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Lubbock’s smART Summer Scene

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The often-unforgiving West Texas summer heat easily lends itself to an escape from the great outdoors. As such, one expects to find plenty of opportunities to settle into the air conditioning and watch one of the many entertainment channels. This year, however, many Lubbock children, ages 8-14, in foster care embraced an opportunity to hone their skills as budding artists at smART camps.

The Lubbock Arts Alliance, in partnership with the Texas Tech University International Cultural Center K-12 Global Education Outreach (TTU GEO), One Heart Foster Alliance, and Monterrey Church of Christ, provided three weeks of lessons in art from around the world.

Through learning about international cultures and creating different works of art each week, students traveled to the continents of Africa and India, and learned about art and architecture crafted in the North African Moroccan culture, the Holi Festival and painted elephants fashioned in India, and studying beading and mask-making practiced in Africa.

For the first camp, the TTU GEO instructors taught the students about symmetry and patterns that are a part of Moroccan culture. The students designed a symmetrical pattern on a tile; then, on a larger piece of paper, the kids made an asymmetrical design and painted it with watercolor. Students also created artwork based on Moroccan architecture, crafted a mandala using image transfer, and observed Moroccan animals that inspired artwork using pointillism.

The following week at the second camp, the TTU GEO discussed Holi Festival traditions such as color-throwing and painting elephants. The students created designs on an elephant printout, and even did their own Holi Festival color-throw using brightly colored corn starch. Over the course of this second week’s camp, kids made a drawing of their own elephant and designed it with silver paint and watercolor, created artwork depicting gods and goddesses which they painted with acrylic paint, produced a pointillism painting using imagery from India, and painted a still-life on canvas from observation.

For the last camp, instructors from the TTU GEO led instruction on the various cultures and artistic techniques from the continent of Africa. The smART campers made hand-made beads using assorted colors of duct tape; they also enjoyed painting wooden beads and making necklaces and bracelets of their own design. Additionally, students handmade masks from paper mache using balloons, newspaper, and Mod Podge; they then had a chance to paint their masks.

Thank you for incredible summer memories Texas Tech University International Cultural Center K-12 Global Education Outreach, One Heart Foster Alliance, and Monterrey Church of Christ! Without the work of your organizations, this dream could not have become a reality: incredible camps designed to serve local children in foster care by enriching their lives through arts education. The smART camp series was a remarkable assembly of aspiring smARTists in the South Plains.

All the “Friendly Cowboys” are in Lubbock!

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The Lubbock Arts Alliance is proud to announce the completion of the “Friendly Cowboy Western String Band” public art series with the recent installation of two new large-scale pieces.

The “Amarillo Kid,” the yellow fiddle player and “Prairie Rose,” the red bass player join “Pinky,” the pink guitar player and “Blue the Friendly Cowboy,” the blue lead singer. Each member of the band measures 13’ tall, weighs 1,000-1,200 lbs., and is located on major thoroughfare in Lubbock.

They can be found at:

  • “Amarillo Kid” fiddle player – Marsha Sharp Freeway @ 19 th Street
  • “Prairie Rose” bass player – South Loop 289 Flyover & I-27
  • “Pinky” guitar player – Marsha Sharp Freeway & Avenue L
  • “Big Blue the Friendly Cowboy” singer – Loop 289 @ Spur 327 (outside the loop)

The artist for the “Friendly Cowboy Western String Band” series is B. C. Gilbert. Although sculpture is the media in which Gilbert finds the most opportunity, he also works in painting, print, and mixed-media. Gilbert has a BFA from Cameron University and MFA from Texas Tech University. He resides in Wichita Falls, Texas and his work has been showcased in solo, juried, and group exhibitions.

The “Friendly Cowboy Western Swing Band” will remain on display through next year as part of the Arts Alliance’ rotating public art collection PDA (Public Display of Art) in Lubbock. After 2023, new pieces of art will be selected to replace the current ones – ensuring that there is always something different to view at various intersections.

The project is a collaboration of Texas Department of Transportation, Tornado Industrial/Arts, and Lubbock Arts Alliance. The project is funded by the Sessions Family Foundation and the City of Lubbock/Civic Lubbock Cultural Grants Program as recommended by Civic Lubbock, Inc.

Have you said “HOWDY” to the Friendly Cowboys?

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The Lubbock Arts Alliance is proud to announce the addition of two new sculptures to its rotating public art collection, PDA (Public Display of Art) in Lubbock.

The “Friendly Cowboys” are 13’ tall, 750 lb. sculptures by artist, B.C. Gilbert. The Pink Cowboy is located at Marsha Sharp & Avenue L and the Blue Cowboy is at Loop 289 & Spur 327 (outside the Loop).

The “Friendly Cowboys” series is influenced by miniature figures made from horseshoe nails that are often credited to regional folk artists. Each “Friendly Cowboy” depicts a different member of a Western Swing Band. They are painted in vibrant colors to draw attention to their placement against the flat topography of Lubbock. The Blue Cowboy is the singer and the Pink Cowboy is the guitar player.

The artist, B.C. Gilbert, has a BFA from Cameron University and MFA from Texas Tech University. He resides in Wichita Falls, Texas and his work has been showcased in solo, juried, and group exhibitions.

