Jul 5, 2012
COM student Tina Gomez displays the poster she designed at the La Marque city council meeting where it was adopted as the official City of La Marque Historical Poster. From left, La Marque Mayor Bobby Hocking, Councilwoman Connie Trube, Tina Gomez, COM Interim President Dr. Larry Durrence and COM graphic arts professor Coleena Jackson.

Acknowledging its history as the “Buttermilk Station,” La Marque adopted the official City of La Marque Historical Poster created by College of the Mainland graphic arts student Tina Gomez. The poster displays the city’s nickname and historic photos. The city plans to present it at the Texas Municipals League 100th Annual Conference and Exhibition in November in Grapevine, Texas, and display it in public buildings. 

“We think it’s a nice representation of La Marque history,” said Carol Buttler, La Marque city manager. Gomez’s poster incorporates the history of La Marque through a city map and black-and-white photos. “I researched the history of La Marque and found out it started because of the Buttermilk Station,” said Gomez. The city earned that name during the Civil War when soldiers stopped there to purchase buttermilk en route between Galveston and Houston, according to the Texas State Historical Association.
 
Coleena Jackson, COM graphic arts instructor, got the idea for a city poster after her father, La Marque city councilman Clent Brown, suggested one highlighting La Marque’s history.
 
It seemed an ideal opportunity to Jackson, who wants practical experiences for her students. “I’m always looking for projects students can do for non-profits,” said Jackson. “It provides real-world budgets and challenges.”
 
Graphic design “is something I’ve always loved to do,” said Gomez. She has previously done freelance graphic design, including designing a Mardi Gras poster for Z Krewe Galveston, and after finishing her associate degree in graphic design plans to pursue it as a career.