Heart Of Texas

Top Graffiti

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Heart of Texas

Ever wondered which historical artist you are? pg 30

Unexpected treasures at the farmers market pg 14

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Table of ConTenTs

BiographiesLearn more about the contributors of this magazine.

Drawn to the EnvironmentArtists bring awareness about the environment through their art.

Which artist are you most like?Find out which artist you share the most traits with.

Small Museum with a Big impactAll about the official Mexican and Mexican American Fine Arts Museum of Texas.

Top 10 Most Popular Places to Spot Graffiti Places around Austin with popular graffiti.

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Letter from the Editor All about the editor and the process of making

this magazine.

Exploring Austin’s ArtAn overview of the art community in Austin.

Fresh Farmers

Market ArtAbout local art that can be found at farmers markets.

Can you make this?

Three simple ways to turn trash into art.

Austin GraffitiThe story behind graffiti around town.

How To Make Hoop ArtSteps on how to embroider hoop art.

Where to go for art in AustinDifferent art museums you

can go to in Austin

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about the authors

Maya Ferede likes to spend her free time

playing soccer, listening to music, cuddling with her dog,

taking pictures, hanging out with friends and nagging her

parents about finally learning to drive. Even as the Editor,

she was scared about the daunting task of making a maga-

zine at the beginning of the semester. However now she is

glad that she got to experience this with her friends, who

would describe her as odd, has cool hair, and smart. When

you find Maya hard at work she will probably also be sing-

ing High School Musical and eating dried apple chips, and

if you are lucky, she will share them with you.

Megan Ramsey enjoys soccer, food, mov-

ies, music, books, and travel. Throughout her life, she

hopes to go to as many countries as possible. She chose

to be part of an art magazine because she has always

been exposed to art, enjoys visiting art museums, and

likes photography. Megan can’t write anymore about

herself because she is still on the path to discovering who

she really is. She’ll leave you with some inspiring Enrique

Iglesias lyrics; Si una vez yo pudiera llegar/ a erizar de

frio tu piel/ a quemar que se yo, tu boca/ y morirme alli

despues.

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Mallory Graham enjoys playing lacrosse

and soccer, petting her cats, hiking, hugging random dogs,

traveling, taking photos, writing run-on sentences, eating,

and sleeping. Some more of her favorite things include

avoiding homework and her other responsibilities. Mal-

lory’s most favorite past time though is watching videos

of corgis and golden retrievers on Instagram, and pointing

out any dog that she sees in public. She decided to be a

part of this group because she loves visiting art museums,

and also enjoys creating art and takes art class at school.

Rachael Moon enjoys food and sleeping,

but the problem is she doesn’t like going to bed at decent

times, so she rarely gets sleep. Occasionally when she can

find a break from her busy schedule of sleep and eating

she does some pretty cool dancing and sometimes decides

to box too. Rachael has danced mostly her whole life, along

with creating other artsy things. Rachael is well known for

procrastinating. Ways she’s accomplished so much procras-

tination include: dance, boxing, art, eating, hanging out with

her problematic friends, etc. And this, my friend, is the end

of my weirdly 3rd person biography.

Kimmy Wilson enjoys hiking, swimming,

playing with her dogs, and spending time outdoors. Kimmy

also likes to fingerpaint and she believes that art is a su-

per cool, creative way to express yourself. She had a lot of

fun creating the art projects for her DIY art project spread,

and she learned so much about designing and the work put

into an actual magazine by being a part of this group. She

wrote her article about art and the environment, because

of her passion towards both topics and to spread aware-

ness about the importance of the environment.

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Letter from the Editor

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Welcome to our magazine! Our group had a lot of fun making the magazine, but also

a lot of other emotions, the one that seemed to always come back to us was stress.

The whole processes of making a magazine can make you want to pull out your hair

and have a tantrum, but thankfully everyone in our group was supportive to that one

person who felt that way when a deadline was coming up. We had a lot of fun times,

like when we were looking up pictures of cake online because we had to postpone

our cake party, or creating each other’s bios. I’m very proud of how our magazine

came together. We all worked very hard to make sure that the magazine was as good

as it could be, and we all hope you enjoy it!

The readers of Heart of Texas7309 Lazy Creek Dr., Austin, TX 78724

Sincerely, Maya Ferede

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Photos taken by Jenny Lu

Exploring

Austin’s Art Story by Maya Ferede

Explore Austin’s art and art community through the perspective of Austinites

A view of Austin’s skyline at night from Lady Bird LakeImage by Wikimedia

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birth and pregnancy and she has gotten more

than a few remarks from Austinites about them

not liking her work.

“I think

what we do as

artists is take in

the information

around us,” she says,

“Kinda let it cook

and then expel it

and sometimes that

process is messy and

painful but always

beautiful like birth is,”

says Conlay. There are a lot of different things

that could describe the art scene in Austin.

“There’s people of all walks of life here,

and people are just generally nice here, like

When most people think of Texas, at

first they think of cowboys, horses,

the desert and hillbillies. But Austin

is different. Even though it’s the capital of Texas,

it’s very different from the rest of Texas in

many ways. In fact, Forbes, a magazine all about

American business, has named Austin the fastest

growing city in the United States in 2015, and

that includes it’s art scene.

Austin’s art scene has a lot of different

elements to it. There’s a community for every

interest that you could have. Even if it seems so

obscure that no one else could possible share

that interest, in Austin, you can probably find

it. Why the art scene in particular is growing so

rapidly is what we are going to find out.

