Author Archives: marikaarts

Haiti Disaster Relief Art Auction

Posted on by

From the Seguin Daily News

Haitian artist speaks out on earthquake catastrophe; Local group rallies behind colleague to host fine art auction

Award-winning wood sculptor Marika Bordes, of Seguin, (right) shows off one of her 30 art pieces currently on display at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in Austin. The native from Haiti is currently accepting the donation of fine art pieces for Saturday’s Haiti Benefit Art Auction in Seguin at the Silver Center. The event, hosted by the Seguin Oakwood Art League, will include guest auctioneer and State Representative Edmund Kuempel and a champagne reception that will begin at 5 p.m. Pictured alongside Bordes is Bernadette Pfeiffer, director of the art museum in Austin.


By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera(Seguin) — The art found nestled in every corner of Haiti is how Marika Bordes attributes much of her exposure and appreciation for her creative skill in wood carving. Following last month’s catastrophic earthquake, Bordes says she can’t help but spend much of her days returning to the memories of her native land where she spent most of her childhood. Bordes, who hails from Port-au-Prince, says the devastation left behind is a feeling too “heavy to carry.”

“I’ve been able to enter in contact with some family and friends. It is sad, very sad. Fortunately for me, I don’t have anybody very near that has lost their life. When I say anybody – any family – but I have a lot of friends that are not present. When I talked to my little cousin, she told me that my cousin was in the kitchen cooking when she heard a noise because from what I heard the earthquake comes with kind of a noise and she says let me go on the porch to see what’s going on, and 15 seconds later, her three-story house was collapsing. When Dennis, my husband, heard about the earthquake, he says, ‘I’m sure that your cousin’s house won’t fall because it was really well-built and heavy built.’ When I heard that, I was devastated and (understood) that everything crumbled,” said Bordes.

Aafter attending a board school in Quebec, Canada, Bordes says she appreciates the opportunity to have returned to Haiti after years of living elsewhere. In addition to her many childhood memories, Bordes says many of her memories are also recent. She spent nearly 12 years, up until 2001, in Haiti.

Bordes says she can’t help but imagine her country now as many of her child and adult memories have been physically erased.

“Every single building I knew since my early age has been either shaken or swallowed. Even the churches that were considered so strong kneeled down to the ground leaving an after taste of an apocalyptic vision of the end of the world. Whether you’re rich or poor, the churches are always open. You go there to pray, you go there sometimes to just be there. Poor people when the sun is too hot over their head, they sit down in church. When you have some kind of doctor’s appointment,you go there just to find support from the silence of the church and each and every church that I used to go, they are no more. Our heads are filled with dead people and yet every day the numbers keep going up feeding the emptiness in my heart. Port-au-Prince, my childhood home, has become a tent city housing tens of thousands of homeless,” said Bordes.

Despite its current ruins, Bordes says it’s the memories of her native land that she will carry in her heart forever. She says it was while in Haiti and at the age of 49 that she was told by fine wood sculpture Francois Sanon that she possessed the potential to be an artist. From 1996 to 2001, Bordes studied under his guidance which ultimately led her to her success winning numerous prestigious art contests in Montreal, Canada and New York City. Her wood sculptures, which many are said to describe her introspection on her own femineity, are also currently on display at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in Austin.

It’s Bordes talent and membership in the Seguin Oakwood Art League which has inspired this weekend’s Haiti Benefit Art Auction at the Silver Center. According to Bordes, fine art is being accepted from any artist willing to donate a piece to help raise money for the Haitian Disaster Relief Fund. The event will include a champagne reception at 5 p.m. followed by the live auction from 6 to 8 p.m. with guest auctioneer State Representative Edmund Kuempel.

Bordes says she puts out the plea to all artists and collectors and says she’ll be accepting the art pieces at her studio this Wednesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m.

