Lufkin Art Guild 50th Anniversary Show this summer at the Museum of East Texas

Reception to be held Saturday, June 7 from 2 to 4 p.m.

In honor of the Lufkin Art Guild's 50th anniversary, The Museum of East Texas is pleased to show works from the past presidents and current president of the Lufkin Art Guild in our Rotary Gallery through the summer months. Selected works from artists Carol Athey, Charlie Becker, Stan Bohon, Gloria Denum, Teresia Driver, Brenda DuBose, Carol Faviell, Allison Maxwell, and Audrey Medford will be displayed for all of our visitors to enjoy. A reception for the community will be held on Saturday, June 7, from 2 to 4 p.m. Below is a small sample of what you can expect when you come for a visit as well as the artists' bios, written by the artists or their families.

Carol Athey, President 1996-1999

Carol Hargis Athey joined Lufkin Art Guild (LAG) in the late 1980’s, invited by Audrey Medford, a fellow watercolorist. We held our meetings at the Tuelectric office during the week. Our meetings consisted of artwork critique and business. We later changed the meeting to Saturdays to accommodate folks on a work schedule. We had meetings at the Chamber of Commerce and other businesses in Lufkin after Tuelectric moved their offices. I served as LAG President from 1996 – 1999. We held our meetings in the 30x30’ art studio on East Texas Road during this time period. In an art studio we were able to have guest artists demonstrate art techniques in a variety of media. My goal as president was updating Lufkin Art Guild bylaws from typewriter copy to computer. This was accomplished in 1998. We had very heavy wooden pegboard display panels that were old and falling apart. We invested in lighter weight metal panels that we continue to use to this day. It was a privilege to serve as president with other motivated officers and art passionate members.

Charlie Becker

Charlie and Adell Becker moved to Lufkin in 1990 after 14 years in Brownsville Texas.    They discovered the Lufkin Art Guild and began attending meetings and painting.   

The LAG offered a place for newcomers to learn about the local art community and local artists.   

This contact was very beneficial to artists who were new in the area. In 2007,  Adell and Charlie purchased a downtown building across from the Pines Theatre and named it Becker Art Studio.  At this time the city opened the First Street Art Center (which is now Rubie and Jane Formal Wear) and it was a place for the local artists to share their art work with the community.    We also began to hold our  LAG monthly meetings there when Agnes Smith was president and when she stepped down Charlie Becker took over as the president.  After a few years the city pulled the funding for the First Street Art Center so the LAG moved their meetings to the Becker art studio.    The studio offered a dependable place to host meetings, demonstrations, and parties which continued for a few more years.    Once the studio got too crowded for the LAG to hold the monthly meetings there the LAG began to hold the meetings at different locations. Today the LAG meetings are being held at the Kurth Memorial Library here in Lufkin.   

Stan Bohon, President 2010-2014 

In 2008 Janice and I moved back to Lufkin. We got married here in 1969 but moved to Houston as quickly as possible. Our perception was that Lufkin was a Fine Arts desert with very limited opportunities for artistic expression. We were wrong!

 First we discovered that Lufkin had an established Fine Arts museum- the Museum of East Texas. We made contact with the director, J.P. McDonald. She found out that I was an artist and asked if I would teach at the museum's Art Camp. I will soon be teaching Art Camp for my 17th year. One of the museum volunteers told me about the First Street Art Center and their efforts to encourage ALL of the Fine Arts in Lufkin.

So I met up with Jackie Becker, First Street Art Center director at that time. She introduced me to her father, Charlie Becker at that time the president of Lufkin Art Guild. Lufkin was no longer a fine arts desert to Janice and I. First Street Art Center was an island of creativity welcoming people of multiple fine arts pursuits. Our group included artists from the surrounding area, not just Lufkin. We had writers, musicians and visual artists all interacting and supporting each other. It was a glorious but short time for all of us. Due to budget constraints First Art Center lost its funding from the City of Lufkin and had to close down by 2009.

In 2010 I was elected President of Lufkin Art Guild. At that time the Guild was meeting at Becker Art Studio in downtown. Barbara Richert and I met with Museum of East Texas director J.P. McDonald and made a proposal that LAG have the monthly meetings at the Museum. J.P. agreed to the proposal.  That same year I became a board member for Lone Star Art Guild and volunteered for a newly formed committee that was tasked with fine tuning and expanding the show rules, categories and divisions. I continued Charlie Becker's emphasis of encouraging members to create original works of fine art. It was obvious that LAG had become a professional organization of artists.

In 2011 Lufkin Art Guild co-hosted the Lone Star Art Guild's 50th convention and show in Conroe, Texas. It was our task to hang the show of approximately 700 pieces of art. Our hanging committee consisted of 17 artists from Lufkin.  The result was an impressive show that looked like it had been hung by professionals.

From 2012-2014 Our semi-annual shows became larger and the quality of the art continued to improve. During this time I was on the board of the SFA Friends of the Visual Arts. Their annual fundraiser is the 12"x12" show. I encouraged LAG members to enter art. LAG eventually accounted for approximately 30% of the entries. I was able to use my contacts at SFA to get faculty members to judge our shows.

