Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
AMSET Café Arts Exhibition Explores Memory through Drawing
(Beaumont, TX; May 18, 2022) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will present KEVIN CLAY- Sleep Among the Trees May 19 – August 14, 2022 in AMSET’s Café Arts series for local artists. On Sunday, June 5, from 2 - 4 p.m., AMSET will host an artist’s reception that is free and open to the public.
Kevin Clay was born and raised in Southeast Texas and attended Lamar University where he studied Communications with an emphasis in film. Although he does not have a formal Fine Arts education, he has spent time studying through various sources including books, the internet and free lectures from the MFA Boston.
Clay draws inspiration from fashion, like vintage Balenciaga and Givenchy, as well as painters and other artists, particularly the works of Lucien Freud, Antonio Lopez Garcia and David Hockney. The pervasive theme is the translation of memories into drawings inspired from life’s experiences.
Clay works in oil, pastels, colored pencils and graphite. He is drawn to tactile materials that show their mark making and texture. His art emphasizes the beauty of mundane objects that fill his life and the lives of others.
In this exhibition, Clay is using charcoal to abstractly re-create Southeast Texas tree lines as he remembers them from different moments in his life. He wishes to create the interplay between remembered landscapes and remembered figures. This show will include portraits of people in his life as well as strangers. He hopes that visitors can take time to pause and reflect on their own memories and experiences and the people and landscapes that inspire them in their own lives.
For more information, visit www.amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
Registration open for Summer ArtVentures 2022
(Beaumont, TX; May 13, 2022) Join the Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) for Summer ArtVentures courses from June 13 through July 22, 2022.
Each Summer ArtVentures camp is offered Monday through Friday with two workshops per day. Morning classes are from 9 a.m. to noon and afternoon classes are 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Camp sessions are divided into three age groups with each course designed with age-appropriate art activities. All courses are taught by artists and art professionals, and the participants work closely with these respected artists in a variety of mediums.
Young ArtVenturers, children ages 5-7, will sample a variety of materials, including clay, paint, pastels, colored pens and pencils through simplified projects formatted for their age group. These classes will be augmented with art-related story times and outdoor activities.
ArtVenturers, children ages 8-11, will have many courses to choose from including learning printmaking methods, exploring fiber and textile art, and investigating mixed media through painting and collage.
TeenVentures in Art, for ages 12-14, will allow campers to blend photography, music and poetry in this unique multi-media, interdisciplinary journey through the world of Fine Arts taught by local professional photographer and artist, Jerome Cabeen. This special week, just for teens, allows them to explore new materials in art.
Summer ArtVentures camps are $80 for AMSET members, $140 for non-members for the first child’s first class. The non-member fee includes a one-year family membership. Family-level membership with AMSET is required of all participants. All additional classes are $80. Scholarships are available.
Course descriptions and registration forms are available at amset.org/artventures. Please contact Curator of Education, Christle Feagin at cfeagin@amset.org or call (409) 832-3432 for more information.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
AMSET’s Family Arts Day Promotes Conservation and Creativity
(Beaumont, TX; April 22, 2022) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) presents its spring Free Family Arts Day on Saturday, May 14, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
Art activities are inspired by AMSET’s current exhibition, BILLY HASSELL: Topography. At AMSET’s quarterly Family Arts Days, the hands-on art activities help children and their families explore the artwork on display and use their creativity to make artwork in the same styles as those artists.
Children can create Flutter Butterflies, Birdhouses and Bird Suncatchers as well as Paint by Number and design artwork using Nature Stamps. Complimentary cookies and punch will be provided. A concession stand serving ballpark-style food will be available. This event will be held outside in the museum parking lot, weather permitting. Follow the museum on social media for up-to-date information in the case of inclement weather.
This Family Arts Day will be in conjunction with the VIVA ARTACO Hispanic Heritage Festival at the Beaumont Civic Center presented by the Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau and Beaumont Events. Also joining in on the fun are the Texas Energy Museum and the Beaumont Children’s Museum.
