Saturday night the Bath House Cultural Center was ablaze with the hustle and bustle of the opening reception of the 17th Annual El Corazon Art Exhibition. Dallas Artist Jose Vargas curated the exhibit and really hit a home run with his eclectic yet eerily cohesive mix of photography, painting, mixed media, and sculptural works. The idea of creating an opportunity for local artists to explore various artistic interpretations of the human heart was conceived by Mr. Vargas in 1993. Since then, this passionate and delightfully eclectic art show has featured diverse creations inspired by the heart (El Corazón), an important symbol in Mexican and Latin American art, and a significant theme in western culture.
This was my first time to participate in the show, and WOW, it was amazing! The energy of the crowd, perhaps reinforced by the subject matter of the evening, was indeed palpable.
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Me and fellow Artist and Designer Roy G. Vance, whose striking contemporary abstract pieces are available at Art is Art on Henderson and Dulce Interiors, among other lovely places. Find him on Facebook here!
A few photos, courtesy of Dallas Arts Salon. This was one of my favorite pieces of the evening. I didn't catch the Artist's name, so please pass it this way if you know.
The beautiful photography of Sharon Neal (left), and of course, my $.02 in the show, "As Within, So Without", the little painting that captured so much of my heart, mind and spirit as I used it to help me work through a difficult medical prognosis for our as-yet-unborn son. This is a true testament to the process of art as therapy.
The show will run through the end of February, and most works are available for purchase. The Bath House Cultural Center is located at:
521 E. Lawther Dr.
Dallas, TX 75218
Phone number: 214-670-8749
Beginning in 1993, Jose Vargas has organized the El Corazón art exhibition in Dallas, which gives artists an opportunity to explore various artistic interpretations of the human heart. Since then, this passionate and delightfully eclectic art show has featured diverse creations inspired by the heart (El Corazón), an important symbol in Mexican and Latin American art, and a significant theme in western culture.
i am so excited that the painting, "As Within, So Without" was chosen to be a part of this exhibit. This work is a very special one to me. It was created during an incredibly painful time last year as we endured a difficult pregnancy with my youngest son. He was diagnosed in utero with a rare birth defect in his lungs that left him with a very uncertain prognosis...there was a time when we were uncertain if he could even be carried to term. Doctors gave us what seemed like volumes of medical journals to read about his condition, and after reading them I wasn't sure what to do. Throwing them away just didn't feel right, nor did leaving them on my bedside table to constantly remind me what uncertain path laid before my son...it seemed like that never left my mind as it was. So I took them out to the studio, tore them up, and literally processed this information through my artwork as I collaged them into a series of paintings. In the end, we were blessed with a perfectly healthy baby boy, our little Miracle Mack. This painting serves as testimony of art as therapy and the power of putting out the energy in the world that you wish to receive back. the fact that this show is falling almost exactly on his first b-day is almost an uncanny coincidence.
Opening Reception is this Saturday from 7-9, at the Bath House Cultural Center and the show will run throughout the month of February. I am excited to be showing at this venue for the first time and feel honored to be exhibiting works among some of the area's most esteemed local talents.
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