Week 1

So far in week one, I  initiated researching my project by, first, using a search engine to identify the names of sculptures in Corpus Christi as well as other information about them. I have Identified 4 sculptures,so far, which I will be looking into for my project. They are:

"Queen of the Sea" Fountain Sculpture

 Artist - Pompeo Coppini


"Car Buying Statue"

artist- still unknown
name- unknown

Flying Marlins

This sculpture is still much  of a mystery to me, but I plan on finding it on the bayfront in order to give me more clues about it.


"Wind Dancer"

The "Wind Dancer", by sculptor H.W. (Buddy) Tatum Jr
I found Mr. Tatum's art website, and plan to investigate more on this sculpture through internet resources.












I plan on finding more information in the vertical file at the Corpus Christi Central Library downtown.

Buc Days Memories- According to Michael " Mickey"Ford (a.k.a. dad)

I interviewed my father, Michael Ford, about his memories and experiences about Buc Days. He described Buc Days as one of the many family traditions that he loved about both his childhood and his experiences from being a parent. He was the youngest twin of a family of 8 and he has early memories of sitting on his older siblings shoulders in the Cathedral's parking lot watching the night time Buc Days parade go by while enjoying its splendor. He is proud of the fact that he continued the tradition when he and his friend took my sister and I to the same spot and put us on his shoulders to watch the night time parade. The Buc Days night parade is a beautiful family tradition that started when my dad was young and will continue when I have children. Buc Days is not only important to my family but to many families all over Corpus Christi. It provides our community with a sense of commonality. Citizens of our city come together to enjoy the week long events associated to Buc Days. It also adds culture to our community different from other cities making Corpus even more unique.

Scavenger Hunt # 1

Scavenger Hunt #1

Partners : Alexis P. Montalbo, Jessa Castro, Rachel Ford (me)

We were assigned to find the location of the Cheston L. Heath School plaque, which of course we had to decipher from our History teacher's riddle. This "selfie" is proof of our group finding the plaque.

The plaque itself explains how the site of the first fully functioning Mexican American School used to stand where the present County Courthouse is located. It points out certain individuals who helped the school thrive and survive even during economic hardships like the depression. The school eventually moved but its legacy is preserved in this historical marker.

Living History Project:

My U.S. History teacher has assigned a project where the students find an aspect of Corpus Christi and to investigate the history of whatever topic we choose. The assignment is designed to create a personal connection between ourselves and our community.

The topic I came up with was that of  " Sculptures of Corpus Christi." The reason for my choice is because of my personal interest in art. I thought that if I could connect this project to something that really speaks to who I am as a person then I would truly find a historical connection to the city where I have grown up. Apart from my simple love of art, I also chose this topic because I believe that art is very often used to record history yet it is overlooked. The Lincoln Monument as well as the Korean War memorial , located in Washington D.C., were used to represent History in a very personal manner which they achieved through sculptures.




What about the sculptures here in our own city? What is the history behind them?  How can I find them?What do they represent for those who live in Corpus Christi?  What do they mean to me as a person?
These are some of the questions I hope to answer during my personal investigation of this topic.
 

Side Note :
  Sculptures allow for the viewer to have a more personal connection to history and that is why I would like to find sculptures around Corpus Christi, researching the history or meaning behind the sculpture, the means by which it was made, and the history of the artist or designer who made it. My goal is to show how history is recorded through art in a manner that is as personal as primary source documents.