April's First Friday Art Walk "Place of Water" by Gage Brown

Gage Brown at the Casa De La Cultura First Friday Art Walk "Place of Water"

On April 4, 2025, the Casa De La Cultura held their First Friday Art Walk featuring Place of Water by artist Gage Brown. The event also featured food by River Rats BBQ and music by Sons of Sycamore.

The art by Gage Brown showcased her relationship with her hometown and the nature around it, stating, "The plants and animals from this region show up in my work a lot because they were my first, you know, friends... My hometown [Bracketville], our spring, Las Moras Springs, has been dry for the past three summers in a row... It's really scary to see that, like, the very thing I thought I could depend on and that would never change, like nature, is being stolen from us..."

When asked about any advice for any aspiring artists, Gage Brown responded, "Don't let anyone tell you not to; you can do it. Go find a way to do it because if that desire to make art is in you, you are meant to do that. No matter what anybody else says... You should make art for yourself first and foremost because if you have an idea you wanna express through art, that is God in spirit moving through you. If you don't believe in God, it is some force that connects you to other people, and so the art you make is not just about you; it has an impact on the world whether you realize it or not."

"We need to continue to support artists whether they're local, and if they're out-of-town artists, it's important for us to network with local artists for them to gain connections or even somebody that has never had a show before or never thought they would be able to exhibit. Being able to value art in more ways than just putting a price tag on it, is important as well. We want to create an art culture where we are okay with paying for art, where it's not something people can't afford or think is out of reach," said Lupita De La Paz, Executive Director, Casa De La Cultura.

The event featuring River Rat's BBQ food truck also served as a fundraiser, and proceeds went towards helping one of the Casa's staff members, Lily Ramon, with medical expenses.

The art exhibited by the Casa in this First Friday Art Walk will be shown throughout the entire month of April. If you have time, be sure to stop by the Casa De La Cultura and take a moment to admire the art of our community because art is proof that humanity was here.