“It’s all artists who want to give a piece of art. I would say it’s not necessarily artists. You might have a piece of art that you want to donate for the occasion. It will be welcomed. It will be well-received,” said Bordes.

The fine art can be dropped off at her studio.  Bordes says this latest effort by her art friends and art community has inspired her even more and has made her appreciate her decision to finally call Seguin home.

“A number of phone calls, people coming to me and to my husband asking how we were doing and how my family are in Haiti – it’s been very touching, and I’m very happy that I’ve been strong enough to say that. That’s the first time I say it without crying. I also want to thank President Obama for immediate and full response to this disaster. this touched us and touched us deeply,” said Bordes.

Proceeds raised from the live and silent auction will support disaster relief in Haiti through Save the Children, Doctors without Borders or the American Red Cross.

“Those purchasing art will select one of the three organizations they want to receive their donation. As a Citizen of Haiti, I simply stand before you today to ask for your help in the relief efforts. The truth remains that are people are dying. We cannot let it slip away – from a current event to a past tragedy. Our actions can help to heal the scars the earthquake left in the country and in our psyches. Our actions can do miracles,” said Bordes.

Events leading up to this weekend’s Haitian Disaster Relief Art Auction can be followed at www.seguinartleague.blogspot.com.


Sculpture Exhibition

Posted on by

Marika

Sculptures in Wood

Marie-Carmel Bordes – Sculptor

George Washington Museum and Cultural Center

January 21 – April 3, 2010

From the museum’s media release:

Marika Sculptures in wood

Opens at George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center

When it comes to creativity in wood – (Marie-Carmel Bordes) has carved a niche in some of the most intriguing earth toned woods around. “Marika” Sculptures in wood will be on exhibit at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center starting Thursday, January 21 at 6:30 and the exhibit will end on Saturday, April 3rd.

Her discovered wellspring of creativity that is reflected in her 25 – 30 wood sculptures appearing at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center located on 1165 Angelina Street will also include an opportunity to learn more about her skills during the opening.  The opening is scheduled for Thursday, January 21 at 6:30.




Plenitude Finds a Home In Belgium

Posted on by

Seguin artist selected for Belgian workNEW LIFE: Marika Bordes commissioned for wood sculpture honoring birth

By Katie Collins

The Gazette-Enterprise

Published December 25, 2009

SEGUIN — One local artist is helping grandparents across the globe celebrate the birth of their new granddaughter.

A birth is certainly something to be celebrated, and Ben Griepink and Trietsje Bangma of Belgium are doing it in style with the help of Seguin sculptor Marika Bordes. Bordes said it all started with a visit in September.

“Ben and Trientsje came in September to visit a friend, and stopped by the gallery,” Bordes said. “They really liked the work and asked me if I would make them a sculpture to commemorate the birth of their first grandchild. I submitted them two drawings, and they chose this one called Plenitude.

After deciding on a design, Marika began the long process of carving the wood. She started with the stump of a mesquite tree, she said.

“I use a chainsaw at first to get a reasonable block of wood that I can work with,” Bordes said. “Then I do everything by hand using a chisel and mallet. I wanted to use the heart of the wood because of its complex grain structure, strength, and durability. Mesquite is a challenge to work with because the grain of the wood is not uniform, but its beautiful.”

Over the course of six weeks, Bordes carved away at the wood, and sent weekly e-mails to the couple to show them the progress. Finally, Plenitude came into shape.

The work is a sculpture of a child in a mother’s lap, hugging her with outreached arms. The sculpture rests on a piece of metal work shaped like a crescent moon.

“I did the crescent moon because the little girl’s name is Luna,” Bordes said. “It will be painted silver, which will compliment the mesquite wood statue and the marble base very beautifully.”

The sculpture was sent to Europe on Dec. 17. Bordes said she hoped to get it to the happy new grandparents by Christmas.

What began as a piece of what most people consider firewood, became a family’s expression of joy for the gift of a new life, Bordes said.

