Art with a cause

San Antonio-based artist Jesus Toro Martinez’s gallery, “Creeks and Rivers,” is made up of paintings that aim to bring attention to the Rio Grande Valley community’s wetlands.

The show opened last Tuesday and runs until Sept. 28 in the Gallery at Rusteberg Hall on the Brownsville campus.

Previously, the exhibit was presented at the Lone Star Art Space, an incubation studio in San Antonio.

Martinez also has works in the Felder Gallery and the Dock Space Gallery in San Antonio and the Simon Fine Art Gallery in Paris, France.  

Martinez seeks to spread awareness of and prevent illegal dumping with his work, according to his artist’s statement. He completed the pieces by studying and working alongside the wetlands.

“[I have] been working on a body of work to bring attention to our community’s rivers and creeks … to preserve them and not see them become areas for illegal dumping or havens for collecting trash,” the statement reads.

Martinez describes his works in the show as being unique and multimedia-based.

“This work is very unique and different. It is beyond the tube of paint,” he said. “If you really want to think about it, basically, [the process] is experimental. There is a lot of different materials that are being used to create this work, from tar to shoe polish to 24-karat gold leaf. There is a lot of chemical emotions happening.”

He intends for his audience to use critical thinking to think beyond the impressionism and find personal meaning.

Roberto Cruz, a senior in applied music, was among the attendees at Tuesday’s opening. He described his admiration and immediate connection to Martinez’s piece titled “Before the Wake| San Pedro Creek.”

“This painting really got me because it’s got these sapphire colors, the blue, the turquoise, the brown,” Cruz said. “… What really got me was [his use] of shoe shine, ’cause I’m used to shining my shoes in the military. It’s very captivating.”  

The show was also helpful for beginning artists looking for inspiration, according to Debbie Marquez, a junior at Pace High School in Brownsville.

“I honestly wanted to find new ideas and learn newer types of art forms, how to do impressionism and abstract,” Marquez said. 

In addition to spreading awareness of wetland conservation, Martinez hopes his works will inspire and motivate continuing and veteran artists alike.

“For young artists, keep exploring,” he said. “For mid-career artists, find yourself. And for professional artists, keep showing your talents so others can learn more.