Category Archives: Artist Dialog

Marika at the Coleman Theatre

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A Entrance to Miami IMG_8227

Entrance to downtown Miami, OK

Coleman Theatre Historical Marker

Coleman Theatre Historical Marker

The Coleman Theatre- exterior

The Coleman Theatre- exterior

The Vaudeville Stage

The Vaudeville Stage

The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ

The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ

E Coleman Interior IMG_8169

The Exhibit

The Exhibit

Mandela-Nelle

Mandela-Nelle

Presentation

Presentation

Excerpt from Presentation

Well, this is about inspiration, creativity, and vision; not my inspiration, creativity, and vision but that of Ms. Darcie Shultz, the Interim Manager of the Coleman Theatre.  Because of her passion for the arts, she is allowing the lines of the visual and performing arts to intersect, merge, and form an artistic  connection.  This is about community.  George Coleman built this magnificent theatre for his community.  Darcie Shultz asked for a sculpture exhibit so that her community could have a visual arts experience in the home of the performing arts.  Ms. Shultz thank you for your kindness and thoughtfulness.

Creativity and community fascinate me.  We imagine creativity happens in a vacuum to a select few.  This is not the case. Inspiration, creativity, and vision, happen in community.  Look closely at the Coleman Theatre Beautiful.  I love how they included the word beautiful in the name.  This is a place of beauty and delight.    The architecture is Spanish Revival, the interior design is Louis XV and the organ is a Wurlitzer.  What we see is the vision of a man who dug water wells for a living and the vision of a community who brought back a decaying building to its former glory.           

Presentation to Upward Bound Students

Presentation to Upward Bound Students

Excerpt from Presentation

One is saying, money is not inspiring; another, creativity comes out of problems, and the third, we need a quest.  So, where does this leave us?  George Coleman built this theatre in a small town on Route 66 halfway between New York City and Los Angles.  

  • Did he find inspiration in money?  
  • Did the building rise up because of a problem or limitation? 
  • Was there a quest?  

George Coleman and his brother made a fortune when they discovered lead and zinc north of town.  Money allowed George to travel and enjoy vaudeville with its variety of entertainment: singing, dancing, comedy, juggling, and one-act plays.  Mr. Coleman had a passion for vaudeville.  They say it was his first love.  I believe, it was this passion for vaudeville that aroused his inspiration to address a problem, a limitation.  His workers and the people of the town could not easily experience vaudeville in 1929.  His quest was  to bring high-calibre acts to a world-class theatre in Miami.

P Presentation Upward Bound Students IMG_8118

 

 

Excerpt from Presentation

Time was allowed to take its toll on the theatre.  The building structure fell into a state of disrepair.  The original furnishings were gone, including the chandeliers and the Mighty Wurlitzer.  Decay.  Faith.  Yes, there were those in the community with the vision of a restored Coleman Theatre Beautiful as the center of the community.  

Miami’s Administrative Assistant, Sue Valliere had the vision to search for the lost Wurlitzer organ.  After it was found, volunteers expended great time and energy in reconstructing it.  There are many stories about what it took to bring second life to the theatre: reconstructing the chandeliers, finding the stained-glass medallions in such places as at garage sale and at a Tulsa restaurant, and the fund-raising effort of a “seat adoption” program.  As Barbara Smith of The Friends of the Coleman said, “This journey has been one of faith.”  And, may I add, it took a self-respecting community with a passion for excellence to undertake the quest.

Entrance to Miami, OK

Entrance to Miami, OK

 

The Coleman Theatre- Carving Passion

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Theatre Poster

Theatre Poster

 Carving Passion

Miami News Record

Miami, OK

By: Jessica Graham jessica.graham@maiminewsrecord.com | Posted: Thursday, June 26, 2014

MIAMI — Coleman Theater books bus tours to see Haitian wood sculptor.

Marika Bordes, from Seguin, Texas, brought 14 of her artistic wood carving pieces, which have been displayed in the grand ballroom on the top floor of the Coleman theater all week.

“It is an honor to have my art displayed in Miami,” Bordes said. “I am very happy to be here.”

