Photos by Kelly Sue Photography
A great idea came to Vickie Nash while she was drawing with sidewalk chalk in downtown Conroe. The annual Chalk Up Conroe was in its infancy, and Vickie, equipped with several pieces of brightly-colored chalk, was creating an original impressionistic floral on a ten-by-ten section of sidewalk outside Owen Theatre. As she transformed her assigned square of concrete into a work of art, Vickie said to herself, “I am thinking that I might like pastels!”
Not long afterward, Vickie, a long-time member of the Conroe Art League (CAL), decided to pursue the idea by taking some of the many classes the league offers. Already adept at several artistic media, it wasn’t long before she became proficient at pastel portraiture.
The Gallery at the Madeley Building
The Conroe Art League met at a church for many years, but about five years ago, it moved into its new headquarters. To the delight of league members, the City of Conroe renovated the century-old Madeley Building in downtown Conroe to become the CAL’s new home. The league uses the upper floor of the building, located near the intersection of Simonton and Main streets, for meetings and classes. “There is something going on here every single day,” Vickie says.
Artwork in the gallery is rotated once a month. Most months, displays include original pieces created by league members, who pay a nominal fee and serve a shift as volunteer docent for the privilege of showing their art. In addition to the works that hang on the walls, the gallery also has bins of unframed art, both originals and prints, as well as ceramics and handmade jewelry. Most pieces at the gallery are for sale. Items have traditionally sold especially well to visitors from out of town, Vickie says, because many people like to collect local artwork when they travel.
Community Service
The local community benefits from having a venue for original artwork, but the Conroe Art League also helps the community in other ways. Members volunteer at events like Chalk up Conroe, KidzFest, and The Woodlands Waterway Art Festival, and the league raises funds each year to sponsor scholarships for high school seniors who plan to continue their art education in college.
CAL facilitates ongoing children’s art classes taught by Sara Moons, a certified art instructor, and Brett Hall, a portrait artist who holds a commercial degree. Sara incorporates art history into her lessons, Karen says, and many homeschooling parents enroll their children in Sara’s art classes. “They’re not just here to make a craft,” she says. Brett holds classes for children ages 5 through 12 who want to learn how to draw faces.
Some CAL members come to the Madeley Building every week for “figure group” to sketch a live model and work on their eye-hand coordination. “We call it ‘going to the gym,’” Vickie says. Others come once a week for “creative circle,” where members share techniques with each other, allowing them to experiment with different artistic media. “Every one of our members has learned something new. It’s a very sharing group. Nobody holds back any secrets,” Karen says. “That’s kind of what we are about—sharing and supporting people and exploring their creative side,” Vickie agrees. “I think the thing I like most about our organization is the way we lift each other up. There is always someone to encourage another artist to find themselves in their artistic expression, whether that is experimenting with different media or just building self-confidence.”
Each month, the league holds a reception at its historic headquarters in an effort to provide meaningful dialogue among artists and art aficionados. “Every month, there is a new show in the gallery, and every month we have an artist reception where we have food and wine,” Vickie says. “It’s a good way to meet the artists, and to enjoy and buy artwork, and it’s open to the public,” Vickie says.
The membership of the CAL has changed over the years as artists have moved in and out of the area. Some artists have left the area because of their advancing artistic careers. For example, Devin Nelson, while he was still a student, won the “best in show” award at the Lone Star Art Guild State Convention. He ultimately studied in Europe. “He has been back to visit us twice since he went to Europe,” Vickie says. Still, the league’s membership includes “so many people who are notable,” she says, including Craig Campobella, a past league president. People from all over Texas, as well as other states, collect his sculptures, she says. He was recently honored as a “legend” at the inaugural Greater Conroe Arts Alliance Rising Stars and Legends event, along with “rising stars” Wendy Layne, who specializes in realistic colored pencil portraits, and Suzanne Seiler, who is known for mosaics and watercolors.
For more information about the Conroe Art League, visit its website at www.conroeartleague.com.