A Message from Luis Purón, Executive Director
Dear Patron for the Arts,
The charming coastal community we enjoy every day of our lives has been touted as one of the top artist’s colonies in the United States.
It begs the question, what is an art colony? In general terms, an artist’s colony refers to an organic congregation of artists often drawn by areas of natural beauty, the prior existence of other artists, or a school for the study and practice of art where participants can blossom.
Rockport’s art colony, referred to in recent publications as taking hold in the mid-1940s with the advent of the Simon Michael School of Fine Art, was solidified by an Art Guild that on May 20, 1969 became the Rockport Art Association, Inc. The Association became the organization recognized across the United States as the Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA).
Fifty-three years ago, the now mature RCA started as a place for local artists to exchange ideas and host exhibits. With the near-term completion of 22,000 sf facilities, in a very short time RCA will become the prominent force for all art forms in Rockport that will carry Rockport’s art colony into the future.
As described in President Stan Smith’s column, the new facilities will feature larger, state of the art spaces for education and exhibitions. Expanding into new programs for the performing, media, culinary and literary arts, the future for the Arts in Rockport is bright. Unlike the facilities we have occupied to date, every space in the 1.2 acre campus has been designed with an intended purpose in mind
There is no better time for working artists to get involved, thanks to 1,300 sf of members’ only premium exhibition space near the front door of the RCA two-story building.
Sometime this fall, the new campus will be unveiled to the entire of State of Texas. RCA has always been at the intersection of art and commerce. The growth potential for working artists that reside in the live oak peninsula is limitless. With 5 fully equipped classrooms and a total 3,400 sf of art education space, artists can hone their skills to potentially become the next Rockport Art Festival master artist.
An artist’s colony cannot exist without artists, and artists cannot exist without proper facilities to learn, work and test their craft in exhibits. Our $12.3M investment in state of the art facilities ensures the future of the art colony will prevail for decades to come.
Thank you for your sustained patronage,
Luis Purón