Press Releases

For Immediate Release

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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For Immediate Release

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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For Immediate Release

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


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 19th 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.

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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.


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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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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For Immediate Release

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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For Immediate Release

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 20th, 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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For Immediate Release

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

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.

 

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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 35th 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.

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For Immediate Release

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

AMSET is bringing the art to you with its first Virtual Auction.

(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.

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For Immediate Release

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


ExxonMobil GIves the Gift of Art to Deserving Students this Giving Tuesday at AMSET

(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 70th Anniversary Virtually

(Beaumont, TX; September 23,2020) Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will kick off its 70th 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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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kayleigh thompson, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 kthompson@amset.org

Two exhibits celebrating Texas art old and new open at AMSET in fall

(Beaumont, TX; September 8, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will exhibit From the Vault: Tyler Museum of Art and Perspectives: Selections from the Permanent Collection on view October 3, 2020 through February 28, 2021 in the main galleries.

From the Vault will feature a selection of early Texas paintings and works on paper from the permanent collection of the Tyler Museum of Art (TMA), 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. Concurrently, an exhibition of contemporary Texas paintings and works on paper from AMSET’s permanent collection, From the Vault: Art Museum of Southeast Texas will be on view at the Tyler Museum of Art September 13-November 29, 2020.

Perspectives will feature 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, as well as regional and Mexican 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 part of their museum. The exhibition will also spotlight works from the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art.

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

Both exhibitions are generously funded, in part, by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, 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.


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


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Rosalie Speed Old Man River, Vicksburg, c. 1938 oil on Masonite, 25 1/4 x 28 1/2 in. Tyler Museum of Art, 2005.06 Gift of the 2005 Collectors' Circle

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Christopher Troutman, Two Downtowns: SE TX and S. Kyushu, 2017, oil paint on unstretched canvas, 64 x 51 in., Museum purchase PC 2019.10

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

Join AMSET for a drive-thru Family Arts Day, Aug.15


(Beaumont, TX; July 16, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) invites children and their families to join in AMSET’s free drive-thru “Don’t Mess with Texas, Mess with ART” Family Arts Day on Saturday, August 15, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until supplies last.

“To continue fulfilling our mission of providing education, inspiration and creative vision throughout Southeast Texas, AMSET has decided to have a drive-thru style Family Arts Day for the safety of our guests due to Covid-19,” Andy Gardner, AMSET’s curator education/outreach, said.

Bags filled with supplies to create four art activities will be handed out to families while they remain in their vehicles and drive through the AMSET parking lot. Families will learn how to create innovative works of art with repurposed materials to coincide with AMSET’s summer recycling theme, “Don’t Mess with Texas, Mess with ART.” Activities are inspired by AMSET’s current exhibitions, PATRICK TURK: Higher Planes and KANA HARADA: Celestial Garden.

 Joining in on the fun, Beaumont Police Department Cops & Kids with McGruff the Crime Dog and the Fire Museum of Texas with Smokey Bear, who will be celebrating his 76th birthday, will be giving away handouts and swag throughout the day.

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

Throughout the day, AMSET will draw winners for backpacks full of school supplies to kick off the new school year.

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 an anonymous donor, American Valve and Hydrant, Architectural Alliance, Bill Clark Pest Control, Rob Clark & Jerry Thacker, 

 Daniels Construction. Diane and Don Shaver, Edaren Foundation, The Garth Family Partnership in memory of Mary Jane Garth and Harriet Garth, Merrill Lynch,

Helen Caldwell Locke and Curtis Blakey Locke Charitable Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, Regina Rogers – In loving memory  of Julie & Ben Rogers, Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund,  the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the C. Homer and Edith Fuller Chambers Charitable Foundation, and the City of Beaumont.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

Military background, space explorations inspires new Café Arts Series

(Beaumont, TX; June 15, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will present BRANDI HAMILTON: No Solid Surface July 2 – September 6, 2020 in AMSET’s Café Arts Series for Local Artists. On Thursday, September 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m., AMSET will host a free and open to the public artist’s reception in conjunction with First Thursday festivities.