It is my opinion that a leader should leave an organization in better condition than when they started. I feel like I have accomplished that goal.   

Gloria Denum, President 1987-1988

I joined the Lufkin Art Guild in the early ‘80’s.  Looking back, so much has changed, however the strong vision and purpose of the Guild has not.  Even today, it’s still one of the strongest supporters of the arts for our city and county reaching out to everyone who has a love for art. Over the years, the Guild has influenced me and increased my interest in expression.

Now, as back then, I see Guild members pulling and working hard together as well as supporting each other.  I had the honor of serving as Guild President which gave me a greater insight of how our members have always upheld the Guild’s mission and working towards it goals.

We have always enjoyed a loving and caring fellowship among our members.  As competitors, we work hard at competing in the art shows but will help a fellow member struggling with a problem at any time.

The willingness to support the Guild’s mission and vision as well as each other is one reason why our Guild is strong and thriving.  Here’s hoping for another great 50 years.

Teresia Driver, President 1981-82 and

1990-92 

I was born in Lufkin, but I grew up in Houston. My family moved to Lufkin in 1978, and I joined the Lufkin Art Guild soon after. I was an oil painter and interested in meeting other artists.

At the time I joined, LAG was meeting in the TU electric building. We held juried art shows in a variety of places in town, as well as arts & craft sales in both Lufkin malls.

I was honored to serve as President of the art guild in 1981-82 and 1990-92. Through the years I was inspired by fellow artists to attend SFA and became a secondary art teacher. Retired, I now create a variety of mixed media art, and oil, acrylic and watercolor as a Professional artist.  I was influenced by other members of art guild, like Stanley Bohan.

As the Historian of LAG, I have enjoyed the activities we have done to celebrate our Golden anniversary.  Reaching this landmark was made possible by our dedicated group of leaders and artists.  Congratulations to all our members.

Brenda DuBose, President 2017-2018

I was honored to serve a community of passionate artists, creatives, and art enthusiasts. Our guild is a place where imagination flourishes, skills evolve, and artistic voices are celebrated.

Together, we strove to support and inspire one another, fostering an environment where art is not only created but deeply appreciated. Whether a seasoned artist or just beginning your creative journey, every contribution enriched our collective experience and strengthened our shared mission.

As members continue to collaborate, innovate, and uplift the artistic spirit within; our community continues to support, explore, express, and connect because art has the power to transform lives and unite us all.

Carol Faviell, President 2018 - Present

I became a member of Lufkin Art Guild in 2012.  My first show was in an office building on the loop.  The piece I entered was my very first piece of fiber art.  I was shocked to win first place in Studio Fine Art.  Richard entered his photographs.  I was very interested in learning about registering the art and hanging the shows.  We were still registering on paper and standing in line.   Richard became the database manager and registration through Lone Star Art Guild became much easier. 

In 2016 I was elected   Treasurer.  Since 2018 I have served as President.  My greatest challenge was getting us through COVID.   I had to cancel meetings and a show.  It was a difficult task.   We were able to meet again and had to rebuild our membership.  The creation of Lufkin Creative in 2022, an organization created to promote the arts in Lufkin and to seek a designation as a cultural art district by the State of Texas, has helped Lufkin Art Guild grow and prosper.  We now have 94 members.   We meet at the Kurth Memorial Library and have two shows a year.  We have two exhibits a year at the Museum of East Texas.   This year-long celebration has been a time of looking back at our achievements over the years and looking forward to new opportunities in the years to come.  It has been an honor to serve as President of Lufkin Art Guild and worked with so many gifted artists.

Allison Maxwell, President 2014-2017

Allison was a dedicated volunteer in Lufkin Art Guild. She was honored for ten years of service in various positions, such as show chairperson and president.  Allison lived and breathed art and LAG. Her art was a physical representation of her physical and emotional life. Allison was a character with raw sense of humor.  She came up with crazy procedures to hang art.  It seemed that she arrived at most shows in a wheelchair or on crutches. Allison passed away on December 26, 2020, at the age of 61. She and her art are missed by our members and her family. For many years she was the face of Lufkin Art Guild.

Audrey Medford, Founding member of Lufkin Art Guild

Audrey worked in oil in the 1950s but by 1976 she had moved on to watercolor.  Known for wildlife and East Texas scenes, she worked from photographs she and her husband Robert collected on frequent trips to the countryside.  Audrey was known to work nonstop six to seven hours a day.  Working from photographs was the only way she felt she could accurately portray the details of her wildlife and country scenes. 

Old houses were a favorite subject to portray.  She liked to convey that people were living there.  Many of the houses she painted were commission works for the family that owned the home.  When she was not painting, she was a member of several art groups in the area including Lufkin Art Guild and Lone Star Art Guild.

This renowned East Texas artist died in a car crash in 1998.  The current members of the Lufkin Art Guild remember her contribution to the guild and are grateful.  We thank her daughter, Mary Jane West for sharing some of her private collection of her work with us for this exhibit.