Skip to content

Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Leap At SHSU!

Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Tag: Ellsworth Kelly

Wrapping up the Texas Tribune Festival

After three days attending the Texas Tribune Festival, LEAP students prepared themselves for a somewhat relaxed day of learning about art.  But first, the crew headed out for lunch at the New World Deli.

Lunch at New World Deli – Ilexus Williams

After getting to sleep in a bit after a long weekend traversing the Festival, we started our last half-day in Austin with brunch at New World Deli. We were greeted by friendly staff, and all ordered various soups and sandwiches. Among the many dishes ordered, a common one was the Broccoli and Cheese soup, which everyone agreed was scrumptious!

The sandwiches that we ordered weren’t the only things grilled at the table; Professor Yawn questioned each of us in turn about our favorite activities of the trip. First, we were asked to reflect on our favorite Texas Tribune panels, which included “Education Reform That Makes the Grade,” “From Deployment to Employment,” to “The Consequences of Gun Violence.”

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Texas Tribune Festival, Gun Violence, Austin Texas, ATX

Then we were asked which speaker we enjoyed hearing from the most. The answers ranged from Beto O’Rourke and Eva Guzman to Wendy Davis. Next, we all tried to distinguish our favorite group activity. However, no one could choose between Mr. Arredondo’s art studio…

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Austin Texas, ATX, Texas Tribune Festival, Daniel Arredondo

and the Segway tour!

SHSU, Sam Houston State University, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Austin Texas, ATX, Segway Tours

Both were unique and unforgettable experiences in their own regard.

After finishing our meals, we ordered a smorgasbord of sweet treats. We finished out our time at the New World Deli with brownies, chocolate cake, gluten free cookies, and key lime pie. After indulging in dessert, we made our way to our last stop: The Blanton Museum of Art.

The Blanton Museum of Art – Elena Castillo

At the Blanton Museum of Art…SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX

…we were taken back to a time when art was a catalyst of revolution and change. Today we wandered through centuries of historic change from different cultures and societies. As we walked through The Blanton Museum of Art each piece held a different message. We saw many pieces by many of LEAP’s favorite artists such as Thomas Hart Benton…

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX, Thomas Hart Benton

….Ellsworth Kelly…

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX

…George Segal…

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX, George Segal

…and Andy Warhol.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX, Andy Warhol

My personal favorite was one of the pieces from the Carl & Marilynn Thomas collection known as “La Muerte de San Jose,” which translates to “The Death of Saint Joseph.” This piece was filled with many colors that blended so smoothly together that it was hard to understand where the focal point was but it was clear that the painting represented something important. It also added to the reality of Saint Joseph’s death, from the angels above his body, to his pale skin, and finally by Jesus placing a final blessing on him as he dies.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX

I was so captivated that I didn’t realize the rest of the group had continued on to the next exhibit and had to catch up!

Another favorite among the group was a piece by Cildo Meireles. It is a contemplative space that is meant to symbolize the Jesuit oppression of the indigenous Tupi-Guarani peoples of Brazil during colonial times.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX

The installation uses a line of 800 communion wafers that is strung from a ceiling made of 200 cattle bones and hangs down and connects to the floor which is strewn with around 600,000 pennies. The entire piece is shrouded in black gauzy fabric which is meant to represent life and death. The string of wafers connecting the bones and coins symbolizes the connection that spiritual power had between the suffering of the indigenous peoples and material wealth that resulted from their colonization.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX

After meandering all the way through the museum, it was time to explore “Austin” which is perhaps more well known simply as the Ellsworth Kelly chapel. As it is relatively empty, we only spent a short while taking it in.

The different designs of stained-glass windows at each of the three different ends of the chapel cast different colors on all the walls inside.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX, Ellsworth Kelly

The Kelly pieces were beautiful, with each wing of the chapel showing off the art in a different way.

 

 

 

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX, Ellsworth Kelly

…and being just right for photographs.

