Supporting Scholarships In The Arts With Alice And Her Friends.
Along with being a Keynote Speaker at the Texas Art Education Conference, Bridgette Mongeon shared some of the 150 hidden things in an Alice InWonderland Tea Party.
The Alice Sculpture Helps To Educate Others
November 2018, sculptor Bridgette Mongeon was the keynote speaker at the Texas Art Educators Conference in Galveston, Texas.
I am thrilled to be chosen as the keynote speaker for the Texas Art Education Association conference to be held November 2017 at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas.
Throughout my career as an artist and a writer it is just as important to me to share information and create a learning experience through the creation of my art as it is for me to create the art itself. At the 56th annual conference I will be speaking about the educational initiative title STEAM. I’ll share how others have used, Science, Technology, Engineering Art and Math in an interdisciplinary learning experience and how I have done that in my own studio.
I’ll be focusing on not only my own work but the work of others that I have collected in my book, “3D Technology in Fine Art and Craft: Exploring 3D Printing, Scanning, Sculpting, and Milling. ”
Of course the Alice in Wonderland project title “Move One Place On” has the STEAM education in spades. I’ll share some of that as well.
The Unveiling Of a Sculpture, Accolades Of a Great Man And The Appreciate Of A President
Here is the entire dedication and unveiling of the sculpture that I created of John Turner and his dog. Watching this you will learn much about the man and all he has done. I was delighted that presenters read a a letter from George Bush. The letter talks about all that John has done in his life . Laura and George W. Bush thanked many for honoring this man including… “Bridgette Mongeon” (5:29) Thanks President Bush. John Milton Turner Statue Unveiling in Frisco,TX (June 4, 2017) from Brad Sharp on Vimeo.
PRESS RELEASE- Houston Sculptor Gets “Curious” At The Texas Art Education Conference
PRESS RELEASE- TIMELY EVENT Nov 2-4 2017
Alice, chair and Cheshire Cat.
Photo by Diliberto Photo and Design
Houston Sculptor Gets “Curious” at The Texas Art Education Conference.
It will be a Wonderland adventure at this year’s Texas Art Education (TAEA) Conference at Moody Gardens. The TAEA committee selected Houston, Texas Sculptor, and author Bridgette Mongeon as the 2017 keynote speaker. Many in Texas know the work of Mongeon. It can be seen in her numerous commissions of children, and in her Grambling Tiger and Prairie View Panther mascots. Her work extends to such distances as the sculpture of Neil Armstrong designated for Russia. And hits home in her recent commission of beloved jazz singer Norma Zenteno, and the whimsical sculpture of Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter Tea Party soon to be installed at Evelyn’s Park in Bellaire, Texas.
“Texas Art Education Association selected Bridgette Mongeon as our Conference Keynote speaker because, not only is she an advocate of STEAM, she encourages everyone to be ‘Curiouser and Curiouser.’ She motivates artists to reach their creative potential and to inspire students to obtain the same.” States Suzanne Greene, TAEA President.
STEAM is based on the educational initiative focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) but adds an essential Art component that helps to create a dialogue, explore, and present, while encouraging critical thinking. Mongeon has been introducing adults and children to the features of STEAM for years. Her recent book “3D Technology in Fine Art and Craft: Exploring 3D Printing, Scanning, Sculpting, and Milling” is groundbreaking and features work of artists from all over the world. In the book, Mongeon describes how artists push the limits and use digital technology combined with fine art. The book was a number one new release on Amazon, is required reading in some higher education classes, and has become a part of the permanent collection in such libraries as the Hirsch Library — Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas and the Albright Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York.
Mongeon uses a combination of digital and traditional sculpture in her own Houston, Texas studio. “In the creating of ‘Move One Place On,’ we used this combination in spades, or should we say ‘hearts,'” States Mongeon. You could say that Alice and her friends grew big and small in Mongeon’s studio, not with elixirs and mushrooms, but with technology.
