The Art Museum of Southeast Texas is opening two new exhibitions today that explore the power and beauty of water, from the devastating 1900 Galveston hurricane to the quiet reflections of the Neches River, and admission to next week’s opening reception is free.
AMSET debuts Julius Stockfleth: Dawn of a Century and Bill Pangburn: Printed Traces – A Neches River Journal today. Both exhibitions run through July 5.
The Stockfleth exhibition spotlights an early Texas artist known for documenting significant geographic locations and pivotal historical moments along the Texas coast. His most notable paintings capture moments before, during and after the 1900 Galveston hurricane, one of the deadliest natural disasters in American history. The exhibition also marks a meaningful homecoming of sorts. Stockfleth’s work was first shown at AMSET in October 1987, just weeks after the museum moved to its current location in downtown Beaumont.
The Pangburn exhibition features a new body of work inspired by the light and movement of the Neches River. Pangburn, a Texas native now based in New York City, is a mixed media artist recognized for his large-scale abstract woodcut prints. His installation transforms the gallery with a print series reflecting his time on the Neches, capturing shifting light, layered reflections and the fluid movement of water.
Together, the two exhibitions are designed to create what the museum calls a dialogue of water across time, pairing a historical perspective with a contemporary abstract exploration.
A free public opening reception is scheduled today from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The exhibitions will also be accompanied by a multi-sensory musical experience. Texas composer Nathan Felix, in partnership with the Symphony of Southeast Texas, presents Tales of the Neches on May 30 from 1 to 3 p.m. The free performance, inspired by the Neches River, will take place throughout the museum. RSVPs are encouraged at AMSET.org.
For more information on upcoming exhibitions, programs and events, visit AMSET.org.