Evening Events

April 3: Thursdsay: GSCCC End of Year Competition / Judging

7:00-9pm

location: Holiday Inn Plaza Hotel

Watch the judging of the finalists for all the clubs placing images. A great chance to see the best from each club in GSCCC!

April 3: Thursday Mini-stravaganza

5:30-8pm $20 to attend.

location: John J. French Museum, 3025 French Rd, Beaumont, TX 77706

Join us and meet the Big Thicket Outlaws at the historic John J. French House. Bring your camera because it’s a great opportunity to photograph the charismatic cowboys, gunslingers, gamblers, and old west actors in a historically accurate setting, right in the heart of Beaumont!

The John Jay French home is the oldest house in Beaumont that has been restored to its original state. Built in 1845, the home has the distinction of being one of the first two-story homes, one of the first made with milled lumber, and one of the first painted homes in the area.

The John Jay French Museum demonstrates the life of a prosperous Texas pioneer family from 1845-1865. The historic pioneer settlement, built by John Jay French, tanner and merchant, is furnished with antique furnishings, clothing, and pioneer household utensils from the period. Outbuildings on the grounds include a blacksmith shop, tannery, privy, and smokehouse.

The Big Thicket Outlaws will be on hand to be period costumed subjects for the event. The Big Thicket Outlaws are a group of women and men who perform "Old West" style skits and shootouts at museums, festivals, and civic events around SE Texas and SW Louisiana. They have been together for over 25 years.

Flash photography can be used in the main house unlike many historic museums. Only on camera flash can be used. Light stands and umbrellas can not be used in the home. Off camera lighting can be used if another photographer/helper is holding it.

The only chairs in the main house that can be used are the rocking chairs on the front porch. Please do not attempt to use or touch anything in the house without express permission to do so!

If you need an item moved for a shot, please address the Beaumont Heritage Society staff member stationed in the home.

The museum is located at:

3025 French Rd

Beaumont, TX 77706

John J. French Museum

Links:

https://beaumontheritage.org/john-jay-french-museum/

Big Thicket Outlaws

https://www.facebook.com/groups/943857332895079/

Please use only the parking lot at the museum office. Parking on the street in front of the house or to the side is not allowed.

Here’s a taste of what it’s like to photograph the Outlaws—we know you’ll enjoy meeting them!

April 4: Friday Extravaganza

4:30-8pm $30 to attend.

(light painting after sunset from 7:30-9:30pm?)

location: Beaumont Municipal Airport, 455 Keith Rd, Beaumont, TX 77713

suggested equipment: Tripod, flashlight (or specialized hand-held light), camera

The most exciting evening event of the weekend! Join us at the airport for the best sunsets in Beaumont. There will be classic and antique cars, sleek aircraft and vintage planes, and other surprises! Dinner is available on site via a selection of food trucks offering a terrific variety of food and beverages. Bringing a lawn chair is recommended.

After the sun sets, those interested in trying some light painting or using flash can photograph the cars and planes after dark. Get ready for an unforgettable photographic opportunity! You’ll come away with fantastic photos from our Extravaganza!

Stick around after sunset to try some light painting!

April 5: Saturday: GSCCC Awards Banquet

6:30-9pm $46 to attend

location: Holiday Inn Plaza Hotel

Come and enjoy our buffet banquet and see which images from the Gulf States clubs won the toughest competition of the year. There will be door prizes, awards, and a chance to hear our keynote speaker, Keith Carter. A lovely way to top off the weekend!

About Keith Carter:

Acclaimed SE Tx photographer Keith Carter is known for his dreamlike black and white photographs, which transform ordinary scenes into poetic visual narratives.

Born in 1948, he is a self-taught artist who captures the mystical and quirky aspects of human and animal nature. Renowned for his unique photographic style that blends Southern folklore, religion, and cultural motifs, his work has won numerous awards and has been published in 15 monograph books. His images are featured in prestigious museum collections like the Smithsonian, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

He is a distinguished faculty lecturer at Lamar University and an internationally respected photography educator.

Keith Carter website Keith Carter on Facebook Keith Carter : Fifty Years of photography