Creating incredible pieces of art is important to Mongeon but being able to add an educational element to any project inspires her just as much as the art. She finds ways to do that with anything she creates. She documents most of her work in online blogs for clients. The more historical or educational the project, the better the educational elements. Individuals are learning about space exploration from her blog of Neil Armstrong and United in Space. They learned about the history of the newsboy in her sculpture and blog of the Newsboy for the Texas Press Association, and about the influence of seeing-eye dogs for the blind in her recent commission of John Turner and his seeing eye dog created for Frisco Texas. For Mongeon, every project is an opportunity to educate.
“Just because I completed the sculpture of the Mad Hatter’s tea party titled ‘Move One Place On,’ it does not mean that the education and the experiments and pushing of the boundaries of the technology are over,” States Mongeon.
Mongeon enjoyed hiding 150 elements in the bronze in honor of the 150th anniversary of the endearing story of Alice in Wonderland . She created a Wonderland Detective Series and free downloadable detective books where people can document their findings. The intrigue of finding the elements is not just for children but is enjoyed by adults and families as well. Mongeon is working on a series of YouTube videos that will help individuals learn about the hidden items as well as the literature and the elements of STEAM. She is also creating a curriculum that parents and traditional education and homeschools can use.
The future technology with her Alice project is also fascinating. She had each of the monumental clay pieces digitally scanned in her studio by Smart Geometrics. Scanning art was an intriguing opportunity for Smart Geometrics who usually creates 3D scans of such things as oil refineries. Mongeon will be reducing these scans, working on them in the computer, and collaborating with 3DSYSTEMS to recreate the sculptures in 3D printed miniatures—exact replicas of the monumental sculpture, but as a small limited edition bronzes.
Some of her vendors will be coming to the conference and will display how they have scanned hidden object, reduced the scans for 3D printing, so that the artist can create miniature collectibles. Finally, once the foundry installs the sculpture at Evelyn’s Park, Smart Geometrics has offered to come back into the park and 3D scan the entire area. This 3D scan can be used to create a virtual reality of the whole scene. That way, anyone in the world can visit “Move One Place On.” Mongeon also hopes to collaborate with a gaming company that can take the virtual reality and create it into an online educational resource. For Mongeon, the educational opportunities are indeed a curious adventure.
TAEA conference scheduled for November 2-4 2017 at Moody Gardens is open to art teachers and members of the Texas Art Education Association members.
______________
Form More information on this press release please contact
Jessica Brown- Assistant
Or Bridgette Mongeon
Bridgette@creativesculpture.com
713-540-3201 c
Havoc- Harvey Halts Happenings
I have been wanting to update the blog for some time now. As many of you know Harvey came through Houston, Texas in late August and caused havoc to the entire coast. Everyone here in Houston was trying desperately to help everyone else out, muck homes, find housing etc.
Knowing how important it was to focus on the immediate needs of the community the Zenteno family decided to postpone the major fund raiser for Norma so that the city of Houston could focus their attention on recovery. As soon as we have a confirmed date for the fundraiser we will be sure to post it here. As far as I know, it is being rescheduled for early 2018.
Studio damage and safety of Norma.
I’m happy to report that my studio and Norma are safe. We had some roof damage in the back storage area, and a new roofer came and replaced the roof, but Norma is doing very well.
Harvey- Elation, Remorse, Numb
Today, after dealing with days of Harvey and surviving, then driving the dirt laden freeways down to the George R. Brown Convention Center to see what needed to be done, and then traveling side streets to the grocery store that is just yards away from the bayou that is no longer a threat and within its banks, I sat in my van and wept.
