The idea of an art residency here in the valley that allows artists to come into Brownsville and expand themselves within the space and out. Just knowing this merely an hour away is just so cool. Usually when I hear about "art residencies" they tend to be out of state or somewhere else in Texas, but this is really cool and a great opportunity. Especially with what the space holds as well as an art studio as well. Speaking to Jesus Treviño who runs the space, the program, email, social media ect in a director role with the help of Cecilia Sierra who assists as a producer and program coordinator. This is the Flower Shop Art Studio :3
Jesus Treviño and Cecilia Sierra from The Flower Shop Art Studio
I begin by asking, what is the "flower shop art Studio?" What is its purpose? Do you have a mission statement behind this residency? "The Flower Shop Art Studio is the name of the space on 343 E Jefferson St, Brownsville, TX 78520 where the residency takes place. It's a historic storehouse that was at one point a grocery store and a flower shop which is where the name comes from. It has a good size gallery space/ showroom, a mini woodshop, a fully functioning kitchen, laundry space, three bedrooms and two baths." What is its purpose? The art residency program happens in this space. 3 artists stay in the bedrooms and move their art practice into this house. With this program we hope to bring artists together in a safe communal space to continue their practice or work on a new project with some support while sharing their perspectives, building community with each other, and ultimately sharing their work to Brownsville, Texas through exhibition, workshops, etc. Do you have a mission statement behind this residency? "The goal of having this residency is to give access to alternative ways of looking at the world through contemporary art practices, which facilitates growth"
When it comes to " 3 artists, who will be selected by committee" to be given residency, is there something that you're looking for as they state "We're looking for 3 artists that can commit at least about 20 hours a week to their practice in the Flower Shop, be involved with outreach events and part of the deal is to be able to give a presentation to the art students at the university about their practice." Do you have a criteria when choosing the artists? "We aren't looking for anything specific, we just want work that is interesting, potentially challenging and experimental. We are looking for interesting conversations (within the artwork but also in open dialogue amongst the residents) that could happen in the space."
For those wondering about what entails within the residency of the flower shop art studio what can be said about what artists are partaking in while in their residency? Is it different for everyone? "Art residencies are a lot like going to art school. You’re in a physical space outside of your usual context that is dedicated to making art, developing ideas, and having others to pull from and be inspired by." What is done to give the artists an enriched stay while they focus on their art? "Residents are encouraged to carve out their own time and experiences as needed for their practice throughout the week, but part of the program is visiting notable spots around the city of Brownsville, through field trips and building community through dinners."
How did the idea behind this studio/artist residency come about? What led it to become what it is today as they say "It felt like all paths were leading in this direction. In grad school I became aware I didn’t have as much access to art as my peers, the visiting artist program they had there was so vital for getting outside perspectives and I noticed Brownsville didn’t have that, then there was a visiting curator at an art institution in San Antonio that didn’t want to travel to the Valley despite going to other parts of Texas for visits. I wanted to help bring contemporary art practices with outside perspectives to Brownsville cause growth comes from exposure, and if no one was willing to come here due to whatever preconceived impressions of a border town, I felt like I had to bring them down myself and have them experience it for themselves. I had a space for my studio practice, and I wanted to share it and after grad school, I had attended a couple of residencies around the nation and felt like I had a good idea of what made a successful experience. So, in June I started the paperwork for nonprofit status and began scheduled programming as soon as I could. With the help and coordination of like minded individuals, like Ceci Sierra, Jesse Burciaga, Leslie Barrientos, we held our first cycle in October 2023 with the support of Trucha, donors, and community supporters who believed in the mission statement. Gil Rocha from Laredo, TX, Ray Madrigal from Chicago, IL, and Melly Hinojosa from Brownsville, TX gave talks at the university, spoke with the art students, and had exhibitions with their work."
What has the experience been since the unveiling to now? Working with the artists, exhibitions, and now having the new application up. "I’ve never done anything like this, and so there’s been a lot of learning on the go. It’s definitely a labor of love. So much unseen work goes into putting together shows, running a space, organizing things, finding funds to fulfill these projects and so it’s very involved and a lot of investment. I’ve put together art shows before, but never in this capacity. I now have an even greater appreciation for those who have done this for their communities, inspired me, and given me opportunities in the past. It can be a struggle, but we do this because we love it and believe in it."
How do you wish to expand as you continue with the flower shop art studio? Any ideas/thoughts you'd like to share? "We’ve been planning other ways to activate the space with workshops, dinners, classes, and those types of communal programming. I see the Flower Shop as an open club and I’m hoping to have artists in the space more often, but we want to have all the materials available for people to come in and use, so it’s been a slow process of building our available materials and equipment."
With the current application out and for future applications. What do you have to say to artists who are curious about applying or are looking for that final push to finish their application "We aren’t necessarily looking for artists who are “studied” or have an “academic background” or anything like that. If you’ve been wanting to make things, with a potential project in mind, consider taking advantage of this opportunity to share space with artists and $1000 dollars for supplies or anything you might need to fulfill your work."
January 20 on the event calendar is "amor bruto." What can you tell us about this?
Okay so, the show originally scheduled on January 20th titled 'Amor Bruto' has now been moved to February 10th with a new title called 'Requiem for Love' by Melly Hinojosa from our October residency. I had a bit of time blindness scheduling these two events, so we wanted to give our current exhibition 'Beyond the Border Dog' some space to breathe as well as give Melly some additional time to fulfill her plans for the show closer to Valentines Day. Her art practice examines pain as a binding force and explores the varying ways her Chicano community copes with pain. The exhibition will have sculptural and installation work inspired by her upbringing and personal experiences as well as video work composed of recordings from members of the community reading anonymously sent love/ heartbreak letters."
For those involved running the flower shop art studio, how has this been for you? What do you enjoy the most about it? The best part, in a purely selfish way, has been to spend time with the artists and feel a part of the cohort, learning from and having great conversations with interesting people who happen to also make cool things.
Do you have any final comments you'd like to make?
I hope ya’ll come down to spend some time with us on February 10th. Melly is putting together such a thoughtful emotional show that deserves to be experienced in person! Applications will be open until February 1st so please consider applying and/ or following along with our happenings throughout March and beyond on instagram @flowershopartstudio. Thank you for the support!
Here is the link for the residency application ---> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOTkKefIPk-Ic7ENu0yREbNnJuxRO0nsAYNzimeELUWgnROA/viewform
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