August 2011 - Cover

Downtown Update
By DMD Staff

Chaparral St Parking lot:

The parking lot on the Schatzell / Chaparral corner lot on the 500 block of Chaparral now has spaces available for lease to anyone who cares to apply.

Rates are currently $50pm for Downtown residents.

Application forms may be obtained at the DMD offices at 223N Chaparral St, Ste A or you may telephone 361-882-2363 for additional information.

New Business Downtown:

Recently opened: 

CCThreads clothes exchange on William, see article in June issue.
www.facebook.com/txthreads

Urban Fare Café on William

361-883-1400 www.urbanfarecafe.com

Aria will be opening a new 3000 sq ft rooftop deck in August. 361.882.8801 www.ariacc.com

Co-op Supply Shop men’s fashion and home goods on Peoples. www.coopsupplyshop.com

Upcoming Events:

September 2nd:

Downtown September ArtWalk.

September 3rd:

September Marina Market Days 

September 4th:

BridgeWalk without a bridge

September 30th:

Downtown October ArtWalk. (NB October ArtWalk is on September 30th!)

October 1st:

October Marina Market Days

October 2nd:

BridgeWalk without a bridge

Details of these events will be posted on www.corpuschristifirst.com as they becomes available.

August 2011 - Corpus Christi First

Corpus Christi First
By: Megan Brieger and Alan S Albin

In July, our City residents and visitors experienced the launch of the “Corpus Christi First” initiative.  This progressive project is a collaboration between the City of Corpus Christi, the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Downtown Management District, the Downtown Marina, and the Regional Transportation Authority, in an effort to promote the revitalization of Downtown and to increase tourist traffic in Corpus Christi. It is an event-based program, scheduled to take place during the first weekend of every month. The anchor events for the weekend's activity are: 

Friday - the Downtown ArtWalk,

Saturday - Marina Market Days, 

Sunday - Harbor Bridge BridgeWalk.

These events encompass an incredible range of positivity, promoting community involvement and inclusion necessary for continued successful growth. As the initiative gains momentum it is anticipated that other events will be officially “adopted” to become part of “Corpus Christi First” and at the time of writing, in time for the August 5th ArtWalk, docent guided tours of City owned Public Art in the Downtown area will be piloted on ArtWalk mornings in August, September and October. The 9:30 tour will be dedicated to schools but the 11am tour will be open to the public and is free of charge. Starting point is La Retama park and transport is provided by the DMD Dtown tram. Also negotiations are underway to increase the Sunday fitness options to include a family friendly bicycle ride and some kind of running event.

ArtWalk, the veteran event of the DMD, takes place on the first Friday afternoon of every month from 5:30pm to 9:00pm. It  originally started as a small, five venue, art event and has evolved into the current 68 venue “Community Event” designed to demonstrate to residents and visitors alike that the Corpus Christi Downtown, whilst having much redevelopment still to come, is a safe and vibrant place to visit. Currently the Downtown businesses actively participating in the event offer music, art, and activities that give folks many reasons to revisit every month. The event grows each month, in venues and in participants. Since February, attendance has risen from the 300 mark to an estimated 2700 participants at the July ArtWalk. The Art Museum of South Texas, The Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, and the Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures (all of which offer free entry to ArtWalkers on ArtWalk night) have all recently joined the ever increasing list of venues. Two new businesses on William Street (Threads and Urban Fare Cafe)  held their Grand Openings during the July ArtWalk, and have also added themselves to the growing list of ArtWalk venues. Additionally, local artists set up booths in La Retama Park and all over Downtown artists and musicians can be found  sharing their creations with fellow community members and visitors to the  ArtWalk. 

Marina Market Days continues the weekend’s events, and is held on the Lawrence Street T-head from 9am until 4pm Saturday. Like ArtWalk, the event is free to the public, and is located within walking distance of most Downtown hotels, making it highly accessible and noticeable to visitors. The Dtown Tram operates between Shoreline and the Lawrence Street T-head to provide a shuttle service for Market Days visitors who cannot get parked on the T-Head. The local community, boaters and visitors can enjoy another day of arts, crafts, and food at the new waterfront festival. An estimated 5,000 people attended the first Marina Market Days on July 3rd and August Market Days will have even more vendors than last time. At the time of writing over 66 vendors have registered and it looks like August will be a similar success. The September Marina Market Days will be held Saturday September 3rd.