Austin has other things to offer besides

the art and growing art community. It’s not

called the live music capital of the world for

nothing, but the art community is just one of the

many things that you can

experience while living in

Austin or just visiting. One

of those things can be the

music in relation to the

art.

“I think sometimes

music goes hand in hand

sometimes,” says Nicole

Conlay, a freelance

artist here in Austin. She

has worked with a few

musicians and bands like Nautical Nation on their

album art with her background in graphic design

and that has helped her get some of her artwork

out there. Conlay’s work is mainly focused on

Artist Nicole ConlayImage by Maya Ferede

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Matthew Giclee by the artist Nicole ConlayImage by Nicole Conlay

you can get that diversity feeling other places,

especially in the North, but I don’t think people

are as nice as they are here,” says Conlay. “The

one thing about Austin that is really great is that

no matter what every

obscure thing you’re

into there’s like a huge

community devoted to it.”

Austin is known

for it’s weirdness. It’s

slogan is literally Keep

Austin Weird, so as

you can imagine there

are a lot of weird

subcommunities within the whole art community

like the psychedelics, the found object artists, and

many more.

“Every art facet has their own little

community,” says Conlay. “You can find whatever

you want to do and nerd out about, and there’s

always people who

feel the same way.”

Kathleen Brady

Stimpert, the director

of public relations at

the Blanton Museum

of Art in Austin, says

that the type or genre

of art that Austin

is infatuated with

right now is mid-century modernism. The love

for it is reflected in other things in Austin, like

the architecture designed by local architects and

furniture makers.

The Austin Business Journal calculated that

about 110 people move to Austin every day. That’s

about 40,150 people per year, and since there are

so many people moving to Austin, that adds more

people to the art community everyday.

“I think Austin has a tremendous reputation

as being a community that values arts and culture

and fosters collaboration amongst creatives,” says

Stimpert.

There are many art events in Austin like

the Eastside and Westside Studio tours, Pancakes

and Booze, and The Canopy. “I think the east side

is like a fantastic breeding ground for artists here

in Austin,” says Conlay.

According to Conlay there are a lot of

great ways to get exposure as a new artist, like

immersing in your art and injecting yourself into

”No matter what, every obscure thing you’re

into there’s like a huge community devoted to

it.”

The outside of the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin

Image by the Blanton Museum of Art

The Austin Creative Reuse logoImage by Austin Creative Reuse

“I think its a very young city and its growing so fast.”

any art show or art

event that you can. The

more things that you try

out the better chance

you have of finding the

community that best

fits you and fans that

appreciate your artwork.

“I think it’s a very young city and

it’s growing so fast and very open to new ideas,”

says Carole LeClair, the vice president of Austin

Creative Reuse, a nonprofit business that sells

reusable materials to the people of Austin.

LeClair says that what sets Austin

apart from other cities is that we are so

environmentally friendly, and that attracts artists

like found object artists that usually go to Austin

Creative Reuse. That helps us bring forward ideas

or trends that might not be recognized in other

cities because we are unique as a whole and

welcome anything that might be thought of as

thinking outside of the box.

Even though all of these sources seem to

do totally different and unrelated things, they are

all a part of the bigger picture. LeClair is at the

beginning giving the artists the supplies, Conlay

is the one who takes the materials and creates

something out of them and Brady showcases the

artist’s work. One couldn’t do their job without

the other. Without the artist to buy their supplies

LeClair’s business wouldn’t be able to stay in

business, without LeClair’s business artists like

Conlay couldn’t get the supplies they need to

make their art, and without Stimpert and the

places like the Blanton Museum artists wouldn’t

be able to show their art to

people who appreciate it. It’s

the never ending cycle of art

in Austin. ¤

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WHERE TO GOFOR ART IN AUSTIN

By Mallory GrahamLooking for some art? Here are some popular art museums in Austin that all feature a unique selection of art.

Elisabet Ney Museum

MexicArte MuseumUmlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum

If you prefer an outdoor

setting, you may want

to try the Umlauf Sculp-

ture Garden & Museum.

Located at 605 Robert

E Lee Rd, Umlauf is an

outdoor garden contain-

ing sculptures, with an

indoor gallery too. Ac-

cording to umlaufs-

culpture.org, adults

are $3.50, students/

seniors are $1, and

under 6 are free.

It is open Wed-Fri

10am-4:30pm, Sat-

Sun 1pm-4:30pm

Are you interested in Mexican and Latino art and culture? You may

want to visit MexicArte, the official Mexican and Mexican-American

Fine Arts Museum of Texas. It not only show exhibitions, but also

has a gift shop full of handmade art and gifts. Mexic-artemuseum.

org says that it is open Mon-Thu 10am-6pm, Fri-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun

noon-5pm. Adults are $5, students/seniors $4, under 12 are $1, free

on Sundays and during the month of December. Located at 419 Con-

gress Ave. Austin, TX 78701.

If you are more interested in learning about a spe-

cific artist and their work, you should consider the

Elizabet Ney Museum. Located in artist and sculp-

tor Elisabet Ney’s former studio at 304 E 44th

St, Austin, TX 78751, it showcases her European

portrait sculptures. According to austintexas.gov/

Elisabetney, it’s open from Wednesday-Sunday

12pm-5pm.