I wept for my elation for being safe. Though there are still those in other parts of Houston, who are being rescued. I wept for seeing all I saw today and how so many people were helping so many other people. I wept in gratitude; I wept from what might be exhaustion. I wept because I survived and that I lost nothing and so many others have and will. I wept because I’m taking my wine and my shrimp home and sitting in my house and eating and drinking that tonight. I wept because I will bring bags of freezer items home that I will place them in my freezer after I take out the many blocks of ice I made before the storm. I wept as I remembered the dazed look on the women still in her pj’s who just got to the GRB and kept saying, “My ceiling caved in, my ceiling caved in, it is all gone.” as her very mature ten-year-old son held her one 1/2-year-old. I directed her to the blankets and clothing, took her name in case I can find a place for her to go. Maybe I wept for her.
Is this survivors remorse? I don’t think it is technically survivors remorse, as that definition means I feel guilty for being alive. I don’t feel guilty for being alive; My heart is overflowing with gratitude.
I feel like I’m in a fog, kind of like I did when my mom died, and I would look at people differently. I would look at someone and think, you could have died, we could have died. You have your home; you are in a grocery store buying food from shelves, and not waiting in life at a rescue center. These are such opposites my brain can’t adjust; it can’t take it all in. I’m watching strangers greet each other with things like, “Is your home livable?” and “Did you lose everything?” There is not one person in this city who has not either lost their home or had a close friend or family member who has lost their home. Most will recover, some homes are a total loss. Most people are smiling- if they are not still in shock.
“Is your home livable?”
Our city and individuals are wounded. We are all in a daze and shock, and it is not over. I can’t believe I came home to turn on the news and hear about missiles and to learn we are now waiting for a chemical plant to blow up in Crosby, Texas. Yes, it will blow up, it is just a matter of time, and they have no idea what that will do to our air quality. I can’t comprehend this. Maybe I will have to leave my home. I may have survived the rain, winds, and flood, but not a chemical explosion with compromised air. Survival continues, don’t let your guard down yet. Maybe I’ll save the wine and celebrate another night.
Harvey- Local If You Want To Help By…..
LOCALS – IF YOU WANT TO HELP BY-1. Taking people into your home. 2. Helping shuttle people from a point in GO/OF to their families elsewhere.
If this post moves you let me know. I’m ready to try this.I’m headed down to the GRB to see. ( I did not remember that I had to put all of the brackets in my van before I could shuttle people. Neighbor men loaded the seats. I can probably take 10 people at a time.
I have one child seat. Thank you guys.) I have no idea what I am doing. Plan is, go PRAY. Talk to people and ask God to show me who needs a place or transport to a family member. I’ll post on neighborhood forum to see who wants to take in this family temporarily or for a while. Maybe the family can shower, have a good meal and then you can make arrangements to get them to their extended families once roads clear. If you are willing to do this please post on this post on MY facebook page. Please also let me know how many rooms and if you would prefer people with children, no children or even pets. I can’t always find my posts I post in OF or GO forums. If this grows I may need someone to help me organize a digital version of this. I have no idea how to monitor this. I want our Guests to be safe. Everyone doing this must know we do this at our own risk. I trust in divine guidance. I am planning on taking at least 5 people into my home. Others who can’t take people in and are willing to help provide hot meals and groceries for the homes that do this would be appreciated. If there is anyone from my church Bill Laucher that needs placement or has room let me know.
I WONT HAVE MY COMPUTER. I will be posting the needs as I find them from a tiny phone. so seeing posts here is the key. I’m going to try and pin this post to the top of my feed and make it global. If I have a family for you, perhaps you can text me on my phone. I DO NOT HAVE PRIVATE MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK ON MY PHONE DO NOT PM me I won’t get it. I will not be able to see PM’s
MEANWHILE list your availability below: Is it a home, shuttle to others, can cook meals for families and provide groceries for host homes, and pray. Thanks.
THOSE OUT OF STATE-As we place families and see their needs I’ll let you know so perhaps you can help sponsor that family.
Harvey – Update And An Idea
Update and an idea.
I am very thankful that I have stayed dry during this storm. So many have not. I have a bit of survivors remorse. Everyone wants to help everywhere and I, like others, am trying to figure out where I can be of most use, and still not compromise my recovery from bronchitis.
