Nature lovers at a Tucson birding festival got a reminder that Port Arthur is a hot birding destination. I represented Port Arthur Convention & Visitors Bureau in a tourism booth at the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival. We attracted potential visitors and one former resident, Michael Joplin. That Joplin.

Joplin is a glass artist in the Tuscon area, who graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1971. His legendary singing sister, Janis, graduated T.J. in 1960.

Representing Port Arthur and Jefferson County, I staffed a booth at the Arizona festival to show off birding at Sea Rim State Park, Sabine Woods, Pleasure Island and other area hot spots. I frequently mention that Port Arthur is home to Janis Joplin and the Museum of the Gulf Coast features a replica of her psychedelic Porsche.

This Joplin connection always sparks conversation and one visitor noted that Michael Joplin, the late rock legend’s brother, is a glass artist in Tucson.

When Michael Joplin’s name came up, I texted his classmate, Tom Neal, director of the Museum of the Gulf Coast, and pretty soon I was chatting with Joplin on the phone. He stopped by the birding festival expo booth where a Beaumont representative and I distributed tourism information with a focus on birding sites in Jefferson Count, also including Cattail Marsh and the Big Thicket.

Joplin picked up a regional visitor’s guide magazine that showed off his former hometown’s restaurants and things to do.

He and his wife, Margaret, create public art and landscape architecture through Design Collaborations, established in 1990. Their web site shows glasswork and public art. Joplin studied with artists including Dale Chihuly and has been a board member of the Sonoran Glass School.

“Michael began college in printmaking but quickly discovered the possibilities of glass. He began blowing glass in 1972, and opened his first studio in 1978 in Prescott, Arizona,” the web site reads. “After several glass studios in Tucson, he joined his wife in making unique glass works using the lost wax method to create public art as well as lighting and other decorative and functional items.”

Joplin convivially posed with the guide near a backdrop that also featured an image promoting the Janis Joplin collection at Museum of the Gulf Coast. He said he hadn’t been to Port Arthur in a while and that he’d look forward to browsing through the book to see how much has changed.

Tom Neal, Museum of the Gulf Coast director, lived down the street from the Joplin family in Port Arthur and remembers the two playing golf in the neighborhood.

“Michael had a ‘maypole’ swing of sorts in his, and I remember swinging at it with him,” Neal said.  “I also have memories that even though we lived only a few blocks from our elementary school, there were a few bad rain days when neighborhood kids would pile into one of our parents’ car to be taken to school.

“It is always great to see Michael when he returns home for visits and hear about him from time to time. Michael has always been a great guy, and we are proud of his many accomplishments in the art world,” Neal said.

Port Arthur News readers can pick up the latest guides area hotels, restaurants and attractions. A serving of crawfish and sporty binoculars are on the cover. For more information, go to www.visitportarthurtx.com<http://www.visitportarthurtx.com.

Darragh Castillo is destination management specialist for Port Arthur Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Due to this editor’s error, an earlier version of this story said Janis Joplin graduated in 1970. 

— Ken Stickney