The whole idea for the Mardi Gras arches came about by accident. In the mid 1980s, fifth-generation Galvestonian Dancie Perugini Ware was working on a book about the island’s architecture when she came across a photograph that showed four colorful festival arches built on the Island for a special event in 1881.
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Having never lived by the sea, Turkish sculptor Cevat Bezergenli learned about tidal patterns the hard way when he emerged one morning from his temporary weekend residence—a tent on West Beach—to find that the high tide had engulfed the sand sculpture he worked on for hours the day prior. He chuckles softly when recalling the experience, because after all, it was perfectly symbolic of the very reason he chose to sculpt along the shoreline in the first place.
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In October 1900 just a month after the Great Storm, newspaperman William Randolph Hearst organized a benefit for the Galveston orphans to be held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Artists and sculptors were invited to submit artwork to be auctioned during the benefit, and renowned sculptor Pompeo Luigi Coppini donated a small maquette of a design he titled the “Victims of the Galveston Flood.”
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In a triumphant testament to survival, local artists began to pay tribute to Galveston's resilience and to the crippled trees by carving them into various sculptures all across the island. North of Broadway and 45th Street, in a small park located within a small subdivision called The Oaks, artist Earl Jones transformed a down tree into a proud and victorious rendering of Jack Johnson, known as The Galveston Giant, the first African-American world heavyweight boxing champion (1908-1915) who was born in Galveston
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In times of crisis such as these, it is not only an artist’s work but also their philosophies and perceptions that provide unique and thought-provoking perspectives. Four local painters, each with a style as unique as their voice, give us a glimpse into their work and inspiration during unprecedented times.
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Nearly every young adult of the 1980s remembers that earth-shattering day in August of 1988 when MTV debuted the music video for Rick Astley’s hit single, “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Wide-eyed and open-mouthed audiences all over the world stared at the screen in disbelief—no way was this scrawny, red-headed kid in high-waisted, acid-washed jeans the source of that sultry, booming baritone.
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If as Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius mused in the 2nd century, “the soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts,” then the soul of beloved Galveston artist Jack Morris a veritable rainbow.
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The Heard Gallery recently relocated to The Emporium at Eiband’s, 2204 Postoffice Street, in a section some locals refer to as the “Art Corner.” Three corners of the intersection of 22nd Street and Postoffice house three different art galleries, and the fourth is the home of a large mural painted as a collaboration between local artists.
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When Hurricane Ike struck Galveston Island in September 2008, it uprooted trees, homes, businesses and lives. When the winds died down, and the storm surge retreated back into the Gulf of Mexico, lives were forever changed. For Galveston artist Rene' Wiley and her husband Ben Wiley, the Category 2 storm altered their lives in a way they hadn’t expected.
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