This Summer: Not a Bummer

A Message from Luis Purón, Executive Director


Dear Members,

It is hard to believe that three weeks ago, we were celebrating the 4th of July in style.  The Art Auction Gala, honoring Sherol and Steve Russell was attended by 570 patrons.  The energy under the tent was electric.  It had been two years since we had done the grand event, and I must admit I felt out of practice.  It takes a good 3 months of commitment and focus to pull off the Auction correctly.   I have to say I really missed it. 

 The Gala was a fitting launch to the 53rd Annual Rockport Art Festival, presented by Salemi’s Ace Hardware.  The blockbuster event was executed to perfection thanks to record setting funding from sponsors, the Staff and Board’s hard work, thousands of volunteer labor hours, and the dedication of two Chairmen- Karen Ernst and John Kidwell.  They have worked together on this event since 2018.

Typically July events raise 60% of our annual operating budget, which cover us through the first quarter of the following year.  Did we meet our goal?  Yes!  We are still in the process of reconciling the accounting entries.  We do know that we set records in two areas: live auction proceeds and tickets sold at the gates.  

The weekend’s theme was “Proud to be an American.”  We can also be proud to live in a community where spirit is everything.  Together we delivered tourism and economic development that will be talked about for month’s to come.  Sales tax being a key indicator of success in the above rubrics, I believe you’ll be seeing records broken there as well.

Soon we will start planning for next year’s Art Festival. 

Until then - Laissez les bons temps rouler…

Yours,

Luis Purón
Executive Director



 

Back to (Art) School

A Message from Rebecca Bridges Rice, Board President

One of my promises as President was to give focus to one of our missions: art education.  I have a special interest in bringing national caliber exhibits & instructors to impart meaningful workshops and classes for our adult constituents.   

The truth is that since the storm in 2017, this part of our program has under-performed.  Despite the variety of offerings many workshops have not made because we did not have enough participants engaged.  

In the past few months, I have been working with the staff to analyze this area.  The fruit of our labor are two sensational offerings one happening this coming weekend and the other this Fall.

This Friday and Saturday, wunderkind Fernando Andrade will be in Rockport imparting a drawing workshop from realistic photographs.  I am excited to report that the class has made and we still have room for a few more students.  Fernando’s work (drawings and abstract paintings combined with illustration) is sought after by collectors and by galleries for exhibitions.  He presently has work at two prestigious art spaces: Ruiz Healey Art in San Antonio, and Gerald Peters Project in Santa Fe.

Early in October, Susan Hotard, a nationally recognized artist, is teaching a two-day portraiture in oil workshop.  I have taken workshops from Susan in the past.  She is sought after for her oil painting techniques. If you have not signed up yet, we have a special offer.  The Art Center is providing a $100 scholarship to be used towards tuition for the first 12 active members to sign-up.  This deal can’t be beat!  If you are not a member, you can sign up and take advantage of this offer too.

 

Take advantage of these classes and learn more by calling Anna Galluzzi at 361-450-8033.  Help us make these workshops full!

Rebecca Bridges Rice
Board President, Rockport Center for the Arts

It's Time to Look Up - Vertical Movement

A Message from Rebecca Bridges Rice, Board President

Dear Members,

If you drive up and down Austin Street like I do, then you know that there is something big happening at the corner with North Street.  The Art Center’s one-acre lot has been aflutter with activity since April 1st, the day construction started.

In weekly briefings, the Capital Project Team has recently reported that by the end of this week all of the concrete for the beams will be poured for building 1.  In the next two to three weeks, you can expect the slab and the foundation for building 1 to be completed.  It is then that you will start to see vertical movement on the project.  What does that mean?  The CMU (Concrete Masonry Units) block will be erected on building 1.   

On other news, we are thankful for our partnership with the City of Rockport and Aransas County.  Both entities just approved an inter-local agreement for a parking area that will be located one block away from the Art Center campus.  The 60-space surface lot will supply much needed parking for events that will be held at the Performing Arts and Convention Center.  The County obtained disaster recovery funding through the Texas General Land Office, thanks to a grant written by our friends at the Long Term Recovery Team.

I look forward to updating you on the progress the Capital Project has made in next month’s column.  Below are some images of what is happening on the construction site now.

 

Happy 4th and see you at the Festival

Rebecca Bridges Rice
President of the Board

 

 

 

And It's Back! Rockport Art Fest

A Message from Luis Purón, Executive Director

Dear Members,

It’s summer!  It’s the 4th of July!  It’s the 53rd Annual Rockport Art Festival!  Rockport truly is the place to be July 4th weekend.  With the 4th being on Sunday this year, we are expecting extraordinary visitation to our beautiful slice of paradise.  The Wendell Family Fireworks this coming Sunday, promise to put a colorful cap to the 4th of July weekend.