Bridgewalk has been established as the Sunday anchor event, chosen to start a “fitness Sunday” theme, it is hoped to add cycling, running, and possibly other physical activity events to the day in order to provide a wide spectrum of activities from which to choose. After all walking over a high bridge may not appeal to everyone! 

Walking the bridge, whilst it has undoubtedly been done before, started in earnest on January 1st 2010 when a small group of friends and family realized a longtime ambition to walk over the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge. Only about a dozen people took part that day and the event was covered by Channel 3 and Channel 6. It turned into a monthly walking “club” which continued until April 2010 at which time the pedestrian walkways were closed to the public pending completion of the bridge maintenance contract.
TxDot agreed to open the walkways for limited special events and so we requested July 3rd to launch “Corpus Christi First” and January 1st, 2012 to help folks keep their New Year resolutions to stay fit. The July event, led by Mayor Joe Adame, attracted 200 walkers, 2 kids in strollers, and 4 dogs to complete the 2.5 mile walk. It was so successful that the Mayor suggested, to maintain momentum, we relocate the walk to Shoreline for the months of August to December, and February and March 2012 and so the “BridgeWalk without a bridge” was born.

Come join us at 9am  on September 4th, October 2nd, November 6th, and December 4th, weather permitting, to walk from the water park at Resaca, along Shoreline to Lawrence Street, around the T-Head and back. This is a 2.6 mile walk roughly equivalent to the distance covered on the bridge.

For more information on the Corpus Christi First initiative, The ArtWalk, Marina Market Days, or the BridgeWalk please check these web sites:

www.corpuschristifirst.com
www.artwalkcc.com
www.marinamarketdays.com
www.bridgewalkcc.com
www.cctexas.com
www.dtowncc.com


Dates for your diary:
Corpus Christi First weekend:

September:
ArtWalk - Friday 2nd,
Marina Market Days - Saturday 3rd,
BridgeWalk - Sunday 4th

October: 
ArtWalk - Friday September 30th,
Marina Market Days - Saturday 1st,
BridgeWalk - Sunday 2nd

August 2011 - First Friday ArtWalk

First Friday ArtWalk
By Michelle Smythe

There’s a fantastic event happening right here in our own backyard and it’s breathing new life into Downtown Corpus Christi.  ArtWalk is not to be missed!  Held on the First Friday of every month with estimated attendance at 2700, ArtWalk continues to highlight the exceptional talent of our local artists and musicians.   

ArtWalk has grown to include more than 65 venues opening their doors for the event.  Downtown businesses feature art, music, refreshments, specials and discounts.  The event begins and ends in La Retama Park where visitors will find artists and food vendors, live music, Kid’s Art Corner and an all around festive atmosphere.  La Retama Park is located at the triangle between Mesquite, Peoples and Schatzel Streets.  Live music in September will be provided by Get Off the Lawn bluegrass band.  

Art Museum of South Texas, Asian Cultures Museum and Museum of Science and History are now participating in ArtWalk.  To get there, just catch the ArtWalk Express, a bus graciously provided by The Regional Transportation Authority that transports ArtWalkers to the far-reaching venues of ArtWalk, like the museums, Yachting Center, Art Center of Corpus Christi and Tango Tea Room. 

The Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures is featuring a new mixed media artwork by local artist Antonio “Tony” Armadillo.  The work combines Japanese sentiments towards nature with Armadillo’s serene yet powerful interpretation of the most recent tragic occurrences in Japan.  Two master wood-block print artists, Katsushika Hokusai and Ando Hiroshige are reflected in Armadillo’s representation of the recent tragedy of March 11, 2011. The work is on display August 5 – September 2, 2011.