One thing i am good at is organization, communication, creative ideas and bringing people together so I am trying to figure out how to use those talents in a small way to help with recovery.
Streets within my area are passable. Some highways are opening up. There are two things that are on my heart. The relocation of individuals in the GRB or NRG is not something that the City of Houston can handle on their own. There are just too many people.Two days ago I posted on neighborhood forums I have neighbors who have said they would open their homes and I have three bedrooms vacant here. I have warned everyone they do this at their own liability. I can only pray that God leads me to the right people.
I know family and friends- for some this action may sound like a dangerous thing to do, but I can’t just leave my rooms vacant when I watch mom and babies sitting on floors in the GRB. There are not enough showers there. As always there are a mix of people and some have expressed their concerns that their kids see such things. My thought is to try and get help to put my van seats in,( ANYONE NEARBY THAT CAN HELP?) I’ll go down there, and see what I can see and if this will work. Yesterday I posted on Sherry Williams KHOU facebook page. She interviewed my about the Alice project. I thought since she is at the George R Brown, she might be able to give some advice or suggestion in making this work. But I’m sure they are very busy. Maybe with prayer and direction I can find some people who can either be relocated to something more comfortable in our homes in Garden Oaks – Houston Oak Forest Homeowners Association or create a shuttle service with volunteers that might possibly be able to reunite these people with loved ones who are high and dry. What that looks like in my head is- I meet someone they say they have reports that their family in wherever is fine. They have no car, clothes or resources to get there. I can either take them or shuttle them to a place where individual volunteers can relocate them. This works in my head. If you are a praying person, please pray that the path before me be opened up. Meanwhile, I think I need to drop off my wet dry shop vac and fans to someone who might need them in the hood.
Also, if you have any insights or suggestion or want to volunteer in anyway with this crazy plan let me know. I may also need some another car seat or little baby carrier seat, be sure it is marked with your name and phone number so I can get it back to you. I have one child’s seat now. If we create a shuttle system then others may need it as well.
Harvey- WHY WE DIDNT EVACUATE – THIS WAS NO ONES FAULT!
Please don’t judge the people and authorities of Texas and Houston. I am in this, and I have great respect for their actions. There are reasons for their choices. Reasons that many people, not living in the south, will ever understand.
I have heard people say, Why didn’t they evacuate? First, let me explain. Hurricanes are unpredictable. There is no way to tell which way they will go. Many factors made this bad.
1. STALED STORM Pressure from the north and west held Harvey over Texas. Houston was on the dirty side or the east side of the storm. This means rain, wind, tornadoes and a ton of things just like we experienced.
2. HARVEY WANTS TO MAKE ANOTHER ENTRANCE Harvey is pushing back out into the gulf and walking. He is literally, walking and not moving. He is pushing up moisture from the Gulf like a mean big brother on the beach testing our patience. We are still on the dirty side. More rain. If he comes to our East, we will be in much better shape. At this writing, he is not. No one is talking about the possibility that Harvey, as a storm in the Gulf. It could push water back up the bay and into already flooded areas. That is what hurricanes do; they push water up into areas along the coast. I’m sure no one wants to look at that scenario. We have so much to consider at hand.
3. OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
First, note that Houston is only 80 feet above sea level. Low altitude is why my head spins when I go almost anywhere. Houston area consists of a series of creeks and bayous reservoirs and lakes that hold back water and help water to flow. Some are released when at capacity. When working properly, these do work. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes people flood. Down river, people flood. I don’t know how they can live in such areas knowing this can happen, but they do. Some Houston streets flood during heavy rain and we all have it drilled into our heads “Turn around Don’t Drown.” We watch that. I know how easy it is to misjudge water. I was out the other night and could not see a thing. It was terrifying. Being born in Buffalo, NY, I have lived in snowstorms. You can put snow somewhere. You can’t do much with water. It runs, it erodes, and it can destroy very fast.
