Press Releases

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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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   

Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator

(409) 832-3432

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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                     

Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator

(409) 832-3432

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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              

Contact: Kasey Clay, PR coordinator

(409) 832-3432

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

Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

Join AMSET in exploring the afterlife with our Fall Exhibitions

(Beaumont, TX; September 23, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will exhibit From Here to the Afterlife: Folk Art from the Permanent Collection on view October 2 through December 5, 2021 and Collecting a Master: Carlomagno Pedro Martínez from the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art on view October 9, 2021 through March 12, 2023 in the main galleries.

From Here to the Afterlife will feature a selection of artworks from AMSET’s American Folk Art and the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art with a focus on objects depicting celebrations, rituals, and day-to-day activities associated with the afterlife. It will feature works from well-known and unknown Mexican and American artists. Death and the celebration of Death are popular themes in folk art, with many artisans depicting traditional cultural practices, such as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Semana Santa (Holy Week), through their artwork.  It will run in correlation with Collecting a Master / Coleccionando la obra de un maestro: Carlomagno Pedro Martínez in the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art. The exhibition will expand upon a few motifs that are also prevalent in Carlomagno’s work.

Collecting a Master will feature works by artist Carlomagno Pedro Martínez, a Mexican artist and artisan in “barro negro” ceramics from San Bartolo Coyotepec, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. He comes from a family of potters in a town noted for the craft. He began molding figures as a child and received artistic training when he was 18. Carlomagno draws his inspiration from the cultural wealth he observes within daily life in Mexico. Although the majority of the pieces he creates are inspired by traditional Oaxacan characters and imagery, he also includes humorous portrayals of present-day personalities and events. His expressiveness and realism distinguish his work. The most reoccurring theme is death and includes festive skeletons, devils, etc. His work has been exhibited in Mexico, the U.S. and Europe and he has been recognized as an artist as well as an artisan. Today, he is also the director of the Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca (MEAPO) in his hometown. In 2014, Martínez was awarded Mexico's National Prize for Arts and Sciences. This exhibition will consist of multimedia work from the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art.

For more information, visit www.amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.

These exhibitions are generously funded, in part, by the 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 Rob Clark and Jerry Thacker.

Carlomagno Pedro Martínez, Wake (detail), n.d., Oaxacan black clay and wood, Gift of John Gaston Fairey, PC 2017.04.063.01-.07

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

Sail out during a HAVANA NIGHT with AMSET to celebrate 34 years

(Beaumont, TX; August 31, 2021) Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will host its 34th Anniversary Gala: HAVANA NIGHTS, Friday, September 17, 2021, 7:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas located at 500 Main St., Beaumont, TX 77701. AMSET invites the community to celebrate 34 years of art and education.

Cocktail hour with appetizers begins at 7:30 p.m. featuring the signature drink, The Old Cuban, and strolling through the silent auction. Fine dining by Katharine and Company will be served at 8:30 p.m., buffet style with a Cuban twist. Silent and live auctions will feature a vacation villa, themed parties, and art selections.

            The Gala will honor artists Cat Holtzclaw, Robert Madden and Jerry Newman (posthumous), and patron honorees will be Lee Ann and Terry Garth. This anniversary event is made possible through Gala committee members Sandra Clark, Gerald Farha, Sandy Fertitta, Janey Phelan/JP Deco Designs and Chair, Albert Nolen, and our auction committee members Michele Smith, J. Mitchell Smith, and Kit Ohmstede.

Individual seats are $250. Table reservations range from $2,500 to $15,000. A $15,000 table includes premium seating for 10, pre-party cocktails at 6:30 with the gala honorees, five Joan Steinman hand-signed giclée prints and a tableside vintners fine wine selection. Seating will be outdoors under a tent to help social distance and enjoy one of the finest  summer evenings for the year in southeast Texas. Themed masks will be available and recommended for this event.

All proceeds benefit AMSET exhibitions and educational programs.  For more information or to make a reservation, visit amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.

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Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

Think in 3D with AMSET at our Summer Family Arts Day, Aug. 14!

