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Beatrice Stewart
May's Literary Member Highlight
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Beatrice Stewart, a black woman in her seventies, is a tireless advocate for causes leading to social change and works tirelessly to promote an end to Racism, Ageism, Sexism, and all other ‘ISMs’ that exist in our world. As an artist, writer, and community activist, she uses all forms of expression to inform and educate her audience. As a multi-talented individual, there does not seem to be anything she has not tried; from building houses to building communities, Stewart has immersed herself in living history.
Her work began as a young woman studying sociology at Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA). After being awarded her Bachelor of Arts, she then pursued a Master of Arts in Social Sciences from William Lyon University (San Diego, CA). Her call to action led her to careers where she was of service to her community. She has been a police officer in Los Angeles; an administrator at a life skills school in Las Cruces, New Mexico; and she has worked for Harris County’s Adult Education Department as an ESL teacher.
Outside of her vocations, giving to her community through activism has been central to her life. She has joined in ‘good trouble’ for the HIV/AIDS, civil rights, and women’s rights movements. In 1986 she participated in Hands Across America, which raised funds for the hungry and homeless. In addition to activism, Stewart has also volunteered her time as a sponsor in Al-Anon for many years.
Her artistic career has allowed her to paint professionally, and she has had the opportunity to exhibit her artwork in galleries in Los Angeles, New York, and Paris. Stewart now devotes her time to her writing, where she has her say and can express herself fully through poetry and non-fiction. Her current non-fiction book, White Allies: Bending the Scales of Justice, is available in both e-book and paperback format through Amazon as well as her book of poetry titled, Poetry During the Trump Years. Stewart belongs to several writing groups and book clubs that are both local and international. She has graciously shared some of her poems with us for our newsletter.
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To learn more about Beatrice and her work please visit her Amazon author page.
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April Meeting Highlight:
ECO Fund Presentations and 2021 Recipients Announced
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During our April meeting, our four 2019 ECO Fund Grant Winners, Deborah Blumberg, Gladys Mae-Bullock, Melody Locke, and Maggie Baldwin, discussed how they spent their time and money working on projects that have been with them all for quite some time. Deborah completed the first draft of a writing project that has been in progress for eight years. She told fascinating stories of her time researching her family history to the more practical time spent in workshops honing her elevator pitch for when it will be time to seek publication for her historical fiction novel. Melody spoke about a fortuitous opportunity that arose after taking a photography workshop, which led to an impulsive decision to rent a studio space where she now houses her photography business. Gladys-Mae spoke about her twenty-six-year-long journey of self-discovery through the use of prose and how her funding allowed her to advance her STEP (Starting to Experience Progress) Workshop. She shared some of her STEP poem graphics and moved all of us with her passion for helping others find their true selves. She will use these pieces in her upcoming three-hour workshop for WiVLA. Maggie Baldwin decided to accept a new challenge and took an abstract painting workshop at the Glassell School. The course proved to be a challenge, but Maggie met it and has created a new body of work. Each member's presentation showed how vital WiVLA's ECO Fund Grant is to our membership and how WiVLA continues to provide opportunities for exploration and growth. If you would like to watch the entire presentation, please visit our WiVLA YouTube channel.
Our 2020 recipients, Sabina Gartler(literary) and Gladys Jones(visual), will be presenting in September.
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 Literary: Gretchen McDaniel
Gretchen McDaniel grew up in a Christian-like cult. Breaking free of that when she was 18, she has explored the concept of “truth” ever since. Gretchen was born in Houston and raised along the Texas Gulf Coast. Being the oldest of five children taught her leadership skills. She moved to Detroit on a whim and stayed there for eight years. Her discovery of Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party” and Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry Murals” showed her the power of art in making a statement. Gretchen is focused on bringing about world peace through her art and spreading love wherever she goes.
To learn more about Gretchen and her work please visit the links below:
https://dreamsincolorlife.wordpress.com/
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I walk down the street,
trying to ignore the catcalls.
One of them follows me,
and leaves me,
dead,
in the alley.
You ask what I was wearing.
