SEGUIN — An artist can draw inspiration from many places.
Local painter Crestino Chapa likes to think back to times during his early childhood when he would watch his father draw, which led to the urge to put brush to canvas and let his own creativity take over.
“Ever since I was a little kid I used to see my dad draw faces of people, and by sixth grade I was already painting,” Chapa said. “And now I have an associate degree in commercial art and advertising.”
Chapa is one of several artists who has donated a painting to the Guadalupe Regional Medical Foundation’s Arts. For Life. event taking place Saturday at Jackson Auditorium. Like Chapa, many of the supporters have their own reasons for donating, whether the art was crafted by their own hands or through the vision of a loved one.
“My father passed away this past November and he was a professional artist of extremely great talent,” said Foundation Executive Director Dorothy Wiley, who is donating one of her father’s paintings featuring the Madonna and Child. “He made a living with art his entire life and passed away at the age of 90. He graduated from Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles — one of the finest art schools in the country at the time.
“Dad was a very compassionate person and I know that he would be very supportive of the Arts. For Life. event and its intention to benefit the hospital.”
Director of Development Amy Gibbs said that many such stories accompany the art that will be featured in the silent auction taking place throughout the evening’s program, which features the Mid-Texas Symphony.
So far, Gibbs said, the response from donors has shown their willingness to share their love of art with the community.
“There’s been an incredible response by local artists to donate their works,” Gibbs said. “It says something about the community in wanting to participate in the event.”
During the featured performance by the orchestra, the audience can expect an enjoyable audio experience featuring some well-known works and a conductor who loves to interact with the crowd.
“There’s a suite from Carmen, there’s some waltzes towards the end and there’s some American composers — Peck and Copland — and some of their melodies,” Gibbs said. “(Conductor) David Mairs interacts with the audience and so he’ll be explaining many of the pieces that go along throughout the program and engages the audience, so that’s one thing that we’ll be looking forward to.”
The experience will be even more interactive than that for one lucky bidder, though. During the intermission, an auction will be held to decide what audience member will lead the 60-piece orchestra in “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
“This will be a spectacular evening,” Wiley said. “Seguin has never had an event like this.”
Wiley also said the artistic theme of the event has a direct tie-in to the new hospital wing. With a meditation garden featuring a fountain and waterfall, as well as flowing tile patterns planned throughout the new facility, the “River of Life” theme will be present everywhere and through several different avenues.
That’s why Arts. For Life. features so many different media — from music to photography to painting. Even if it all falls under the umbrella term “art,” the people who create it usually have stories as unique as their finished product.
“I took art in college and then I raised a family and probably didn’t get back into it until my kids were grown,” said Carrie Davenport, a donor who is contributing a painting called “Misting Morning.” “I’ve been painting now probably for 35 years. If I get a day ahead of me where I see that I can paint, it is the greatest way that I can spend a day. I just get so excited about what I’m going to be working on, so enthusiastic about it, and it’s just all-absorbing.”
Compare that to Chapa, who says that he often takes long hiatuses from his beloved hobby.
“It’s been throughout my life that I’ve been painting, but not all the time — I go through spells,” Chapa said. “You know, I produce a painting a day for months and then I quit for a couple of years. It’s off and on.”
That has led to what one could perceive as a surplus of paintings, some of which Chapa has been asked to display at the Seguin Silver Center. Here and there, the artist says, he will sell some to those who admire it, but it’s not as if he’s doing it for the financial security.
“I have about 200 of them ready to show,” Chapa said. “I just don’t do too much trying to promote my art — I’m not too much of a businessman. I just like to paint.”
Wiley said that’s another reason for Saturday’s event — to bring local artists and their efforts to light.
“There are a lot of talented artists in the Seguin area,” Wiley said. “What we want to do is to promote art and provide a venue for the community to enjoy the arts as well.”
Arts. For Life. will begin will a champagne reception at 6:30 p.m. and move into the main program at 7 p.m. Following the performance, wine will be served, along with desserts provided by Black Tie Catering, at which point the silent auction will wrap up. General admission tickets for the event are currently on sale for $50 at the GRMC gift shop, Gift & Gourmet, Cascades and the Chamber of Commerce, while reserved tickets are priced at $75 or $100 and can only be obtained by calling the foundation at 830-401-7721.
By Tucker Stephenson.
Posted By: Daniel Moss
Monday, June 22nd 2009 at 6:27PM
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