(Beaumont, TX; July 27, 2021) As back-to-school quickly approaches, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) invites children and their families to finish their summer with an artistic flair and join in AMSET’s summer Free Family Arts Day on Saturday, August 14, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Children and their families are encouraged to explore the museum and to “Don’t Mess with Texas, Mess with Art” by creating artwork with recycled materials. Art activities will also correlate with AMSET’s current exhibitions, DAVID CARGILL: The Lighter Side. The Lighter Side exhibition features secular work by Beaumont sculptor David Cargill spanning his life-long career. This exhibition has artworks that fall under the theme of laughter, love, and whimsey. Visitors will see sculptures of families, animals, and dancers in media ranging from bronze to marble.

Children and their families will create unique artwork out of recycled materials such as Cargill’s Best Friend (his dog!), Constructive Clay, Recycled Sculptures, and Newspaper Airplanes with flying contests! These art activities help establish an understanding and connection with the many techniques used to create the art work in AMSET’s main galleries.

Throughout the day, AMSET will draw winners for backpacks full of school supplies for the new school year. Rounding out the fun will be live demonstrations by Gator Country and their reptilian friends.

Complimentary cookies and punch will be provided.  A concession stand selling ballpark-style food will also be available.

 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, Heather & Mark Petkovsek, and Karen & Mike Fuljenz.

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Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

AMSET will host a Clay Workshop for Military Families this weekend!

(Beaumont, TX; July 28, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) is pleased to present an exclusive Blue Star Free Family Arts Day for active and veteran military personnel and their families.  This workshop will take place on Saturday, July 31 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. 

This special day will include a tour of the current exhibition David Cargill: The Lighter Side.  The tour will be followed by a clay workshop where basics in sculpting in clay will be taught with a visit from David Cargill. The work will be bisque fired and then a clear glaze will be applied and fired again in the museum’s kiln in the newly expanded classroom. The next week, the artwork will be ready for pickup or delivery, (depending upon circumstances of the participants).  Further, participants will receive a one year complimentary membership to AMSET.

Please call 832-3432 for more information. Reservations preferred but not required. 

This program is made possible by the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America.

 

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For Immediate Release

Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

Celebrated Beaumont Artist David Cargill will bring whimsy to AMSET this summer

(Beaumont, TX; June 2, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will exhibit DAVID CARGILL: The Lighter Side on view June 5, 2021 through September 12, 2021 in the main galleries.

The Lighter Side will feature works by sculptor David Cargill. Working mainly in bronze, stone, wood and ceramic, Cargill has created well-known large scale sculptures for churches, universities, commercial buildings, and private collectors. Focusing on themes of love, laughter and whimsy, The Lighter Side explores the boundless imagination of the artist, who manipulates different materials to create sculptures that seem to move, twist and breathe. Works from the permanent collection of the Art Museum of Southeast Texas will be included in the exhibition as well as loans from the artist and private collections in the state.

Born in Huntsville, Texas, Cargill studied at Rice University in Houston before earning his B.A. at Pratt Institute in New York and his M.F.A. in Sculpture from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He traveled to Florence, Italy in 1962, where he studied and cast with the Guastini foundry. His work has been exhibited at the Longview Museum and Arts Center and most recently he has been the subject of a major retrospective at the Dishman Art Museum at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Some of Cargill’s most notable commissions include works in the Chapel of St. Basil at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, a 5-ton marble commission for Forest Lawn Memorial Park, and a large bronze sculpture at the Dallas Zoo.

On June 3, 2021, AMSET will stay open late from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to host a soft opening of The Lighter Side during First Thursdays with Jazz, featuring an interpretive dance performance by Aimed Dance. An opening reception will be hosted on June 11, 2021, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and will be RSVP only. To RSVP, please contact Caitlin Clay at cclay@amset.org. These events are 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 Edaren Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts,

the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Dishman Art Museum, the Garth Family Partnership in memory of Mary Jane Garth and Harriet Garth, the City of Beaumont, the McFaddin Ward Foundation, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund,

and the C. Homer and Edith Fuller Chambers Charitable Foundation.

Additional funding provided by Kim and Roy Steinhagen, Kathé and Jim Hendricks, Sheila and Jerry Reese, and Patti and Floyd McSpadden.

