Exhibition: La Guitarrizma
Dates: August 15-September 26, 2026
Paulina Altamirano
Independent / Self-taught Textile Artist.
I am a textile artist whose practice centers on hand embroidery as a language of care, resilience, and emotional memory. Through fiber, I seek to reveal my own healing process, my tenderness, and my identity, as well as the quiet strength found in lived experience.
My process often stems from personal experiences; however, I also like to expand my art by incorporating the stories of people I have met throughout my life, allowing the viewer to become a witness—finding a point of connection or creating a new meaning for themselves.
Email: vaiavaiaborduur@gmail.com
Phone: (469) 839-2095
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vaiavaia.borduur
Terry Calderon
Still Standing: Honoring Pride, Joy and Steel
Still Standing: Honoring Pride, Joy and Steel is a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan and the enduring spirit of the blues. Created from reclaimed metal and finished with enamel paint, the sculpture reflects the resilience and authenticity that defined both the artist and his music.
As a metal artist, I am inspired by the stories embedded in reclaimed materials. Each piece begins with steel that has already lived a life, and through forging and welding, I strive to give it renewed purpose.
Email: TerryCalderon@gmail.com
Phone: (214) 537-1725
Facebook: https://facebook.com/terrymcalderon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terry_cal
Jacque Forsher
Lita
Rooted in fearless self-expression, Lita Ford paired powerful guitar work with a commanding stage presence that broke barriers for women in rock music and challenged long-standing industry expectations. As one of the few women to achieve major success as a lead guitarist, Ford paved the way for future generations, and her influence continues to inspire musicians today.
https://jacqueforsher.com/home.html
https://www.facebook.com/jallenforsher
https://www.instagram.com/jforsher/
Jacque Forsher
Purple Rain/Reign
Layered in rich purple hues, this work is inspired by Prince’s enduring legacy—an artist whose fearless originality and unwavering authenticity redefined what it means to create without limits. The composition includes a subtle tribute to his iconic Cloud guitar, honoring the instrument that became an enduring symbol of his visionary artistry and electrifying performances.
Website: https://jacqueforsher.com/home.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jallenforsher
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jforsher/
Juan J Hernandez
La Llorona
My painting, La Llorona, is an homage to the iconic Mexican folk song of the same name.
The story is rooted in the legend of the Weeping Woman, whose origins can be traced to the period of the Spanish Conquest. According to one interpretation, a weeping woman foretold and lamented the fall of Tenochtitlan.
In later versions of the legend, La Llorona became a woman who tragically drowned her children in a moment of profound emotional anguish following the loss of her husband. Other interpretations tell of a husband mourning the loss of his beloved wife, the Weeping Woman.
The modern version of the song can be traced to a 1941 composition by Andrés Henestrosa, inspired by a folk song he heard in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Over time, La Llorona has been interpreted by numerous artists and has become an enduring part of Mexican musical culture. The song continues to resonate deeply with audiences, particularly during Día de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico.
juan@juanjhernandez.com
(214) 240-7290
juanjhernandez.com
Jesse Hernandez
Jose Gonzalo Sierra (Tata)
Jesse Sierra Hernandez is a self-taught artist living and working in Fort Worth, Texas. Working in a representational style, primarily in oils, he draws from a wide range of influences — including his experience as an art handler for the Kimbell Art Museum.
Hernandez has participated in and curated numerous group and solo exhibitions in his career of over 20 years. His 2016 solo exhibition, Inside the Lines, was highlighted as one the Fort Worth Weekly top five art gallery exhibitions of that year. He was featured with a front-page profile in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram ahead of his 2018 two-person exhibition, Out of Focus.
While never one to shy away from serious subject matter, part of his work has drawn increasingly from current events. Hernandez is dedicated to using his artistic voice to bring attention to injustices that he has witnessed and experienced. Exile: Pursuing the American Dream/Experiencing the American Nightmare (2022) highlights the duality of living as a person of color in America.
Most recent work is based on the figure, influenced by the works of Bonnard, Caravaggio, Hopper and Titian.