Hamilton attended Lamar University for two years before enlisting in the United States Air Force. After serving for twenty years, she returned to her native Southeast Texas to pursue a BFA in Photography at Lamar University where she is currently studying with acclaimed artists and professors, Keith Carter and Prince Thomas. She uses lens-based media to produce silver gelatin and digitally printed images. Hamilton combines imagery and ideas from her military career in space and satellite technology and an M.A. in Humanities with the inherent influences from her small-town childhood.

“Once I left my military profession to pursue a creative life and career, I realized the twenty years spent in space and satellite operations for the United States Air Force would not fade from my consciousness so easily,” she said. “All that previous space training in orbital mechanics and radiofrequency communications floods my mind, wanting to be expressed, not as scientific and intelligence data, but as imagery of wonder and awe.

“In our current society, where the earth has become metaphorically flat again, space and all that it holds remains a frontier only a handful of humans have access to. In what might be the last days of space as unreachable wilderness, it continues to hold a sense of mystery for most of humanity.”

Hamilton’s exhibition, No Solid Surface, is inspired by her personal background and from space explorations of NASA, SpaceX and global entities.

“It surveys elements and compounds that are familiar and mundane, like rock samples beneath our feet, and recomposes them is if they are extraterrestrial or unfamiliar heavenly bodies,” she said. “The goal is to reimagine the oldest of materials in unfamiliar scenes to inspire a renewed sense of wonderment in the basic elements that surround us daily.”

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

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Tangential, 2018, C-Print, edition of 15, 12 x 12 inches, image courtesy of the artist  


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

AMSET reopens to the public with temporary hours, safety guidelines

(Beaumont, TX; May 29, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will reopen to the public on Monday, June 1 with safety guidelines and temporary hours in place.

“The Art Museum of Southeast Texas is pleased to announce that it will reopen to the public on Monday, June 1,” Lynn Castle, AMSET’s executive director, said. “Although we welcome the opportunity to serve our audiences again, visitors need to be aware that day-to-day operational procedures have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“AMSET is using guidelines published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and state and local authorities and other museums as benchmarks for establishing its procedures. As we reopen, our public hours will be shortened and visitor capacity will initially be reduced so that we may take the necessary precautions.”

To create a safe environment, AMSET is requiring social distancing, mandatory face masks, and temperature checks by a staff member using a touchless thermometer. Disposable face masks will be provided for visitors who do not have one. Furthermore, AMSET plans to regularly clean surfaces, provide hand-sanitizer stations throughout the museum, offer a low-touch visitor experience, and take additional precautions.

Presently, visitor capacity is reduced to a maximum of 25 percent capacity. Small parties may remain together. Signage will be posted throughout the museum listing capacity limits and guidelines.

Gallery guides and exhibition-related materials are available online. If visitors would like a physical copy, they can inquire at the front desk. Provided materials must be taken with visitors.

As live programming is reintroduced, it will also be captured digitally, enabling audiences the option to live stream events, Castle said.

“AMSET has actively elevated its digital media presence with educational and interpretive programming upon closing in March and this has successfully gained significant traction,” she said. “These postings will continue after the museum reopens. Our goal is to provide an inspirational visual experience with safety as a priority.

 “We cannot wait to open our doors and welcome our visiting public back to AMSET. Visitors are in for a visual treat when they enter the galleries. The experience is food for the soul and nourishment for the creative spirit.”

 Virtual tours, art activity tutorials, and more can be found on AMSET’s YouTube page (youtube.com/amsetx500main).

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

Registration open for Summer ArtVentures 2020

(Beaumont, TX; May 27, 2020) Join the Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) for Summer ArtVentures courses from June 22 through July 17, 2020.

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.