 

To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

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David Cargill, Embrace II, n.d., cast bronze, photographs: Art Museum of Southeast Texas

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Brunch & Art, an intimate experience at AMSET

(Beaumont, TX; May 14, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will host a Membership Brunch on May 23, 2021, with the first seating at 11 a.m. and the second seating at 12:30 p.m.

The Membership Brunch with mimosas will be a unique way to experience and join AMSET’s membership. The brunch will kick off with a brief 15-minute tour of our outdoor sculptures, followed by a gallery tour of Delita Martin: Conjure on its closing day. Guests will dine in the AMSET education courtyard under the red canopy, weather permitting.

Tickets are only $35 per person. Your payment is your reservation and seating is limited. Wednesday, May 19^th is the reservation deadline. Brunch will include French toast casserole, quiche, bacon, and assorted fruit served with coffee, mimosas, and other enticing breakfast beverages.

This brunch is open to both members and non-members of the museum. If you join the museum through the end of June, new members will get a 20% discount plus the opportunity to enter a drawing at the July First Thursday. Members that bring guests that join the museum will also receive prizes, including free drink tickets to the next First Thursday for one new member, an AMSET published catalogue for two new members, an invitation to an artist’s opening reception dinner for three new members, and a Go for the Gold ticket for four new members!

Admission to this event is $35 per person and open to the public. For more information, visit www.amset.org or call (

409) 832-3432.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

Spring has arrived at AMSET for our Outdoor Family Arts Day! 

(Beaumont, TX; May 7, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) presents its spring Free Family Arts Day on Saturday, May 15, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For this family day, AMSET will be outdoors with tables set up where families can make art by experimenting with printmaking, drawing, and collage making with unusual materials.

Families are invited to enjoy the spring weather with AMSET staff and volunteers for this outdoor event. Art activities will correlate with AMSET’s current exhibitions, DELITA MARTIN: Conjure. The Conjure exhibition features larger than life-sized portraits of Black women. Martin’s work uses signs, symbols, and language found in everyday life to offer a different perspective on the experiences of Black women. Each piece is a mixed media print utilizing screen printing, drawing, painting, hand-stitching, and collage. The exhibition galleries will be open to the public during this outdoor event.

Children and their families will create unique artwork such as styro-prints, plated portraits, mixed media collage, birdy bookmarks and finish everything off with a stamping station! These art activities help establish an understanding and connection with the many techniques used to create the art work in AMSET’s main galleries.

In the event of rain, the outdoor Family Arts Day will be postponed to Saturday, May 22, 2021. Be sure to check AMSET’s website and social media pages for updates.

Complimentary cookies and punch will be provided.  A concession stand selling ballpark-style food will also be available.

  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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For Immediate Release

Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

Join AMSET on First Thursdays after hours for an evening of Jazz & Art

 

(Beaumont, TX; April 30, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will stay open late to host First Thursdays with Jazz on May 6, 2021, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Every first Thursday of the month, AMSET stays open late for the public to have an opportunity to view our current exhibitions and enjoy live musical entertainment. The May First Thursday musical entertainment will be Toby Castro and his jazz band. 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. Show your membership card and get one free drink on AMSET. Socially distanced seating will be available both inside and outside the museum so you can enjoy beautiful Beaumont in the month of May.

First Thursdays with Jazz is the perfect opportunity to enjoy AMSET’s current exhibition, DELITA MARTIN: Conjure. This will be the last First Thursday to see this exhibit. Explore this breath-taking solo exhibition featuring mixed media prints by artist Delita Martin, whose work focuses on the identity and symbols surrounding the lives of Black women.

Guests attending will have the opportunity to check out our Conn Gallery, where The Dinner Table, also by Delita Martin, is installed. Over 200 individual white ceramic plates hang on the walls, each depicting a lithographic crayon drawing of individual women of color. The installation features chairs where you may sit and “visit” with each of these portraits, who are friends, relatives and acquaintances of the artist.

AMSET’s Café Arts Series, Beaumont Camera Club: Group Exhibition will be on view in the café, where guests can get an up-close look at these local photographs while simultaneously enjoying a front row seat of the jazz band. Beaumont Camera Club is the Café Arts Series’ first group exhibition, where first, second and third place winners were selected by Dishman Art Museum director, Dennis Kiel.