SHSU, LEAP Center, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, LEAP Ambassadors, Blanton Museum of Art, Austin Texas, ATX, Ellsworth Kelly

For many, this was our first time to the Blanton Museum, and for a couple it was our first trip to an art museum ever. We learned so much during this weekend, and were grateful for the opportunity to visit our state’s capital and learn and experience so many new things there. Until next time, Austin!

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on October 22, 2018Format AsideCategories Art, Civic Engagement, Civil Rights, Food, Politics, TravelTags ATX, Austin Texas, Blanton Museum of Art, Center for Law Engagement And Politics, Ellsworth Kelly, LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP Center, SHSU, Texas Tribune FestivalLeave a comment on Wrapping up the Texas Tribune Festival

Exploring Ellsworth Kelly’s “Austin” in ATX

On day 2 of our Austin trip, an even more exciting adventure awaited. Deep in the heart of Austin, lies a monumental building that every Austinian knows.

Texas State Capitol by Chase Kennemer

On a normal day in Austin, you can see the Capitol building from almost anywhere in the City. However, today was not one of those days. We walked through downtown Austin, in the dense fog, to get to our Austin Capitol where our legislators make laws.  For those in our party who had previously worked in the Capitol, they experienced a sense of nostalgia; for the rest of us, it was more a sense of wonder.  In the middle of the rotunda, we looked up to look up at the star centered in the middle of the dome, and we thought of our own dreams.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Texas Capitol

Office Visits and Capitol Tour by Ilexus William

Our first stop was Senator Charles Schwertner’s office, where we met Deandra Porter, who is the scheduler for the office. Ms. Porter explained to us how the Senator’s office was run.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Texas Capitol

She engaged us in conversations of how a Senator’s office would be like throughout session and stressed the point that no matter how busy they are in the office, anyone who comes through their door with a problem must be assisted immediately, including a kindergarten class touring the capitol for the first time. Soon after we met with Chris, our tour guide.

Before taking our tour, we made a quick pit stop to see the painting of our beloved Sam Houston.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Texas Capitol

Next, we began our tour of the Texas State Capitol. Here, we had a chance to see the governors’ portraits…SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Texas Capitol

…check out the Senate Gallery…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Texas Capitol

…and even go up to the Speaker’s Dias in the House, where we could see a wonderful portrait of Sam Houston.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Texas Capitol

To continue our Sam Houston theme, we also went to the entrance, where we posed with Elizabet Ney’s sculpture of General Houston.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Texas Capitol

After finishing our tour, we met with Scott Jenkines, who is the chief of staff for State Representative Armando Martinez.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Texas Capitol, Scott Jenkines

Mr. Jenkines gave great advice on what he looks for in interns and gave great advice on what skills to hone such as to be inquisitive, take the initiative, and being prompt.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Texas Capitol, Scott Jenkines

After captivating us with stories of the Capitol and his experience with the internships, Mr. Jenkines turned to the students for questions. Everyone was curious about the various aspects of the internship, and Mr. Jenkines and Beatriz enlightened us with their experiences.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Texas Capitol, Scott Jenkines

Following an interesting and enlightening morning, we headed to one of our favorite Austin restaurants: The Clay Pit.

The Clay Pit by Christina Perez

The Ambassadors and friends visited their favorite restaurants in Austin this week! Sawyer, Ilexus, and Tyara had never been to the contemporary Indian restaurant, The Clay Pit. It is in the historical “Bertram building” in beautiful downtown Austin. They are locally owned and have been open since Austin was just starting to form into the city it is today. As we arrived, we were happy to find out that they had a lunch buffet on the menu, so we decided it was the best way to try an assortment of foods. As we went around the table talking about some of our favorites, the consensus winner being the chicken tikka masala, we also talked lengthily about our trip. It was a great way to show our new friends a new type of food!

Blanton Museum of Art by Sawyer Massie

We hoped to visit the Blanton Museum of Art on Thursday, our first day in Austin, but the Museum was unexpectedly closed for a private reservation.  Thus, we shuffled our day trip around, and we stopped by again today.