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Image by Wikipedia

The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria The Contemporary Austin - The Jones Center

Blanton Museum of Art

If you would like to see contemporary art, you’re in luck! The

Contemporary Austin is a museum with two locations in Austin,

one of which is The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria. This

location features art by diverse 20th-century artists, combines

history, art, and nature. Located at 3809 West 35th Street Austin

Texas 78703, the building is surrounded by lush gardens. Thecon-

temporaryaustin.org states that members are free, adults are $5,

seniors and students are $3, under 18

and military are free, and Tuesdays

are free. The Driscoll Villa is open

Tuesdays to Sunday 10am - 4pm, and

the grounds are open Monday - Satur-

day 9am - 5pm and on Sundays from

10am - 5pm.

The second location of the

Contemporary Austin is the

Jones Center. This museum

showcases contemporary

art, and is downtown at 700

Congress Avenue Austin,

Texas 78701. The website,

thecontemporaryaustin.org,

states that members are

free, adults are $5, seniors

and students are $3, under

18 and military are free, and

Tuesdays are free. It is open

Tuesday - Saturday 11am -

7pm, Sunday 12pm - 5pm.If you want to see Renaissance, Baroque, modern American, Lat-

in American, and contemporary art, you may want to consider

The Blanton Museum of Art. Located downtown on the Universi-

ty of Texas Campus at 200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin,

TX 78701, the Blanton not only includes exhibitions, but a cafe,

museum shop, and an outdoor plaza. According to blantonmuse-

um.org, adults are $9, seniors are $7, college student with valid

ID and youth (13-21) are $5; under 13 are free; free admission

every Thursday. Open Tue-Thu,10am-5pm (third Thursdays open

until 9pm), Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 11am-5pm, Sun, 1-5pm.

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Image by Wikipedia

Image by Wikipedia

Produce isn’t the only thing sold at farmers markets. Local art can also be found among the many food stands.

Story by Megan Ramsey

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Suzanne Cox’s handmade jewelry.Image by Megan Ramsey

Fresh Farmers Market Art

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At farmers markets you usually expect to find local farmers and ven-

dors selling their local pro-duce. You would never expect to find weavings, jewelry, paintings, or metal stamped materials. However, among those vendors selling food, you actually do find artists, for whom being a vendor is more than about making mon-ey. Their focus is on showing people the passion they have for the thing they love to do; create unique types of art and crafts. HOPE Farmers Mar-ket Director Anne Flusche has seen many become suc-cessful vendors at the farm-ers market. Two examples I have encountered are Chel-sea Bumgarner and Suzanne Cox. Selling art and crafts at the farmer’s market every weekend is not always an easy business, but for many, it’s worth it. Their hard work pays off-- not in money, but in the happiness that Cox says she gets from doing what she loves by selling at the farmers market. Accord-ing to Bumgarner, making sure artists’ products appeal to their target audience is an important part of what they sell because it gives them followers and loyal custom-ers. Luckily, their products fit right into what the usual

farmers-market-goers like. According to Nourish, the friendly environment, com-munity, and the atmosphere are why many people visit the farmers market. Frequent farmers-mar-ket-goers are supportive of the local community and they appreciate local goods. This gives artists supporters and followers. Cox, the artist be-hind Zanny Adornments, and Bumgarner, the owner and creator behind Sweet Thyme Design, are local vendors of art and crafts at farmers markets in Austin, Texas that

have gained loyal customers. Sustaining their businesses requires them to put a lot of effort into their products. Even if they don’t make any sales, they are still out there, marketing and representing their businesses. Like many others, Flusche enjoys the friendly and fun atmosphere of the farmers market. Ac-cording to Cox, the farmers market’s artisan community is a supportive group of people that is enjoyable to sell prod-ucts around. “What I like about the farmers market and markets

is; I’m here, I’m with my jew-elry, I’m telling you how I made it,” says Cox. Although it is great to be able to make money at farmers markets, to Bumgar-ner it is a big pro to just meet people and interact face to face with potential customers or simply someone from the community. This helps her get feedback so that she can look into what people like about her products. In a day and age where communication and shopping have turned to the internet, being able to communicate with your customers can be a positive thing for local artists. Becom-ing a vendor at the farmers is also a good way for art-ists wanting a way to test the waters with their art. For the vendors and directors of the farmers market, the biggest challenge is the weather, but luckily, there are still many dedicated customers that will go no matter what. “I think it’s a great place for artists to sell their goods,” says Bumgarner. “As long as they have the right products and price tags.” According to Flusche, the farmers market helps businesses grow and supports the local economy and artists. There are a wide variety of artistic vendors at the farm-ers market; jewelry,

“What I like about the farmers market and markets is; I’m here, I’m with my jewelry, I’m telling you how I made it.”

pottery, woodwork, pillows, socks, screen printed clothes, and leather goods. Bumgar-ner says that an online market doesn’t offer the same things as the farmers market, vendors get to hear their customers’ opinions first hand, they make connections and gain follow-ings. Cox looks at the farmer’s market as a place where there is never a bad day. She says that there are people absolutely in love with her work, which makes everything pay off. Even if it’s a slow day sale wise, the vendors still make those con-nections and get to be part of the market’s atmosphere. These artistic vendors say they love creating their products, that it’s their passion, which makes sell-ing at the farmers market worth it. Having a following when you sell art is important, and those customers can be gained at the farmer’s market where people appreciate local art. “Starting at a market can also be an inexpensive way to test the water for many busi-nesses,” says Flusche. “Especial-ly non-food artists.” Both Bumgarner and Cox say they love the one-on-one interaction they get with cus-tomers. Specifically, Bumgarner says that she is the happiest when she sees people enjoy the beauty at the farmers market, and when she’s creating and living in an inspiring environ-ment. It adds value and a story to the product, on both parts. Flusche says that as a market

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Chelsea Bumgarner stamping flatware at her farmers market stand. Images by Chelsea Bumgarner

The Sweet Thyme Design stand at the farmers market.

director, she likes helping busi-nesses grow and that she has seen successful vendors grow out of the farmers market. She says those vendors most likely started out with a simple tent, chair, sign, and market fee.