Bordes work has celebrated new births before, such as the sculpture called Maternitree, which is in the new maternity ward at the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center.

Maternitree: Sculpture for the New Maternity Wing

Posted on by

“Maternitree”

by

Marika Bordes

 

Detail of Woman 3

Detail of Sculpture

Wood Sculpture

Medium: Bois d’Arc

 

Location:

The Patient Tower

The Guadalupe Regional Medical Center

Seguin, TX

July 2009

 

Detail: Central Woman

Ode to Maternitree

And you woman,

With your fragile appearance

You are not the least of creatures….

You are to the human race,

As the tree is to the earth.

In reincarnating lives,

You perpetuate the sacred,

Balancing creation and tying together

The generations to come.

Authentically, you are

The Genealogical tree

Of the human family, and

The Interlocutor of the Eternal.

Marika Bordes

 


 

Detail of Baby

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About “Bois d’Arc”

This amazing wood is hard, durable, elastic and resistant to termites and other insects.  French explorers described the tree, Maclura pomifera, as “bois d’arc” (bow wood) and the settlers called it “bodark.”  Other common names are: Osage orange and horse apple.

Over the centuries, humans have found many uses for this tree:

  • The Osage Indians made powerful bows.
  • The settlers used the wood for fence posts, dye, and house foundations.  In fact, there was a time in Texas, one could not get a loan on a house if the foundation was not made of “bois d’arc”.
  • Osage-orange made life on the prairies possible because Its dense growth provided  living fences and windbreaks.

The wood for Maternitree comes from the ranch land of Dr. John Schwartz of Seguin, Texas.

 

Maternitree and the sculptor

Maternitree and the sculptor

 

To contact Marika

Website: www.marikasculpture.com

Blog:

https://marikaarts.wordpress.com

E-mail: marikasculpture@yahoo.com

 

Photographer: Bil Sullivan

Website: www.bilsullivanphotography.com

 

Tomorrow’s Oneness

Posted on by

The Gazette-Enterprise

Local artists team up for charity

By Tucker Stephenson

Published June 3, 2009

SEGUIN — When “Arts. For Life.” co-chair Jack Linden was looking for a piece of art to be raffled off at the June 27 event, he went straight to an expert.

Linden sought out local wood sculptor Marika Bordes and asked her if she would put her talents to use to benefit the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center — again.

“I have seen her previous work, she has one called ‘Balancing Act’ and I’ve been in love with that one for a long time,” Linden said. “I’ve seen some of her other work, she has one called ‘The Goddess’ which is probably seven feet tall. Then I’ve seen also, she’s doing a sculpture for the maternity ward for the new hospital, so there’s another thing.

“I’ve seen a lot of her work — she’s an incredibly creative person.”

But with Bordes already commissioned to start working on the maternity ward piece, she knew that she might find herself in a time-crunch trying to complete the piece for the fundraiser.

“Jack was here and he had asked me to do a sculpture,” Bordes said. “And because I was doing a commission for the hospital already, I told him that it would be difficult to finish it on time, but if I was working in cooperation with somebody else, I would be able to get it on time.”

So the search for a potential collaborator began, although it didn’t take long for Bordes to find one.

Enter recent Texas Lutheran University grad and former Seguin High School student Howard Crunk, who was already set to be donating a painting to the hospital’s cause.

“The name of Howard came up because I think Howard was going to give one of his paintings,” Bordes said. “And I said, ‘He is a good artist — we could work together.’”

So the partnership began, with Bordes — the recipient of first-place prizes in Seguin, Kerrville and New York City — playing the role of Mr. Miyagi to Crunk’s Daniel-san. For those that don’t know their “Karate Kid,” that just means that she acted as a mentor to the talented, young artist — although she admits that the learning process was a two-way street.

“He is not really my student,” Bordes said. “He learned from me and I learned from him. He has a sense of design of drawing that is absolutely remarkable. I couldn’t do it by myself because of a question of time, without the two of us, it was not possible.”