Managing Director Darcie Shultz said when looking for artists to bring to Miami, Bordes stood out among the others.

Shultz said the Mid-America Arts Alliance website directed her to five state agencies which had rosters of artists who had been selected to represent their state for touring. The alliance provides grant support for programs like this one.

“So I went to the Texas Arts Council website and I went through almost every single artist in every genre and Marika just stood out to me,” Shultz said. “I thought, ‘this is really interesting.’”

She said she felt the walk-through gallery — displaying Bordes’ art — would add to the experience of the daily tours.

“I am excited to be here (at the Coleman Theater),” Marley Kuckhahn from Minnesota said. “The art is beautiful work.”

The Coleman Theater was one of the stops for a bus tour from Minnesota on its way to a mission convention in Dallas.

Bordes was born in Haiti and raised in Montreal, Canada. She said 17-years ago she met her mentor Francois Sanon, a Haitian artist, who works in the Afro-Caribbean tradition. Sanon, she said, helped her realize she had talent.

“My mentor saw it (talent) and I did not see it myself,” Bordes said. “You know when someone tells you that you are talented you don’t believe it.”

She said she gets her inspiration from daily living. One particular piece called “Carousel of Woman” represents the life of woman. She explained the piece in detail of how she carved each woman on a raft.

“The piece begins from youth and how the girl is thinking about her dresses,” Bordes said. “Then she jumps to motherhood where her world is devoted to kids and after one point in life some goes to religion and they cling to an icon, which is why I put the Virgin Mary.

“And at one point in our life there is this woman who is holding to the raft because she does not believe in anything in the world anymore. Maybe she has disappointment with kids, maybe religion but she is just holding to life without no faith at all. And then all of a sudden you have the smallest one (woman), she’s holding to nothing. It’s wisdom at that point.”

Bordes said every single piece she carves has a story. She described the feelings she had while carving “The Beggar.”

“In 2010 when my country went through that earthquake, I realized from day one to day two that a lot of people become beggar, so I started with that idea and what it did to me deeply to understand what beggar is, is the conversation I had with her (The Beggar),” Bordes said. “I tried to see the humiliation but I also try to see the hope.”

Bordes said she always uses woman as her subjects in her art work because woman are the “seed keepers and they direct the world.

The Coleman Theater hosted Bordes’ last viewing on Thursday but her sculptors can be seen on her website at https://marikasculptures.com/

Coleman Theatre Marquee

Coleman Theatre Marquee

 

Haiti- Artist Dialogue at the Bihl Haus

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Artist Dialogue at the Bihl Haus, June 14, 2014

“Haiti Yesterday – Haiti Today”  by Dr. Ruth Berggren, Professor of Medicine & Director of the Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics (UTHSCSA) and Marika

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Thoughts on Haiti

Haiti is a country of artistic sensibility.   In everyday life, art buds, blooms and flourishes.  Creativity is woven in the fabric of our survival.  Despite the numerous inequalities of class which divide the nation in two, Haiti had its moments of glory and life was good for many. 

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One cannot change the past, nor predict the future but through out history, great changes have been wrought by the ingenuity of people coming together to help others in time of crisis.  The promotion of health and education is the kind of undertaking that raises us out of our dire situation. 

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Gallery Hours

Friday and Saturday, 1:00 – 4:00 pm or

By appointment, 210-383.9723

Exhibition Closing Date

Saturday, July 12

Location

2803 Fredericksburg Road

(inside the gates of Primrose at Monitcello Park Senior Apartments)

San Antonio, TX

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The Little Prince as Inspiration

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The Little Prince as Inspiration at Bihl Haus Arts, San Antonio 

Excerpts

All of us experience feelings of alienation and vulnerability during life’s transitions.   During my childhood, my family sent me from the Caribbean Island of Haiti to Quebec, Canada.  Here the Catholic nuns taught me.  At age fourteen, living in a foreign land, I read The Little Prince for a class assignment.   From the beginning, the Little Prince gave me strength, understanding and a vision.  We formed a life-long bond.