When they are creat-ing and selling their products that they have put their pas-sion into, many vendors at the farmers market are filled with joy that then keeps them going. And according to Bumgarner, putting love into creating her products is a very important thing to do for desirable end products. The farmers market is a place for people to join a community of like-minded people that appreciate similar things. Flusche says that keep-ing the atmosphere, sense of community, and making the market experience a good one is important to her job. “Everyone’s so happy and joyful because we’re do-ing what we love, you know! It’s not about the money, you know,” says Cox with a laugh, “It takes money to survive, but you know you just live a more simple life then.” ¤

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Suzanne Cox at her stand. Images by Megan Ramsey

Suzanne Cox’s handmade jewelry.

“Starting at a market can also be an inex-pensive way to test the water for many busi-nesses”

CAN YOU MAKE THIS?Each year, an American uses about 55 pounds of tissue paper; toilet paper being a big part of that. Also, over 80 billion aluminum soda cans are used each year. This creates a lot of trash and it harms the environment. However, what if we could turn some of this trash into art? Instead of throwing away your next soda can or toilet paper roll, try one of these simple DIY art projects made out of trash.Sources:http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html=http://www.carbonrally.com/challenges/36-paper-towels-environment

Candle Holder

First gather your supplies: a can, paint, paintbrush, candle, and drill. Clean and take paper off of can.

Next, use a pen to outline your shape. Make dents with a nail where you want the holes to be.

Carefully drill the holes with a thin, sharp drill bit. Hold the can with a sturdy grip so it doesn’t roll away.

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After you have drilled the holes, pick a color and paint! Once the paint dries put the candle inside.

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OctopusSupplies: toilet paper roll, scissors, pen, paint, googly eyes and whatever else you want to use to decorate.

Paint the toilet paper roll and wait for it to dry. Then, cut eight even strips about half way into the toilet paper roll.

Bend each strip upwards and press down.

Draw on a face or decorate your octopus however you would like!

Flower

Supplies: toilet paper rolls, scissors, glue, paper or canvas. You can use as many toilet paper rolls as you would like, depending on how many flowers you are planning to make.

Next, cut the toilet paper roll into six even pieces as shown in the picture. Do this for all of the toilet paper rolls, and try to make them the same size.

Put glue on the rim of the pieces. Only put glue on the side that is going on the canvas. Press the pieces onto the canvas in a flower formation and wait for them to dry.

LET’S ROLL!1

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All over town new masterpeices are going up everyday, what’s their story?

Story by: Rachael Moon

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You’re driving down Con-gress with the hundreds of other people heading

to school, work, or maybe even driving home from a long night shift. Since the traffic’s barely moving, there’s not much to do, so you look around at the various shops. One of the first things you notice is the mural on the side of a building, then a graffiti tag on a stop sign, a glance to the right and there’s a street lamp infested with strange stickers. When cars begin moving again you keep watching the buildings seeing something painted on almost every building you see. Along a wall in thin faded letters you read, “Welcome to Austin, don’t forget to leave.”

As stated in an article written in the Austin American-Statesman, in the 1990’s graffiti became very popular in Austin, Texas. Originally it was used in a nega-tive context involving gangs and related crime. Eventually artists around town used the graffiti as inspiration for their own work. As it grew bigger amongst art-

ists, locals realized they could join in on the trend if they had a place to paint and a can of spray paint. Once the proper materials were acquired, the new self acclaimed artist could express themselves, or send their own message to people of the community.

Now, in 2016 graffiti is still trend-

ing and can be spotted almost anywhere, but with a slight twist. It’s no longer completely hidden, or seen as simply a form of vandalism. Although, it is still given a rebellious feel depending on the place it’s in. These days it’s also more acces-sible to anyone. Graffiti doesn’t require fancy tools, or an art background, so almost anyone can join in on the trend if they know where to paint. Street art is even used for stylistic com-mercial purposes, as a hobby, and it’s even seen as art in some respects.

The majority of the graffiti that can be spotted in Austin falls under at least one category of popular street art. The type that’s typically used for an im-pulse painting is called a throw up. These are typically the tag (graffiti signature) of the artist done in a more complex fash-ion using bubble letters, and at least two colors. Throw ups can be done quickly and repeatedly, and often used when an artist goes bombing (tagging, or put-ting throw ups in many places around a chosen area).

Graffiti used on buildings as advertising or decorations is most likely a mural, stenciling, or piece. Mural and piece are

One kind of throw up found around town. This style in particular is on the more complex side than most.

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by: Rach

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A large stencil mural painted on Castle Hill, an aban-doned hotel building site turned onto a graffiti park.

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Photo by: Rachael Moon

very similar, both be-ing time consuming and skillfully created to depict any number of things on a large canvas.

Stenciling on the other hand, is meant for paint-ing a precise represen-tation of a person, one place, or any focused subject in a relatively short amount of time.

Wildstyle, or occasionally a variation of a throw up are used for lettering in the logo or in advertising for a the business.

