Modest space, notable art: Student works shine brightly in impressive art exhibition

A rich painting experience is currently occupying the recently established art gallery Run Pony Run, located in a rear space of the Tiscareño Bridal Couture building in McAllen.

Rigoberto Gonzalez, UTRGV School of Art & Design faculty member, organized a showing of his students’ paintings from the past few years and it is impressive! These artworks demonstrate skills that have been finely honed to realistically convey an immediate visual impact of the human condition in cultural, social, symbolic, and psychological scenarios.

The gallery area occupies two levels with larger works displayed on the first floor while small and medium scale works are located upstairs.

Reviewing student art is tricky; what is the balance between the student’s own ability and the teacher’s influence? For me, the bottom line is the student’s control of the chosen medium/material, and the successfully communication of a relevant concept.

And the student works in this show have that and more. This show engages on more than a single level. What caught and held my attention was the artistic development of ideas and pictorial space that embodied them.

Yes, there’s the stunning pictorial level, which is hard to move past, but there are unique perceptions within that transcend the typical.

Emely Navarro’s large painting “Stations of Our Labor” is a social commentary regarding reproductive rights for women. It speaks loudly with a background reflecting legislative chambers and the artist sees it as the daily news.

“I really like emphasizing very dramatic backgrounds and very expressive faces, so I wanted to incorporate that into the painting,” said Navarro. ”It’s about imprisoning women for this kind of thing.”

The dominant figure in the painting is a woman representing a miscarriage, while another woman is trying to handcuff her. Moving beyond your typical protest painting, it evokes questioning the kind of society in which we live.

Other paintings reflect a variety of themes. A few artists comment on the asocial aspects of the digital phone; “Generational Gaps” by Valentina Muñoz gives us the most meaningful perception. With an impressive control of detail, perceptive contrasts in generational imagery including light sources are meaningfully caught. T-shirts link the older man and the youth, but it’s the sensitive distinctions that pull us into the image.

Fernanda Lopez shows exacting portraits of prayerful situations depicting mother and daughter with much to read into, while Gissell Rodriguez presents a series revealing the poignant spirit of her inner child. “Excavation,” a still life by Kyra N. Chapa, reminds us of the unrelated things a life can gather.

Gallery organizer Zachary James commented, “This is all UTRGV students, and they’re all showing for the first time, which is really special; it’s a very good show.”

Run Pony Run was an empty garage until James turned it into an engaging art space in February shortly after his moving here after a year in London.

“It’s been really incredible to welcome so many artists in the door,” he continued. “We’ve done a different show every month, and for me, it’s also given me a community here almost instantly, you know, having just transplanted.”

Although public viewing of exhibitions is restricted to McAllen First Friday Art Walks, viewing by appointment is available for the remainder of each month.

This is a thought-provoking exhibition facilitated by carefully developed artistic technique and thinking ability. Kudos to Gonzalez for the instructional excellence that went into this stage of his student’s artistic lives.

UTRGV Student Art Show

WHERE: Run Pony Run, 212 N Main St., McAllen Arts District, entrance in the back alley off Cedar Street

WHEN: By appointment

CONTACT: Zachary James, Tiscareño’s, (956) 682-6251

Nancy Moyer, Professor Emerita of Art, is an art critic for The Monitor. She may be reached at nmoyer@rgv.rr.com.