A year-long series of monthly exhibits at the Janet Harte public library is showcasing the works of up and coming female artists. And this month, the art of Sandra Gonzalez is available to the public.
We first introduced you to Miss Gonzalez awhile back when she was painting this mural on the side of the Caller-Times building downtown. She’s a high school art teacher from Laredo, and her work is big and bold, full of vibrant color. Gonzalez says her art has been greatly influenced by her life along the Texas-Mexico border, at the intersection of two cultures. And the title of her show is "Nuestra Cultura."
It features drawings, paintings, mixed media pieces, portraits, and even a playful neighborhood street scene. The signature piece is a large oil painting on a big round canvas titled "De la Frontera." She says,"I wanted to depict myself just being right on the border. And I wanted to have that memory of my childhood where there is a borderline going from one side to the other. And over there ( on the left side) where it says Immigration Reform Act of 1986, a lot of my relatives were able to become legal residents because of that."
A lot of her paintings are of people, her friends and family members, and even herself. Gonzalez says, "I love getting to know people, their features, and I think the human body is wonderful to depict, you can tell a lot by every mark on their faces, their wrinkles, it’s all the stories of their life."
Miss Gonzalez is probably best known here for her mural work, and we asked her which she prefers… painting at an easel or on the side of a building? She laughed and said, "Well I’m very passionate about both, so obviously these paintings are more manageable, and I can do them in my studio… but I cannot wait to paint another mural here in town."
The exhibition of her work runs through the month of May. The Janet Harte Public Library is located next to Flour Bluff High School on Waldron Road. It’s open Mondays through Saturdays, and you can check the daily hours of operation on the library website: http://cclibraries.com/index.php/calendar/venueevents/5-Harte