The Art Museum of South Texas has two wonderful exhibits on display.  Beyond Shared Language: Contemporary Art and the Latin American Experience includes works by 14 artists of Latin American-descent (from North, Central and South America). The exhibition explores issues relating to cultural identity, ethnicity, religion and both the fragility and fluidity of their visual language. Also on view is Dorothy Hood:  Exploring Scale.  Dorothy Hood, born and raised in Bryan, Texas, lived in Houston for much of her life.  This exhibition presents a look at Hood’s large-scale paintings that were influenced by the wide-open Texas skies and NASA’s space exploration program.   Entrance to the Art Museum of South Texas on ArtWalk night is free.   

In Water St. Market, the Treehouse Art Collective LLC is celebrating their One Year Anniversary with featured art work by all six core members:  Sherry Bercaw, Pat Conway, Ellen Fehrenkamp, Gloria Hunter, Melinda Ramos and Kathy Wagner.  This is a beautiful shop with some truly original treasures. 

The Art Center of Corpus Christi opens new exhibitions by John Williams, Maricela Sanchez and Cliff Welty, as well as works by the painting students of Lynn Dickey and
Vicki Marshall. 

At K Space Contemporary, don’t’ miss the Shockingly Spectacular Super September Salon, a giant floor-to-ceiling art sale.  K Space is turning its walls over to artists from all over the region and letting them cram as much art into the space as possible.   There will be some excellent deals on artwork here!

Peace of Mind is hosting two special guests during the September ArtWalk.  Rebecca DeLeon will  offer unique jewelry, mystical oils, crystals and incense, and Rebecca Flores will provide Angel Card readings and Ask Your Guide card readings.   Peace of Mind will also be doing massage in La Retama Park.

While traveling about Downtown, be sure to pick up raffle tickets at each ArtWalk location. Bring the tickets back to La Retama Park by 8:45 and put them in the raffle drum for a chance to win some great prizes. The drawing will be held at 9 pm.  Prizes include gift certificates, door prizes, and the grand prize – an original work of art by a local artist.  ArtWalkers must be present to win.

The DTown Tram continues to transport ArtWalkers to centrally located venues in the heart of Downtown with HOBO aboard to entertain the crowds playing their special blend of “Honkadelica”.  Both the RTA ArtWalk Express and the DTown Tram connect at La Retama Park every 30 minutes.  

For ArtWalk maps and general info, look for ArtWalk Ambassadors wearing bright orange shirts. Some are on Segways (thanks to SegCity), and some are stationed at key locations around Downtown.  ArtWalk maps are also available on the ArtWalk Tram, at the DMD booth in La Retama Park, the Art Center, K Space and Water Street Center. Free parking is available and all venues are near favorite Corpus Christi eateries.  Admission is FREE.  

For continuing updates, check out the ArtWalk website www.artwalkcc.com and sign up for the email newsletter to receive our monthly flyer announcing new ArtWalk events!  You can also join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/artwalkcc.

ArtWalk is organized by the Corpus Christi Downtown Management District.  If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, volunteer or a participant in the ArtWalk, or have any art related business, suggestions or ideas in regard to the ArtWalk, contact Alan Albin, Downtown Management District (alanalbin@dtowncc.com, 882-2363). To become a vendor in La Retama Park contact Michelle Smythe of K Space Contemporary, info@kspacecontemporary.org. 

August 2011 - House of Rock

Today in Rock History:
House of Rock Turns 6 Years Old!

On July 28th, 2011, House of Rock celebrated it’s sixth year in Downtown Corpus Christi. After six years of hosting countless musicians, artists, comedians, Burlesque girls, zombies, etc., the phrase “If these walls could talk” can’t be overused around there. Though the venue has had its share of both ups and downs, an equal mixture of contributing talents, by Casey Lain (managing partner of House of Rock) and by the community surrounding him, are the ultimate ingredients that have made celebrating 6 years possible. Everything from the interior design to the many events hosted at House of Rock depend on (and wouldn’t be possible without) a love for sharing talents and ideas with one another. 

A few of September’s upcoming events include: 

Friday, September 2nd and Saturday, September 3rd: The Art of Blue festival

Friday, September 9th: Periphery, The Human Abstract, Textures, The Contortionists, and Buried Under Texas.

Monday, September 12th: An evening with Hank 3.

Friday, Spetember 16th: Friends and Lovers Art Show.

Sunday, September 25th: The Aggrolites, and Peelander-Z.

