Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
Cosmos Workspace, the Business Accelerator & Coworking Space in McAllen, Texas, is the launching pad for some of Jimi’s ideas. Jimi told Texas Border Business that he graduated from high school in McAllen and left for Houston. “We moved back here to care for a family member,” he said. Now he is back he recognizes the Valley as a place where art is prevalent.
Jimi is a painter of abstracts. “It’s all based on emotions and feelings,” he explained. Several of his creations are now showing at Cosmos Workspace; they are in the exhibition until September 2nd. It all started when Jimi approached Cosmos Workspace to possibly collaborate on his McAllen Art Walk revival. “Cosmos Workspace was generous enough to invite me to showcase my art in their community space.”
On July 1st Cosmos Workspace held their monthly member event Friday Night Chill with DJ StarrFoxx, Fox Aguilar, drinks by OMG A Shot Bar and Artwork by Jimi Keirn. The donations at the door were not only to support artists and enjoy a few drinks in a relaxed environment but it was also to help Jimi secure his first month of a coworking studio membership. Everyone that showed up helped Jimi become a Cosmos Workspace member so he can work and jump start his connections with the creative community and Cosmos.
Jimi is right when he says that Valley art is prevalent. Every time there is an exhibition, residents admire and buy art. He wants to ensure that everyone has a chance to do that again frequently and Cosmos Workspace is a beautiful venue for artists to become a member, hold their own receptions and sell their art.
He is starting in McAllen because Cosmos Workspace opened its doors to serve as a gallery for artistic creations. His idea is to bring together many artists as he did in Houston until COVID stopped the activities. Nevertheless, he is now charged with the idea that it can be done even better in the Valley.
Jimi calls this chapter of his life, a regeneration.
According to Jimi, he lived with loneliness that most people can’t imagine for the better part of the last two years. He said, “From that loneliness, I was finally gifted desperation. I surrendered, asked for help, and the magic began to happen. The obsession to destroy my life was lifted. I became willing to change. I began helping others and found my purpose. This exhibit portrays the first part of my journey: The Regeneration.”
Currently, he is creating primarily abstracts, but he has done a couple of portraits. “It was the first painting I did with a brush. I had never used brushes, and I painted for like, eight days. And it’s by far my most popular piece, but it came at a dark time in my life. It’s almost like a self-portrait of how I felt at that time. And it’s trendy. I sold the original one before I finished it. I’ve probably sold 15 or 20 big prints of it. So, it’s a very popular piece that projects loneliness,” he said.
For more about Jimi Keirn and his creations, visit Cosmos Workspace at 1200 North 10th Street, Suite EMcAllen, Texas or book an appointment for a guided tour at www.linktr.ee/cosmosworkspace