The sculpture, made from a Chinaberry tree, is now completed, described by the artist as being a man and woman wrapped into one single being — mirroring the creative collaboration that took place between Crunk and Bordes’ styles.

“I guess you could say the ebb and flow between a man and a woman becoming as one individual,” Crunk said. “I think I brought more of the naturalistic design aspect and I guess you would say she brought more of the spiritual concept.”

Throughout the project, Crunk said that he took some valuable lessons with him for the future, in which he plans to keep broadening his artistic horizons.

“It was a very abundant learning experience — I learned so much it’s hard to put it into words,” Crunk said before discussing his career goals. “First and foremost, it’s to continue to create art and then eventually, go on to other aspects, such as animation, digital art, etcetera.”

That future appears to be very bright, as Linden said that the finished product reflects the work of someone who is about to make their mark on the art community.

“It just showed him coming out,” Linden said. “Marika saw that in him — now he’s just bringing something out that I don’t think he knew he had and I think that’s one of the bright things about that — that he started seeing things in his drawing on that wood and then he started bringing it out, so it was marvelous seeing it.”

The sculpture is now officially part of the “Art. For Life” raffle, with tickets for the drawing being sold at the GRMC gift shop for $20 apiece, or two for $30. And until Jackson Auditorium opens its doors for the inaugural event — slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. three weeks from Saturday — the piece will also be on display at the gift shop.

That way, everyone can get an up-close view of something that Linden has known for quite a while.

“(Bordes) takes a piece of wood and sees something in it that I don’t see,” Linden said. “But I guess that what makes a good sculptor. Michelangelo always said that there’s somebody in the marble wanting to get out and I think she sees that in the wood.”

In addition to her work on the maternity sculpture, Bordes is working on her home studio, which she plans to have ready for an exhibition by August 15. More information on her artwork is available online at www.marikasculpture.com .

General admission seats for the Arts. For Life. event, which includes a performance by the Mid-Texas Symphony, are on sale now for $50 at the GRMC gift shop, as well as Gift & Gourmet, Cascades and the Area Chamber of Commerce. Reserved seats are $75 or $100, depending on location, can only be purchased by calling the foundation office at 830-401-7721.

Tomorrows Oneness

Tomorrow’s Oneness

Sculptors Howard Crunk & Marika Bordes

Copyright © 2009 The Gazette-Enterprise

The Gazette-Enterprise Seguin’s arts scene is focus of new group

Posted on by

By Jessica Sanders
The Gazette-Enterprise
Published February 12, 2009
Keeping art alive in downtown Seguin is a focus for many members of the community.

The Main Street Advisory Board has recommended a group to look into creating the Seguin Council for the Arts (SCA). If formed, the SCA plans to give Seguin a little more art culture.

Marika Bordes, local artist and advocate for the arts in Seguin, said community members who share a great interest in the arts have met several times to discuss the opportunities that the council will provide to other local artists.

“We are a committee to form a council in order to have a voice for artist in the community,” Bordes said. “We want to promote the arts.”

The group will be holding two introductory meetings open to the public Tuesday, Feb. 17 and Monday, Feb. 23. Both meetings will be held at Chiro Java from 7–8:30 p.m.

Discussion at the meetings will consist of making the city a must-see for travelers, Bordes said.

“With art there is a lot you can do to attract tourists,” she said. “I think we need to make a lot of effort to attract and support art into the community.”

Attracting voyagers is not the only think that the SCA is looking to do.

Bordes said that the proposed council will work on creating different ways to bring attention to local artists or organizations.

“We will discuss possible activities like brochures, public service announcements, calenders and such advertising,” she said.

Bordes said the group hopes to benefit from the ideas of many local art-lovers.

“We are looking for artists, organizations and people that are interested in the arts in Seguin,” Bordes said.