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Later in life, I turn to the noble childhood perspective of the Little Prince to walk the path of inspiration.

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I understand, one must go back to a childlike mind to make things happen.  So, when it came to carving my version of the Little Prince, the character was so embodied in my psyche and, like Michelangelo, I just carved away the excess of material to release him from a single piece of oak: my hero was born.

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Be also aware that there is a deep connection between risk taking and creativity.  One cannot repeat again and again the same pattern and expect a different result.  We need to be challenged to crystalize the eternity of a moment.

Marika sining the Haitian song she sung while carving "Grace."

Marika sining the Haitian song she sung while carving “Grace.”

The Little Prince with the Rose and the Fox

The Little Prince with the Rose and the Fox

 

Bihl Haus Arts: Comments & Press Release

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Comment from the Bihl Haus

Only from the heart . ., which opens at Bihl Haus on May 16,  features more than a dozen works by Haitian-born sculptor Marika Bordes.  They combine influences from Marika’s early years with teacher Francois Sanon in Haiti, who works in the Afro-Caribben tradition, and contemporary art from her time in New York and Quebec.  The resulting works in wood speak to the artist’s love of the material, understanding of the human form, and flawless skill with chisel and mallet.  We’ll also be premiering the new catalog of Marika’s sculpture, which will be available for purchase.

Grace

Grace

The Bihl Haus Press Release

A little bit of Haiti in SA!

Exhibit of Elegant Wood Carvings by Haitian-Born

Sculptor MARIKA BORDES

Opens May 16th @ Bihl Haus Arts

WHAT:  Only from the Heart. . .  

WHEN: Opening Reception: Friday, May 16, 5:30-8:30 pm

WHERE: Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg Road (inside the gates of Primrose at Monticello Park Senior Apartments and across from the Tip Top Café)        

WHO: Sculptor Marika Bordes

WHY: Bihl Haus Arts is pleased to present “Only from the Heart . . . “, an exhibit of more than a dozen works in wood by Haitian-born sculptor Marika Bordes.  The centerpiece of the exhibit is “The Little Prince” (2014). This enchanting carving of a boy, his fox and the rose is inspired by the WWII French novella of the same name (which the artist can recite by heart in French) by author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.  The title of the exhibit draws on Marika’s favorite quotation from the book, wisdom passed to the little prince from the lonely fox he tamed: “One sees clearly only from the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”  

In this exhibit, we see with our hearts–the works are tender, romantic, sensitive—as well as with our eyes and with our minds—they are brilliantly conceived, flawlessly executed.  Much like the French author who whittled down his original 30,000-word manuscript to less than half, Marika carved and chiseled an enormous 300-pound oak limb to reveal the essence of her own little prince.  Crowned by curly locks and dressed in flowing cape and baggy pants, Marika’s boy dons forged metal boots that ground him firmly to the earth. To his chest he clutches a rose, his rose, his responsibility now because it, too, like the fox, has been tamed.

Other works in the exhibit are based in reverie, dreams transformed into chiseled and polished woods, some embellished with added materials— a bit of ebony, a semi-precious stone, forged elements.  In Dream to Fairytale (2013), what was once a knobby root is now a dreamlike womb, the birthing place of a goddess.  In other works, the human form is abstracted, elegant, long and lean, as in Grace (2010), a dancer-like apparition with ebony face and body of Bois d’Arc, a dense golden-orange wood native to Arkansas and parts of Texas.  One theme that prevails in all of Marika’s work, however, is her love for the feel of the wood, the elegant twists of its branches, the subtle changes in its texture and tone. 

“Only from the Heart. . . “ opens with a free public reception at Bihl Haus Arts on Friday, May 16, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, which also features authentic Haitian foods and live music.  The exhibit continues through June 12, 2014. Related events include:

•Saturday, May 31, 2 pm: “The Little Prince as Inspiration,” an artist talk and sculpting demonstration by Marika Bordes, with a focus on The Little Prince (2014), created especially for this exhibit.