Friday, September 30th: Leid Back Tour with Iration, Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds, and Through the Roots.

Weekly events include Acoustic Mondays, Open Mic Tuesdays, Beer Wednesdays, and Ballabajoomba Poetry Slams on Thursdays. For more information and for a detailed calendar of events, visit www.TexasHouseofRock.com

After a short House of Rock History lesson with Casey, we’ve got a few fun facts that you may or may not know about House of Rock.

Lets Talk House of Rock

House of Rock Then:

-Now a 3-room venue, House of Rock was originally just two rooms: The smaller, front bar, and a big room in the back (now the middle bar and the Venue). 

-The front bar has stayed its original size, but its floor-plan has changed quite a bit. The original front bar had 2 pool tables in it, no video games, foosball table, or internet jukebox. The actual bar was located where our pool table now sits, and a hallway led to the bathrooms next to it. 

-The rest of the building was one large room, painted completely black. The stage in what is now the middle bar used to have a pool table on it, and the sound booth was at the back of the room.

-Originally, the only form of artwork/decorations in the building were a few hand-painted designs of House of Rock initials on some of the walls, painted by one of the founding partners and his niece. These designs remain today and are the oldest art in the building.

House of Rock Now:

Almost 3 years ago, major renovations took place at House of Rock. A large garage door was installed, and the middle bar was created, allowing House of Rock to become a three-room venue.

- Light Fixtures throughout the building are made out of guitars and drums that were donated by customers in exchange for free concert tickets.

-House of Rock’s walls are now covered with art and pictures created by local artists. 

-The first person to hang their art in House of Rock was a cab driver named Lee who used to regularly park his cab out front and come inside and draw. He donated some of his drawings to be hung up as decorations, and from then on the art never stopped coming in. Some of its been donated, some is on loan, and some sold to us. Every form of art in the building has a story behind it that relates to House of Rock.

-Fred Cook and his wife Melissa designed all of our 6 year Anniversary Posters except the first one. That one was designed by a Corpus Christi native named Jack Barfield who now lives in Austin.

-Fred Cook also designed the rooster (House of Rock’s logo).

August 2011 - Co-op Supply Shop

Co-op Supply Shop
By Limelight Productions

"Why downtown Corpus Christi?" That's what many people may have thought when

Derrick Frazier opened the doors of this men's retail store located on the corner of Peoples

Street and Mesquite. With a position in the family business rooting his feet in the CC sands,

Derrick and his wife Ryan decided that they wanted to contribute to the movement happening

amongst young entrepreneurs in the downtown area. So, he decided to live out his

passion starting right here, right now.

When it comes to Co-Op Supply, Derrick's objective is to create a specialty retail store that

offers a highly-differentiated collection of apparel, accessories and home goods. He hopes

for Co-Op's "supply" to become the keystone products worn and endorsed by men, not

only of the Coastal Bend, but across the nation as well. And, with a sleek website, an

online shopping store and the implementation of the Co-Op Box (an exclusive membership

that gets you hand-selected outfits shipped to your door), that won’t be too difficult of a

feat. However, ultimately, Co-Op is to become something more...a lifestyle movement for

the common man, known by the savvy and sophisticated but at home and comfortable for

those who maybe are not. You may see or hear the phrase "a more meaningful tomorrow"

around Co-Op's neck of the woods, and that's what this is about for Derrick...outfitting

each man with the supplies that will help him discover his place, in his culture, tomorrow

and every day that follows.

So, what does “Co-Op” even mean and what does it have to do with clothes? The name is

a conversation piece in and of itself. In the early phases of the store’s development, Derrick

decided that he wanted to absorb the creativity and influence of other key mentors.

Although the store carries his unique outlook on fashion, style and culture, this was going

to become a “cooperative” effort for direction and innovation. Fusing this idea with the

ultimate goal of supplying every man with his most basic needs, Derrick landed on “Co-Op

Supply.”

When he's not working at his 8-5, Derrick can be found in the store running the day-to-day

operations. Because after all, sharing this venture with each an every customer is as important

as the venture itself. So, next time you're downtown dining, touring or entertaining,

drop by and experience Co-Op Supply anytime Tuesday through Saturday, 12-7pm.