Presentation to the Seguin Retired Teachers Association

Posted on by

“Art from the Heart”

Ladies and Gentlemen,
My fellow artists, Good morning

My “Art from the Heart” is: a tribute to:
Two Countries
Two Teachers
And
One Legacy

Many months ago, / Billie Fai Ball presented to me the fertile concept of: / “Art from the Heart”. / You placed me gently / at the entrance of a long tunnel / with only a glimmer of light at the far end. / Walking with careful steps toward that enlightenment, / I understand the “sine qua non” of my sculpting. / The journey takes me from seeing my art / as a form of universal celebration / to something more profound. / My sculpture is the fruition of my parents, / not birth parents, but art parents. / Thank you for putting me on this path, Billie Fai / and my gratitude goes / to the Retired Teachers Association for inviting me. /

This is Black History Month / and the history of Black Americans / is the merging of two civilizations: / European and African. / The America of today / is the result of the nobility of these two continents, / the complexity of their cultures, / and the originality of their values. / And so it is / in my life as an artist./ For you see, my one art parent descends from Europe / and the other Africa. /

At a young age, I left Haiti / to enter a boarding school in Quebec, Canada. /This is where I met Sister Claire de Jesus./ In my middle years, I met Francois Sanon in Haiti./ These outstanding teachers, / made an impact on my life.

My art mother Sister Claire is a nun / of a French religious order./ My art father Francois Sanon / is an internationally renowned sculptor / from Jeremie, Haiti.

Sister Claire, / a genuinely sweet person, / taught me music, voice and piano for 9 years./ Later,/ Sanon passed on to me from earlier generations of Haitian sculptors / the baton of sculpting. / One was academic and structured; / the other followed a freestyle approach. / Both, however, / were methodical and demanding teachers. / They anchored in me / discipline, / hard work /and excellence.

Art mother / offered me the sacredness she found in life and liturgy; / one was the link to the other. / For her, / everything under the sun is sacred. / She looks at life and liturgy as twin sisters / and that dualism / is the complement that balances the cosmos.

Sanon released my creativity / and like a dove it took flight. / Breaking the shackles of the eyes’ reality, / the flight of the dove / went from the mundane to the spiritual plane. / Here is found the voice of the wood. / It teaches what I do not know. / Between us / a dialog grows to a crescendo / as the beauty of the wood transforms into a work of art. /

Through this cultural confluence of North America and the Caribbean, / I found true bearing. / The influence of these two teachers / guided me to my spiritual path / through art. / As an artist and a pilgrim of this earth, / but not of this world,/ they helped me encapsulate the essence of beauty./

Carving takes me to another world,/ a world not seen, /and a world of fantasy. / This world inspires me to celebrate something higher than my physical self. / Through carving, / I am the writer, / the actor, / and the musician./ My performance uses the precision of chisels, / the movement of my body, / and the music of the wood. / Out of these languages / emerges a story for all to know. / The story / is the very sacredness / of our physical and spiritual life. / It is also only a guide / and a moment in life’s journey. / The journey is a puzzle/ and our stories guide us / in understanding the journey.

As I stand before you today, / I want to share a dream. / Yes, I have a dream. / I dream of a better world to live in / and that is when / each and everyone recognizes the artist in themselves. / We are all artists, / with stories to tell, / creations to inspire,/ passion to unleash / and, this is a true blessing.

Finally, / allow me to make a wish:
· May our discipline, / knowledge and love/ make our dreams come true / for a better world to live in.

Ladies and Gentlemen / it was a pleasure talking to you / and now, I welcome your questions.

A Tribute to Two Countries, Two Teachers, One Legacy

A Tribute to Two Countries, Two Teachers, One Legacy

Presentation at Texas Lutheran University

Posted on by

Please click on photo for an enlargement.

