The work of Louis Garcia will be showcased at the Simon Michael Art Gallery starting Jan. 20 at Coastal Bend College in Beeville. Garcia will be on campus to attend the 10:30 a.m. gallery opening, followed by a gallery talk at 1:30 p.m.
Garcia, a Corpus Christi artist and Vietnam veteran, said his naval service as an intermediary between the U.S. military and Vietnamese villagers helped to develop his compassionate nature. He served in the Mekong Delta and became fluent in the Vietnamese language.
“This advisory role allowed me insight into humanely intimate and painful experiences in the midst of a devastating war,” Garcia explained. He recalled his wartime experiences through a series of sketches that have since been lost to time.
Today, Garcia paints in oils and watercolors to capture the compositions and colors of everyday life. His landscape paintings record moments in time and his portrait paintings reveal his care and respect of each individual’s essence and radiance. His most recent works express color and movement through En Plein Air painting.
“I embrace life with a passion to paint and to meet people along their journeys in life,” the artist said. He frequently paints in studio solitude or at the Barbara McDowell Excellence in Art Studio at the Art Center of Corpus Christi. He also enjoys painting with friends in the Hill Country, Rockport, Corpus Christi or in the Minnesota wilderness.
Garcia is a graduate of Texas A&M University — Corpus Christi, where he earned a degree in psychology. He uses his art and business experiences to assist local and national non-profit organizations and emerging artists. He is a member of Oil Painters of America; South Texas Art League; National Association of Latinos in Art and Culture; Art Association of Corpus Christi; Art Center for the Islands in Port Aransas; South Texas Watercolor Society and Art Museum of South Texas.
He is former vice president of the Executive Committee for the Art Community Center Inc. of Corpus Christi and a lifetime member of the Art Center of Corpus Christi.
The Simon Michael Art Gallery exhibit closes on Feb. 18. For more information, contact Jayne Duryea, at (361) 354-2322 or duryeaj@coastalbend.edu.
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