•Saturday, June 14, 2 pm: “Haiti Today,” a gallery talk by Artist Marika Bordes and Dr. Ruth Berggren, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics (UTHSCSA), who spent her childhood in Haiti and now heads a medical mission there.

From Dream to Fairytale

From Dream to Fairytale

About the Artist: Born on the Caribbean Island of Haiti amid towering trees, exotic flowers and mountains, then educated in a boarding school in Quebec, Canada, Marika (Marie Carmen) Bordes captured the best of two worlds.   From 1996 to 2001, she studied with Haitian master wood sculptor Francois Sanon, who at first glance told her, “Madam, you can carve!”  During this time, galleries exhibited her Afro-Caribbean-inspired work, she taught sculpting and Haiti National Television produced a documentary about her art.  

From 2001 to 2005, Marika spent time in Montreal and New York City developing and expanding her artistic talents.  In New York, she studied drawing at the Student Art League under Terence Coyle, worked with Sanon, and received awards in 2002 and 2003 at the Rencontre des Arts.   Also while in New York, The Pen and Brush, an international membership organization founded over 100 years ago for women professionally active in the arts, awarded Marika first prize in the 2003 African-American Art Exhibition.

In 2005, Marika moved to Seguin, Texas, with husband Dennis Martin, where her studio is located today.  Her efforts as an artist and arts activist have earned recognition. Peter Trippi, editor of Fine Art Connoisseur and juror of the San Antonio Art League and Museum’s 82nd Annual Artists Exhibition selected Marika for the Ann Griffith Ash Donor Award.  Her sculpture The King and The Queen won honorable mention at the Texas Society of Sculptors competition at the Georgetown Public Library.  For her community involvement, The Seguin Commission on the Arts awarded the artist the 2014 Arts Enrichment Award for outstanding contributions to and participation in the arts.   

Dancing with Mermaids (detail)

Dancing with Mermaids (detail)

The Power of Language: Presentation to Alpha Mu Gamma Honor Society, Texas Lutheran University

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Lately, I have come to understand that the value of any human being resides in his capacity to absorb and transform the elements received from the diverse schools of life. What a wonderful world!

 In the beginning was The Word,  and

The word was spread around the globe

In many languages

For the use of human beings.

Go and spread what you have learned,

For it will make humanity stand a little taller, and,

Your passage on planet earth

Will not be in vain

Honorees, Ladies and Gentlemen here present, it has been a pleasure to share  the insightful values of what we’ve all learned on our mother’s knee:

The power of language.

Briesemeister Middle School Students and Marika Go “One Day Without Shoes”

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Click here to listen: Marika’s Presentation to Briesemeister Middle School Students, Seguin, TX

Today, I would like to take you to another world and share the journey with some of the children of other cultures who like you, this day, are walking barefoot.  Unlike you, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and the following one, they will still be walking barefoot to school, because of their poverty.

 In many countries the child’s first pair of shoes is a gift longtime remembered and cherished.  It is a rite of passage.  I see that the purpose of your actions is to understand others. By doing this you are learning to see the world in a different way.  So as you help others through this rite of passage, you, yourself are also maturing.

Shoeless Students Make Statement at SISD

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Seguin Gazette Felicia Frazar | Posted: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 12:00 am

SEGUIN — A handful of junior high students walked around Briesemeister barefoot on Tuesday.

The seventh- and eighth-graders choose to walk around either barefoot or with only socks.

The students who are part of the Friends of Rachel clubs at the school joined the worldwide movement A Day Without Shoes, said club sponsor Mark Keddal.

“This was a student’s idea,” he said. “We were talking about character issues and bullying and things that people take for granted that might be perceived as cruel and we are trying to change the atmosphere. Part of our discussion was how we, as a small group, could to try to make an impact and somebody came up with the idea of participating in this Day Without Shoes for TOMS.”

TOMS is a shoe company that pledges to donate shoes to those without, according to its website.

“With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for one,” the website stated.

The children wanted to be a part of something bigger, Keddal said.

“This is a part of a world-wide effort to recognize that about a 1 billion people go shoeless, mostly children and there are a number of diseases that are caused by it,” he said. “There are a number of dangerous things that can happen being barefooted, other than disease.”

