Art Museum of Southeast Texas hosts Bill Pangburn’s workshop

The museum’s classroom is often filled with the high pitch squeals of youngsters as they learn about art. But on May 2, the classroom was quiet as the adults focused on carving their drawings into the linoleum blocks.

The Art Museum of Southeast Texas hosted an adult workshop conducted by artist Bill Pangburn on May 2. Pangburn is a New York-based Texas artist whose exhibition of woodcuts, “Printed Traces: A Neches River Journal,” opened May 5, with a reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 8. 

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Andy Gardner, AMSET’s deputy director of operations and education, said the museum has a reputation for hosting children’s classes and events. However, museum leadership realized that adults wanted to share the fun. The museum has the ability to provide adults with a high quality art experience and let them have the opportunity to work with a professional, he said.

“It ties into the exhibition,” he said. “We’re exposing them to the artists as well as the work in the gallery, and letting them experience the process that he’s going through of how he’s created his own artwork.”

Gardner said the museum is looking to expand opportunities to engage adults. 

“People should check our website for adult programming — we’re doing more of those type of things,” he said. We just had the mural walk, yoga in the gallery — we’re reaching out and trying to provide an adult service in order to get a community connection.”

Margie Chase said the workshop gave her a greater appreciation for the artist’s process. 

“When you’re using your little instrument, you can’t dig too deep,” she said. “You learn how to just ease into it. And then sometimes, you have to stand up to make your body curve, you know, with the thing. But some of these people have done some incredible work.”

Charlotte Fontenot said she has been asking AMSET to host adult workshops because she sees how much fun the kids have. Fontenot said she has been in the gallery business for years and wanted to experience the other side of art.

“I don’t want to paint portraits, but I want to do things that are that are fun,” she said. “They’re not structured. They’re all like outsider art, OK? I love to do assembly art, gel plate art, that type of thing. I don’t want to paint your portrait or anything.

“I can really appreciate now that what the artist goes through of things I’ve sold for years, and I love it,” she added.

Not everyone was looking to creates high art. Doris Cheng, who attended with her daughter-in-law Michelle Cate, proudly showed off a print of her dog, who recently died at age 16.

“I miss her,” she said.

The workshop is designed for people to have fun, Pangburn said. Once the participants had carved their blocks, Pangburn demonstrated how to mix the ink and prepare the linoleum for printing. The artists used a bone folder on the back of the paper to rub the ink onto the paper before pulling the print back.

 “I want people to walk out feeling they’ve accomplished something, they’ve learned something, and they have something they can take with them that they’re pleased with,” Pangburn said. “Even if they realize that it doesn’t always work, that it’s hard, that it takes more effort to get better at it. I want them to feel good about the day.”

For more on the museum activities, visit amset.org.