Family Arts Days are always free and open to the public. Planned in conjunction with four major exhibitions each year, Family Arts Days combine creative exploration of the current exhibits, plus hands-on art activities and interpretive programming for families. All activities are free, and all art materials are provided. For more information, visit amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
This program is made possible in part by Carla & Josh Allen, American Valve and Hydrant, Anonymous Donations, Bill Clark Pest Control, the Bequest of Bessie Fisher Chisum, Helen Caldwell Locke & Curtis Blakey Locke Charitable Trust, Regina Rogers - In loving memory of Julie & Ben Rogers, the Edaren Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund, the C. Homer and Edith Fuller Chambers Charitable Foundation, the City of Beaumont, and the members of the Art Museum of Southeast Texas.
Additional funding provided by Patti and Floyd McSpadden, and Sheila and Jerry Reese in honor of Lynn Castle. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
First Thursdays are back at AMSET
(Beaumont, TX; March 28, 2022) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will stay open late to host First Thursday on April 7, 2022, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Starting in April, every first Thursday of the month, AMSET will again stay open late for the public to have an opportunity to view our current exhibitions and enjoy our special programming. The April First Thursday will include a presentation from the Big Thicket National Preserve Community Outreach Manager, Heidi Dietze. Dietze will speak about animals that can be spotted at the Big Thicket, as well as conservation efforts by the U.S. National Park Service to preserve these animals’ habitats.
Have a glass of wine or a craft beer provided by the cash bar with light refreshments while you enjoy all that AMSET has for avid art lovers of Southeast Texas.
First Thursdays is the perfect opportunity to enjoy AMSET’s current exhibition, BILLY HASSELL: Topography. This exhibition is on view until June 19. Explore this breath-taking solo exhibition featuring paintings, prints, and a 15-foot tall, 3-D installation depicting endangered and common animals to Southeast Texas.
Visitors are encouraged to attend the May First Thursday on May 5, 2022 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for the catalog release for Topography. This 56-page, full color catalog includes an essay by Susie Kalil. Catalogs will be sold for $40 plus tax.
First Thursdays will continue into the summer with our June First Thursday on June 2, 2022 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Admission to this event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
AMSET Spring Exhibition emphasizes need for conservation in SETX
(Beaumont, TX; March 11, 2022) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will exhibit Billy Hassell: Topography on view March 26, 2022 through June 19, 2022.
Billy Hassell is well-known for his depictions of Texas flora and fauna, and his work often emphasizes the need for conservation of these species. This exhibition will focus on works from Mr. Hassell’s oeuvre that depict animals and plants that are local to Southeast Texas communities, as well as extinct animals that were once native to the area. The exhibition will emphasize to viewers the importance of conservation and preservation on the local and state-levels, as well as include programming that introduces community members to ways they can participate in these efforts.
An opening reception will take place on Friday, April 1, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Light drinks and refreshments will be served, and a brief gallery talk with the artist will take place at 7:15 p.m.
AMSET is excited to partner with the Big Thicket to present a one-hour presentation on the wildlife of East and Southeast Texas at our next First Thursday on April 7, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. This presentation will be led by Community Outreach Manager for the Big Thicket National Preserve, Heidi Dietze.
A Taste of the Arts Lecture is currently scheduled for Friday, April 15, 2022 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Lamar University Professor of Painting and Drawing, Donna Meeks, will be speaking. Meeks will give a 30-minute gallery talk about Hassell’s work. Visitors are encouraged to join Meeks and the AMSET staff for a Dutch-treat lunch in the café after the gallery talk has ended.
The catalogue for this exhibition will be released at AMSET’s May First Thursday, May 5, 2022 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. This full color catalogue includes an essay by Susie Kalil. All events are free and open to the public.
AMSET’s Gift Shop is excited to offer fun souvenirs related to this exhibition. Puzzles, box sets of notecards and individual notecards with reproductions of Billy’s paintings are on sale now. For more information on this exhibition, visit www.amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
This exhibition is generously funded, in part, by the Edaren Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts,
the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund,
the C. Homer and Edith Fuller Chambers Charitable Foundation,
the City of Beaumont, and the members of the Art Museum of Southeast Texas.
