FORT WORTH, Texas — U.S. Army veteran Martin Molina’s “What a Relief,” a printmaking exhibition exploring cultural identity and animals, is on display through Nov. 22 at Tarrant County College’s Art Corridors Galleries. Molina is an arts associate professor at TCC.
The Art Corridors Galleries, building ESEC at TCC Southeast (2100 Southeast Parkway 76018), are open 8:30 a.m-5:30 p.m. weekdays. Admission is free.
Molina’s exhibition — 44 artworks — features woodblock prints, hand-printed T-shirts, and print and mixed media wall installations. He uses painting and printmaking to reveal insects and cultural identity. At first strictly an acrylic and oil painter, he has expanded his multimedia use in printmaking.
He is captivated by the concept of “Loteria,” a traditional bingo-lingo game that replaces letters and numbers with symbolic images. In this series, he challenged himself to reinterpret the visual and cultural associations of the original game, creating a collection of woodblock prints with subtly coded imagery. Each of the 54 cards, he says, serves as a foundation for a unique part, all of which are represented in the exhibition.
Molina adds that some of his works are influenced by history and the cultural significance of October. The eerie atmosphere of the month, along with its connections to horror films and Halloween, inspired a selection of pieces that explore themes of fear, folklore and the macabre.
“We are thrilled to exhibit Professor Martin Molina’s new works! The theme and creative process behind his relief prints are sure to resonate with many students,” said Penelope Bisbee, director of The Art Corridors Galleries. “While this exhibition highlights just one process of printmaking, students can register for his course, which will introduce them to a variety of printmaking techniques.”
Molina grew up in a military family that moved from Germany to the United States when he was a child. After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Stephen F. Austin State University, he joined the U.S. Army Infantry and was deployed to Iraq and the Philippines.
While serving, he was heavily involved in creating platoon logos and designs. After returning from his first duty station in Alaska, he completed a Master of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Tarrant County College is one of the nation’s largest higher education institutions and boasts the second lowest tuition of Texas’ Top 10 community colleges. A comprehensive two-year college with six campuses in Tarrant County and online classes, TCC offers a range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds, including Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees; workforce and economic development programs; technical and skilled trades programs; and customized training for area businesses and corporations.
