Wimberley artist Maxine Price has the honor of having three of her large oil paintings exhibited in the United States Department of State’s Ambassador’s Residence Program in the United States Embassy in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea along with the work of a few other Texas artists.
Ambassador David R. Gilmour and his wife, Judith Gilmour, both attended the University of Texas at Austin where they fell in love. Price had previously shown one of her paintings at the U.S. Embassy in Leon, Togo, Ambassador Gilmour’s previous post.
From his new post in Malabo, the Ambassador wrote, “Judith and I chose the theme “Home” for this exhibition which reflects our personal connection to Texas as well as other sentiments that evoke our constantly changing homes as diplomats. We greatly enjoyed having your work exhibited at the Embassy during our time in Leon, and we are particularly honored that you agreed to provide your works for a second time (in Malabo). Thank you for your patriotic service to our country and for your major contribution to international understanding.”
Since Ambassador Gilmour is a jazz musician, Price specifically chose these three paintings for this exhibit because of the rhythmical movements represented in each of them.
Ambassador Gilmour states, in the exhibition program for the Ambassador’s Residence, “Maxine Price’s “In Transition” speaks to our diplomatic life of constantly acclimating to new places, languages, food and people. This piece was with us in Togo, and then transitioned back to Texas. Now, it has returned to Africa, much as we have done in our Foreign Service life. The piece is part of the artist’s Jazz Series, so it resonates with me as a lifelong musician. Musical and visual arts are inclusive and universal; they speak to all of us, whatever our background.”
Ambassador Gilmour continues, “Dance With Me is a work comprised of two distinct paintings joined as one, just as a couple dancing together consists of two unique individuals. We see music represented by horns, drums and perhaps a thumb piano in this Maxine Price diptych. We also see hints of West Africa kente cloth and patterns that resemble a traditional game of mancala which dates to 700 A.D. in East Africa and even to ancient Egypt.”
On a personal note, Ambassador Gilmour writes, “Maxine Price’s Centrifugal Force reminds us of our daughter. In her kindergarten class for showand-tell, most children brought their favorite toys. But she brought a salad spinner. She explained the science behind the motion and demonstrated “centrifugal force” by showing how water on lettuce leaves was thrown into the bowl. She grew up to be a chemical engineer and today works on rechargeable- industrial batteries.”
Maxine Price and her husband, Frank Curtis, are longtime Wimberley residents. Price has a BFA from the University of Texas at Austin, is a member of the Wimberley Valley Art League and shows her work in several galleries including ART on 12 Gallery in Wimberley.
Price will be on the Studio Tour of the Wimberley Art League to be held on Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1.
