The message to the young women of ChicasRock was clear on the day the new mural on their building was officially presented: Empower yourselves to pursue something you love. ChicasRock is a music program exclusively for girls ages 8-17. It is located at 4722 Holly Road.
“Whatever you do, whether you become a doctor or a veterinarian or whichever career you choose, you can always have music,” said Cheryl Votzmeyer, director of education for K Space Contemporary. She spoke to the crowd of young musicians and their parents at the presentation on the city’s Southside on March 24.
The mural, called “Rock On!,” was a collaboration between K Space Contemporary, a nonprofit arts organization based in Corpus Christi, and about 1,000 residents, who helped paint it during the 2017 Dia De Los Muertos Festival. Financial support was provided by the Navy Army Community Credit Union along with a $12,500 grant from Texas Women for the Arts, a private giving circle of women who support the arts and arts education of children in Texas.
K Space outreach artist Lori Edwards designed the mural and is one of three outreach artists who work on contract for the gallery. She teaches local schoolchildren in the summer and works with senior citizens during the school year.
Edwards explained a little about the inspiration behind the design and how she knew what she wanted to do as soon as she discovered the mural was for the ChicasRock building.
“I took all the instruments from a rock band,” she said. “It had to be colorful. I love black and white graphics on color backgrounds. When I think of a rock band, that’s what I think of: changing colors in the background.”
Part of her inspiration came from the very first Apple iPhone commercial, which starts out in black and white and finishes in color. She first drew the design on some weatherproof boards and put small dots of paint in specific colors on sections of the mural. Everyone grabbed a small container of paint and went to work.
The girls were super-excited to help paint the mural, said Cecy Treviño, executive director of ChicasRock.
“We were so honored they picked our location,” Treviño said. “I am happy that K Space Contemporary, the Navy Army Community Credit Union, and Texas Women for the Arts all got together with us to encourage the kids’ love of music and the arts.”
The ChicasRock program provides qualified counselors in an all-female environment who teach girl campers how to play the guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard and to sing. Once the campers learn those skills, they form bands and play music together. Campers pay tuition for the classes, but the organization operates with very limited resources and relies heavily on community donations.
The goal of K Space Contemporary’s mural arts program is to paint two murals per year, Votzmeyer said. The organization does outreach and takes its programs to senior citizens centers and schools.
“We have painted a total of 15 murals over a seven or eight-year period, so far, but some of them have been knocked down or painted over,” she said. “We are focusing on two or three murals per year, and this is our first one on the Southside.”
K Space plans two more murals in the city this summer. Support for those will come from the Coastal Bend Community Foundation, H-E-B, and the Coastal Bend Food Bank.
“This summer, we are partnering with La Palmera mall to do some murals,” Votzmeyer said. “The other mural is downtown.”
K Space Contemporary is located at 415 D Starr St. in Corpus Christi. Call (361)887-6834 or visit kspacecontemporary.org for more information. ChicasRock, at 4722 Holly Road in Corpus Christi, can be reached at (361) 947-7625 or chicasrock.tumblr.com.