Admission to this event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.

This program is made possible in part by Goodyear Beaumont Chemical.

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Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

Will you have the Luck of the Draw at AMSET’s Go for the Gold fundraiser?

 

(Beaumont, TX; February 25, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will host its annual Go for the Gold reverse drawing fundraiser on Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 7 p.m. virtually through Zoom. Time to buy yer luck of the Irish green to gold ticket for the annual Go for the Gold reverse drawing event.

            Tickets cost $100 and each ticket is redeemable for lunch for two from Two Magnolias, AMSET’s preferred caterer until August 2021. 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 as well as silver coins and wine. Winners need not be present to win. The gold prizes are given in American Eagle coins and have value that depends on the price of gold and value on the collectors’ market.

All proceeds benefit AMSET’s exhibitions and educational programs.

This year’s Go for the Gold theme is Luck of the Draw. Attendees are encouraged to dress in green for a little pre-Paddy’s Day festivities for the virtual drawing on Zoom. Participants will be entertained by board members and lucky emcees, Albert Nolen and Gerald Farha.

Only 450 tickets will be sold to maximize participants’ chance of winning; advance purchase is recommended.  To purchase tickets, visit our website amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.

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Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

Exhibit telling the stories of Black Women will open at AMSET in spring

(Beaumont, TX; February 23, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will exhibit DELITA MARTIN: Conjure on view March 13, 2021 through May 23, 2021 in the main galleries.

Conjure will feature works by Delita Martin, whose art deals with reconstructing the identity of Black women by piecing together the signs, symbols, and language found in what could be called everyday life from slavery through modern times. Martin’s goal is to create images as a visual language to tell the story of women that have often been marginalized, offering a different perspective of the lives of Black women.

Delita Martin is an artist currently based in Huffman, Texas. She received a BFA in drawing from Texas Southern University and an MFA in printmaking from Purdue University. Formerly a member of the fine arts faculty at UA Little Rock in Arkansas, Martin currently works as a full-time artist in her studio, Black Box Press. Martin’s work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Most recently, Martin’s work was featured in Calling Down the Spirits, a solo exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Her work is in numerous portfolios and collections. Delita is represented by Galerie Myrtis in Baltimore, Maryland.

Supporting programming will include a virtual panel discussion at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, March 20^th, with the Roux Collective, featuring artists Rabea Ballin, Ann Johnson, Delita Martin and Lovie Olivia. The Collective will speak on the topic of the portrayal of Black women in the arts and will be moderated by AMSET’s Curator of Exhibitions, Caitlin Clay. Joining the panel discussion is free and open to the public. The program will also be recorded and made available on the museum’s website and social media platforms the following week.

For more information, visit www.amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.

This exhibitions is generously funded, in part, by the Edaren Foundation, Humanities Texas, Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts,  

Rob Clark and Jerry Thacker, Tootsie Crutchfield, Caitlin Duerler, LeeAnn and Terry Garth,

the City of Beaumont, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund,

the C. Homer and Edith Fuller Chambers Charitable Foundation, and the members of the Art Museum of Southeast Texas.

The panel discussion is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

 

To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

Delita Martin, Nightbird, 2020, relief printing, charcoal, acrylic, liquid gold leaf, decorative papers, hand stitching, 72 x 51.5 in., private collection

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Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
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AMSET’s Winter Free Family Arts Day moved to February 27th!

(Beaumont, TX; February 18, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will be moving its winter Free Family Arts Day to Saturday, February 27, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. due to the winter storm that hit Southeast Texas. For this family day, AMSET is creating “to-go” art activities around the basics of clay, weaving, collage and charcoal drawing which can be picked up in our Drive-Thru.

Families are invited to drive-thru AMSET’s parking lot while staying in their vehicles to receive bags filled with goodies and supplies to create fun art projects. Art activities will correlate with AMSET’s current exhibitions, FROM THE VAULT: Tyler Museum of Art and PERSPECTIVES: Selections from the Permanent Collection.

