOCK.” These pieces are made from concrete, steel and pigmented with bright colors. The forms, materials and colors are all reminiscent of the surrounding architecture and landscape of the El Paso area.
How did you start in this field?
It was by accident. I originally went to school to study medical illustration. I took a class as an elective course in jewelry and was totally hooked. I had to change my major that same year.
Do you feel your interest in medicine has overlapped into your current works at all?
When I look back, I think my interest in the body has always been the driving force for my creative inquires. Medical illustration fulfilled that at one point, but what it was missing was materiality. I am absolutely in love with traditions of Metalsmithing and its possibilities. With this training I see and explore materials through the eye of a jeweler, which allows me to present materials differently than lets say a sculptor. I see this as a distinct advantage.
What challenges do you encounter to find a receptive audience to your unique style of work?
The challenge for me is that my work is not typically what you think of when you think of jewelry. I am constantly fighting an uphill battle, but at the same time I asked for it. I want to challenge what jewelry is. I make work that makes you think about the possibilities of what jewelry can be or what is presented as such. I see jewelry as being an expressive art form just like any other medium such as painting or sculpture. My work is not static, it is complete when worn on the body and therefore operates within the realm of Jewelry.
Do you have any mentors or inspirational individuals who played a key role in guiding you along your career?
I am lucky to be among and supported by a spectacular mixture of both established and emerging talent since the time I was in school till this present day. This field is so very intimate that every individual I have met over the years has contributed or inspired me and my dedication to the crafts in some capacity. I am fortunate to have studied under Kathy Buszkiewicz, Matt Hollern and Sondra Sherman who have supported me countlessly over the years, and to have encouragement from mentors such as Renee Zettle-Sterling and Rachelle Thiewes.
On Thursday March 10, 2016, The Art Avenue Gallery was proud to host the works of artist Rhonda Doré. Attendees had the opportunity to experience the exhibition entitled Above and Below, at The Art Avenue Gallery, located on 1618 Texas Avenue Suite E. The exhibit featured artworks from two of Dore´s recent series: The Archaeology of Memory and Where Things Bloom.
Click on the image below to see the photos of this magnificent evening.
Make sure you also visit our Facebook page for the latest events.
El Paso, TX—Abstract painter Rhonda Doré’s new exhibit parallels the change in the weather in the Borderplex. In her collection Where Things Bloom the artist layered canvas with acrylic paint, placing soft hued petal shapes throughout the pieces. She challenges the viewer to create a story in each work of art, encouraging them to see the beauty of the natural world instead of the struggles within our own lives.
In her second series Archaeology of Memory Doré found inspiration in pieces of paper: a receipt, a diploma, a stub from a musical performance. She transforms a small tangible memory and creates a story through her application of mixed media collages on canvas. “These paintings are like ore. They reveal glimpses of metal and color like precious stones. I’m exploring a parallel between the inclusions in rock, and small meaningful occurrences in our lives,” said Doré.
A self-taught painter, Doré has been drawing and painting for the last 15 years, yet learning from podcasts and other web based programs to build her painting career. She is currently the vice president and group creative director at Sanders/Wingo, an El Paso advertising agency.
“This collection really shows a breakthrough for this artist with the use of metallics. It’s a bolder collection of colors,” said The Art Avenue Gallery owner, Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek. “Where Things Bloom takes a softer approach with her application of small petal-like pieces that appear to float throughout the canvas,” said Vanecek.
For those that follow Doré’s work, you will find her initial approach to painting hasn’t changed—she still wants each piece, no matter the size, to have a story. It may be the actual story from pieces embedded in the artwork, or it could simply be your own interpretation.
Above and Below: Where Things Bloom & Archaeology of Memory will be on display Thursday, March 10, 2016 through April 10, 2016. The Art Avenue Gallery will be hosting a workshop with Doré on Thursday March 26 at 6 p.m.
The Art Avenue Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Monday and Saturday by appointment only, at 1618 Texas Ave. Suite E. For additional information or questions, please email info@theartave.com or call 915.213.4318.
