I spoke to the Portland Rotary Club last week and in preparation for that talk, I thought a lot about what it is about art and local venues that are important to our day to day quality of life. I mean, why should people care whether we have an arts presence at all? Who needs all that artsy fartsy stuff, anyway? There are, after all, certainly more demanding issues to tackle like domestic violence, world hunger, peace, oil spills, etc. - not necessarily in that order, of course.

So, I tried to imagine a world that certainly functioned but had no art. Our cars and boats would all look the same. One house would look just like another. There would be no music on the radio; only talk, talk and more talk. TV? The same - talking only: no stories to portray and no theme music. No movie theaters to serve as a brief escape so you can rest your brain for awhile. Your walls at home and at your workplace would be bare. No painted pictures, no sculpture, and no colors to soothe or stimulate. Your trips to the grocery store would have shelf after shelf of white boxes and cans with black lettering describing the contents. No pictures to represent what's inside. Function all around but without the textures, colors, and inspiration that art provides.

I don't know about you but that's not really appealing to me at all. Our local arts centers afford a proving ground for artists be they musicians, actors or visual composer that touch your world in ways you may not have considered before. It's about giving us the inspiration, hope and beauty that in turn provides the space to consider solutions to the major issues we've got to solve. Support your arts centers throughout this region - with your time, money and patronage. They make a major contribution to our communities.

Upcoming Artisan Events:

• Friday, June 4, 5:30 - 7:30 - "First Friday" Opening Reception. "Guys and Dolls" Art Exhibit. Art Center for the Islands. Admission: Free.
• Friday, June 4, 7:30 p.m. - "Jack and the Beanstalk" Houston Children's Theatre production. Port Aransas Community Theatre. Tickets: $15/$5.
• Tuesday, June 8, 7:00 p.m. - "Rialto Rhythms" Weekly Open Acoustic Jam. Rialto Theater. Admission: Free ($5 contribution suggested).
• Daily through June 12 - "Deborah Males and J.P. Morton" Art Exhibit. Rockport Center for the Arts. Admission: Free.
• Daily through June 23 - "First Look" Debut Art Exhibit by Norma Gafford and Mary Rush-Griffin. Main Gallery, Rialto Theater. Admission: Free.
• Fridays and Saturdays, June 25 through July 10, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 11 at 2:00 p.m. - "Showtime on the Showboat (or Don't Throw Garbage in the River)" Summer Melodrama. Live on Stage. Rialto Theater with special performance TBD at Sail South Texas 2010. Admission: $12.

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.

Art Meets Downtown

I returned not too long ago from a road trip to Orlando visiting two of my three kids. We didn't spend all of it on the interstate; taking the road less traveled from time to time. I saw some great inspiration for downtown areas where someone had obviously made it a priority to focus on and renovate their historic spaces. I took some footage of "The Rex" theater in Pensacola and pictures of some east Texas downtowns in the Longview area that had participated in Main Street programs. They were very interesting comparisons to the "la-la land" of Universal Studios in Florida which depicted landmarks of "downtowns" from around the country with faux storefronts interspersed with rides and exhibits.

Where do the lines get drawn when art and entertainment meet downtown design and development requirements? What role do the arts play in drawing folks into a region or a downtown area? Obviously, cultural potential is great as a tourist draw but also contributes to quality of life for the inhabitants in our area. Like most of you, artists struggle to maintain the balance between budget and needs (or, to be honest, "wants" since creating art is a bit below air, water and food on our survival scale).

I see the potential of where we could go and what we could show at our own little bend in the road. It's just a matter of fortitude and patience to continue to strive for it. In the meantime, artists will keep throwing their pots, painting their pictures, singing their songs, and acting their hearts out on the stage for you. Spend some time this week showing your appreciation for the difference they make for our communities here!

Upcoming Artisan Events:

• Thursday, May 20, 7:00 p.m. - "The Three Little Pigs" Houston Children's Theatre production. Port Aransas Community Theatre. Tickets: $15/$5.
• Tuesday, May 25, 7:00 p.m. - "Rialto Rhythms" Weekly Open Acoustic Jam. Rialto Theater. Admission: Free ($5 contribution suggested).
• Daily through June 2 - "Hot Shot Photography" Art Exhibit. Art Center for the Islands. Admission: Free.
• Friday, June 4, 7:30 p.m. - "Jack and the Beanstalk" Houston Children's Theatre production. Port Aransas Community Theatre. Tickets: $15/$5.
• Daily through June 12 - "Deborah Males and J.P. Morton" Art Exhibit. Rockport Center for the Arts. Admission: Free.
• Daily through June 23 - "First Look" Debut Art Exhibit by Norma Gafford and Mary Rush-Griffin. Main Gallery, Rialto Theater. Admission: Free.
• Fridays and Saturdays, June 25 through July 10, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 11 at 2:00 p.m. - "Showtime on the Showboat (or Don't Throw Garbage in the River)" Summer Melodrama. Live on Stage. Rialto Theater. Admission: $12.

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.

Art & Music in the Coastal Bend

The Art Center for the Islands in Port Aransas has been running their non-profit member organization since 1996. They have over 200 member-artists. One of their great annual fundraisers is coming up. "Fiesta de Mayo" kicks off this long, active weekend starting off with dinner and an auction on Thursday evening at the Port Aransas Community Center. Then, go and enjoy the artists participating in the Art Festival on Saturday and Sunday on the grounds of the historic Tarpon Inn.

This showcases some wonderful, unique artists around the state but, more importantly, you'll meet some local artists who normally don't exhibit at art shows. So, you'll see a range of work not normally seen outside of galleries or their private studios. Last year's show was quite diverse in its offering even though the courtyard at Tarpon Inn is a rather small show space.

Monday night brings the events of the weekend to a close. My favorite event, the Songwriter's Showcase, has been going strong for the last twenty-seven years and is a great way to enjoy wonderful music while supporting the Art Center's cause of bringing art to the public. This year, for the first time ever, it's taking place at Cinnamon Shore, a relatively new seaside development on HIghway 361 outside of Port Aransas. Come join me for some great music with a backdrop of waves hitting the shore. Should be an awesome weekend of art and music!

Upcoming Artisan Events:

• Saturday, May 15, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - "Deborah Males and J.P. Morton" Opening Reception. Art on exhibit through June 12. Rockport Center for the Arts. Admission: Free.
• Thursday - Monday, May 13-17 - "Fiesta de Mayo" Art & Songwriter Annual Fundraiser for Art Center for the Islands. Multiple locations; call Art Center for info. Admission: Varies.
• Tuesday, May 18, 7:00 p.m. - "Rialto Rhythms" Weekly Open Acoustic Jam. Rialto Theater. Admission: Free ($5 contribution suggested).
• Daily through June 2 - "Hot Shot Photography" Art Exhibit. Art Center for the Islands. Admission: Free.
• Daily through June 23 - "First Look" Debut Art Exhibit by Norma Gafford and Mary Rush-Griffin. Main Gallery, Rialto Theater. Admission: Free.
• Fridays and Saturdays, June 25 through July 10, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 11 at 2:00 p.m. - "Showtime on the Showboat (or Don't Throw Garbage in the River)" Summer Melodrama. Live on Stage. Rialto Theater. Admission: $12.

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.