Children and their families will receive bags with instructions and links to video instructions so they can learn some art basics. Included will be a woven friendship bracelet, beaded snake, clay pinch pot, charcoal drawing, and collage assembled with bits and pieces of construction paper. These art activities help establish an understanding and connection with the many styles of art works in AMSET’s main galleries.

Art activity supplies will be distributed starting at 10 a.m. and given out according to the number of children in the vehicle, while supplies last.

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, Bill Clark Pest Control, UBS – The Ohmstede Financial Group, Linda & Dr. Charles Foutz, Goodyear Beaumont Chemical, Helen Caldwell Locke and Curtis Blakey Locke Charitable Trust, Regina Rogers – In loving memory of Julie & Ben Rogers, Sam’s Club, the City of Beaumont, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund, Sam’s Club, Heather & Mark Petkovsek and Karen & Mike Fuljenz.

 

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

Use your Hands with Drive-Thru Clay & Weaving Fun at

AMSET’s Free Family Arts Day!

(Beaumont, TX; February 12, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) presents its winter Free Family Arts Day on Saturday, February 20, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For this family day, AMSET is creating “to-go” art activities around the basics of clay, weaving, collage and charcoal drawing which can be picked up in our Drive-Thru.

Families are invited to drive-thru AMSET’s parking lot while staying in their vehicles to receive bags filled with goodies and supplies to create fun art projects. Art activities will correlate with AMSET’s current exhibitions, FROM THE VAULT: Tyler Museum of Art and PERSPECTIVES: Selections from the Permanent Collection.

Children and their families will receive bags with instructions and links to video instructions so they can learn some art basics. Included will be a woven friendship bracelet, beaded snake, clay pinch pot, charcoal drawing, and collage assembled with bits and pieces of construction paper. These art activities help establish an understanding and connection with the many styles of art works in AMSET’s main galleries.

Art activity supplies will be distributed starting at 10 a.m. and given out according to the number of children in the vehicle, while supplies last.

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, Bill Clark Pest Control, UBS – The Ohmstede Financial Group, Linda & Dr. Charles Foutz, Goodyear Beaumont Chemical, Helen Caldwell Locke and Curtis Blakey Locke Charitable Trust, Regina Rogers – In loving memory of Julie & Ben Rogers, Sam’s Club, the City of Beaumont, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund, Sam’s Club, Heather & Mark Petkovsek and Karen & Mike Fuljenz.

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For Immediate Release

Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

AMSET Schedule of 2021 Events

(Beaumont, TX; January 13, 2021)  The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) hosts its changing quarterly exhibitions and educational programs each year in addition to its numerous fundraisers. AMSET has selections from the permanent collection on view year-round in the Lecture Hall and West Hall and spotlights local artists in the Café Arts Series for Local Artists.

            Upcoming events are subject to change with updates noted on the website and social media pages.

From the Vault: Tyler Museum of Art – On view October 3, 2020 – February 28, 2021. From the Vault: Tyler Museum of Art features a selection of early Texas paintings and works on paper from the permanent collection of the Tyler Museum of Art, with a spotlight on early Texas artist and educator Coreen Mary Spellman (1905-1978). The Tyler Museum of Art exists as an educational and cultural center to enrich the lives of East Texas citizens and visitors through the collection, preservation, study, exhibition, interpretation, and celebration of the visual arts. From the Vault is an exhibition series which enhances the relationship between AMSET and TMA. From the Vault: Art Museum of Southeast Texas was view at the Tyler Museum of Art September 13-November 29, 2020 and featured Contemporary Texas paintings and works on paper from AMSET’s permanent collection.

            Perspectives: Recent Acquisitions and Selections from the Permanent Collection – On view October 3, 2020 – February 28, 2021. Perspectives features works from AMSET’s growing permanent collection, including recent acquisitions. As stated in our institutional mission, we strive to provide education, inspiration and creative vision throughout Southeast Texas through our unique collections, exhibitions and public programs. Over the years, AMSET’s permanent collection has grown from 200 to nearly 2,000 objects, focusing our collections on contemporary Texas artists and regional folk art. It is through generous donations of our museum patrons, collectors and artists that we can continuously build our collections. Each year, we present an exhibition of works solely from the permanent collection, giving Southeast Texas audiences the opportunity to see the works that are now a part of their museum.

