Picturesque Port Arthur Little Theatre

Ringing in the New Year, graphic design students from Lamar State College-Port Arthur began working on some new murals for the façade of the Port Arthur Little Theatre (PALT), under the guidance of the school’s Graphic Design Program Coordinator and Instructor Maurice Abelman. The educator dished online as to how his students used Photoshop to come up with the design and used that as a tool for the drawing and composition.

“Projection seemed appropriate for this because the students have never painted before, and it’s quick and easy,” Abelman explained of the process. “After the outline is in place, then it’s paint by numbers, and I will show them some basic techniques. Mural painting has a process to it that can be simple when broken into basic steps.”

PALT leaders are hoping this is just the beginning of a new tradition.

“We are excited to partner with LSC-PA on this project,” said PALT Board President Debbie Pletcher. “It’s important that artists help artists. We are hoping to make this an ongoing venture and refresh the mural annually.”

“There is something magical that happens when you design something digitally and then physically bring it into the world,” Abelman shared when digitally sharing the original digital images that have been made tangible. “The main part of this project is to teach students that design is a part of a larger process. In this case, physically painting a mural teaches them how to transform their digital artwork into something more physical and tangible.

“They learn how to see their work in different ways and how to design for different environments and communities. I feel like they appreciate their work on a deeper level just by the sheer physical effort they put into making large-scale work. They begin to understand how ephemeral art is because these murals will only be around for a season. They learn their physical limits really fast as they paint on a vertical surface 7 feet tall and 15 feet wide, and they learn sacrifice and dedication when they push past their limits to finish the job.”

Abelman’s crew’s of graphic design students highlighted the current season of PALT’s programs set to hit the stage. First, “Matilda,” with performances on Jan. 20-22, 27-29 and Feb. 3-5, will welcome audiences with a musical rendition of the Roald Dahl storyline.

Next up is “The Outsiders,” with performances scheduled for March 24-26, 31 and April 2. Auditions for the Christopher Sergel adaption of the book penned by S.E. Hinton will take place Jan. 30 – Feb. 1.

PALT is located at 4701 Jimmy Johnson Blvd. in Port Arthur. For more information, or to purchase tickets for upcoming performances, visit palt.org or call (409) 727-7258.