Campers 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 printmaking and explore the global world of fibers and fabrics 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 investigating nature-inspired art, learning digital art practices, and forming three-dimensional art using paper mâché and clay.

TeenVentures in Art, for ages 12-14, will allow campers to construct works of art with a retro aesthetic. Teen campers will use a range of media such as epoxy, resin, ink, collage, and a variety of found objects to recreate fashionable works of art.

Summer ArtVentures camps are $75 for AMSET members, $135 for non-members for the first child’s first class, $75 for each additional child, and $70 for each additional class. The non-member fee includes a one-year family membership. 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: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

World Peace Flag Ceremony to be held at AMSET on Friday, March 27

(Beaumont, TX; March 10, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will host a World Peace Flag Ceremony led by artist Kana Harada on Friday, March 27 at 5:45 p.m. in the lecture hall. AMSET invites visitors of all ages to take part in this spiritual gathering which aims to spread peace to all the earth.

Works from Harada’s exhibition reflect a peace gathering site called the Fuji Sanctuary at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan, the birthplace of the artist. Harada has been a supporting member of “May Peace Prevail on Earth” for over 36 years and explains that “this spirit is the very essence of my art.” 

 At the site, once every month for over thirty years, thousands of people from all faiths, nationalities, and backgrounds gather outside in rain, snow, storms, wind, or sun and pray for peace and a brighter future for each and every country around the world. 

“I wanted to share the serene yet powerful beauty and joy I always experience visually and spiritually at the site,” Harada said. “Since this spirit of the Fuji Sanctuary is my essence as an artist and a human being, I think it would be a great way for people to get to know me, the artist Kana Harada, my art, and actually participate in what I have been practicing all these years and maybe experience or at least get a little sense of ‘oneness’ with the world. This sense of ‘oneness’ is probably the biggest thing I have learned, enjoyed, and realized over the years through this action of peace.”

AMSET will also unveil its very own Peace Pole, an internationally-recognized symbol of the hopes and dreams of the entire human family, standing vigil in silent prayer for peace on earth. The Peace Pole bears the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in different languages on each of its four sides and will be planted on the museum grounds at a later date as a monument and symbol of peace for the community.

 An opening reception for the spring exhibits PATRICK TURK: Higher Planes and KANA HARADA: Celestial Garden will be held afterward from 6:30-8:30p.m.  

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

Two unique, vibrant new exhibits to open at AMSET in spring

(Beaumont, TX; February 27, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will exhibit PATRICK TURK: Higher Planes from March 14 – June 7, 2020 and KANA HARADA: Celestial Garden from March 21 – June 7, 2020 in the main galleries.

On Friday, March 27, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., AMSET will host a free and open to the public opening reception, featuring a peace ceremony led by artist Kana Harada at 5:45 p.m., inviting visitors to take part in a spiritual gathering, aiming to spread peace to all the earth. Light appetizers and beverages will be provided complimentary of AMSET.

Patrick Turk’s exhibition will feature an immersive site-specific installation as well as hand-cut paper assemblages which are frequently materially sourced from science-fiction novels, encyclopedias, history, and scientific diagrams. By combining these images with concepts from science fiction such as time travel, sentient planets, and hypothetical biology, he creates kaleidoscopic depictions of religious, mythological, and mystical allegories. Born in Galveston, Texas, Turk lives and works in Houston, Texas. His assemblages have been exhibited at Art Storm, Cris Worley Fine Arts, Lawndale Art Center and Rudolph/Projects/Art Scan as well as galleries in Galveston, Texas and Los Angeles, California. In 2013, he was an Artist in Residence at the Lawndale Art Center.