As part of the learning experience, the students got to spend their lunch time with local artist Marika Bordes, who talked about the country she is originally from and the poverty she saw in that country.

“I was born in Haiti,” she told the students. “And in my country the child’s first pair of shoes are a gift that is truly remembered and cherished. It is a right of passage. Here we are lucky. We take the use of shoes for granted.”

During her visit with the students, she praised their efforts to spread awareness.

“You are learning to see the world in a different way,” she said. “I think this is wonderful because it is not something of fashion. For you all to walk barefooted looked simple but why you are doing it is not. Just think of the many who don’t have the fortune to wear shoes. It is important for you to talk about it. This is not to make you feel guilty. You are lucky to have shoes but just think about the others that don’t.”

Keddal said the idea behind Tuesday’s movement was to raise awareness about those who barefoot — and not by choice.

“She is such a powerful presence and I figure if the kids remembered anything they would remember her,” he said. “She captivated them. I asked if she could come talk about a place where people lived without shoes.”

Hearing Bordes’ stories about Haiti and its people, those who live in poverty and the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake that shook the world, inspired a couple of the students.

One student said she wanted to sell bracelets to raise money to buy shoes for the countries who are without.

Another group wanted to know how they could donate items — clothing, shoes and other necessities — to Haiti.

© 2012 Seguin Gazette.

Texas Lutheran University Glocal Retreat

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On August 6, 2011, participants in the TLU Glocal (global/local) Retreat visit Marika’s studio and gallery.

We were so incredibly thankful for your willingness to entertain, explain, and provoke the students in our glocal retreat in early August.  Your session was clearly a highlight for the group based on their overall reflections.  Thank you for making time for that opportunity and also for being willing to share so deeply about who you are, what animates your work, and why you do it.  The visit to your studio and home was a fantastic experience for our group.

Tim Barr, Director of the Moline Center for Servant Leadership 

Below are photos of the event.

Seguin sculptor gives lessons on the road

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From the Seguin Gazette Enterprise

Posted: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 12:00 am | Updated: 6:15 pm, Tue Apr 26, 2011.

Staff reports |

EL PASO – Sculptor Marika Bordes recently made presentations to university and high school students at the request of the University of Texas at El Paso.

“When Marika talks with students about how she creates her sculptures, they literally lean forward to get closer to her and learn from her as they are drawn in and captured by her passion,” said Dr. Richard Padilla, vice president for student affairs at UTEP. “The pictures of her in the presentation, a petite woman wielding a chainsaw, attacking large blocks of wood while making the first cuts in creating a sculpture, instantly challenge and inspire the students to see themselves in new ways.

“Marika is a great role model. Like the sculptures she creates, she is elegant in her simplicity, inspires others to see beyond boundaries, and she is always full of surprises,” Padilla said.

The university students learned about creativity, teaching methods, conceptual sculpture and the art of living.

Marika offered some advice for the future teachers of Texas children: “Along your path, as an artist, share ideas; as a teacher, encourage each creative spirit; as a creative person, continue to learn and appreciate life’s lessons.”

Riverside High School students from the Ysleta Independent School District and Chapin High School students from the El Paso Independent School District also heard presentations by Marika.

“As an artist, I am here today to open the doors to the art world, challenging you to enter it freely and without fear,” she told the students. “I also have the privilege to help demystify the art of making sculpture.”

Marika met Saturday afternoon, April 16, with more than 100 high school students participating in the Upward Bound program which provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance.

The focus of the presentation was similar to the one for the high school classes, but it included an exhibit of Marika’s sculptures and tools.

Students came in small groups to the stage to view sculptures and ask questions about the art of sculpting, creativity and the business of art.

“When you take the next step on your journey, search for the unopened doors,” she told the students. “You have the keys. Do it with a clear and giving heart. Life is nothing but an offering.”

The presentations were made April 14-16 in El Paso.

© Copyright 2011, Seguin Gazette Enterprise, Seguin, TX