With the support of a grant from supermarket chain H-E-B’s charitable initiative, Helping Here, the International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) in McAllen has announced that their virtual program, Workshop Wednesdays, will return for a third season. Presented via Facebook, the program takes place once a month from January through October. The first workshop begins today, January 19 at 4:00 pm CST.
The series was launched in March 2020 when many businesses and organizations shut down due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a press release, Claudia Martinez Gray, IMAS’ Director of Education, recalled, “Back then I was designing the workshops on my dining room table with the supplies I had at home.” The grant from H-E-B is creating new opportunities for the program and its participants. Ms. Gray continued, “Now… I am able [to] think beyond the realm of my kitchen and connect workshops to our current art exhibits or emerging artists. I am looking forward to the textile art workshop which is inspired by Mexican artist Pia Camil.”
Behind the scenes of Workshop Wednesdays. Image: International Museum of Art & Science.
Workshop Wednesdays explores different artists, art movements, and artistic mediums each month. Program topics this year include figure drawing, textiles, sculpture using recycled materials, Abstract Expressionism, alebrijes, Pop Art and more. The first program of the 2022 season, “Surrealist Collage,” draws inspiration from the museum’s current exhibition Imagined Worlds: Exploring the Carlos Melguizo Collection.
IMAS’ new funding from H-E-B enables the museum to offer the program for free and provide supplies for some registrants. For those who are unable to pick up supplies at the museum or in case supplies run out, IMAS also provides supply lists ahead of the workshop so registrants can gather their own materials as needed.
To learn more about IMAS’ Workshop Wednesdays, visit their website.