Last but definitely not least, artists who don’t have much time will use “slaps,” also known as stickers. Slaps can be found decorating stop signs, street light posts, buildings, or pretty much any stationary thing with-in reach in popular spots around Austin. Not only are they inexpensive, and fast, but people notice them. Slaps are a very effective way for street artists to spread their name, or gain more street cred for themselves. The majority of these forms of graffiti can be done by anyone with

spray paint, stickers, or even sim-ply a marker. The accessibility of the art is what makes it so popu-lar amongst the generally young population of Austin. “I mean graffiti seems more tan-gible, seems more available to anybody,” Christina Moon, part-time artist, and long time Austi-nite says. “Austin still wants to be young and fresh, you know they wanna be on the cutting edge of things. Graffiti still has that feel. It embraces different cultures, and ideas too.”

The city of Austin is constantly changing to create or follow new styles, artistically and otherwise. From a street artist’s perspec-tive the more current shifts in the art scene are for the better. The alterations of “pop art” have created a more open, independent place for artists to be creative and display reimagined, new pieces. That welcoming environment is what brought on the graffiti era Austin is experiencing now. Chris-tina Moon has observed through her many years in Austin that most audiences of street art have gone from up turned up noses and disapproving looks, to amazed eyes looking upon masterpieces randomly found around town.

“You used to just see a little bit here and there, and now it’s really celebrated more as a art, ” Moon says

I could draw something, it could be a state-ment to any-body, but it wouldn’t neces-sarily be a state-ment to any-body, right here, in this audience, in this town.

Simply being popular didn’t make street art legal though. Unless au-thorized, graffiti is still technically a crime, because when placed in unwanted locations it can be very costly to remove. In March 2011 the HOPE foundation addressed this issue by making the aban-doned foundation of what was once meant to be apartments into an authorized graffiti park. Since then graffiti crime rates have dropped, and the park has become very popular amongst tourists and Austinites alike.

“Vandalism is usually just people out wanting to [mess stuff] up, and sometimes that is graffiti,” Dafney Rogers, lifetime Austenite, and freshmen at Bowie High School, says. “Really though most of the graffiti you see around here is actual art.”

Not only are most viewers pleased

with the organization, but of course the artists are relieved to have a place to create their work.

“When I was still new and thought I was so badass I did a [bad] tag on a bridge or something, [so] thank god I found this place cause now I can make real art,” Daniel Hernandez, a street artist and lo-cal Austinite, says.10 a year ago it was all about the inspirational quotes and/or the psychedelic feel in paintings.”

Thinking on a smaller scale than just Austin, the specific style does

Multiple slaps depicting the artist’s message to the com-munity around Castle Hill with some tagging and doodles covering parts. (left)

An average size mural of a popular slap painted at HOPE Outdoor Gallery (right)

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depend on the audience an art-ist is trying to speak to. East side art could be completely differ-ent from what you’d find on the South side but still use the same techniques. As things change in the place, the art evolves with the events.

“It’s a statement about the place, the people living in that place, what issues they have. It shows what might be going on behind the scenes that everybody doesn’t know. It’s like a communication tool between, the artists and the viewers, specific to that location,” Moon says. “I could draw some-thing, it could be a statement to anybody, but it wouldn’t neces-sarily be a statement to anybody, right here, in this audience, in this town.”

The message along with the avail-ability of graffiti have made it a huge part of the Austin. The whole city sees the works and can enjoy the bright colors and unique scenes that come with graffiti. Street art creates the free flowing, young feel for everyone in Austin, and continues to affect the mood in town and art all the time. ¤

A mural used for advertis-ing on the side of a local Austin restaurant.

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How To Make Hoop Art

This will teach you how to make hoop art with an embroidery design. Hoop art is embroidery left in the hoop and hung or placed somewhere as decoration. The materials for this project are inexpensive and it can be done by beginners.

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• embroidery hoop• sharp scissors• embroidery needles• embroidery floss• fabric• chalk

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To start, you will need to unscrew the screw at the top of the embroidery hoop. This will loosen the hoop so that the fabric can fit in. Take the two pieces apart and place the fabric so that it is laying across the smaller hoop. Push the larger hoop back on and re screw the screw.

By Megan Ramsey

Use the piece of chalk or another marker to make a path that you can embroider on it. Some simple designs to embroider are short words, letters, or a simple image like a flower.

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hre

e Next, you can wet the embroidery floss to make threading the needle easier. Once this is done, you can start embroidering the path you marked.

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Image by Megan Ramsey

Image by flickr.com

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r

25

A back stitch: Pass your needle through to the front of the fabric and take a stitch to the right. Bring the needle back to the front of the fabric a stitch length to the right and then pass the needle through to the back of the fabric using the hole at the end of the first stitch. Use the hole at the end of the farthest right stitch to end up at the front (instructables).

ba

c

A running stitch:Make your stitches very open and spaced out. Bring the needle through the front and back of the cloth normally.

a

b

c

a

b

c

A stem stitch:Overlap your stitches. Make a stitch then on the second stitch, bring the needle to the center of the previous stitch, but a stitch to the side.

ste

p f

ive When you finish your last stitch, move to the back of the hoop to end your stitching. An

easy way to do this is to make an anchor stitch. Bring your needle under the last stitch on the back, when you have made that loop, bring your needle through it and secure the stitch. Bring your needle under the backs of your stitches and pull the thread. Cut the remaining thread and you are done.

Sources:instructables.comcraftsy.comneedlework-tips-and-techniques.com

Image by Megan Ramsey Image by flickr.com

DrawnEnvironment

to the

What did you do with

your last soda can?

Most people throw

them away without a second

thought, but to an artist even

“trash” can inspire great art.