Excerpt from Compassion I, ©2021, Gretchen McDaniel, Houston, TX
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 Visual: Marie Casamayor-Harvey
Marie is an artist based in Houston, Texas, with roots in Cuba and Colombia. She earned a B.A. from the University of Houston with a major in Art History, minoring in Studio Arts and Architecture. She studied Painting with Derek Boshier, Chuck Dugan, and Sharon Kopriva and Drawing and Sculpture with James Surls. She also earned a Master in Education and Supervision from the University of St. Thomas, Houston.
To learn more Marie's work please visit the links below:
Website, www.casamayor-art.com.
Instagram, casamayorart.
Twitter, @CasamayorArt.
Facebook, Casamayor Art.
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Left image: ©2021, Marie E. Casamayor-Harvey, Houston, TX.
Window to the Soul, 14"x11", Mixed Media on Paper.
Right Image: ©2021, Marie E. Casamayor-Harvey, Houston, TX.
Marche au supplice, 48"x36", Acrylic, Charcoal, and Pencil on Canvas.
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May - June Online Exhibit
Members Carol Berger, Patricia Flaherty Pagan, and Maggie Baldwin are featured in the WiVLA virtual gallery show, which will run from May 1 - June 30, 2021. To view their exhibition, please click here.
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©2021, Carol Berger Houston, TX.
Conoite, 8.46"x11.1", Porcelian.
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©2021, Patricia Flaherty Pagan, Houston, TX.
©2021, Heidi Dorey, Cover Design
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©2021, Maggie Baldwin, Houston, TX.
I Love Trees.
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Ellen Seaton won first place in the Authorology Anthology Contest. Her story, Willow and the Cat, appears in the Anthology Journey Into The Fantastical" available through Amazon.
Archway Gallery presents Exploring Paint, an exhibition of new paintings by Shirl Riccetti and Donna E Perkins. Opening Day is Saturday, May 1, 10-6:00. View the artist talks on the website at ArchwayGallery.com and on Facebook and YouTube. The exhibition continues through June 3rd. At this time, the gallery hours are Thursday, Friday & Saturday 10-6:00; Sunday 1-5:00 pm. Please call to confirm.
Deborah Blumberg has a new article out in Forward. In the piece titled, New Labor Bill Threatens America's Entrepreneurial Spirit, Deborah discusses the upcoming legislation that could impact many freelance writers, editors, and entrepreneurs just like Deborah (in addition to a whole host of other 1099ers like ESL teachers, graphic designers, hairstylists, translators, truckers, etc.). To learn more and read Deborah's opinion piece you may click here.
Jo Zider has an exhibition titled Earth at the Edge on view at the University of Houston Clear Lake's campus. Fifteen relief paintings on view are based on the Archetypes of Grief, Blame, and Hope as they find commonality between a 17th Century playwright's characters and the effects of Climate Change on the lives of contemporary man. Dates are May 17-June 25, and the Opening is May 20th, 4 p.m. 6 p.m. Jo has been working on this project for twenty years. To learn more, please visit the UH-Clear Lake Art Gallery website.
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 Houston Writers Guild announces their spring conference, Ready, Set, Pitch!---A "Get Published" Writer's Experience. Dates are Friday, June 11 - Sunday, June 13, 2021. For more details and tickets, go to Ready, Set, Pitch!.
Visual Arts Alliance announces their 37th open juried exhibition. Juror: Gary Cooper of the National Gallery of Art. Deadline to apply is Tuesday, July 20, 2021. For more information please visit the VAA Houston website.
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We'd love to celebrate your good news. If you are interested in sharing, please send your items to newsletter@wivla.org. There is no deadline for this content. Thank you. |
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If you do not see a business card for yourself, your membership has lapsed. However, you can still request a password and access your member data. When you log in, you’ll have an opportunity to renew. If you encounter any problems, please contact 
Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton is an internationally-known writer, educator, activist, performer, and the first Black Poet Laureate of Houston, Texas. Formerly ranked the #2 Best Female Performance Poet in the World, Her recent poetry collection, Newsworthy, garnered her a Pushcart nomination, was named a finalist for the 2019 Writer’s League of Texas Book Award, and received honorable mention for the Summerlee Book Prize. Its German translation, under the title "Berichtenswert," is set to be released in Fall 2021 by Elif Verlag. She lives and creates in Houston, TX. For more information visit 