Many of the photos are the courtesy of Bil Sullivan: http://www.bilsullivanphotography.com/

Inspiration, Celebration and Passion …
Welcome to my world

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for being here. It is a real pleasure to share with you the fruit of my work and, I am deeply grateful to TLU for inviting me. A special thank you / goes to T. Paul Hernandez, Landa King, and the art students / who helped graciously in setting up the exhibition.

Once upon a time,
When I was 14 years old,
I read a book, and
Something extraordinary happened to me.
From that day,
It changed my way of seeing things,
It changed my life,
It gave me a vision.
A few sentences from
The Little Prince of: Antoine de St-Exupéry
Stayed with me to this day.
Thus it says:

“It is only with the heart
That one can see rightly;
What is essential
Is invisible for the eye”.

The sculptures you see before you hide a deep story of inspiration. In the mid 1990’s, I met a master carver who inspired me when he said: “Madam you can carve”. I was shocked and I was skeptical. One day, I went back to him with a set of tools and said: here I am; you said you would teach me isn’t it so? … Yes he did. For months, he stood by my side, passing on to me/ from earlier generations of Haitian sculptors the art of sculpting wood together with his love for this profession.

It’s been twelve years, since carving took me along as a disciple. Twelve years of discipline and labor. As a result, my sculptures are a reflection of my evolution through time and vision. They portray the sanctity of daily living which is a mix of happiness, / sensuality, / anger, and majesty.

When I am asked: How do I carve?
I say:
· I carve with my heart and my soul.
· I carve by instinct

Why do I carve?
· Because I want to share my dreams with others;
· But above all, because there is sacredness in what I do/ and I want to leave my sculptures as a legacy to celebrate life’s nobility.

For all these years, carving has become my true passion. Along the path I do encounter risks, frustration, and discouragement. Sculpting consumes my energies. At the same time it propels me forward. From the rising of the sun/ until the rising of the moon, mallet and chisel ring out against the intrinsic beauty of the wood and my inner spirit soars to new heights.

This partnership heals my mind and my spirit. / Whether mythology or religious beliefs have influenced me in the process,/ my sculptures portray / the inspiration for the unusual and the unexpected./ These poets/ take us to a world/ where mythology and reality / merge into a joyful dance;/ where ancient gods / provide succor and sustenance./

One tends to think that the sculptures speak for me. / No, they do not. / They speak their own language. / They speak to you. / You hear them. / You hear them in your own way. You travel with them / far into your imagination. / With an inner strength, / they go beyond / the boundaries we erect for ourselves. / Arm-in-arm you go with them to a deeper place. / Their poetry touches you; / and in some way, / you and the artist enter the domain of inspiration and together celebrate the eternal passion of creativity.

The fox was right in telling the Little Prince:
“What is essential
Is invisible for the eye”.

Ladies and Gentlemen it was a pleasure talking to you and now, I welcome your questions.

The Texas Lutheran University Exhibition

Posted on by

My upcoming exhibition at Texas Lutheran University includes Ann and Mary.  The sculpture portrays the scene of the most important moment in Christian history.  Mary the Mother of Christ is bringing to her mother Ann the good news about the Son of God.  When she tells her mother “I am going to be the mother of our Messiah,” the shock is nearly overwhelming for Ann.  She puts her hand on her head.  Then when she understands the importance of the message, she holds and comforts her daughter, and places her hand on the unborn Jesus.  This sculpture projects the universal message of nurturing and love between a mother and a daughter and an unborn child.

After seeing Ann and Mary, Kettly Mars an award-winning novelist wrote the following poem:

Ann and Mary

Since you have chosen my daughter,

Since you have sowed in her womb the seed of your wonderful light,

Since you have made her body the sacred temple worth bearing the fruit of your glory,

I offer to you, Lord,

Our obedience and our tears,

Our ignorance and our fears,

Our weaknesses and our wants,

Humbly asking you to transform them into a beam of light so powerful

That it shall bless the flesh of the women of all generations to come…

Poem by: Kettly Mars

Ann and Mary

Ann and Mary