UFOs Over Lubbock 2024

On September 6th, we had the pleasure of joining old friend Carlos Hernandez and the rest of the outlaw printmakers in Lubbock, TX for the UFO's Over Lubbock: High Plains Printslinger Showcase. The event was hosted by Charles Adams Studio Project, and was free to attend through the city's First Friday Art Trail.

 

 

Texas is big, y'all. It's hard to express just how long it can take to leave the state by car (hint: plan on it taking a day for many areas). Also, some of the roads can give Mad Max a run for its money. But both of us are fans of longer road trips after prolonged periods of working from home, so we set out on the 8 - 10 hour drive from Houston to Lubbock. Recommendation: bring snacks, drinks, NTS Radio episodes, and long conversation ideas.

 

We're bouncing...

 

Arrival in Lubbock

This was our first time visiting Lubbock, and we didn't know very much about it beforehand. 10th most populous in Texas, 84th most populous city in the country (that makes it bigger than Salt Lake City). Ecologically, it's located at the lower reach of the High Plains, so there's a sort of Midwest feel to the environment. Very easy for storms to blow through quickly. Apparently, it was named the "Toughest Weather City" by the Weather Channel in 2013.

 

A more famous calling card of the city is its association with Buddy Holly, who was born there in 1936. We did not have a chance to visit the museum dedicated to his legacy, but it's a favorite of Carlos's and thus part of Holly's feature on the event's poster. There's also a windmill museum that we were very curious about, but did not have a chance to visit.

 

Exciting window choices at the empty convention center by the hotel.

 

We were, however, able to spend the better part of a day at the Museum of Texas Tech University. Another major draw for the city, the university is the 6th largest in Texas and runs programs on wind energy development, in addition to the expected petroleum engineering studies. But back to the museum: it was a really cool collection!

 

Rather than a themed show, many of the exhibits seemed to be collections of objects donated by their collectors. First up, we saw an exhibit of Victorian dresses that were in all of our favorite colorways! They were really serving up some fierce gothic looks.

 

 

 I've especially been interested in ceramics since our residency at Bemis Center in 2022. Clay can be molded, is from the earth, and without firing can be nearly infinitely recycled. There's a level of satisfaction in the alchemy of selecting a specific clay and glaze combination-- not knowing how the end result will turn out. Part of learning this process has reignited an interest in ancient ceramics, which is something we touched on a little bit with our prepared alter for the Murky Mirror show.

 

Series of most excellent sculptural objects on view at the museum.

With a morning and afternoon of exhibits behind us, we had to scoot over to downtown Lubbock to set up for the night's event. The streets quickly filled with food trucks and craft vendors, and it seemed like every building had some form of programming planned for the evening. We even received an unexpected ceramics studio tour of the Helen Devitt Jones Clay Studio while waiting for the event to start. Many thanks to the people we met outside who welcomed us in for a quick peak!

 The event was brisk, with a few thousand people ambling through. Seems like the first Friday event is a big social event for the area, and plenty of people were dressed for a night on the town with boots, western shirts, and new outfits. People were very friendly overall, though at times it could be difficult to chat as the crowds stacked up in the exhibition area.

As a final note, if you ever find yourself in Lubbock, we've got a recommendation for you: delicious, homemade Korean food! This was about the last thing we expected to find on our trip, but Seoul Korean Cuisine really knocked it out of the park. We had a delicious feast of BiBimBap + Gimbap and, on a second visit, Japchae noodles. The place is run by a super friendly family, and you're served the usual selection of seasonal side dishes with every meal. Don't miss it if you need a meal on the High Plains!