Jackson Pollock said "It’s all a big game of construction, some with a brush, some with a shovel, some choose a pen." Mr. Pollock is an American Abstract Expressionist (how's that for a category?) artist who produced huge and chaotic pieces. Personally, his work doesn't "do it" for me but I agree with the general attitude that art is expressed through a variety of media, some not so traditional. It's a part of all of us, whether we think of ourselves in that way or not.
I've done a lot of remodeling and renovation work on old and not-so-old buildings. It's something I enjoy very much for a variety of reasons. There's a lot of creativity involved, a sense of leaving something better than I found it, and a chance to pass a home on to others who will live within it and enjoy it. It's put me into contact with a lot of contractors, very few of whom think of themselves as artists. But the ones who are very good at what they do are, indeed, artists. You see it in the exacting way they form joints, in how well they they sand wood for a finish, or how they share their thoughts during the process to improve on the original idea or design.
I believe the artistic and creative talents are all around us, beyond what most may think of as "traditional art" or "fine art." Take some time this week to look beyond the classic definition of art and enjoy!
- Fridays and Saturdays through August 30, 8:00 p.m. - "Who Was That Masked Man?" Live Melodrama. Harbor Playhouse. Admission: $13.
- Tuesday, August 18, 7:00 p.m. - "Rialto Rhythms" Weekly Open Acoustic Jam. Rialto Theater. Admission: Free ($5 contribution suggested).
- Sunday, August 30, 7:30 p.m. - "The General" Cinema Flashbacks Club, Rialto Theater. Buster Keaton at his best. Admission: Free to CFC members ($5 membership).
- Daily through September 6 - "Wild Spirits," paintings by Ingleside artist Jane Johnson. Rialto Theater Main Gallery. Admission: Free.
- Daily through September 3 - "2008 Member Merit Show Award Winners" Art Exhibit. Art Center for the Islands. Admission: Free.
- Daily through September 5 - "Standing Out" Members' Merit Show. Rockport Center for the Arts. Admission: Free.
- Fridays and Saturdays, September 11 through September 26, 7:30 p.m. - "Steel Magnolias" Live Stage Play. Preview on Thursday, September 10 Free to Marquee Members. Rialto Theater. Admission: $12.
- Fridays and Saturdays, September 18 through October 9 - "Broken Up" Live Stage Comedy. Port Aransas Community Theatre. Admission: $15.
Jen Jones is a member of the Board of Directors of the Rialto Theater, an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization fostering art and education through visual art, music and live stage productions in the historic movie theater in downtown Aransas Pass. Her day job is in real estate at Coldwell Banker Myers-Gallagher. If you have someone you'd like to spotlight in this column, drop her a line at jen@jenscoastalbend.com.
Jen Jones is a member of the Board of Directors of the Rialto Theater, an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable organization fostering art and education through visual art, music and live stage productions in the historic movie theater in downtown Aransas Pass. Her day job is in real estate at Coldwell Banker Myers-Gallagher. If you have someone you'd like to spotlight in this column, drop her a line at jen@jenscoastalbend.com.