Some Austin artists spend

over 100 hours creating just

one of their pieces. All of this

time is spent in order to bring

awareness about the current

environmental situation. By

making a representation about

human impact, or teaching

directly to their community,

artists are able to express their

opinions and spread the word

about appreciating our world.

Nicole Deschamps-Benke, a local

studio artist, hand makes lots

of different jewelry, and other

art pieces designed to be worn.

However, instead of using beads

Made out of aluminum cans, Nicole fastened together a three di-mensional recycle sign. All of her art pieces are extremely detailed and meaningful. “My most gratifying moments are watching the art pull in first time observers and see it unexpectedly reward them as they discover that fine details of the piece,” says Nicole.Photo credit: Mark Menjivar

Story by Kimmy Wilson

Local artists express their opinions about the environment through their different art styles.

26

Through her art and the cans

she works with, Nicole is able to

express

her

opinions

and concerns about the

environment. Nicole says the

cans she makes

the jewelry out of are meant

to be aesthetically pleasing,

and string, her main material

is repurposed aluminum soda

cans. This means that she has to

collect hundreds of cans.

“We have a TON of cans,” says

her daughter, Adoree Benke.

Adoree knows the impact of

the art her mom creates,

and she says that she

also believes the

environment is an

amazing thing.

“The bigger result

is helping the

environment, not

necessarily the

art, but the bigger

outcome is trying

to conserve the

environment and bring

awareness,” says Adoree .

According to Nicole, her passion

for art and the environment

started because of her daughter.

“After the birth of my children,

I became very conscious about

their future and the world their

generation will inherit,” Nicole

says.

but have a deeper meaning

as well. For example, in one

project she made a small recycle

sign out of cans to represent

why it is important to recycle.

In another art piece she

represented the health

concerns in sodas

using a symbol of a

balance beam. One

of the bracelets

she created,

has images of

footprints to

symbolize our

carbon footprint

we are making on

the earth.

“My overall

intention is to

heighten awareness and

to deconstruct complex,

social, and environmental issues

related to nutrition and science,

with the goal of linking the

individual to the broader global

framework,” Nicole says.

Ever since he was young, Brian

Maebius says he was interested

“My one-of-a-kind pieces can take over 60 hours,” says Ni-cole .Photo credit: Mark Menjivar

“This brooch represents the molec-ular bonds of aluminum oxide. The individual shapes were cut from repurposed aluminum soda cans and sterling silver,” says Nicole. Photo credit: Tim Thayer

This piece is called “Sustainability Bracelet” and it is made out of pieces of cans. Photo cred-it: Mark Menjivar

This piece is called “Size and Consumption.” Photo credit: Tim Thayer

“The bigger outcome is trying to conserve the

environment and bring awareness”

Photo credit: Nicole DesChamps-Benke

27

in both art and nature. Now, as a

Graphic Designer and Scientific

Illustrator he was able to

combine both passions. Maebius

designs posters, field guides,

and signs for National parks,

museums and other wildlife

areas.

“City, State, National Parks and

Preserves protect habitats in

a way that encourages native

wildlife and I find these types

of places to be a great source

of inspiration for my art,” says

Maebius.

Living in a world that has been

highly altered by humans has

made Maebius really appreciate

the natural world. From pens

and paint, to different computer

software, Maebius uses a

variety of art supplies that

have allowed him to

capture some of nature’s

beauty and share it

with others.

“My hope is that

they might be

inspired to

interact and

explore the

amazing world

we live in

and become

more aware

of delicate

processes in

nature and

how they

might be

After creating the poster for Big Bend, Maebius says it brought back memories from when he would go camping with his family. Photo credit: Brian Maebius

By reusing small pieces of old cans, Nicole is able to express her opinion the environment and how trash can be turned into art. Photo credit: Nicole DesChamps-Benke 28

impacted by humans,” says

Maebius.

To make a large impact

usually requires more

than one person, so

Austin Green Art

organizes programs

and events

to teach the

community about

preserving the

environment.

The non profit

organization

summarizes

their goals by

saying they

are “dedicated

to raising

awareness about important

environmental issues via hands-

on, creative, community-based

programming & events.” By

creating public art pieces and

other green art works, they are

able to attract a wide audience

and teach about current

environmental problems.

Even though they use different

techniques, in the end these

artists all have the same goal:

to make people conscious of

their surrounding and their

responsibilities to help conserve

the environment. And, after all

their time working on the art

and appreciating nature, I think

we can say that they are drawn

to the environment. ¤

“It can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 20 hours to create a work of art. It really depends on the scope of the project and the amount of detail needed to illustrate the concept.” Photo credit: Brian Mae-bius

“I design posters in a historic style for National Parks that are printed as silkscreens and note cards,” says Maebius. Photo credit: Brian Mae-bius 29

Photo credit: Google Images

Which artist are you most like?Have you ever wondered what artist you are most like? You’re in luck be-cause after this test you will know who your artist twin is!

By Maya Ferede

Are you a Perfectionist?

Yes

Would a messy work station bother you?

Yes

Would you con-sider yourself crazy?

Do you like more commercial or lo-cal things?

Local

No Yes

No

No

Are you secretive?

No

VERMEER

Sources: essentialvermeer.com, oilpastelsbymary.com, howcreativeswork.com

Image by wikimedia

30

Which artist are you most like?

Are you a hard worker?

Commercial

No

Are you family oriented?

Yes

VeryKind of

Yes

MONET

WARHOL

Image by wikipedia

Image by flikr

31

world and Latin America and

Mexico, I didn’t see that kind of

art here,” Orozco says. “There

wasn’t anywhere for us to ex-

hibit, so I saw there was a need

for that.”

