< PreviousRamirez is a Salvadoran-American artist from Maryland who is based in League City. Her practice combines the language of photography with site-specific installations and text. Mayer, a ceramic artist who lives in the Eastwood section of Houston, is a 2023 Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow and a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow. “The GAR studios are beautiful,” Mayer said. “They are light and peaceful. I have enjoyed having the time and the support of this residency to give me an opportunity to store up ideas that I can take back to my studio back in Houston. It is important to me also to have many threads that I have started. Being at GAR also has given me an expanse of time to find my own rhythm, and it has been great to have the Gulf as part of that rhythm.” Mayer also valued the opportunity to live in a building that dates back to the 1860s and that survived the 1900 Storm, a hurricane that killed about 6,000 Galveston residents. “The residency is open,” Mayer said. “You can bring family and pets. My husband has been here a lot of the time with our two dogs. It was wonderful. And we could walk to the studio.” Eric Schnell, Galveston Artist Residency co-founder, said the organization has hosted 42 long-term resident artists and 18 “special projects” artists since it was formed almost 20 years ago. “We started working on the Galveston Artist Residency after Hurricane Ike in 2008,” Schnell said. “It felt important to make something new, something that had never existed here before. It felt like there was a real need for a nonprof- it space where creativity and beauty for its own sake was encouraged. We wanted it to be a place where people from all over the country could come and experience the magic of Galveston.” Any artist from anywhere — including Galveston and sur- rounding communities — can apply for the residency program. “We select our artists through an open application pro- cess,” Schnell said. “It’s free to apply. The selection process involves the GAR staff and an outside panel of three art professionals. The outside panel changes every year and is comprised of artists, curators, art writers or past residents. It is highly competitive as, in the end, we can only take three artists at a time and we receive several hundred highly qual- ified applications every year.” The application window for 2025- 26 closed in March, but the open call for 2026-27 will go live in spring 2026. The Galveston Artist Residency program is one of only few of its type offered in the nation, Schnell said. “Public reception to GAR has been amazing,” he said. “The Contemporary Art Museum of Houston hosted a major exhibition of every resident artist from our first four years. Since then, many of our artists have gone on to lasting success in the art world, but more importantly, they are still making work at a very high level. Locally we have a dedicated fanbase — Galves- tonians who value our public gallery programming such as music, film and lectures.” Galveston Artist Residency, 2521 Ship’s Mechanic Row in downtown Galveston, will host “The Danny Kerschen: A Retrospec- tive” sculpture exhibit, which will open Aug. 9 and run through late October. The gallery is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. 40 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuGuST 2025 FEATURE (Above) Anna Mayer, a ceramic artist, will wrap up her stay at the Galveston Artist Residency on Aug 1. Mayer, who is one of three artists to be accepted in this year’s program, enjoyed the time to store up ideas and find her rhythm, she said.Soft Shell Crab Wade with House- made Tartar and Cocktail Sauce Creamy Fra Diavolo Soft Shell Crab Pasta SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE: GOOD EATS42 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 CURRENTS | ART MOVER AND SHAPER Island sculptor has created a loyal following from far and wide story by LAURA PENNINO photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS I f sculptor Doug McLean extends an invitation to visit him in his creative space in Galveston, accept it and meet him there. McLean immerses himself in his work, and he wants others to im- merse themselves and interact person- ally with his art, he said. “My sculptures, drawings and paintings are byproducts of my interactions with a wide range of materials and methods over decades, providing an ongoing catalogue of shapes and objects,” McLean said in his artist statement posted on his website. “My com- positions are often inspired by the elements I collect, or the shapes that I create.” McLean is the president of McLean Metal Works in Galveston. He’s an accomplished sculptor, artist, painter and blacksmith. He also served as a sculpture professor at the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston for nine years. In the early 1970s, McLean committed to becoming a sculptor. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, and attended the prestigious Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture in Madison, Maine. McLean’s “maker space,” which is in a repurposed metal building with a garage door at 315 31st St. in Galveston, is part idea lab, part studio, part business office and part warehouse. It’s filled to the brim with assort- ed “elements” he has collected, such as early 1800s iron balcony railings, vintage metal advertising signs and uniquely designed industrial light fixtures. In the center of McLean’s magical workshop, towering 21 feet above the floor, stands the massive “Terra Strata” painted fabricated steel sculpture. McLean created it years ago for the atrium of the Southern Progress Corp. head- quarters building in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Progress, which is the parent com- COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 43 Artist Doug McLean is surrounded by his work, from paintings and sculptures to scale models for larger public art pieces at his workshop and studio in Galveston. pany of magazine Southern Living and other titles, gave the sculpture back to McLean after the building changed ownership and the new owners planned to redesign the atrium. “I am looking for a new home for it,” he said, adding he’s in discussions with a potential taker. Evidence of McLean’s talent can be found on Galveston Island and in Galveston Bay. He worked on the restoration of the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa. He also restored several iron building facades and structural columns in Galveston’s Historic Strand District. He re- paired the ironwork at the 1859 Ashton Villa at 2328 Broadway on the island. He was com- missioned by Dr. E. Burke Evans to create the ornate cast-iron pavilion at Darragh Park, 519 15th St. And he also restored the fence on the 44 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 property that had bordered the 1886 Darragh House before it was ravaged by fires. Three McLean sculptures are available for public viewing in Galveston: Cast in bronze from clay and produced with funds from private donors, the “Hope” at City Hall Plaza, 2517 Ball St., is a statue of a mother and two children that was in- spired by a photo McLean saw of a plaster study by Italian sculptor Pompeo Coppini. Coppini had created the “Victims of Galves- ton Flood” plaster study in 1904 after the 1900 Storm; however, Galveston city leaders at the time felt the image of the anguished young woman carrying her motionless child was too unsettling; Created through a city of Galveston Cultural Arts Commission grant, “Resolve” is a fiberglass and fabricated steel piece at 20th and Strand streets that represents the resilience of the island community and the importance of the seawall after the 1900 Storm. A giant replica of an 1800s iron scroll represents a wave breaking over the seawall; At the entrance of the Galveston Chil- dren’s Museum at the Moody Mansion, 2618 Broadway, is a brightly colored abstract titled “What Do You Think It Is?” McLean’s office serves as the repository for his collection of national magazines that feature articles and photos about his impres- sive work. And the shelves near his desk are lined with interesting objects such as pieces of his clay moldings, an empty peppermint bark tin, a miniature glass milk bottle and his son’s blue and white wave artwork. One of his treasures is a broken coffee mug with the message “What would you at- (Clockwise from left) Doug McLean’s sculpture “Resolve” stands near the intersection of 20th and Strand streets in Galveston. Installed in 2024, the sculpture depicts a wave hitting the island’s seawall. McLean drew inspiration for the wave from a scroll from a pre-1900 Storm home on the island; a small sculpture McLean would like to turn into a larger public art piece; McLean’s large-scale paintings and smaller sculptures are displayed in his workshop. COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 45 CURRENTS | ART tempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” “This message keeps me inspired,” McLean said. “Sometimes, my work isn’t lucrative. I try to be playful and spontaneous, and I feel that things work better that way.” McLean’s days start early and end late. He tends to work and play with several projects at a time over a period of months or years. Buyers from Austin, Galveston, Houston and other cities and states appreciate McLean’s process and prowess, demonstrating their willingness to pay from $500 to $70,000 or more for his pieces. (From top) Scale models of sculptures, salvaged pieces of metal and wood fill the shelves in Doug McLean’s office; McLean’s sculpture “Hope” stands at the center of City Hall Plaza. It’s his interpretation of Pompeo Coppini’s sculpture, “Victims of the Galveston Flood,” commemorating the 1900 Storm.46 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 Artist Nicole Miller with a 9-foot longboard she painted with a floral design. COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 47 CURRENTS | ART MAKING WAVES La Marque painter transforms surfboards into works of art story by BARBARA CANETTI photos by STUART VILLANUEVA O ver the past decade, Nicole Miller has had in her possession about 200 surfboards. She doesn’t really surf much but instead uses them as canvases to create tropical scenes and paint- ings for an audience of avid wave riders. “I’ve been a painter probably my whole life,” said Miller, who lives in La Marque and displays her artwork in Galveston. “But in the last 10 years, I have really focused on surfboard art.” Many of the boards she paints are old, used and probably not very seaworthy. She spends time removing the thick wax finish surfers apply to the board to create grip and traction. She uses several methods to remove the wax, but the easiest way is to leave the board outside for an hour — it mostly melts in the Texas sun. Once the surface is clean, Miller pre- pares the top of the board for her painting. She does custom acrylic work for clients who own an old board but also designs her scenery on boards she upcycles and sells. These are meant to be hung on the wall and not used in the water. This art form started a decade ago for Miller when someone gave her a broken surfboard and she painted it. Local restaurants and bars saw her work and requested their own and from there her business grew. She gave up her career as an elementary and middle school art teacher 48 COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 CURRENTS | ART (Left) Miller paints a surfboard on the beach. Most of her designs are tropical or ocean-themed. (Above) In addition to surfboards, artist Nicole Miller also paints large murals. Her mural at Swell Health & Wellness in Galveston features a crashing wave on a sunset background. “This is really a lot of fun. I try to paint every day. But I never consider it work.” NICOLE MILLER COASTMONTHLY.COM | AuguST 2025 49 KARENFLOWERS-(409)789-7377 DAVEBRIDGWATER-(409)392-5655 JOETRAMONTEREALTY-(409)765-9837 12010SPORTSMANROAD $695,000 Don'tmissthiscozycoastalcottagebythewater!Thehouseboastsbothfront andbackporcheswithstunningwaterandbayviewsfromeitherside. Beautifullydesignedopenconceptlivingwithnaturallightallaroundanda fullyfencedyardwithlowerlevelentertainingspaceandspaciousdecks. Thishomeconveysfullyfurnishedandreadyto movein-startenjoyingthisturnkeyhomein yourinvestmentportfoliooryourBayfront retreat. and just focused on her art full time. “I grew up on the Jersey Coast, so I have always been around the ocean,” she said. “Most of my designs are beachy and ocean- scapes — tropical plants, waves, mermaids, palm trees and the shore.” And because Miller’s husband, Nick Pol- lara, is in the U.S. Coast Guard, the couple travels to new locations every few years. The good news is they’re always stationed near water. “There is never a bad spot,” she said, not- ing they have lived in California and Florida before moving to Texas. Each of the commissions are unique. Some clients give her direction — color, content or design, although most just want an interesting image. And some customers have a sentimental attachment to their board and want a painting reminiscent of a certain place or incident. She also works with a company that man- ufactures surfboards and uses her designs. Her acrylic painting is done on the foam board and then sealed with fiberglass for a lifetime protection of the board. Greg Ruppe, a surfboard shaper at Picnic Surf Shapes on Market Street in Galveston, has collaborated with Miller for a customer who wanted a specific design. “These boards have a function besides of just hanging on the wall,” she said. Painting a 9-foot-long board takes about three days from sketch to paint; smaller boards take less time. Some of her artwork hangs in Affaire d’Art Fine Art Gallery, 2227 Postoffice St., and at the Sunset Market, 406 23rd St. In addition to painting surfboards, Miller also enjoys designing large murals on walls and buildings. Recently she completed a mural at Swell Health & Wellness on Stew- art Road. The art of painting boards — surf boards, snow boards, skateboards — is a narrow niche market and the number of women who do it is even smaller. But in October, a group of six female artists are planning to meet in Galveston — from as far away as Australia — to team up, trade advice and tips on board painting. “This is really a lot of fun,” Miller said. “I try to paint every day. But I never consider it work.” Next >