Dallas-based artist Kana Harada’s exhibition will feature two and three dimensional paintings and sculptures. Harada works with hand-cut foam sheets, along with watercolor, paper, and natural materials to create pieces that embody a wish for peace, a love for humanity, mother earth, and the universe. Celestial Garden will include a site-specific installation, suspended sculptures, and cut paper and watercolor paintings. Harada studied graphic design, Japanese fine art, and drawing at Ochanomizu School of Fine Arts in Tokyo, Japan. Harada is the recipient of the Beth Lea and John L. Clardy Memorial Award at 23rd Annual Exhibition, Art in The Metroplex at Texas Christian University. She has had both national and international solo and group exhibitions and her work is featured in several print and online publications and reviews, including Vitamin D Magazine, Glasstire, Star Telegram, and Houston Press, among others. Her work is included in the collections of the Crow Museum of Asian Art, Dallas, Texas, and the Old Jail Art Center, Albany, Texas.

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

Both exhibitions are generously funded, in part, by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Beaumont, the Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund and the C. Homer and Edith Fuller Chambers Charitable Foundation. Funding for PATRICK TURK: Higher Planes provided by, in part, Rob Clark & Jerry Thacker, Architectural Alliance, and Daniels Construction. Funding for KANA HARADA: Celestial Garden provided by, in part, the Edaren Foundation and the

Garth Family Partnership in memory of Mary Jane Garth and Harriet Garth. In addition this exhibition was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America grant.

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Patrick Turk, Dust,  2016, hand-cut paper and mixed media on panel,

35 x 30 x 8 in., Collection of Rob Clark and Jerry Thacker


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Kana Harada, Where We Always Meet, 2017, cut paper on watercolor,

36 x 28 5/8 in., Collection of George Morton & Karol Howard


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

Walk Like an Egyptian at AMSET’s Go for the Gold fundraiser, March 12th

(Beaumont, TX; February 19, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will host its annual Go for the Gold party and reverse drawing fundraiser on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the museum.

 Tickets cost $100 for members and $120 for non-members and admit two people into the party. The additional $20 buys non-members an introductory promotional membership. 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 have value that depends on the price of gold and value on the collectors’ market.

One ticket includes dinner for two catered by Two Magnolias and an open bar serving a signature drink.

All proceeds benefit AMSET’s exhibitions and educational programs.

Chaired by Roxanne and Eric Hellberg, this year’s Go for the Gold theme is Walk Like an Egyptian. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed in the fashion of ancient Egypt.

Participants will be entertained by emcees, Roxanne and Eric Hellberg.

Only 450 tickets will be sold to maximize participants’ chance of winning; advance purchase is recommended.  Tickets must be presented at the event to gain admission. To purchase tickets, visit amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

AMSET hosts 34th Annual Protégé High School Art Competition and Exhibition

(Beaumont, TX; January 28, 2020)  Artwork by local high school seniors, selected for the Annual Protégé Competition and Exhibition, will be on view February 27 through March 28, 2020 in the Conn Take pART gallery at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET). Works 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. Protégé is offered to senior students in Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange, and Tyler counties.

This year’s juror is David Cargill. Born in Huntsville, Cargill moved to Beaumont with his family in 1935. Cargill is a historically and regionally important artist that has filled the local area with major large-scale, sacred and secular sculptures that can be seen near the Beaumont Civic Center, at Lamar University, the downtown Public Library, and inside Saint Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church. His sculptures have helped define the public image of Beaumont, containing visual elements that juxtapose both the abstract and objective. He works in a variety of materials including wood, marble, terra cotta, stone, lead and bronze.

Artists, whose works Cargill selects for the Protégé exhibition, will attend an archival framing workshop given by the AMSET curatorial department. Prizes for winners include scholarships to Lamar University's Art Department and gift certificates for art supplies.

AMSET will host the Protégé Reception and Awards Ceremony on February 27, 2020 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 Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund, and the City of Beaumont.