Additional funding provided by Patti and Floyd McSpadden, and Sheila and Jerry Reese in honor of Lynn Castle.
To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
AMSET hosts 36th Annual Protégé High School Art Competition and Exhibition
(Beaumont, TX; March 3, 2022) Artwork by local high school seniors, selected for the Annual Protégé Competition and Exhibition, will be on view March 2 through April 3, 2022 at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET). Artworks will then travel to area schools for exhibition and outreach in the community.
Protégé Competition and Exhibition provides local 12th-graders exposure to the art world. AMSET believes it is important for young artists to have an opportunity to experience art competitions and learn how to properly exhibit their artwork. Senior students in Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, and Tyler counties are eligible to participate.
This year’s juror, Kurt Dyrhaug, is a Professor and Distinguished Faculty Research Fellow at Lamar University where he teaches Sculpture, 3D Design, and 3D Printing. Dyrhaug earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota (1993) and his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (1989).
Dyrhaug is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, but his recent sculptures and drawings include agricultural, nautical and industrial imagery often found in the Southeast Texas landscape. Since 2008, Dyrhaug’s sculptures and drawings have been included in over 200 juried and invitational exhibitions including international exhibitions in Germany, Japan, and Poland. Solo exhibitions include the Galveston Art Center, Dishman Art Museum, Lawrence University, University of Dallas, and the University of Louisiana Monroe.
Student artists selected for the Protégé exhibition attend an archival framing workshop presented by the AMSET curatorial department. Awards for winners include scholarships to Lamar University's Art Department through a donation by the Friends of the Arts and gift certificates for art supplies. Additionally, the first-place winner will receive a one-time $2500 art tuition scholarship provided by the Stewart M. Chisum and Bessie Fisher Chisum Scholarship Fund, to any two year, or higher, art college or program in which the student is a declared art major.
AMSET will host the Protégé Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. Cookies and punch will be provided. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (409) 832-3432 or visit www.amset.org.
This program is made possible through the generous support of Market Basket Food Stores and the Department of Art of Lamar University through a donation by the Friends of the Arts. Market Basket has been a sponsor since Protégé’s inception. Additional funding is provided by the Stewart M. Chisum and Bessie Fisher Chisum Scholarship Fund, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund, and the City of Beaumont.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
Visit El Dorado at AMSET’s Go for the Gold fundraiser, March 10th
(Beaumont, TX; February 28, 2022) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will host El Dorado, its annual themed Go for the Gold party and reverse drawing fundraiser on Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. at the museum.
Tickets cost $100 and admit two people into the party and one entry into the reverse drawing. A number of prizes are given away throughout the evening, including a chance to win $10,000 in gold coins for the first place prize, $1,500 in gold coins for second place prize and $1,000 in gold coins for third place prize. Winners need not be present to win. The gold prizes are given in American Eagle coins and their value depends on the price of gold and the value on the collectors’ market.
One ticket includes dinner for two catered by Two Magnolias and an open bar.
Chaired by Mr. Rocky Chase, this year’s Go for the Gold theme is El Dorado- the mythical city of gold believed to have been in Columbia. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in gold or the fashion of ancient Columbia and enjoy a fun night with great company and comradery.
Only 500 tickets will be sold to maximize participants’ chance of winning; advance purchase is recommended. Tickets must be presented at the door to gain admission for two. To purchase tickets, visit amset.org or call (409) 832-3432. All proceeds benefit AMSET’s exhibitions and educational programs.
This program is made possible in part by J.S. Edwards & Sherlock.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
Insects inspire local photographer at AMSET Café Arts
(Beaumont, TX; February 16, 2022) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will present LYNE RAFF- Small Worlds: The Hidden Beauty of Insects February 17 – May 15, 2022 in AMSET’s Café Arts series for local artists. On Sunday, March 6, 2 - 4 p.m., AMSET will host a free and open to the public artist’s reception.
