Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

After a long night of planning and work, the LEAP Ambassadors began their second day of the retreat. Our plan was to go to the Stark House in Orange, but an event they were hosting precluded tours, so audibled and went to….

Tyrrell Park 

By Ingrid Cuero 

Starting off our second day strong, we headed to Tyrrell Park in Beaumont, Texas to reinforce our technical skills in outdoor photography. After familiarizing ourselves with a few of the photography basics, such as the exposure triangle, we had the ability to focus on the subjects of our photos as opposed to how to capture them.

Delving deeper into our understanding of photography, we realized the importance of patience when working with wildlife and its unpredictable nature. Although the park featured a large marsh, it turned into a beautiful scene of illuminated waters with alligators, interesting landscapes, and stationary, singing red-winged black birds.

With the adjusting of our camera settings, we were able to capture some beautiful pictures of Purple Gallinules, Egrets, Ibises and Swallows.

I was able to get a great shot of a Great Blue Skimmer, its translucent wings appearing ever-so-slightly against the lily pads.

Many, if not all LEAP Ambassadors walked away with pictures they were proud of, becoming acclimated to the qualities of a good photo. We thoroughly enjoyed the chance to work at different points of the day with various creatures to truly improve our skills. 

The Stark Museum 

By Olivia Discon

After a trip to Tyrrell Park, where we took photographs of a new frontier (for us, that is), we traveled to the Stark Museum to gain deeper knowledge of early Western art. Upon arriving in Orange, Texas, we spotted, by chance, a James Surls piece on Lamar-Orange’s campus! We took advantage of this unique opportunity and snapped a couple selfies and photographs in front of the piece.

It didn’t take long to realize the prominence of the Stark name in this town, as we passed by the Lutcher (Stark) Theater and the massive, historically preserved Victorian family home. The Stark Home gave the group a sense of great anticipation for the museum!

We were able to see the lavish, custom Ford Model-Ts that William Henry Stark drove almost immediately after entering; giving us the impression that this museum would have an extensive and captivating collection. However, we hadn’t anticipated how true that was! 

To our surprise, some of the first works we looked at in the Western Art gallery were of the same birds we took pictures of at Tyrrell Park, all done by John James Audubon!

Some key figures of the Western art movement are Frederic Remington, Albert Bierstadt, and Thomas Moran, all of which were featured in the American Western gallery.

We were able to experience some introductory Bierstadt pieces yesterday at the MFAH, but the opportunity to immerse ourselves in a specific niche of art history was incredible. Morgan especially enjoyed “White Mountains, Mount Adams”…

…a study of mountains done with oil paint on cardboard, as well as John James Audubon’s personal copy of “The Birds of America” prints. 

A work that resonated with Ingrid was “Indian Women Playing Ball on the Prairie” by Seth Eastman, providing an undertone of unfounded commentary for the time period. The painting depicts a swap of gender norms, depicting the women playing lacrosse, and the men idly chatting and spectating the game. The gallery had several amazing pieces that highlighted the allure of the unknown, further romanticizing the idea of westward expansion.

An artist we enjoyed thoroughly without encountering his work before was William Herbert Dunton; a Western artist with several black and white paintings on display. Yvette preferred “The Landing of the American Troops Near Guanica”, and I enjoyed “My Son–My Only Son–is a Coward”. Both pieces had incredible depth and shadowing, which enhanced the emotional and imaginative value of the paintings within the gray-scale.  

The Indian American exhibit was another favorite of the LEAP Ambassadors, which was of great interest to Western artists in their own exhibition. However, the innate diversity of Native American art was mesmerizing in its own right. The oil paintings, textiles, and sculptures had an enthralling vibrancy about them, which provided a great contrast to the black and white gallery wall of the Western Art exhibition.

While we weren’t able to take a picture of the painting, we were able to see a Georgia O’Keeffe “Gerald’s Tree”! Consisting of a dying cedar tree on a Western landscape in New Mexico, the highly notable appearance pleasantly surprised us.

What stood out to me the most was a traveling exhibition on display: “Hunting Pictures from the Collection of the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation”. Game hunting was considered a sport of nobility for upper class citizens to indulge in during the 1700’s, as prohibition laws surrounding hunting were relenting over time. This is reflected in the portraiture of the elites of society, as several paintings included hunting dogs and hunted game alongside the subject.

This museum, as Professor Yawn noted during the visit, has an impressive collection relative to the size of the town. The subject matter allowed us to gain insight into the historical perspective of some early explorers and indigenous people who essentially founded one of America’s first art movements, leaving us with a newfound appreciation for the era and its artists. 

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge 

By Yvette Mendoza

Continuing our adventure through the coastal wetlands of East Texas, we embarked on our next voyage to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. It was a treat to observe how our knowledge of the animals expanded, connecting the ones we saw in Tyrrell Park with those that soar high above the marsh and lurk in the swamps of Anahuac, Texas. 

While swatting away insects that seemed particularly drawn to the LEAP group, we took care not to disturb the stunning butterflies we came across. We also encountered numerous Blue Skimmer Dragonflies and Green Dragonflies, which gracefully posed for our photographs, showcasing their vibrant colors and crystal-clear wings. 

Apart from these airborne creatures, we also marveled at the birds. The sheer number of Snowy Egrets flying overhead, searching for food and shelter in the coastal region of Texas, left us mesmerized. Similar to the egrets, we had the opportunity to capture the beauty of the Great Blue Heron.

This Heron stood out from the rest, as it confidently stood up at the post, and was ready for its close-up and unafraid of our cameras. We were fortunate to observe the Red-Winged Black Bird frequently, with its vibrant red dots on each wing, as well as the Common Gallinule. We even witnessed a mother Gallinule walking alongside her young in the swamp. 

After encountering many of the local birds and some of their key characteristics such as beak type and coloring, we began to build our repertoire of identifiable birds. 

We quickly learned to distinguish the White Ibis from other soaring birds due to their curved beaks and bright red faces. For instance, their beak shape is specialized for catching fish or breaking nuts. 

Transitioning from birdwatching, we took a drive around the park, marveling at the reflection of cattails in the swampy green water. Our eyes were keen not only on the flying animals, but also on the most fearsome residents of the water – the famous alligators. Witnessing over 15 alligators at Anahuac Wildlife Refuge was truly astonishing. Additionally, we spotted turtles and ducks leisurely living their lives in the water, unaware that they could become the alligators’ next meal. 

To conclude our nature walk, we strolled along a boardwalk that rose above what used to be a marsh filled with water. Now, it lay as an enormous dried-out muddy pool beneath us. Though unexpected, the view was undeniably stunning and too captivating to miss to finish off our adventure with the perfect sunset selfie of the LEAP Ambassadors!