A Light on History!
700 Procter Street | Port Arthur, Texas, 77640 | (409) 982-7000
Memorials/Donations
CART
TEMPORARY EXHIBITS
The OPENING NIGHT of Exhibits, Hall of fame INDUCTIONS, FAMILY FUN DAYS, and other Museum EVENTS are free of charge to the public.
The Museum of the Gulf Coast is exhibiting the works of revered Port Arthur artist Maudee Carron. The selected pieces are primarily from our own archives and will be available for viewing through September 14th.
Ms. Carron was born in Melville, LA, in 1912. Her family eventually settled in Port Arthur when she was in elementary school. After graduating from high school, she received several art scholarships. Maudee accepted one from the WPA-sponsored Creative Arts School in Houston in 1934 to be closer to her husband. In Houston, she became a part of the intellectual elite called "the left bank on the bayou." Her studies under Ola MacNeill Davidson catapulted Carron on a lifelong journey of artistic expression in almost every medium, including theater and writing.
Her paintings and sculptures were exhibited in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi in the following decades. A critic for This Week in New Orleans wrote, "Her work is different, refreshing, and substantial. Critics say she is an artist's artist."
After a car accident injured her right hand in 1979, Carron taught herself to draw with her left hand, which she felt reintroduced some spontaneity in her art. Maudee often ventured into sculptures using found objects. The museum will exhibit two works made with a Singer sewing machine and another with a lawn mower blade.
At the age of 73, she exhibited at the Kunstraum Gallery in West Berlin with a show titled "Texas Eye Con's." The McNay in San Antonio lists her painting titled "Pinwheel Street" in its extensive collection. James Surls described her as "a free soul, extracted from all that is pure in humankind, a conduit from the center." Maudee Carron died in Port Arthur in 1996 at the age of 81.
Exhibited pieces include donations made to the museum by William Berry, Bill and Anna Lee Draughon, Carol Hudman, John and Orra Eaves, Eddie Savoy, Linnis Blanton, Bob and Martha Troxell, Robert Darling, and Katherine Baugh.
Works on loan have also been generously provided by Keith Carter, Dr. Sam Monroe, Andy Coughlan, Pete Churton, and Jason Larson and Jamie Kessler.
Memories of Zydeco: Past and Present
The Museum of the Gulf Coast will be exhibiting the photographs of Port Arthur resident Rita Colligan Manuel from October 5th to December 28th. The exhibit will feature photographic memories of some of the greatest Zydeco musicians of all time. The opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, October 5th, at 4:00 pm in the museum's Dunn Gallery and is free of charge to the public. Many family members included in the photographs are expected to attend and play.
This exhibit is generously sponsored by The Port Arthur Convention and Visitors Bureau, Joyce James Consulting, and Pete and Rita's Zydeco Show.
Rita Colligan Manuel was born in Opelousas, Louisiana. Her Creole culture inspired her to pick up a camera 45 years ago and preserve the extraordinary history she was witnessing. Rita and her husband, Pete Manuel, were popular Zydeco DJs on radio stations in Port Arthur and Beaumont. They continue to promote and support Zydeco musicians in the area. Rita says, "I danced my way across the border of two states to take these photographs."
The photographs will include images of Boozoo Chavis, John Delafose, Beau Jocque, Buckwheat, Clifton Chenier, C.J. Chenier, Willis Prudhomme, and Roy Carrier. Zydeco bands often included family members, and Rita's photographs captured today's well-known performers in their earliest appearances. These include Keith Frank, Geno Delafose, Chubby, Big Nate and Lil Nate, Rob Pitre, Lady D, Step Rideau, Brian Jack, Noonie, and J-Paul. They are a testament to the enduring popularity of Zydeco music and our region's Creole culture. C.J. Chenier is a native of Port Arthur.