Last spring, the Café Arts for local artists presented its first juried group exhibition in collaboration with the Beaumont Camera Club (BCC). Lyne Raff won first place for her photograph Cicada and was awarded a fully funded solo exhibition in the Café for February 2022.
The exhibition includes 12 to 15 new photographs with a focus on macro images of insects. Raff is interested in the beauty of insect morphology and uses her lens to capture the intimate rainbow of colors, fuzzy textures, and abstracted lines that are often overlooked on an insect's body. A majority of the works are printed on aluminum, with a select group of images printed on hand-made paper. The photographs are for sale by the artist and are open editions.
Lyne Raff was born in Roosevelt, Oklahoma, but moved to Beaumont from Austin in 2002 with her husband. Her interest in photography began when she was young, and several of her family members practiced photography and camera collecting as a hobby. Through her father, she was introduced to the dark room, and she continued to grow her dark room skills in college while also pursuing a degree in printmaking.
Now semi-retired, Lyne keeps busy by assisting Art Horse Magazine with archiving their print issues, running a portraiture photography business, and directing the Camera Club as their current Vice President.
Underwriting for this show is generously provided by Rob Clark and Jerry Thacker. For more information, visit www.amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
Catalogue Release Event for AMSET Winter Exhibition
(Beaumont, TX; February 4, 2022) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will hold a catalogue release event for Francesca Fuchs: Serious and Slightly Funny Things on Monday, February 28, 2022 from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm.
Catalogues will be for sale for $35 + tax. Artist Francesca Fuchs will be in attendance and will give a short gallery talk at 6:15 pm. This 68-page, full color catalogue includes an essay by Dean Daderko, descriptions of the artwork written by the artist and breathtaking images of all the artwork currently on display in the exhibition.
Light refreshments will be provided. If you are unable to attend, please stop by the AMSET gift shop to buy a copy of this stunning catalogue or contact curator of exhibitions, Caitlin Clay, at cclay@amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
In this exhibition, Houston-based artist Francesca Fuchs creates paintings and sculptures about artifacts from her daily life. Looking at mugs and thrift-store paintings, objects made by children or collected from her parents’ home, Fuchs considers how these things might describe the world around her. In paintings marked by subtle color and shadow, Fuchs dissolves the distinction between high and low, between personal and public, between what we feel and what we know.
Fuchs is represented by Inman Gallery (Houston) and Talley Dunn Gallery (Dallas). Francesca Fuchs: Serious and Slightly Funny Things is on view until Sunday, March 13, 2022.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
This exhibition is generously funded, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts,
the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund, the C. Homer and Edith Fuller Chambers Charitable Foundation, the City of Beaumont, and the members of the Art Museum of Southeast Texas. Additional funding provided by
The Honorable Marcia and Walter “Seth” Crone.
To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
Celebrate Mardi Gras at AMSET’s Family Arts Day
(Beaumont, TX; January 31, 2022) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) presents its winter Free Family Arts Day on Saturday, February 12, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
Art activities are inspired by Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and Mardi Gras as well as AMSET’s current exhibition, FRANCESCA FUCHS: Seriously and Slightly Funny Things. At AMSET’s quarterly Family Arts Days, the hands-on art activities help children and their families explore the artwork on display and use their creativity to make artwork in the same styles as those artists.
Children can decorate Mardi Gras necklaces, make Valentine’s Day cards and President’s Beards as well as paint rocks and creatively customize their own mug. Complimentary cookies and punch will be provided. A concession stand serving ballpark-style food will be available. This event will be held outside in the museum parking lot, weather permitting. Follow the museum on social media for up-to-date information in the case of inclement weather.
Family Arts Days are always free and open to the public. Planned in conjunction with four major exhibitions each year, Family Arts Days combine creative exploration of the exhibits on display, plus hands-on art activities and interpretive programming for families. All activities are free, and all art materials are provided. For more information, visit amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
This program is made possible in part by Carla & Josh Allen, American Valve and Hydrant, Anonymous Donations,
Bill Clark Pest Control (In-Kind), the Bequest of Bessie Fisher Chisum, Goodyear Beaumont Chemical Plant,
Helen Caldwell Locke & Curtis Blakey Locke Charitable Trust, Regina Rogers – In loving memory of Julie & Ben Rogers,
the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund, Sam’s Club,
Rob Clark & Jerry Thacker and Karen & Mike Fuljenz.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
Let the good times roll at Krewe d’AMSET Street-side Mardi Gras Party!
