January 15, 2019: AMOA Open

The fifteenth annual AMOA Open welcomed artists and visitors for one week from Jan. 4 – 12. The exhibition, underwritten by Toot-n-Totem, and open to all Amarillo visual artists of any age and talent level, drew over 125 entries. In this eclectic event, grade schoolers displayed their creativity alongside seasoned professionals.

A small sampling of the works is noted here, with apologies to artist Terry Martin and photographer Sheldon Brashears whose images did not transfer.

Photographer Ralph Duke definitely drew the attention of most attendees with Sideshow Sally, noted above and a really fetching piece.

Jamie Mansfield’s Amost 3 is a perfect portrayal of sweet innocence, reminding one of the Impressionist paintings of Mary Cassatt.

In Idalou Angel, Stacy Esquibel creates a compelling work, asserting that on the bald Texas plains with their eternal, empty vistas, even monuments to the timeless become marred by time.

Using only pencil and charcoal, the “sketchiest”‘ of media, George Loomis IV, in A Healing Embrace, has masterfully executed a rendering of protective paternal love.

In a fascinating water color reminiscent of Marcel Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase, Melissa Anderson, in The Limited, manages a trompe l’oeil that is complex and arresting.

Ian Watson classifies his art as “color field,” much akin to the work of Mark Rothko. The artist revealed that, for this work, he listened to Pavarotti as he executed the variegations of red, while Beethoven’s 9th helped inspire the other hues. The viewer, to appreciate Watson’s sophisticated technique, must get up close and personal to evaluate the intricate chromatic melds and transformations.

The real star of the show was the Amarillo Museum of Art, which again demonstrated its community-centered focus, shining a light on the wealth of local talent. Amarillo can be grateful to the AMOA, because it makes it easy to say, “Keep Amarillo Artsy! Keep Austin Weird! Keep Lubbock in the Rear View Mirror!!!”