PDA in Lubbock is the only project of its kind in the region. It takes existing pieces of public art and displays them for a period of two years. After that time, a new piece of art is selected to replace the current one – ensuring that there is always something new to view at various intersections! The collection currently displays work by Jeffie Brewer and B.C. Gilbert.

The pieces of public art are located at:

Jeffie Brewer, Artist

Orange Fox – Loop 289 @ Spur 327 (inside the Loop)

Purple Unicorn – South Loop 289 Flyover & I-27

Red Bunny – South Loop 289 & Quaker

Tiny’s Pink Flamingo – Marsha Sharp Freeway & 19th Street

Red Bird – 1106 5th Street (CASP)

Green Burd – 1500 Broadway (McDougal Companies)

ARTmadillo – 4000 24th Street (Covenant Children’s)

B.C. Gilbert, Artist

Blue “Friendly Cowboy” – Loop 289 @ Spur 327 (outside the Loop)

Pink “Friendly Cowboy” – Marsha Sharp Freeway & Avenue L

The project is a collaboration of Texas Department of Transportation, Tornado Industrial/Arts, and Lubbock Arts Alliance. The Texas Department of Transportation provides the concrete pads for the artwork and Tornado Industrial/Arts coordinates the logistics including installation and removal of each piece. The Arts Alliance facilitates the selection of public art pieces, contracts with selected artist, pays the artist and shipping fees, seeks additional funding, and promotes the program to residents and visitors. The project is funded by the Sessions Family Foundation and the City of Lubbock/Civic Lubbock Cultural Grants Program.

Janis Hubble Vanderpool Receives Statewide Recognition

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Janis Hubble Vanderpool was selected as “Volunteer of the Year” by the Texas Festivals & Events Association (TFEA) at their annual conference in San Antonio. She was nominated by the Lubbock Arts Alliance for her volunteer efforts on behalf of the organization and its marquee project the Lubbock Arts Festival.

“Volunteer of the Year” is one of the “TFEA Professional Awards” which recognize, honor, and reward outstanding accomplishments, and service to festivals and events across Texas. Selection criteria include leadership, significant depth of involvement, initiative, dependability, and enthusiasm.

In her service on the Board of Directors for the Lubbock Arts Alliance, Janis Hubble Vanderpool has proven to be a devoted member of the leadership team for the Lubbock Arts Festival, helping the event become the largest fine art and fine craft show in West Texas.

She has used her influence to bring new artists, arts organization, and sponsors into the Lubbock Arts Festival and currently chairs the Demonstrating Artist Area where she recruits, schedules, and facilitates unique and different artistic experiences. As one of the most popular attractions at the Lubbock Arts Festival, the Demonstrating Artist Area allows education and appreciation in the fine arts by allowing patrons the opportunity to see art being made and participate in the process.

Hubble Vanderpool has served in management, fundraising, logistics and marketing roles for numerous charitable endeavors. She founded the Llano Estacado Clay Guild and their signature event, “The Wine & Clay Festival,” which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2022. She parlays her business savvy into making each event a success, while shying away from any credit or praise.

Elizabeth Grigsby, Executive Director for the Lubbock Arts Alliance, says “Janis truly has a servant’s heart and works for the betterment of those causes which she holds near and dear; more especially those with an emphasis on the art and arts education. She is amazing in every way and deserves to be honored as ‘Volunteer of the Year’.”

TFEA is a professional trade association for festivals and events planners, volunteers, and suppliers from across the Texas. It is an official affiliate of the International Festivals & Events Association, the premiere professional association supporting festival and event leaders worldwide.

The Lubbock Arts Festival Named “Best In Texas”

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The 2021 Lubbock Arts Festival was honored as the “The Best in Texas” by the Texas Festivals & Events Association (TFEA) at its annual conference in San Antonio. This award recognizes the Lubbock Arts Festival as the “Best Overall Event” in the state in its budget category.

“We are absolutely thrilled to receive this prestigious award,” said Elizabeth Grigsby, Executive Director, of the Lubbock Arts Alliance, the group responsible for the Lubbock Arts Festival. “Each year we work countless hours to have the best event possible and it is wonderful to have those efforts recognized.”

Over 175 entries were received for the annual “Kaliff Marketing Awards Competition,” a highlight of the annual TFEA conference. Entries were received from throughout the state including the cities of Tomball, Plano, Weatherford, Richardson, San Antonio, Waco, and McAllen. The “Best Overall Event” was selected by an independent panel of professionals based upon image, uniqueness, overall impression, supporting materials, and measurable results of the event.

The Lubbock Arts Festival won an additional six marketing awards in the categories of: Best Event Program, Best Miscellaneous Print Material (single page), Best Cover Design, Best Event Invitation, Best Miscellaneous On-Site Décor, and Best Emergency Preparedness & Risk Management.

TFEA Executive Director, Kay Wolf, said “the goal for festivals and events is to create memorable experiences and signature, destination events that are unrivaled in their entertainment value, as well as all other elements associated with such programs.”

TFEA is a professional trade association for festivals and events planners, volunteers, and suppliers from across Texas. It is an official affiliate of the International Festivals & Events Association, the premiere professional association supporting festival and event leaders worldwide.