(Beaumont, TX; January 28, 2022) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) is hosting its first “Krewe d’AMSET” party, Thursday, February 24, 2022, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Join us on Thursday, February 24, 2022 from 6-9 p.m. for a night filled with music from Flava Band, cajun-style dinner from Two Magnolias, and of course, artwork for sale by local artists. Join J
A gumbo dinner catered by Two Magnolias will be available for $20 pre-sale and $25 at the door. Dinner includes gumbo, potato salad, a praline, and soda and water. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Gift baskets will be raffled off throughout the night with tickets costing $1 for one, $10 for 12, or $20 for 25. Adult beverages and gift basket raffle tickets can only be purchased the night of the event. Dinner tickets are available for pre-sale on the museum website, amset.org, or via phone at (409) 832-3432.
Come dressed in your gold, green and purple! Wear your cajun dancing shoes, so you can boogie down Zydeco style.
All proceeds benefit AMSET exhibition and educational programming. For up-to-date information on all upcoming events at the museum, please follow us on social media @amsetx or visit our website, amset.org.
This program is made possible in part by Anonymous Donations, Rocky Chase, Gerald Farha,
Camille & Chris Ohmstede, Kit Ohmstede, Christopher Plaunty & Clayton Peco, Gina Winegar,
and Lisa & Brent Coon.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kclay@amset.org
AMSET Winter Exhibition will explore the intimacy of daily life
(Beaumont, TX; December 1, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will exhibit Francesca Fuchs: Serious and Slightly Funny Things on view December 18, 2021 through March 13, 2022.
Houston-based artist Francesca Fuchs creates paintings and sculptures about artifacts from our daily lives. Looking at mugs and thrift-store paintings, objects made by children or collected from her parents’ home, Fuchs considers how these things might describe the world around her. In some instances, she traces an object’s journey across decades; a mug she used in Germany in the 70s--inspired by Mexican painting traditions--is now remade in Houston, almost five decades later. What does it mean, Fuchs asks, to live with something, to use it every day, to see its relationships to types of objects in other homes? In paintings marked by subtle color and shadow, Fuchs dissolves the distinction between high and low, between personal and public, between what we feel and what we know.
Born in London and raised in Münster, Francesca Fuchs moved to the U.S. in 1996 for the Core Program at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Fuchs’ work was featured in the 1992 New Contemporaries and has been shown in venues including The Whitechapel Art Gallery, London; The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; and in a solo exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston. She was the 2017 Josephine Mercy Heathcote Fellow at the MacDowell Colony, New Hampshire, and was Art League Houston’s 2018 Texas Artist of the Year. Fuchs is represented by Inman Gallery (Houston) and Talley Dunn Gallery (Dallas).
On Friday, December 17, 2021, AMSET will hold an opening reception from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Fuchs and essayist Dean Daderko will be in attendance to speak about the exhibition. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
This exhibition is generously funded, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund, the C. Homer and Edith Fuller Chambers Charitable Foundation, the City of Beaumont, and the members of the Art Museum of Southeast Texas. Additional funding provided by The Honorable Marcia and Walter “Seth” Crone.
To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
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kclay@amset.org
Downtown Museum District hosts free, annual Holiday Tree Lighting
(Beaumont, TX; November 19, 2021) Welcome in the holiday season with the Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) and other area museums, attractions, and local businesses at the annual children’s Holiday Tree Lighting, 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, December 2. Santa Claus will light the tree promptly at 6 p.m. on the grounds of AMSET at 500 Main Street.
Children and their families will make ornaments for their trees at home and the downtown tree, send letters to the North Pole, enjoy holiday music, and much more. Decorate a cookie with the Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau (BCVB) and take a picture with Santa in a photo sled booth provided by Education First Credit Union. Activities and giveaways are provided by area museums and businesses.
