For more than a decade, a group of local artists have worked to form a community of support, allowing them to explore new techniques and exchange ideas as well as foster collaboration in a supportive environment.
Steve Korevec, an original member of the East Texas Artists Forum, said the group was initiated by artist Bruce Mauldin, who was working at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts while on sabbatical from his career in Houston.
“Bruce had come up, and he started the group to bring local artists into the museum. We would share our work and he would critique it — after he left, we just kept it going,” said Korevec, who is better known as Ziggy.
East Texas Artists Forum members visit and look over the work of other artists Thursday during the group’s monthly meeting at the Longview Community Center. (Les Hassell/Longview News-Journal Photo)
Water color artist Joe Mraz said the group started with about a dozen members, mostly painters.
“It eventually evolved into not just painters but potters and jewelers — and now we’ve even opened it up to writers and poets,” he said. “So it’s open to all the arts.”
After moving meetings from the art museum to the Longview Arboretum and Nature Center for a short while, members of the group approached Arts!Longview Executive Director Christina Cavazos and asked to make their home at the Longview Community Center, office to Arts!Longview and within the city’s Cultural Arts District.
“They approached me about it, and I was glad for us to host them,” Cavazos said.
Multi-disciplinary artist Charles Arnold said most of the meetings begin with a networking session where artists and art enthusiasts connect over refreshments, exchange contacts and discuss potential collaborations followed by a presentation.
Most recently, artist Suzann Cromer spoke about her work describing the tools, media and processes she employs as a sculptor.
After the presentation, guests are encouraged to bring out their own work for group critique.
Mixed media artist Linka Behn is one of the newest members to join the forum. After moving from the Dallas area two years ago, Behn said she initially felt like she was in an arts desert.
Sculptor Suzann Cromer gives a presentation about her work Thursday during the East Texas Artists Forum’s monthly meeting at the Longview Community Center. (Les Hassell/Longview News-Journal Photo)
“I left a studio. I left a circle. I left memberships, and I was like starving and looking for any kind of support and you came by,” she said, motioning to Arnold, “and said ‘Hey, we’ve got this thing.’ ”
Behn found a welcoming home within the group.
“There’s no intimidation or levels of seniority suggested, and that makes it easy to be a new person and just absorb without saying or bringing anything,” she said. “I have not heard a criticism that was hurtful — just true constructive criticism”
“We lovingly critique,” Arnold said. “We don’t want anyone to regret creating art.”
“We direct criticism at the works, not the artists,” Korevec said.
Mraz said there are no dues to be a member, and meetings are free to attend and open to all artists.
“We just want you to attend and participate as much or as little as possible,” he said.
The East Texas Artists Forum meets 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Longview Community Center, 500 E. Whaley St. in downtown.
For information, visit the East Texas Artists Forum group on Facebook.