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Protégé 2019 winners with juror and artist JooYoung Choi

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

Celebrate Black History Month, Mardi Gras at AMSET’s Family Arts Day

(Beaumont, TX; January 23, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) presents its winter Free Family Arts Day on Saturday, February 22, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

Art activities are inspired by Black History Month and Mardi Gras as well as AMSET’s current exhibitions, EMILY PEACOCK: Pure Comedy and DAVID MCGEE: Black Paintings. At AMSET’s quarterly Family Arts Days, the hands-on art activities planned will 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 cookies and create Black & White Texture Paintings, Diversity Chains, Mardi Gras Throws, and Peacock Putty.

Complimentary cookies and punch will be provided as well as live entertainment. A concession stand serving ballpark-style food will be available, as well as free face painting. 

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 exhibit on display, plus hands-on art activities and storytelling 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 Architectural Alliance, Carla and Josh Allen, Bill Clark Pest Control, Rob Clark & Jerry Thacker, Daniels Construction,

Edaren Foundation, Helen Caldwell Locke and Curtis Blakey Locke Charitable Trust, National Endowment for the Arts,

Linda & Dr. Charles Foutz, Lee Ann & Terry Garth, Merrill Lynch, Sheila and Jerry Reese,

Regina Rogers – In loving memory of Julie & Ben Rogers, Diane & Don Shaver, 

Wesley W. Washburn, M.D. and Lulu L. Smith, M.D. Endowment Fund,

the Texas Commission on the Arts, the C. Homer and Edith Fuller Chambers Charitable Foundation, and the City of Beaumont.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

Lamar University student finds beauty in the everyday in Café Arts Series

(Beaumont, TX; January 21, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will host THOMAS DURAN:  Obscurity of a Moment, February 6 – April 19, 2020, in AMSET’s Café Arts Series for Local Artists. AMSET will host a free and open to the public artist’s reception on Thursday, February 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in conjunction with its First Thursday.

Duran is a lens-based artist working on his degree in Studio Art with a concentration in Photography at Lamar University. Duran is active within the Department of Art and Design through the organizations he is a part of, the art honor society Kappa Pi, and treasurer of Artists Common. After graduating, Thomas plans on pursuing a graduate degree in photography.

Originally from Houston, Duran credits the architecture and people he interacted with growing up in addition to his college experience for molding his creative process when shooting photos.

“I was born and raised in the suburbs of Houston,” he said. “I never started making art until I got to Lamar. I owe a lot of the way I create to the faculty they have.”

Duran’s photography explores the stark contrast of light and dark with portraiture and showcases his love for architecture and the human form.

“My work is based around harsh lighting,” he said. “Having a bright orange or blue light blast onto a building is just mesmerizing. I want others to see the beauty in the everyday architecture.”

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

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Safe Haven, digital photograph, 2019, 18 x 24 in., Loan courtesy of the artist    

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: KARA TIMBERLAKE, PR COORDINATOR

(409) 832-3432

 ktimberlake@amset.org

AMSET to host jazzy fundraiser, Valentine Wine & Dine

(Beaumont, TX; January 16, 2020) The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) will host Valentine Wine & Dine, a jazzy wine dinner fundraiser, on Friday, February 14, 2020 at 7 p.m. at the museum.

Chaired by Camille and Chris Ohmstede, the evening is designed to be a casual gathering with a sit-down dinner paired with wine and soft jazz by Jimmy Simmons.

Proceeds from the dinner will go to AMSET's educational programs, which serve between 18,000-23,000 students a year.  

Bubbly and bites will be served at the beginning of the night and will be followed with a gourmet dinner at 7:30 p.m. with special curated wines and sumptuous tabletop sweets to enhance the dining experience. 

Not just for couples, this fun evening is for friends, family, and romantic partners alike.

There will be an auction, as well as a balloon raffle with mystery prizes, giving patrons the opportunity to win a variety of items.  

Tickets are $85 a person, $150 for two people, $1,000 for a reserved table and $2,500 for a premium table (seating limited).

Dress is sport coat casual with a touch of red. 

For more information or to reserve your seat, visit amset.org or call (409) 832-3432.

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