Corpus Christi Texas Shines with its Art

The Hooks playing at Whataburger Stadium
The Hooks playing at Whataburger Stadium

All the Arts Flourish in Corpus Christi

By Jack Dunphy
GoNOMAD Senior Writer

One of 40+ murals
One of 40+ murals

I  visited Corpus Christi, Texas excited to enjoy their famous outdoor fun. That I did.

Within a couple of days I took a surfing lesson and walked along the beautiful 72-mile Padre Island beach on the back of Dustin, a handsome Appaloosa horse.

I bicycled along the Bayfront seawall path while enjoying the salty breeze off the Gulf and views of passing ships coming in and out of the busy seaport.

Night kayaking with Glow Row was an adventure– their boats and paddles shined multicolored lights off the water. My boat joined 15 other Glow Row kayaks.

We were quite a sight. For some reason, the fish agreed as they kept jumping out of the water next to our boats to get a view of what strange creatures we must have looked to them.

Glow Row kayaking
Glow Row kayaking in Corpus Christi

Corpus’ Art Scene

Mural on KSpace Building
Mural on KSpace Building

What pleasantly surprised me about Corpus Christi is the bustling art scene. The city enjoys art and makes art and is proud to show off all their creations: murals, paintings, sculpture, photography, architecture and more.

Downtown I couldn’t help but notice murals galore on building after building. Over 40 murals brighten downtown walls. I love murals and Corpus Christi does too.

Bus Bar, repurposed Greyhound Station
Bus Bar, repurposed Greyhound Station

When I told my host how impressed I was with the murals, she introduced me to mural artist and educator Monica Marie Garcia. We both happened to be attending the Corpus Christi Hooks versus the Frisco Roughriders, a minor league baseball game at Whataburger Stadium.

another mural
Another mural

Monica bubbled with enthusiasm about the Corpus murals she painted. A big part of her work oversees new murals painted by her art students.

She told me, “I teach teenagers the mural making process from beginning to end.” From the private balcony in my 18th floor Omni hotel room, I took in the expense of the Gulf and the city below.

I spotted a sign for the Art Museum of South Texas just up the street. A tour of a museum with a docent makes all the difference to me and brings the art and artists to life.

View from my Omni hotel balcony
View from my Omni hotel balcony

Docent for the Tour

Audrey Eden, Art Museum docent in black & white dress, explaining it all
Audrey Eden, Art Museum docent in black & white dress, explaining it all

My docent, Audrey Eden, was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She explained the symbolism and thinking behind many of the paintings and sculptures.

“Even the building itself is a work of art,” Audrey explained.

Museum Entrance
Museum Entrance

“It was designed by the famous architect Philip Johnson,” (the Glass House in Connecticut, the Crystal Cathedral in California, the skyscraper 550 Madison Avenue in New York, and so many others.)

Elizabeth’s Restaurant, inside the Art Museum, is a must. The food is delicious as one enjoys the spectacular view of Corpus Christy Harbor and the Lexington Battleship. The museum waives their entrance charge if you are just going to Elizabeth’s.

Now I was curious. Is there an enthusiastic art scene in Corpus Christi? I soon learned that’s an emphatic yes! Next stop was the K Space Contemporary. K Space is a large nonprofit art gallery.

Michelle Smith, one of the founders, gave me a tour. She said “K Space mounts 18 to 20 solo and group exhibitions each year.

View from Elizabeth’s Restaurant in the Art Museum
View from Elizabeth’s Restaurant in the Art Museum

We host the first Friday art walk and our Dia de los Muertos Festival (food, music and art).” This “Day of the Dead” festival (on October 28 this year) is a big hit in Corpus, 16 years in the running, with 30,000+ visitors expected.

“The festival celebrates the honor and rich cultural heritage of Mexico and South Texas,” she said. Interested in art education? K Space offers that too: figure drawing, mural art, labs program, art for teens, lectures, and more. Check out their interesting gift shop.

Farrah Fawcett Mural
Farrah Fawcett Mural

Next, I bicycled around downtown, looking at the murals. I especially liked the Farrah Fawcett Mural (she grew up in Corpus). Pedaling along Shoreline Drive I serendipitously came upon the Art Center of Corpus Christi.

The Arts Center, in a beautiful building formerly the city hall, looks out onto the Gulf. Inside I found several gallery rooms with reasonably priced paintings and sculpture by local artists. I talked with Jean Abendschein in the gift shop.

The Art Center of Corpus Christi
The Art Center of Corpus Christi

Turns out she had her work on display- brass jewelry and window ornaments made from spend gun casings she found on her walks in Colorado. How unusual! I bought two. The Art Center Community Relations Director, Chloe Greene, kindly chatted with me.

Artist Jean Abendschein, Arts Center
Artist Jean Abendschein, Arts Center

She told me, “We offer classes every week in clay, portrait, painting, open studio painting, and free family art time.” She said, “We have a farmers market every Wednesday from 5 to 8 with live music. And we are soon opening a café bar and grill which will look out onto the beach across the street. “The Art Center is a special place to book a wedding too or hold a business or family gathering.

Statue of Selena
Statue of Selena

Within every couple of blocks of my downtown exploration I stopped to look at one sculpture after another. I was particularly taken with the statue and tribute to Selena, their hometown Tejano music star.

So many of the buildings showed off artistic and creative reuse. For example, I popped in for a beer at Nueces Brewing Company. This bustling brewery is a creative reuse of a former auto dealership.

Besides their craft beers and barbecue the walls are adorned with art for sale from local artists. The next morning, I stopped for coffee on Padre Island at Island Joes Coffee and Gallery.

I was taken with the building made of 10 brightly colored shipping containers stacked on each other. The owner, Brenda Tomlinson, happens to be there.

I asked her if she ran into problems building such a unique structure. She told me, “Yes, It took 9 months to get the plans approved. It was difficult. We ruffled some feathers.”

Well, that’s what artists do! She said, “We needed something on the island for community.

My husband, a professional photographer, designed the building, and we built it.” And from the lines out the door on weekends, she said, and their regularly rented conference room and mini offices their vision is well received by the community.

Blue Shore Pedaling with Pints

Art for sale adorned her walls. But the most striking art there I felt is the building itself. I joined in on an evening group pedal ride around downtown and along the beach with the Blue Shore Pedal Lounge. Now that was fun! A bicycle for 14 people! Music blaring, singing along, pedaling, sunset viewing – what a perfect combination.

Fun on Blue Pedal
Fun on Blue Pedal

Blue Shore says, “We are a pedal powered, eco-friendly, pedal lounge, crawling bar, bike.” Our pedal bike stopped for refreshments at the Bus Bar.

A former Greyhound bus station, the Bus Bar showcases again this city’s creative building reuse.

You might be drawn to Corpus Christi for the amazing fishing in the Gulf, or the surfing, bicycling, horseback riding, or kayaking.

Maybe you might time your visit to witness the magical baby sea turtles hatching and dashing to the waters off Padre Island. Kemp’s Ridley Sea turtles hatch here in July and August.

History buff? That too. The Spanish sailed here in the 1500’s and left many stories of their adventures.

I read on a city plaque of Marcos de Mena, the only survivor of a 1554 shipwreck off Padre Island with 300 souls on board. Some Indians shot him full of arrows and left him for dead. Some other Indians rescued him and saved his life. What an adventure he tells!

So much to see, do and learn in Corpus Christi. Like me, you’ll want to come back.

Horse Riding on the Beach in Corpus Christi

The author’s visit to Corpus Christi was hosted but the opinions are his alone. Find out more about Corpus Christi.

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