The exhibition features a selection of recent acquisitions to the permanent collection as well as a spotlight on works from the John Gaston Fairey collection of Mexican Folk Art.

Café Arts Series for Local Artists – Gayle Pugh: Diversity of Texas, November 19, 2020 – February 14, 2021. Gayle Pugh creates colorful and highly detailed romantic paintings of Texas’s diverse landscapes featuring wooded forests with babbling creeks, to rocky desert scenes.

            AMSET Virtual Auction – Thursday, January 21, 2021 @ 6 p.m. AMSET will commission local artists to donate work, prepare themed baskets, and selections from the museum’s archives all available to be purchased through a virtual auction. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit AMSET’s growing permanent collection of local and regional artworks.

AMSET Book Club – Tuesday, January 19, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. Our next quarterly book club, which is free and open to the public, will be discussing The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides via Zoom.

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, February 4, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First

Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar. Gayle Pugh: Diversity of Texas artist reception will coincide with this First Thursday.

Taste of the Arts Lecture Series – February 5, 2021 @ 12:30 p.m. Lamar University art professor Christopher Troutman will present a virtual talk on the current AMSET exhibit, Perspectives.

Café Arts Series for Local Artists – Beaumont Camera Club, February 18, 2021 – May 16, 2021. The Beaumont Camera Club will be featured in a group photography show in AMSET’s Café Arts Series.

Winter Family Arts Day – Saturday, February 20, 2021 @ 10 a.m. A drive-thru event where families are invited pick up art activities that will correlate with Perspectives and From the Vault: Tyler Museum of Art. This event is free and open to the public and runs until 2 p.m. or while supplies last.

Protégé 35^th Annual High School Art Competition and Exhibition - Virtual Awards Ceremony – 6 p.m., February 25, 2021. This year’s juror is artist Delita Martin. The Protégé exhibition will be on view in AMSET in the West Hall, February 25 through March 28, 2021. AMSET believes it is important that young artists have an early opportunity to enter art competitions and to learn professional exhibition protocol. This exhibit travels to other regional venues.

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, March 4, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First

Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar.

            Delita Martin: Conjure – On view March 13, 2021 – May 23, 2021. Conjure will feature works by Delita Martin, whose work deals with reconstructing the identity of Black women by piecing together the signs, symbols, and language found in what could be called everyday life from slavery through modern times. Martin’s goal is to create images as a visual language to tell the story of women that have often been marginalized, offering a different perspective of the lives of Black women.

Go for the Gold – Thursday, March 11, 2021. Tickets are $100 for members. The ticket also includes two complimentary lunches at AMSET’s café, Two Magnolias, and is redeemable through September 30, 2021. Three ticket holders get a chance to win prizes in gold. The holder of the last ticket drawn from the hopper will receive $10,000 in gold. Proceeds from Go for the Gold benefit the museum’s exhibitions and educational programming.

Delita Martin: Conjure Opening Reception – March 19, 2021 @ 6:30 p.m.

Delita Martin: Conjure Panel Discussion – March 20, 2021.

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, April 1, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First

Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar.

AMSET Book Club – Tuesday, April 20, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m.

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, May 6, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First

Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar.

Spring Family Arts Day – Saturday, May 18, 2021 @ 10 a.m. A free event where families are invited to create art activities that will correlate with Delita Martin: Conjure. This event is free and open to the public and runs until 2 p.m. or while supplies last.

Café Arts Series for Local Artists – Cat Holtzclaw, May 20, 2021 – August 15, 2021.

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, June 4, 2020 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First

Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar. Cat Holtzclaw artist reception will coincide with this First Thursday.

David Cargill: The Lighter Side – On view June 5, 2021 – September 19, 2021. The Lighter Side will feature works by sculptor David Cargill. Working mainly in bronze, stone, wood and ceramic, Cargill has created well-known large scale sculptures for churches, universities, commercial buildings, and private collectors. Focusing on themes of love, laughter and whimsy, The Lighter Side explores the boundless imagination of the artist, who manipulates different materials to create sculptures that seem to move, twist and breathe. Works from the permanent collection of the Art Museum of Southeast Texas will be included in the exhibition as well as loans from the artist and private collections in the state.

