EPMA

poetry

, , ,

Process and Poetry

Two local artists are well received at the El Paso Museum of Art

El Paso’s cache of talented artists is being noticed on a larger scale in the Borderplex.  PROCESS AND POETRY: The Graphics of Kim and Terri Bauer is drawing a notable crowd at the El Paso Museum of Art since opening in January of this year.

Continuing the Museum’s commitment to showcase the careers of local artists, this exhibition pairs the husband-and-wife team Kim and Therese (Terri) Bauer; both have devoted their professions to the graphic arts and experimenting with multiple materials and methods. “Kim specializes in printmaking, but combines a lot of different techniques, such as lithographs, screen printing, etching, among other mediums. Terri specializes in drawing, but also combines a lot of different techniques such as graphite, collage and stenciling, “said Patrick Shaw Cable, senior curator at the museum. The title for the exhibition came to Cable when, as he said, he realized he wanted to showcase the multiple styles within their recent works.

There are currently 50 pieces on display in the exhibit and according to their press release, museum coordinators agree ,“both of their bodies of work possess an evocative bridge between representation and abstraction, as well as the treatment of ordinary architecture, objects or figures in a manner that transforms these elements into suggestive glyphs or symbols on the paper support.”

“Viewers will appreciate the suggestive layering and alchemy of visual and material transformations that characterize the works of both these accomplished specialists in the graphic arts of drawing and printmaking,” said Cable.

Kim and Terri Bauer have also mentored numerous students over many years in the Department of Art at the University of Texas at El Paso, where Kim is an associate professor and Terri an advisor and drawing lecturer. The Bauer’s received their BFA degrees from Michigan State University and their MFA degrees from East Michigan University. While Kim and Terri have each exhibited through the years in various group shows at the El Paso Museum of Art, this is the first EPMA exhibition dedicated solely to their work, with a focus on recent production.

The exhibit is on display until June 4 but if you can’t make it, the museum plans on purchasing a few of the works for its permanent collection.

Photos Courtesy of El Paso Museum of Art

Kim Bauer (American, b. 1956)
Mistaken in Charlevoix IV, 2016
Lithograph, sceenprint,and chine collé on paper
Studio of the artist
Therese Bauer (American b. 1958
Two boys, 2010
Mixed media and punched holes on neoprene
Studio of the artist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROCESS AND POETRY:  The Graphics of Kim and Therese Bauer
El Paso Museum of Art
On display through June 4, 2017
Didi Rogers Special Events Gallery
Elpasoarttmuseum.org
915.212.0300

curating_class 1

, , , , , ,

Curating the Classroom

This past March, students and teachers from three El Paso elementary schools had the unique opportunity to interact with Sebastián, a world-renowned Mexican sculptor. The experience was made possible due to a collaboration between the El Paso Community Foundation, the El Paso Museum of Art and Philosophical Systems Institute.

curating_3

In 2011, the Community Foundation established The Classroom Fund to provide resources directly to teachers and classrooms at the front lines of education. Since its inception, the fund has given out more than $500,000 in resources to classroom teachers.  This year, the Foundation is partnering with the El Paso Independent School District and Philosophical Systems Institute to present a pilot program called Active Learning Through the Fine Arts. Imagine a classroom filled every day with music, dance and visual art. Imagine children having the opportunity to work with professional artists—learning through creative exploration. This is the world the El Paso Community Foundation and its partners s hoping to build.

curating_4Students at three elementary schools —Burnet, Coldwell and Hillside—have daily experiences with the arts and arts integrated lessons in math, science, language and other subjects. “Research consistently demonstrates that regular participation in fine arts strengthens academic and social development, increases test scores, and raises graduation rates,” said Eric Pearson, President of the El Paso Community Foundation. “We want to make sure all students in El Paso have access to the arts.”  The program will expand to three new schools next year and the long-term goal is to reach out to other districts.

When the El Paso Museum of Art wanted to have a teacher fellowship program in conjunction with their current exhibition KNOT: The Art of Sebastián, partnering with the Fine Arts Initiative program seemed like a perfect match.

curating_2

On the exhibition’s opening weekend, teachers participated in a workshop with Sebastián, and 176 first through fifth grade students from the pilot schools took a field trip to the museum to explore Sebastian’s work through a series of hands-on activities. “The students’ responses were amazing,” said Stephanie Otero, project director with the El Paso Community Foundation. “His work is not only accessible to children, it speaks to them.”

curating_1Following the visit to the museum, teachers and students continued to explore the mathematics and construction of Sebastián’s sculptures through activities at their schools. The students studied and experimented with 2D and 3D surfaces through storytelling and physical models.  The end result?  An exhibition by the students in response to Sebastián’s work—attended by the artist himself. The exhibition, A Conversation Among Artists, will open May 21 at The El Paso Museum of Art. “The students cannot wait to see their art in a real museum,” Otero said.

harmonious_feat

, , ,

Harmonious Metal

An international sculptor whose work is heavily influenced by his musical training recently dedicated “Flame of Friendship” (“Flama De La Amistad”), an abstract polished stainless steel statue, to the El Paso Museum of Art.

“Flame of Friendship” by Leonardo Nierman
“Flame of Friendship”
by Leonardo Nierman
El Paso Museum of Art;
Isha Rogers Sculpture Mezzanine

Mexican master sculptor Leonardo Nierman, known for his sculptures that reproduce movement and harmony, officially unveiled “Flame of Friendship” (“Flama De La Amistad”), on October 15, as a gift to the community of El Paso from the people of Mexico. The work symbolizes the deep friendship shared by Mexico and the United States. Realized in stainless steel, the abstract work stands 15 feet tall and features fluid, flowing forms. The work, both ethereal and strong, embodies Nierman’s attention to gesture and reflection, and his melding of implied figuration and refinement.

Nierman spoke about the inspiration he derives from the concept of harmony. “There is a freedom in the joy of flying, not only like a bird, but also like a leaf on a tree that, with the wind, it travels…there is no limitation and there is this desire for harmony. There is a harmony that I feel is something that the human race needs,” said Nierman in a recent El Paso Times interview.

Nierman originally planned to become a violinist, and though his artistic practice eventually took a different direction, his years of musical training continue to play a major role in his art, inspiring his painting and sculpture. Nierman studied business and graduated from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in 1951. However, the artist had started to paint and committed to become a professional visual artist. Nierman has earned an international reputation and his works can be viewed all over the globe. Examples of his monumental sculptures can be viewed throughout Mexico, the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. Notable publically exhibited works in other media include a mural commissioned for the Physics Department at Princeton University.  Nierman also designed stained glass windows for Temple Beth Israel in Lomas de Chapultepec. Among numerous international recognitions received, Nierman is a lifetime member of the Royal Society of the Arts in London and has been awarded the Palme d’Or des Beaux Arts in Monaco.

Back to Top
© The Art Avenue 2025
The Art Avenue magazine a premiere publication dedicated to the art, culture and design community. An archive of our past posts and publications can be found here.