Artist Linda LaMantia’s exhibit SELECTED WORKS: 2000 – PRESENT opens Friday, February 2, at Casa Daphne, 1407 Washington Street.
The exhibit offers an exquisite peer through the 23-year window of LaMantia’s diversity as to subject and medium. Included in her early work are a series of the pencil drawings on paper that she brought to life in the vibrant floral watercolors she began painting in the late 1990s.
Linda La Mantia
The artist references those early works as the beginning of an evolution to portraiture, wildlife, and landscapes.
The herd of 27 Brahma cows that for a moment gave LaMantia its full attention at Dolores Ranch bear witness on canvas to her vivid capture of ranch and rural landscape subjects.
Casa Daphne’s executive director Maritza Bautista curated the LaMantia exhibit.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to see how her style has progressed throughout the years. She generously laid it all out for me to carefully review and select it as she shared anecdotes throughout the process. I wanted this exhibition to tell a story about what captivates her, and to be indicative of the styles she has developed though her artistic exploration of mediums, and the experimentation she has delved into while in her creative process,” Bautista said.
“It is an honor to showcase the paintings of Linda Lamantia, an exquisite watercolorist who fearlessly explores new realms in her work. Skillfully handling the delicate nature of watercolor, she transitions seamlessly to the boldness of painting with broad strokes and captivating bright colors,” said Alyssa Cigarroa.
Cigarroa continued, “This thoughtfully curated exhibition organized by Maritza Bautista features a diverse array of paintings and stands as a testament to Linda’s growth as a painter. The Daphne Art Foundation takes immense pride in the talented artists of our community, and we invite everyone to join us in celebrating and experiencing this beautiful exhibit.”
LaMantia, vice-president of the board of Casa Daphne, credits the Foundation’s support of the arts and young artists who believe they can make a living in art. “Giving them a space to create and exhibit is an important step on that journey,” she said.
“The importance of art in our lives is taken for granted, when in fact it has impact and influence on our lives,” she said, adding, “High school students who complete more arts courses are twice as likely to graduate, 22% more likely to attend college, and have up to 15% higher pass rates on standardized tests than students with fewer arts courses. Its benefits in mental health and fighting depression are dramatic.”
LaMantia’s commitment to the arts reaches far beyond her own work. She is a member of the board of the Texas Cultural Trust, which conducts research and produces and publishes data quantifying the economic and educational impact of the arts in Texas. Established by the Legislature, the Trust’s mission is “to be the leading voice for the arts in education, advocacy, and economic impact in Texas, spotlighting the artistic excellence of our state.”
Quoting from the 2021 State of the Arts published by the Houston Endowment, LaMantia said, “Art generates $6.1 billion for the Texas economy and collects $380 million in sales tax revenues.”
She continued, “The Texas creative sector employs about 900,000 in the arts. That is one in 15 jobs. I believe those numbers speak to those who want art to be the focus of their lives. They speak to opportunity in the arts.”
LaMantia, a graduate of Texas A&M University-College Station, elaborated on her alma mater’s School of Performance, Visualization, and Fine Arts, which was established in 2022. According to the new school’s web literature, it is where dance, visualization, and liberal arts meet the Aggie standards of science, engineering, and technology “to produce graduates with real-world skills and theoretical frameworks needed to become leaders in the highly competitive fine arts world of the 21st century.”
She said that Disney and Pixar conduct classes there and recruit graduates such as Michelle Robinson of Converse, Texas, who is Disney Animation Studio’s Head of Characters for 30 years. The Texan oversees the production departments that create 3D characters with modeling, rigging, simulation set up, and the look development.
The LaMantia exhibit remains on the walls of the gallery at Casa Daphne through February 23. Gallery hours are by appointment. Call (956) 307-8584 for further information.
