Artist Deborah Males (www.deborahmales.com) transfers a triptych of her recent series “Blessings” onto an electrical box in downtown Corpus Christi. The wildflower scene captures the Aransas Wildlife Refuge after the spring rains. Downton will turn from a gallery to a working studio during Masterpiece in a Day Saturday, Sept. 12. Photo by Suzanne Freeman
Artists take over downtown Corpus Christi Saturday, Sept. 12, to create masterpieces using visuals, music or spoken word to reflect the personality and beauty of the newly named Marina Arts District. The theme will be chosen from three randomly chosen words from a list describing:
• Place (marina, seawall, beach, bar, gallery),
• Thing (mirador, mural, sailboat, shot glass, tattoo),
• Person (artist, bartender, tourist, guitar player, concierge).
All ages are invited to create and compete. Judging will be based on how well the artist has integrated those words in the final work. Winners will be announced in the early evening just after competition of the first-ever art parade, which begins at 4 p.m. The parade offers a platform for “presenting artwork in a public sphere,” reads details on the Marina Arts District’s spiffy new website. The parade is free and open to all groups, organizations, family and friends of all ages.
Participants are encouraged to create outfits, paint faces, build floats, wear costumes or make an artistic statement. The route will follow Chaparral Street from John Sartain to the parking lot at 619 N. Chaparral St.
Art judging begins at 5 p.m. in the parking lot of 619 N. Chaparral St under the K Space Loteria Mural. Music judging begins at 6:25 p.m. at the House of Rock, while the spoken word judging will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Executive Surf Club.
Put together by the Corpus Christi Downtown Management District, the competition’s main goal this inaugural year is to capture the essence of what was once called Downtown Management District. DMD officials announced Marina Arts District as its new name, which follows the old outlines of the DMD, during a meeting August 19. The district's area is bounded by Kinney Street to I-37, and Lower Broadway to the Corpus Christi Marina L- and T-Heads.
“[The new name] unites and excites and shows that we aspire to do more and be more,” said DMD executive directory Terry Sweeney at the meeting. The goal is to make downtown a destination for both tourists and residents, he said.
Masterpiece-in-a-day brings the many aspects of rebranding and improving downtown together in one vibrant and exciting package, he said.