Participating organizations include AMSET, Texas Energy Museum, McFaddin-Ward House, Beaumont Main Street, Southeast Texas Arts Council, Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau, Beaumont Heritage Society, Fire Museum of Texas, Dishman Art Museum, Downtown Beaumont Cultural Arts District and the Beaumont Children’s Museum. This event is sponsored by Education First Credit Union and the City of Beaumont.
The Holiday Tree Lighting is free and open to the public and has been a popular event for over 30 years. Free parking is available across the street at the Civic Center. For more information, call (409) 832-3432 or visit www.amset.org.
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kclay@amset.org
Artist, Patrick Mehaffy Book Signing, Nov. 4!
(Beaumont, TX; October 22, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) presents, in conjunction with First Thursday, a book signing and presentation by the visual artist Patrick Mehaffy from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, November 4, 2021. This event will take place at AMSET with the artist and will include a short introduction followed by the screening of several episodes of The Confessions of Clayton Younger and a short Q&A. Episodes are suitable for all audiences.
Mehaffy will discuss why he wrote the show, where and when it was filmed, the actors’ background, and mention film festivals and awards. He will also include how he came to write and direct narrative fictional short films from a visual artistic background, followed by a book signing and sale of “Patrick Mehaffy”, a major monograph of his work as a sculptor.
Patrick Mehaffy was born in Beaumont, TX. His sculpture is inspired by the people and culture of his time as a child in the southeast Texas region. He graduated from the University of Texas, Austin, with a BA in anthropology. Mehaffy had a solo exhibition with the Art Museum of Southeast Texas in 1990 and was part of a group exhibition in 2006 which featured work from the AMSET permanent collection.
In addition to his work as a sculptor, he has written and directed several award-winning short films including The Confessions of Clayton Younger and The Lark Snare. He is currently living in New Mexico where he creates sculptures, drawings, and paintings.
Admission to this event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
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kclay@amset.org
EAT-A-BUG with AMSET at our Fall Family Arts Day, Oct. 23!
(Beaumont, TX; October 8, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) presents its popular “Eat a Bug!” Free Family Arts Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, October 23, 2021. AMSET is participating in Saturday’s Museum Madness Weekend festivities along with McFaddin-Ward House, Texas Energy Museum, Bill Clark Bugsperts, Beaumont Children’s Museum, and the Edison Museum. Families are invited to celebrate Halloween and Day of the Dead by decorating sugar skulls and enjoying a variety of exciting art activities. The event will be outdoors weather permitting.
Art activities will correlate with AMSET’s current exhibitions, COLLECTING A MASTER: Carlomagno Pedro Martínez on view through March 12, 2023 and FROM HERE TO THE AFTERLIFE: Folk Art from the Permanent Collection which is on view through December 5, 2021 in the main galleries.
Children and their families will create unique artwork such as Sugar Skulls, Halloween Wearables, Xmeah Tactile Textured Creations, God’s Eyes and Clay Skulls! These art activities help establish an understanding and connection with the many techniques used to create the art work in AMSET’s main galleries as it relates to Mexican Folk Art and Folk Art from the United States.
Children are encouraged to come dressed in their best costumes for a chance to win prizes and in the spirit of Halloween eat an edible cricket. Complimentary cookies and punch will be provided. A concession stand serving ballpark-style food will also be available. Throughout the day, AMSET will draw winners for baskets of art supplies.
Admission to this event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.
This program is made possible in part by American Valve and Hydrant, Anonymous, Bill Clark Pest Control, the Bequest of Bessie Fisher Chisum, Goodyear Beaumont Chemical Plant, Helen Caldwell Locke & Curtis Blakey Locke Charitable Trust, Regina Rogers – In loving memory of Julie & Ben Rogers, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund, Sam’s Club, Rob Clark & Jerry Thacker, Heather & Mark Petkovsek, and Karen & Mike Fuljenz.
For Immediate Release