Encinal adolescents to vent boredom
on old building

By Sean Chadwell

At first, it sounds like a stereotype of a poor, rural community where kids have nothing to do -- maybe it even sounds like the ball bearing in a spray paint can in the hands of a bored and talented adolescent: this spring, middle school students who live in and around Encinal will paint the side of an old, unused local brick building.

Can’t we take some preventive action?

Hecho en Encinal already has. For starters, we received some money for the project from the National Endowment for the Arts and private donors. And we found an experienced and recognized artist to lead painting workshops and help the kids design a mural. And we’re getting stuff that’s better than spray paint.

Instead of the defacement of public property, think of it as the re-facement of public property.

The building is the Ruth Carr Memorial Community Center for the Arts; while Hecho en Encinal continues to raise money and awareness in order to restore the building for public use, Encinal middle school students will design and paint a mural on the outside of the building.

Working with artist Jesus Toro Martinez in the spring installment of the Youth Arts Program in Encinal, students will have the opportunity to attend a series of free workshops to learn about painting and design. The workshops will culminate with the mural.

Martinez, who lives in Laredo, has led several other community art projects and served as an artist-in-residence in Laredo, El Cenizo, and San Ygnacio. In fact, this will be his 14th residency. He has also worked as an artist with the support of the Texas Commission on the Arts and the River Pierce Foundation.

In a reception with Encinal community members on February 26, Martinez said, "It gives me great pleasure to be here -- I always look forward to working in new places." Martinez grew up in a poor border community not unlike Encinal and loves to share his talents and knowledge with others.

Martinez’ current work reflects his relationship to place -- something Hecho en Encinal (as its name suggests) takes very seriously. A 17th-generation descendant from the area we now call South Texas, his series of golden landscapes are literally made with dirt, bull’s blood, and gold leaf, all exposed to the elements in his outdoor workshop. Textured gold leaf breaks away to reveal layers of reds and browns on the small pieces of canvas.

Participants from last semester’s Youth Arts video and photography workshops are eager to begin painting. They’ll create -- from their own experiences -- a vision of the place called Encinal. The mural will be painted on the south side of the Ruth Carr Memorial Center.

The National Endowment for the Arts provides part of the funding for this project through its Challenge America program. Challenge America provides much-needed funding to rural and urban communities to provide artist-led activities for youth during non-school hours.

This program is a particularly important project in Encinal, a place with no middle or high school and plenty of nothing for kids to do. Until the Youth Arts program started, there were no other planned activities for middle school students.

Hecho en Encinal also receives in-kind support (the donation of space and materials) for the project from the Cotulla Independent School District, the City of Encinal, and community members.

(Hecho en Encinal is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing arts, arts education, and cultural activities to rural communities in South Texas. To learn more about Youth Arts, offer support for this or other programs, or learn how to be a volunteer, contact director Donna Lednicky at (956) 948-7228.)