Upon entering, we were greeted by a grand foyer with walls decorated with intricate tiling on the marble walls with varying shades of blues.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art

We were reminded to take note of the Roman motifs in the front room, a work of art, that profoundly represented a traditional Roman bathhouse. The only exhibit on the lower floor was solely on Ellsworth Kelly to promote and give background knowledge on the gallery’s new installation called, ‘Austin.’

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art, Ellsworth Kelly

Inside the exhibit were beautiful displays of minimalism coupled with descriptions and explanations detailing the inspirations behind each piece.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art

The exhibit snaked around through totems made of redwood and color spectrums until we reached the foyer again.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art

This time, I noticed the massive sculpture hanging from the center of the ceiling. This piece, made by Thomas Glassford, spanned about twenty feet long and displayed a long, elegant arrangement of different types of flowers that intertangled to create the shape of a jellyfish. We all enjoyed the exhibits upstairs which contained Latin American Art…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art, Luis Jimenez

…and European Art however we spent the most time in the American/Contemporary section of the gallery.

Here, we quizzed each other on who could guess the famous artist behind the paintings and pieces. Among these were Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Rivera.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art, Diego Rivera

Towards the end was a room which contained one singular structure sitting in the middle of the room. It looked like a raised tent with transparent mesh walls with thousands of pennies on the floor inside. It took us a second to realize, but the roof of the tent was made of bones and there was a stack of Catholic communal bread attaching the penny floor to the bone roof.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art

This was symbolic of the early colonialization of Native Americans by the Europeans who wiped out the population during their settlement in search of wealth. I think we all left that display feeling like we had earned a new respect for abstract art. We sauntered about the rest of the exhibit admiring sculptures and culturally innovative art styles until we, once again, were led back to the foyer, where we made a final stop to once again experience the colorful art of Ellsworth Kelly.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art, Ellsworth Kelly

But our Ellsworth Kelly wasn’t over!  We made another stop in the “Austin” Chapel, where we had a chance to experience the beautiful stained glass windows with actual sunlight shining in.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art, Ellsworth Kelly

The chapel was beautiful, and the light from the stained glass perfectly complemented the art we saw inside the Blanton…

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art, Ellsworth Kelly

…and it formed a nice image for us to impress in our minds as we planned to depart Austin.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art, Ellsworth Kelly

This is where our journey of the Blanton Art Museum ended, as well as our Austin adventure, as we headed back home before embarking on our next quest of learning, art, history, & literature.

SHSU, LEAP Center, LEAP Ambassadors, ATX, Blanton Museum of Art, Ellsworth Kelly

 

Author mikeyawnPosted on March 4, 2018Format AsideCategories Art, Civic Engagement, Fun, Politics, TravelTags ATX, Blanton Museum of Art, Clay Pit, Ellsworth Kelly, LEAP Ambassadors, LEAP Center, SHSU, Texas CapitolLeave a comment on Exploring Ellsworth Kelly’s “Austin” in ATX

LEAP Ambassadors Are Involved!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Follow Us On Facebook!

Follow Us On Facebook!

Catch Up With Us

  • Texas Parks and Wildlife–and the Wynne Home! June 2, 2023
  • Exploring Austin- Jessica style! June 1, 2023
  • “Under the Texas Sky” with Photographer Derrick Birdsall May 26, 2023
  • SHAIP Recognized during the 88th Texas Legislative Session May 18, 2023
  • Fun On with “Noises Off” May 15, 2023

Join The Conversation!

The Chronicles of Hi… on Ashlyn Explores Austin
mikeyawn on Art is “The Light From A…
Louis Parker on TSUS Presents: A Speaker, A Si…
Lupe on Art is “The Light From A…
Louis Parker on Minding Monkeypox: Expert Pane…

Find Previous Posts

The The Wynne Home Arts & Visitor Center had another interesting speaker, Michael Strutt, who spoke about the role of Texas Parks and Wildlife in conserving cultural artifacts. Thanks to the Wynne Home for bringing interesting speakers to the community!

We also have Twitter!

My Tweets

LEAPing Into LEARNing

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Follow Following
    • Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics
    • Join 397 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...