VETERAN ARTIST: MARIO LOPEZ
Danielle and Mario Lopez are pictured with one of Mario’s paintings in their New Braunfels home on Feb. 2. Lopez, a wounded Army veteran, will host a gala with the New Century Art Guild on March 10 to support military veteran artists.
New Braunfels resident Mario Lopez lost his right arm and most of his left hand in 2008 when a bomb hit his Army vehicle in Afghanistan — but Lopez can still hold a paintbrush and a microphone, and he uses both to spread a message of healing and hope.
Lopez and the New Century Art Guild hosted a U.S. Veteran Art Gala in New Braunfels on March 10, 2023 to support veteran artists, raising money for scholarships, supplies, education, and mentoring for military veterans pursuing art careers.
"Art allows me to open new doors, express myself and share my experiences," Lopez said.
Lopez, the Guild's Southwest Region liaison, grew up in Alice, Texas and joined the Army after 9/11. He served as a truck driver in Iraq with a combat engineering unit before his unit deployed to Afghanistan. Four months in, his armored vehicle was hit by a 300-pound IED.
"It exploded and then the vehicle lifted up, and it fell back down on the ground," Lopez said. "All of a sudden it was gray everywhere, and I got knocked out."
Lopez awoke to flames engulfing the vehicle with his right arm trapped inside. Crews eventually freed him and transported him to a hospital in Germany, where doctors documented severe burns, the loss of his right arm and most of his left hand, and loss of sight in his right eye.
Back in the U.S., Lopez faced a long road of surgeries and burn recovery — and the depression and pain medication dependency that followed. One day he noticed a painted canvas on a friend's wall.
"I used to do woodworking, so I said, 'Well, how about painting?'" Lopez said. "I just love to create."
He hasn't stopped since.
Mario and his wife Danielle have connected with dozens of Texas veteran artists through their work with NCAG. "We have everyone from established artists to people just breaking through," Danielle said. "Art is therapeutic, and it's exciting to see what these people can do."
The New Braunfels multimedia art gala will be at the McKenna Events Center on 801 W. San Antonio St. Doors open at 6 p.m., with a night of dinner, guest speakers, music and dancing.
Tickets are $80 each. Corporate tables and sponsorships are also available.
Visit newcenturyartguild.org to purchase tickets online, or call 361-207-2599 for more information.
Tickets may also be purchased with a check sent by mail to Attn: Texas Veterans Art Show, New Century Art Guild, 4142 Main St., PO Box 92, Elk Horn, IA, 51543.
Originally published in the Herald-Zeitung, New Braunfels, Texas.
Feb 8, 2023 Updated Feb 8, 2023