David Cargill: The Lighter Side – Opening Reception, June 11, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m.

Summer ArtVentures Creative Kids Camp – June 21 – July 30, 2021.  At AMSET’s popular summer camp, children ages 5-14 can participate in intensive art education classes taught by professional artists. Campers are

divided into three age groups for week-long classes. For more information, visit www.amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, July 1, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First

Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar.

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, August 5, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First

Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar.

Summer Family Arts Day – Saturday, August 14, 2021 @ 10 a.m. A free event where families are invited to create art activities that will correlate with David Cargill: The Lighter Side. This event is free and open to the public and runs until 2 p.m. or while supplies last.

Café Arts Series for Local Artists – Tina Novelli, August 19, 2021 – November 14, 2021.

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, September 2, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar.

Anniversary Gala 2021 – September 2021, Date TBD.  AMSET’s biggest fundraiser of the

year, the anniversary gala includes live entertainment, dancing, fine dining, live/silent auctions, and more. All proceeds benefit the museum’s exhibitions and education programming.

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, October 7, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar.

Collecting a Master – Opening Reception, October 15, 2021 @ 6:30 p.m.

Fall Exhibitions - On view October 16, 2021 – August 27, 2023. Collecting a Master/Coleccionando la obra de un maestro: Carlomagno Pedro Martinez in the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art.

“Eat a Bug!” Family Arts Day – Saturday, October 30, 2021 @ 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. A free event where families are invited to create art activities that will correlate with the exhibition Collecting a Master. This event is free and open to the public and runs until 2 p.m. or while supplies last. “Eat a Bug!” Family Arts Day is one of AMSET’s most popular events. Hands-on art activities focus on the many cultures of our region and the main gallery exhibitions. Visitors will learn about the current exhibits on view through hands-on art activities as well as Day of the Dead and Latin American crafts.

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, November 4, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar.

Café Arts Series for Local Artists – November 19, 2021 – February 14, 2022

First Thursdays at AMSET – Thursday, December 2, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. The museum stays open later on First Thursdays, featuring live jazz, light snacks, and a cash bar.

Holiday Tree Lighting – Thursday, December 2, 2021 @ 4-6 p.m.  AMSET and area museums, attractions and local businesses will host the annual Holiday Tree Lighting.

Gingerbread House Workshop – Saturday, December 4, 2021 @ 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Families and friends combine architectural design and pastry skills in this annual sugary workshop at AMSET. Just in time for the holidays, this sweet day of family fun allows participants to create an edible gingerbread house masterpiece.

            Winter Exhibitions – Collecting a Master and Francesca Fuchs - On view December 2021– March 2022.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

(Beaumont, TX; January 11, 2021) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) hosts its Virtual Auction on Thursday, January 21, 2021.  To-go gumbo dinner, catered by Two Magnolias, is available for pre-order to enjoy during the live presentation. 

This year, AMSET will commission local artists to donate work, prepare themed baskets, and selections from the museum’s archives all available to be purchased through a virtual auction. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit AMSET’s growing permanent collection of local and regional artworks.

This event is free to view online via Zoom on January 21, 2021, at 6 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to call in and live bid during the event. The online auction will be available beginning January 14 and will close at the beginning of the live auction. The auction items will be on view in AMSET’s West Hall January 11 through January 21. Each piece in the live auction on January 21 will open with the highest online bid or silent bid at AMSET and go to the highest bidder that evening. “Buy it now” prices will also be set.

Two Magnolias will be catering a to-go option to enjoy while watching the live stream of the auction. Dinner will be available for pre-order until January 14, 2021. Chicken & sausage gumbo, potato salad, and dessert are featured on the menu for $30 per meal, with the optional addition of wine for only $10 more.

AMSET is taking the biannual Treasure Auction and transforming it into a new virtual experience. For previous auctions, regional artists have designed fine interior decorative pieces that bidders purchase for their home art collections. Past auction items have included clocks, serving trays, carts, chairs, birdhouses and birdbaths, masks, and much more. The museum hopes to keep everyone in Southeast Texas excited about art and there’s no better way than to do that by bringing the art to them!

