Galveston, Texas – Day 2
If I were going to sum up the day three words would suffice—history, art, and food.
The first two conference speakers talked about Galveston’s history, from it’s earliest native Americans to the present day. Sam Collins, a local historian and dynamic speaker, told the story of Juneteenth. Issued in Galveston on June 19, 1865, General Orders No. 3 announced to the people of Texas that all slaves were free. The people of Galveston have been celebrating it here long before the rest of the country caught up in 2020. Later in the day on a walking tour of the historic downtown, we saw a massive mural about Juneteenth, and historic markers.
Floods have also been a part of local history since 1900, when a massive hurricane nearly wiped out the island. A marker showed the highwater marks resulting from several hurricanes. It was a real eye-opener.
On the walking tour, we stopped at the Galveston Art Center. It’s a small but mighty place that has exhibitions, gives classes, and goes out into the community to encourage art making. It’s got three galleries that primarily show work from Gulf Coast artists. The current shows are wonderful, with work by Annie Arnold, Zeke Williams, and Elizabeth Chiles. Galveston is filled with outdoor public art, including “Turtles About Town.” Across the city are giant sea turtles, painted by local artists. They showcase the conservation efforts of Turtle Island Restoration Network. And, as we saw the first night at the aquarium, there are sea creatures made from trash found in the water and on the beaches. Lots of street murals too.
For dinner, the #NATJA conference offered a selection of restaurants, I ate at Boulevard Seafood. The grouper was some of the best I’ve ever tasted.