Instrumental Opens at ARTS Gorman Gallery

The exhibition Instrumental opens on Saturday, March 18, at Schulenburg’s ARTS Gorman Gallery. The artist’s reception will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and offers a wonderful opportunity to view the unique works of artist Quinton “Joppa” Burkham.

Joppa was born and raised in Carlsbad, New Mexico, to Ron and Marsha Burkham. His given name is Quinton Ross Burkham, meaning the fifth horse. He was dubbed with this name since he was the youngest of five children. He is co-owner of Plum Pianos where he works with his brother, Marquis Burkham. The artist explains, “My brother got me the job at Plum Pianos. The former owner Mike White had hired Marquis because he saw my brother’s work ethic. After Marquis worked for about a year, Mike White said, ‘ Boy I could use two of you.’ Marquis responded saying, ‘I’ve got just the guy.’ Sometimes it feels like a dream having a brother like Marquis. There has never been a better brother on this earth.”

Through the years, Joppa has developed a strong love for the instruments he works on. Each piece is unique and special. He loves the beauty of wood and delights in honoring each piece he touches. When asked what he likes about working with these materials, he explained, “Every piano has a label born on date. If you only knew how much hard work goes into rebuilding one of these fantastic instruments you would understand how I would feel about disposing of them. There are a lot of pianos that are beyond repair. I hate chopping them up and throwing them away or putting them in a burn pile. Some of the woods that we come across are endangered species. When I cut it open, it smells like the day it was cut down. It is just unbelievable that almost all the material I use would be considered trash.”

He speaks of the 12 pin blocks, “Each of these pen blocks is made of hard rock maple. In the piano world, we call it the heart of the piano. This board holds over 35,000 pounds of tension. Each string holds over 16 pounds of tension. I have named each of them after the apostles, each unique to its own character. I have been working on pianos since I was 16. Not every piece I make as a sculpture. When I think about it, I don’t really know where I fit in the art world.”

Karen Vernon, Executive Director of Arts for Rural Texas, states, “Mr. Burkham fits very nicely into the world. He is a kind and gentle man that honors the earth, history, and all things beautiful. His sensitivity to these instruments and his diligent love for and repurposing of them is truly unique. The art itself is unique. He finds a story in each piece and works diligently to bring that story to life. He incorporates hours and hours into creating one-of-a-kind sculptures that resonate in life as they once did as an instrument. Life is filled with old, discarded and damaged items. Burkham finds beauty and nurtures life back into each piece.”

Instrumental is free and open to the public. The artist reception is Saturday, March 18 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at ARTS Gorman Gallery, located at 1201 South Kessler, Schulenburg. The artwork will be on exhibit Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from March 18 through May 13.

Arts for Rural Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The organization offers quality exhibitions, cultural experiences, art programs for youth and adults and art education to residents of and visitors to South Central Texas. ARTS currently serves 9 communities in the region. For more information visit https://www. artsforruraltexas.org or call (979) 378-2113.