Instagram: Instagram@jsierrahernandezarts
Sherry Houpt
Blues, Inside of me
Blues, Inside of Me explores the relationship of a brilliant guitarist with his beloved Fender Stratocaster. Listening to legendary guitarists like Albert King, B.B King, and Carlos Santana was integral to the formation of a musician who absorbed those influences and created a sound uniquely his. Stevie Ray Vaughn flashed through the world like a comet, lighting the way for anyone who feels the impact of the blues.
Painted in oils on a linen stretched canvas, I chose to imagine the music moving through him as he took the stage and transported listeners to places familiar, yet new.
sherryhoupt@gmail.com
(214) 587-4751
https://www.sherryhoupt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sherryhouptartist
https://www.instagram.com/sherryhoupt/?hl=en
Sherry Houpt
Stephen and His Weissenborn
What happens when a man and a guitar meet at the intersection of poetry and physics? Stephen, my husband, purchased this meticulously crafted Tony Francis Weissenborn several years ago. Physics teacher by profession and musician by nature, he has spent countless hours composing on this guitar. Influenced by Chinese Tang Dynasty poetry and the poetry of his good friend, Todd Jeffries, Stephen’s original music fills the sunlit breezeway as he practices for another public performance.
The contemplative sound of the Weissenborn carries notes which range in intensity, volume, and emotion. Playing lap style with a steel slide produces a layered quality which stands alone. I chose to use watercolors for this portrait of the man and his favorite guitar. From a detailed drawing to a succession of washes, I let the music show me the way to the painting.
Email: sherryhoupt@gmail.com
Phone: (214) 587-4751
Website: https://www.sherryhoupt.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherryhouptartist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherryhoupt/?hl=en
Karen Jacobi
Lead Belly
With a background in illustration, storytelling is central to my work. Throughout the painting process, the images evolve through conscious choices of re-imagining reality.
Karen currently exhibits with the artist cooperative SLANT at Art On Main in Dallas.
As a Courtroom Sketch Artist, Karen’s illustrations have appeared in digital and print media, including The Washington Post, MSNBC, and The Dallas Morning News.
Email: karenjarte@gmail.com
Website: https://karenjacobi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenjarte/
Braulio Lazon Conde
Murga MVD
Murga MVD captures the raw, conversational warmth of Juan Wauters, an independent artist whose music reminds us to find folklore in the everyday and to embrace life’s beautifully imperfect textures. Inspired by a live performance in Denton, the work translates that auditory sincerity into visual form, using a high-contrast relief aesthetic to match his unmasked, fiercely independent creative energy. The deliberate, pulsing rhythm of the lines mirrors the steady cadence of his guitar and the wandering nature of his lyrics, capturing a fleeting performance and turning it into a permanent visual impression. It is a tribute to creating without pretense, staying curious, and remaining deeply rooted in community.
blazonconde@gmail.com
(469) 524-9613
@baru_lab
Salvador Lopez
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Soul to Soul
I did a youthful interpretation of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and as an adult. He never lost the optimistic creativeness in his eyes or his presence.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HGQyNUgQP/
Instagram: jslart333
Laurie Mahoney
Melodic Daydreaming
Laurie Mahoney is a Dallas-based, award-winning designer-artist.
She creates her one- and two-dimensional works using a wide variety
of mediums, including acrylics, India ink, natural fiber, and mixed media sculptures.
In addition to her solo creations, the artist enjoys collaborating with
others on creative projects such as tile mosaics, sculptures, murals, and lamp-working (glasswork in which a torch or lamp is used to melt glass).
Christmas décor projects were something special for Laurie and her
mother – Gloria Lobaugh – who passed away just one-week shy of her 100th birthday in 2025:
Each year, beginning immediately after the previous holiday, daughter and mom began planning for the following Christmas, designing and producing intricate felt/fabric pieces that were gifted nationwide to family and friends. Gloria did most of the stitching, embroidery, and bead work while Laurie conceptualized, cut, and painted.
To “brand” their collaborations, Laurie designed a unique “mother/daughter” logo which they attached to most of their projects. Sadly, Gloria’s death brought this tradition to an end, but her creative input is still alive and well.