Everything flows from north and west of Houston through Houston or around in the case of some creeks, to Galveston Bay. I recently posted a map and a post about the bayous. The amount of rain Houston has had can not be blamed on anyone. We usually receive around 49.77 inches of rain in Houston a year. A little known tropical storm called Alison in 2001 might compare. It happened three months before 9/11, and we were forgotten down here. It was just a tropical storm, but once again, it brought a lot of rain rather quickly. According to wiki “The six-day rainfall in Houston amounted to 38.6 inches (980 mm). The deluge of rainfall flooded 95,000 automobiles and 73,000 houses throughout Harris County. Tropical Storm Allison destroyed 2,744 homes, leaving 30,000 homeless with residential damages totaling to $1.76 billion (2001 USD, $2.29 billion 2012 USD).” As I said, Harvey’s rainfall will exceed that, in just a few days. The stats will exceed that. The service core of engineers has never experienced this. No one has. They are calling it a once in an 800-year flood. What the heck does that mean?
The only thing I can frown at is whoever is responsible in the City of Houston who continues to allow so many new buildings in Houston with less green space. New buildings leave less room for water to be absorbed. I would love to rant about the city preventing new construction or demanding green space, but there is no reason to look at this now. For right now, a large amount of water has to get to the bay. It has to go somewhere.
4. EVACUATION
We have learned from the many storms that there is a way to evacuate. The process is that the lower lying areas or those that are first in harm’s way must be the priority. If everyone from Houston got on the freeways and evacuated, then those in real trouble could not get out. An example was the horrific Hurrican Rita evacuation in 2005. Rita was just weeks after Katrina. And Rita was going to be stronger than Katrina. We were all a little shell shocked down here. During Hurricane Rita, people panicked and according to Wiki “An estimated 2.5 – 3.7 million people fled before Rita’s landfall, making it one of the largest evacuations in United States’ history.”
I was here. I stayed. Here is what happened. It was wall to wall cars. No one could move. It was hot, and gas ran out in the cars on the road. No one could get gas in to help the stranded. I fielded phone calls from friends who were caught in traffic for hours. Many finally turned around, but that was impossible because the city then opened the southbound to go north. It was excruciatingly hot and dangerous. I see the reports say that 90-118 people died even before the storm. A bus of elderly started on fire, and all were killed. These same roads and feeder roads that people traveled on are now under water in this storm. Evacuation of so many people is impossible. And, remember no one could understand how the other factors would play in this storm. The weather men do an excellent job of predicting, but they can’t be sure. People prepared the best they could. Some did bug out.
Some people are new to the Houston area and don’t realize how sensitive things can be or how drastic they can be. People also become complacent. There are people here who are in their 20 and 30’s who can’t say or know what it is like to go through this as an adult. They can’t say, well I remember Rita, or Ike, Carla or Allison.
I have lived in this house for 35 years. I have been through Alicia, in 83, Allison in 2001, Rita in 2005, Ike 2008, and Harvey in 2017. I have never seen this. Though Allison was similar, as far as flooding, Harvey will put Allison to shame.
As of this writing, it is not over. Some things can happen that can make this even worse. These would be; more rain, high winds or structure failures anywhere along the water areas. If something blocks the waters, then things back up upstream. Plus the ground is so saturated; this is the time that trees uproot. I mentioned the water that could be pushed up the bay if Harvey hangs around. I can’t even think of that.
I’m proud of how those in authority handled and are handling things, and I’m here. I can tell you now, after living through Allison, Houston has a long row to hoe, and at this writing, until mean big brother Harvey decides to quit picking on us and go away, we won’t know how bad things will be. We will recover because Houston is stronger than Harvey, but one thing is sure, in my book, this is no one’s fault.
SO EXCITED! A Seated Norma
of this lovely woman. I have always said, many artists can
create a likeness, but I am striving for the essence
of Norma as well.