Orozco says that she de-

cided to do something about it,

and so MexicArte was created.

Orozco says the MexicArte Mu-

seum works to inform, present

and preserve the art of Mexican,

Latino, and Latin American art-

ists, while making it accessible

to all ages and types of people.

It does this in several ways.

MexicArte is a museum, so it has

exhibits, and one big exhibition

32

Inside an unassuming build-

ing in downtown Austin lies

the heart of a vibrant art

community. Although there are

murals covering a wall outside

the building, the MexicArte Mu-

seum holds even more vivid art

highlighting the art of Mexican,

Latino, and Latin American art-

ists inside.

Founded in 1984 by Syl-

via Orozco, Sam Coronado, and

Pio Pulido, the MexicArte Mu-

seum is a nonprofit art museum

that exhibits and educates the

public about Mexican, Latino,

and Latin American art. Located

in the heart of downtown Austin

at the corner of 5th Street and

Congress Avenue, MexicArte not

only offers a variety of exhibi-

tions, a thriving gift shop full of

art and unique gifts, but also has

an educational art program with

many schools in Austin.

Sylvia Orozco, one of

the founders and the Execu-

tive Director at the MexicArte

Museum, says that when she

moved to Austin to study art

at the University of Texas, she

noticed that there weren’t places

for Latino and Chicano artists to

show their art.

“Even though I learned

about art from all over the

All about MexicArte, an Austin museum showcasing Mexican, Latino, and Latin American Art Story by Mallory Graham

A Small Musuem With A Big Impact

is the Young Latino Arts show.

Claudia Zapata, a PhD student

at SMU and former curator at

MexicArte, says that it is an an-

nual exhibit for Latino artists

under the age of 35.

“You can’t be in the ex-

hibition without being of Latino

descent and that, for some peo-

ple seems limiting but in reality

that includes so many people in

so many countries, it’s almost

too broad,” says Zapata.

MexicArte also has a

nationally nominated education

program. MexicArte sends art-

ists into elementary, middle and

high schools to teach students

33

Executive Director of the MexicArte Museum, Sylvia Orozco, in front of the entrance to the feature exhibit.Image by Mallory Graham

“People re-member us now. It’s kind of in-teresting to see that”

silkscreen printing to make art

or t-shirts. Orozco says they

teach about 50 classes per

year, and so they are able to

reach a wide range of students.

“And it’s real cool be-

cause sometimes I meet some-

one, it might be at the grocery

store or whatever, and they say

‘oh, I went to MexicArte when I

was in the fifth grade’ or ‘I still

remember those little skeletons

we drew,’”says Orozco. “People

remember us now. It’s kind of

interesting to see that.”

MexicArte is very in-

volved with the community. One

especially popular event is Día

de los Muertos, the Day of the

Dead. It is a multidisciplinary

event with music, dance, visual

art, altars, dancers, theater, po-

etry, food, a parade and a festi-

val.

“It’s not only an exhibi-

tion, I think that’s why it’s so

popular because it involves all

the art, and it’s for all the com-

mu-

nity,”

says

Oro-

zco.

Mexi-

cArte

is the

official

Mexi-

can and

Mexican

American

Fine Arts Museum of Texas,

and Zapata says that the lack

of these types of museums in

Texas and the U.S. is ironic due

to the large representation of

Latinos.

Zapata says that when many

large museums say they are

doing an exhibit on a Latino

artist, it’s usually an interna-

tional, Latin American artist.

She says that doing this misses

the Latino community that

they are a part of, because

people are only learning about

the individual artist.

“There’s not really an

emphasis on a larger commu-

nity that person is involved

with,” says Zapata. “As in,

you’re not really learning about

their culture.”

34

But Zapata says that be-

cause MexicArte focuses on only

Latino,

Latin

Ameri-

can,

and

Mexi-

can

art, as

op-

posed

to be-

ing more

broad

like many larger museums, it is

able to focus on the community

and the culture.

“MexicArte really does a

good job about focusing on the

U.S. side of this conversation,

the U.S. Latino art,” says Zapata.

Due to the fact that Mexi-

cArte focuses on this group,

Fidencio Duran, an artist, paint-

er, muralist and art educator in

Austin that has work

shown at MexicArte,

says that it has

provided many op-

portunities for young

artists.

“I think

they’ve always had

great community

outreach to get younger people

involved in the arts,” says Du-

ran. “Even if it’s just as a volun-

teer during an exhibit, they get

people involved at all different

levels, so I think they’ve had a

very good impact on the arts in

Austin.”

For 31 years, MexicArte

has been providing these ser-

vices to Austin. Zapata says that

it is impressive for it to do so

many different things, yet still

be successful in them.

“For MexicArte to be all

these things, an educational

institution, permanent collection

repository, temporary exhibi-

tions and so forth, since 1984,

most people are surprised it’s

still open,” says Zapata.

Throughout this time,

Duran says that MexicArte has

always remained faithful to their

mission, presentation and exhib-

its.

“I think they’ve provided

a very consistent way for people

to go and see exhib-

its, or be part of dif-

ferent programming.

Just the fact they’ve

kept the doors open

and at the same

location the entire

time, I think is a tes-

tament to their abil-

ity to make things work,” says

Duran. “Considering whatever

An artist from MexicArte teaching a student about printmaking. Image by MexicArte Museum website

“I think they’ve been a real consis-tent venue for the arts in Austin, so I think they deserve credit for that.”