Laurie Mahoney is a founding member and co-curator of the Dallas based SLANT artist collective. SLANT is an an artist-run gallery hosting exhibits to encourage art appreciation in the community. Her award-winning work (1st Place – 2012 “Texas Make It with Wool” contest and Best in Show – 2012 Texas Art Hotel’s “Once Upon a Time”) has been exhibited in both juried and invitational exhibits throughout the United States.
As a child, Mahoney experienced a geographically broad upbringing, living in eight states and Canada. Today, the artist makes her home
in Dallas, Texas.
lmahoney@me.com
(214) 649-7753
https://dot.cards/dot_lmahoney
Eva Peña (Eva Azul)
Playing my way
I am Eva Azul, a self-taught artist born in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas and based in Dallas, Texas.
My work is rooted in the vibrant handmade traditions of Mexico and inspired by my global travels. Through color, texture, and a naïve, imaginative style, I create art that captures wonder — often with children in mind.
For over 12 years, I have shared my heritage through community workshops in Dallas celebrating Day of the Dead, Catrinas, Tree of Life, Lucha Libre, and La Virgen de Guadalupe. My art is a bridge between my two homes, Mexico and Texas.
Email: Contact@evaazul.com
Phone: (469) 426-1142
Website: www.evaazul.com
Facebook:
Instagram: @evaazulart
Ivette Gabriela Ramos Levy
Learned Silence
For sixteen years, the immigration process changed the way I inhabited my own voice. I learned to monitor myself constantly: to measure my words, correct my accent, interpret cultural codes I did not fully understand, and try to pass unnoticed. I was aware that my legal process was under continuous review, and I felt that I had to behave correctly, speak correctly, and avoid making mistakes.
Over time, that vigilance no longer came only from outside. I began editing myself before speaking. I remained silent not only because of the legal process, but also because I did not always know how to interact, what to say, or how to say it within a different culture. Even after silence was no longer necessary, I continued to practice it.
The sculpture retains the form of a guitar, but it has no sound hole and cannot resonate. Its body is covered with a collage of recycled immigration documents and bureaucratic stamps from my legal process. In place of strings, I used synthetic women’s hair. The documents preserve the administrative record of my existence, while the hair returns the presence of the female body that lived through it. Together, they transform the guitar into a woman whose voice has learned not to produce sound.
While developing this work, I listened to Mi Gran Amor by Carlos Santana and Becky G. The song did not become the subject of the sculpture, but it gave me the courage to recognize and reveal something I had carried silently for years.
Learned Silence is about the moment I understood that no one needed to tell me to remain quiet anymore. The legal process had ended, but I had already learned to silence myself.
Learned Silence is part of my ongoing series I Am a Body in Transit, which examines how prolonged bureaucratic systems shape identity, memory, and the body. Inspired by my own immigration experience, the instrument can no longer produce sound. Its strings become hair—a symbol of identity, memory, and everything left unspoken. It is not a silence that was chosen, but one that was slowly learned.
Email: ivette.ramoslevy@gmail.com
Phone: (817) 404-7389
Website: www.ivetteramoslevy.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbylevy
Richard Ray
Papa Childress
I called my grandfather Papa Childress. John Childress was a native Texan who lived in Kerrville and Dallas. He worked for the railroad but had lots of interests. He was an artist often painting small canvases. He liked to fish, hunt for treasures and played an old Sears Roebuck guitar. As a kid, I remember him sitting on his porch on hot summer days strumming. There were no music sheets, just tunes coming from inside him. I am like my Papa Childress in lots of ways. I’m an artist, hunt for treasures and play guitar. This painting “Papa Childress” may be both of us.
raystudios@sbcglobal.net
(214) 400-2646
https://richardraypainter.com
Raul Rodriguez
Mariachi Monarcas at LULAC Clubhouse 60
Raul Rodriguez is a photographer, artist, curator and educator in Texas. He photographs people and creates projects that share stories about history, identity and memory resilience through documentary photography and portraiture. In his featured photograph, Raul worked with Latinos in Heritage Conservation to document and activate sites of Latino history across Texas. LULAC Clubhouse 60 in Houston, TX served as a vital national hub for the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 1960s. It hosted Mariachis, festivals and community gatherings while also providing an important meeting place for organizing, civic engagement, and advocacy around education, voting rights, and equality for Mexican Americans.