For more information or to make a dinner order please call (409) 832-3432 or visit www.amset.org.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

(Beaumont, TX; December 1, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) was given an early Christmas present today! AMSET received a $10,000 contribution from ExxonMobil this Giving Tuesday in support of the Art After School program at Charlton-Pollard Elementary School and family level memberships for deserving students at both Charlton-Pollard Elementary School and Amelia Elementary School.

Art After School is one of the AMSET’s most successful programs.  This program is a partnership between BISD and AMSET to benefit fourth grade students at four Title 1 schools in close proximity to the museum. Children come to the museum for one week of tours and hands-on art activities.  They have a quality museum experience, one that is educational, interesting and most of all, fun! Memberships will allow the students to keep up to date on current programs and exhibitions in AMSET’s main galleries, which are free to visit 6 days a week.

AMSET greatly appreciates the continued support of generous organizations like ExxonMobil. Donations like these allow the museum to reach a greater audience of children who would not receive these unique art experiences without their help.

For more information or to make a reservation please call (409) 832-3432 or visit www.amset.org.

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For Immediate Release

Contact: Kayleigh Thompson, PR Coordinator
(409) 832-3432
kthompson@amset.org

Eat a Bug & Trunk-or-Treat at AMSET’s Free Family Arts Day!

(Beaumont, TX; October 9, 2020) 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 31, 2020. For this family day, AMSET is celebrating Halloween and Day of the Dead with a Trunk-or-Treat Drive-Thru. 

While staying in their vehicles, families are invited to ride through AMSET’s parking lot to receive bags filled with goodies and supplies to create art activities. Art activities will correlate with this spooky season and AMSET’s current exhibitions, FROM THE VAULT: Tyler Museum of Art and PERSPECTIVES: Selections from the Permanent Collection.

Joining in on the fun, the Fire Museum of Texas, Texas Energy Museum, Bill Clark Bugsperts, Beaumont Public Library, the McFaddin-Ward House and more will be present throughout the parking lot to give out treats.

Children and their families will get to participate in art activities including God’s Eyes, Balloon Calaveras, Halloween Masks, and Comic Strip Creations. 

Art activity supplies will be limited and given out according to the number of children in the vehicle. 

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, Bill Clark Pest Control, UBS – The Ohmstede Financial Group, Linda & Dr. Charles Foutz, Goodyear Beaumont Chemical, Helen Caldwell Locke and Curtis Blakey Locke Charitable Trust, Regina Rogers – In loving memory of Julie & Ben Rogers, Sam’s Club, the City of Beaumont, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund, Sam’s Club, Heather & Mark Petkovsek and Karen & Mike Fuljenz.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KAYLEIGH THOMPSON, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

KTHOMPSON@AMSET.ORG

Celebrate AMSET’s 70^th Anniversary Virtually

(Beaumont, TX; September 23,2020) Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will kick off its 70^th Anniversary Celebration, Thursday, October 29, 2020 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Zoom. More information about how to attend the virtual event will be posted on the museum website and social media accounts, amset.org and Facebook.com/AMSETx. AMSET invites the community to celebrate 70 years of art and education.

            Due to COVID-19, AMSET’s Fall Fundraiser will look a little different this year. The museum is sending pledge forms and letters to AMSET enthusiasts asking for contributions to help fund the many programs put on throughout the year that benefit the community.

A team of emcees from the museum staff and Board of Trustees will host the evening’s presentation about all facets of AMSET’s contributions to the community here in Southeast Texas. The event will look back on the museum’s accomplishments over the past 7 decades and forward to the bright future. Distinguished artists and supporters will speak about their favorite part of AMSET, encouraging viewers to donate to their favorite programs. Exhibitions and events planned for the coming months will be announced during the live stream. Throughout the evening, drawings will occur for the chance to win artsy and exciting prizes. To participate in the drawings, register online at amset.org or call (409) 832-3432. Participants will also have the opportunity to have their donation matched by members of AMSET’s Board of Trustees.

All proceeds benefit AMSET exhibitions and educational programs.  For more information or to register for the drawings, visit amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.

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