A view from outside the MexicArte Museum in downtown Austin.Image by MexicArte Museum website

budgets they may

have, or maintaining

it all going towards

the future, so I think

they’ve been a real

consistent venue for

the arts in Austin, so

I think they deserve

credit for that.”

Art in Austin

hasn’t always been

as strong, but it’s getting there.

Orozco says the art community

has grown, and so has the sup-

port for it. She says that people

are starting to go to art shows

more, and they are starting to

buy more art there.

“I remember in the very

beginning, people would just go

and see, now they go and buy,

and so they’re starting to buy a

little bit more,” says Orozco.

Although people are start-

ing to buy more art, that doesn’t

mean that support for the art

community is where it could or

should be.

“It’s rare that people will

buy something for 5000, where

I think that happens more in

Houston, or Dallas, where there’s

more investment in the arts,”

says Orozco. “We’re getting to

that point, but it’s taking a little

bit longer.”

While one part of the

growing support for the art

community is more people

purchasing art, another part

is people attending museums.

Zapata says that many people

may not always feel comfort-

able in a museum setting, be-

cause they may not have grown

up going to museums and so

may feel intimidated

by them or as though

they are unwanted

there. But Zapata

says that it’s inter-

esting for MexicArte

to actually go out into

schools, because in

addition to educat-

ing students, they are

helping the students

feel better about a museum by

working with it. And Orozco says

that people are starting to feel

more comfortable going to mu-

seums.

“There’s an effort of the

community, the museum com-

munity, to try to get the people

to come into and to share art

and to make it more accessible,”

Orozco says. “I think art is just

becoming more accessible to the

general community.”

As they move towards the

future, MexicArte will continue

to grown as an outlet for Latino

arts, which includes working

towards getting a new building,

as well as bring in the younger

generation. It’s a challenge, but a

welcome one.

“We’re always having to

attract new audiences, try to

maintain our older audiences,”

says Orozco. “It’s exciting, we’re

always doing new things.” ¤35

1HOPE outdoor gallery

Commonly known as Castle Hill because of the castle-like building that can be spotted at the top of the hill. The hill was once the building site of a business tower, but due to flimsy foundation the project could not be continued. Today the foundation serves as a canvas to many artists, and a huge tourist attraction in Austin.LOCATION: 11th St. and Baylor St.

TOP 10Most Popular Graffiti Spots

inAUSTIN

3“Hi, How Are You” (Jeremiah the Innocent)

Painted by Daniel Johnston in 1993 for an album cover, and later commissioned for the side of Sound Exchange record store, now Thai, How Are You? Thai Food & Sushi. The painting is regularly maintained and refurbished as it is one of the most popular places for people to snap pics when visiting Austin.LOCATION: 21st St and Guadalupe

4Live Music Capital of the World

All along 6th street many iconic murals can be found along with up and coming popular stencils. On the side of building, lamp posts, mailboxes, and windows are covered in unique paintings, stencils, slaps, and more!LOCATION: East 6th St.

2I love you so much

Sprayed by local musician Amy Cook for the owner of Jo’s Café, Liz Lambert, when the two were dat-ing in 2010. Today it is highly sought out by tour-ists and locals alike. Also a prime place for Austin themed engagement photos.LOCATION: Jo’s Café South Congress

366th St.

5Pedestrian bridge

Always changing, the bridge is full of art. Take a look at columns, where your feet are walking, the sides of the bridge, everywhere! New pieces pop up all the time.LOCATION: Under MoPac bridge

6SXSW Wall

Another popular wall amongst tourists! Usually the paintings stay the same, until SXSW come around. During SXSW the wall is a very popular place for out-of-towners to paint.LOCATION: W 4th St and Guadalupe

7Live HistoryAfter a local art festival, many pieces that were painted on buildings were not cov-ered. Today they are a large attraction for people on graffiti tours in town.LOCATION: 2nd St and Lavaca St

8You’re My Butter Half

In 2012 Creative Suitcase’s team painted this mural on the side of the building to brighten it for United Way for Great Aus-tin. Now, much like “i love you so much” it is highly sought out and photographed.LOCATION: MLK Blvd and Alamo St

9Greetings from Austin

In 1998 Todd Sanders (owner) and his friend Rory Skagen reimagined this iconic Austin postcard on the side of the building to add light to a neigh-borhood that was decreasing quickly in quality.LOCATION: 1720 S. 1st St. Roadhouse Relics

37

10East Side Masterpieces

All over there are hidden masterpieces. If you are on that side of town, keep yours eyes open for some of the most unique art in town.LOCATION: East of I-35

Blue Moon Glassworks

108 West 43rd StreetAustin, TX 78751(512) 380-0770

austinbluemoon.com

Store Hours10am - 6:30pm Monday - Thursday

10am - 5pm Friday10am - 4pm Saturday

Blue Moon Glassworks offers a variety of classes:

Stained Glass, Glass Fusing, Staff Led Classes, Guest Artist Classes, Jewelry,

Encaustics

They also sell many supplies for working with glass:

Lead and zinc came, copper foils, glass cutters, mosaic tile, grout, pattern

books, sheet glass, warm and soft glass rods and much more.

Image by Lizzie Pintar

Images from austinbluemoon.com and commons.wikimedia.org

38

Image by Lizzie Pintar

3307 E 4th StreetAustin, Texas 78702P: 512.385.7311F: 512.385.1152Hours: M-F 9-5, Sat 9-12

Armadillo Clay & Supplies offers a wide variety of products and provides the best supplies, clay, and service

39Images by armadilloclay.com

Heart of T e x a s