Website: https://www.raulrodriguezphoto.com
Instagram: witofrito
Johanna Roffino-Hulsey
Saint Stevie
Saint Stevie didn’t start out to be a saint. He was just a kid from Oak Cliff. His joy of sharing music is apparent in all the photos of him. His appreciation for colorful clothes,cowboy hats, and Native American craft is another gift to his audience. All of Texas loves to claim him as our own.
I tried to express all this in my art and to honor the remarkable talent that he was. He kindly showed up in my painting playing my favorite song, Riviera Paradise. I once saw him play it at Starplex in Dallas. It was an outdoor blues fest on a hot day. He played it at sunset and chilled us all out. He died a few weeks later in the Summer of 1990. He had overcome addiction & written Life by the Drop. Now he is the unexpected Patron Saint of Texas Blues.
johanna.hulsey@gmail.com
(214) 326-7425
https://www.instagram.com/johanna.hulsey/
Raul Servin
Guitarra de Paracho
What you see here in this painting is my stepfather playing my mom’s guitar, back in the ’60’s when he was alive. They always liked to play their guitars, so my mom remembered when she was a child playing the guitars of her grandfather. He treasured the guitar, but later let her play it and he taught her. Later she asked him where he bought it and he said in Paracho, Michoacan. She then started saving to buy one of her own. When she moved to Acapulco and married my stepfather, they went to Paracho to buy a guitar. She told me that Grandpa said those guitars are created by a family who came from Spain in the 1800’s. Antonio Torres, a musician and guitar maker created this new style of guitar with the pochote wood, native to that region. This soft, but strong wood permitted a better body design and bracing, with a system of wooded struts inside the instrument that gave it a classical, rich sound. When influential Spanish guitarist, Andres Segovia established Torres guitar as a classic concert guitar. This guitar became very popular and everybody wanted to buy one
My mother bought one of the economical guitars and my stepfather was the one who played it the most. Everyone in the neighborhood knew about it, therefore, in every festivity they asked him to play. The problem was that when he left, he told my mom he would be back in an hour but came back the next morning all drunk and spent the whole day sleeping. With time my mother got tired of it. One day when I went back home I asked her “where is the guitar”? She said ask him what happened to it. He said your mother smashed it on my head and it was completely destroyed. I turned to see my mom and I noticed a very devious smile on her face and with a voice that I will never forget said, I did it for the sake of our marriage. I don’t regret it was worth it. I know it was good guitar, but now we live in peace.
Email: servin98@msn.com
Phone: (210) 381-8337
Joaquin Soto
Blooming tunes
In a constant state of disconnection. Disconnection is the feeling that I’ve felt most of my life. Growing up, I never had a good sense of belonging to any one culture, place, identity, or particular group. As an immigrant, Ive always had the feeling that I was inhabiting multiple worlds, while never calling one home.
This feeling has transferred over in to my artwork, in my eternal journey of always giving something a home or purpose. My works are created from multiple materials, pieces, and repurposed items. Many of these materials are sometimes overlooked and discarded, as they have served their initial purpose. I feel I have a sense of purpose of giving an item a new light, and history. This can be in part due to my past experiences of searching connectivity, and wanting to belong and not be under-appreciated. .
My main source of inspirations comes from my own personal history, and experiences. As I try to reconnect with my own identity, I’ve learned to express my culture through my art. Each piece I make is a bridge of experience that I take from one piece to the next. This has served as my main driving force to want to be a better artist, and learn from my mistakes. In the end I wish to honor my past, enjoy the present, and prepare for the future through my art.
sotosculpturestudio@gmail.com
https://www.Joaquinsotosculpturestudio.com
Social media: Soto.Sculpture.Studio