I’m so excited. For weeks Norma’s sculpted upper torso and head have been separate from the rest of her body. There are a couple reasons for this. The face takes some time and Norma’s hair took forever. ( I’m still seeing her hair when I close my eyes. ) I’m still not done with the back of it. However, some of the hair will change once we get her torso together and her guitar. At times we have even taken Norma off of her pedestal and put her down flat. There is a great deal of smoothing that goes into the sculpting process. It is a tag team. I’ll sculpt and then an intern comes in and smooths.
I had other young interns helping in a creative process of creating some of Norma’s Jewelry. We have quite a bit of her jewelry that she wore and some we can use in the sculpture. We can make a mold of it and then cast it in bronze with her. Other pieces of jewelry are to delicate to use. So we used her jewelry as inspiration and recreated it. I’m sure the young interns will relish their part of being in the creative process. I love creating learning experiences through my art. I don’t know Norma, but I sense she would appreciate that.
If you remember back a few posts ago, a family member gave us a guitar for us to use in the project. We have to modify the guitar quite a bit. I’m surprised how hard it was emotionally for me to do that to a guitar. I play the guitar and can’t imagine destroying one on purpose. But it is for a good cause and Norma will play it forever more. ( I will remember that when I have to drill holes into it to secure it to Norma’s body armature.)
The first thing we did was to paint the guitar the same color as the clay that we used on Norma. I find this helps both myself and the client. It is less of a visual distraction while creating and when approving the sculpture. Of course, the few pieces of jewelry that we did use that were Norma’s we did not paint. It is a distraction to me, but the idea that it is “her” jewelry outweighs that distraction. The energy that jewelry adds to the piece is incredible. I’m sure you will recognize it when you see the sculpture
Back to the guitar.
We also have to be careful about the hole in the guitar. You can’t really have deep holes in bronze as it is a wonderful place for bugs to nest. So, we need a hole without a hole. This is less of a challenge than the other challenge- STRINGS. If you look at most bronze sculptures of musicians you will find there are no strings on the instruments. WHAT? here are artists coming from an artist point of view instead of a musicians point of view. Believe it or not strings are a challenge. They are thin and can be broken off, if created like a typical string. They have undercuts. Undercuts are areas that go in and around, which is difficult to cast. Could you put wire on the sculpture after it is cast? Yes, but lets guess how long that would last before a vandal came and clipped them off. So my goal is to create a guitar like it has strings, but they are part of the guitar body, no undercuts, and solid. Wish me luck, send me positive guitar string energy. It is a challenge, but I’m up for it.
grandchildren, Isabella and Noah Zapata
An intern is helping with the guitar while I work on Norma and we are making huge progress. The color or patina that will be put on the final sculpture when it is in metal will also help with us having a hole where there is no hole and showing strings.
For now the guitar sits aside, waiting for me to put the rest of Norma’s body on her. I have two days alone in the studio! I love alone time in the studio. Norma and I bond and make such progress. By Tuesday or Wed I hope to have the torso of Norma roughed in and will be able to put her guitar in her lap. Hand, arms and fingers… that is another story. But she is coming along and I am SO EXCITED about getting to work for the next couple of days.
We are moving right along. I would expect that by the time of the Gala, the sculpture will be approved. I hope that we can reveal pictures of it at the Gala, if the family would like. We have our final push to get raise the money for casting. (Please help by spreading the word and donating now. There is a link to pay pal on the main page for the project. Or contact the family and send a check. ) I’m so excited. Sorry, I won’t show pictures of the final piece until the family approves it, but I will show sectional progress. Wish you could feel the bubbling I feel and the creative energy in the studio right now. Oh, Norma I can’t wait for you to be here serenading me regularly in the corner of my studio.
This is the documentation of Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon who created the Norma Zenteno Sculpture and Kippy for Zenteno Spirit and Barrio Dogs. You can find the process blog for this project at http://normasculpture.blogspot.com/