Last week I walked over to Blue Star to take in a few shows during First Friday. Two of the artists I attended the Creative Capital retreat were showing work in galleries over in building c … or is that building b?

Rhonda Kuhlman was showing several colorful fiber pieces at Three Walls. Strips of fabric (from, I believe t-shirts) were woven together and stretched on a frame. It’s in keeping with Rhonda’s interest in using recycled items in her art and craft works. I’m looking forward to Rhonda’s show next month (July 18th) at her home / studio, RC Gallery. The web site promises “recycled work” and “funky folk art.” I was very impressed by the variety and general fresh quirkiness of her work she showed during her Creative Capital presentation. Here she is Friday, making love to the camera.

Next door in the Cactus Bra Space (run by Creative Capital alumnus Leigh Anne Lester) Julia Barbosa Landois was in a plexiglas reliquary coffin. The performance piece / installation was titled Veiled in Flesh. All very Catholic, with votive candles burning and a woman wandering around who would occasionally spritz into the air from an aerosol can of good luck incense. Apparently there were two or three mice in the plastic box along with Julia (which, along with the incredible heat inside the air conditioning-free building, added an unintentional David Blaine element to the whole tableaux). I quite liked Julia’s piece. It was made more striking by the long line of people waiting to get in to take a look, muttering in puzzlement to one another: “What do you suppose we’re in line for?” “Dunno, but it must be pretty good.”

There was also another nice show upstairs in Felipe’s space, Arte Reyes. Stella Marroquin, Alejandra Gomez, and Carolina Flores. I this photo of a woman photographing a man photographing her, we can see 4 way cool paintings by Gomez.