If you have not gotten your festival tickets, you can stop by the Galleries at 401 S. Austin St. and pick up yours ahead of the event.  Tickets start at $10.  VIP passes are $15, and they get you inside the Festival Grounds one-hour before the gates open to the general public.  Did you know that many people do their Christmas shopping at the Art Festival?  It’s true!  In fact, you can find original works of art created by 126 of the finest artists and craftsmen from California to Florida.  There is truly something for everyone at the Rockport Art Festival.

While you visit the galleries to pick–up your VIP passes, you can view Robin Hazard’s solo exhibition, Follow Me, and acquire original work created for this exhibition.  You can also acquire the giclée or poster for the piece selected to brand this year’s festival – One Banana, Two Banana.  Robin’s work is exciting.  

Also on exhibit is the very special Sesquicentennial exhibition by past poster artists.  We have original works of art, from Rockport’s finest artists like Jesús Bautista Moroles, Herb Booth, Steve Russell, Carol Koutnik, Shirley Blackman, Anita Diebel, Jim Offeman, Flint Reed and more.  We are proud to help Aransas County celebrate its 150th birthday with this show curated by Elena Rodriguez.  Admission to the Galleries is always free. 

I look forward to providing you with a fundraising and tourism update in August’s column.

Yours,

Luis Purón
Executive Director


 

In Buildings, as in Life, Build Your House on Solid Ground

A Message from Rebecca Bridges Rice, Board President

Dear Members, 

I’d like to give you an update where we are in the construction project for our new facilities.

As has been reported, in late February we broke ground. In late March we relocated the historic Kline’s Cafe, and on April 1st we started construction. The building relocation and recent weather events have caused a delay for completion of now slated for August 2022.

In engineering, a foundation is the part of a structure that connects a building to the ground. The foundation distributes the building’s weight load evenly across the earth, so no part of the soil is over-burdened. A foundation anchors the structure against natural forces, which include hurricanes, strong winds, storms, tornadoes, earthquakes, and more. Buildings need to be built on a solid plane—and the foundation provides exactly that.

Depending on the nature of the structure, there are several types of foundations- shallow and deep. For our commercial project, we are using deep pier foundation on grade beams.  In a pier and beam foundation, a concrete pier is reinforced with steel rebar, forming a strong cage within the pier. The piers are set atop a concrete pad reinforced with steel.

Because we are building weighty structures made of concrete and steel on sand and water, the depth of the piers and beams is 90 feet. Once the piers are completed (next two weeks), you will see the concrete foundation poured one slab at a time. There are two slabs, one on the northern lot and another with a larger footprint in the southern lot.  Completing the slabs will take approximately three weeks.

Stay tuned for June as I continue to update you as our construction progress starts to show vertical direction.

Respectfully,

Rebecca Bridges Rice
President of the Board

 

 

 

Rockport’s Summer of Art

A Message from Luis Purón, Executive Director

Summertime! It is that time of year when we are in the lead-up to a bevy of tourism activities: 

1.     ArtSpace Summer Art Camp. Registrations are now open for the 24th annual camp that serves Aransas County kids and teens entering grades 1st through 8th.  Registration for local participants is free and going strong at 180 attending.

2.     Two-Blockbuster Summer Shows.  Two headliners open to the public Friday, June 18. This year’s Art Festival poster artist, Robin Hazard, will stimulate us with happy bursts of color in her maiden solo show, Follow Me. On June 19 at 5 PM, during a reception with the artist, Hazard will unveil the original work of art that will become the poster to brand this year’s Festival.  In Galería Dos, poster artists from prior years will showcase what makes Aransas County great featuring a sesquicentennial celebration exhibit.

3.     Art Auction Gala Friday, July 2. Like I predicted last month, response to underwriter sales for the Auction, honoring Steve and Sherol Russell, has been remarkable.  This Friday, May 28 starting at 10 AM, we will open sales for $125 single ticket and $1,500 tables for 10. Visit with Kim Ivey at the gallery or go online at RockportArtCenter.com Friday. For our patrons’ comfort, we have limited the number of tables at this event. Thus, we expect this event to sell out by the end of next week.   Like other events in Rockport this year, you must act quickly if you wish to attend. 

4.     Salemi’s Ace Hardware presents the 53rd Annual Rockport Art Festival, July 3 and 4. The Place to be July 4th Weekend! $10 Single day tickets and $15 VIP passes are on sale now. Get yours today by visiting the gallery or the website!

June and July punctuate the Summer of Art in Rockport. We expect this edition to be one of the most successful seasons in our 52 year history.  As our members and patrons, we want you to be part of the organization’s traditions and success.

Yours,

Luis Purón
Executive Director


 

Reaching Out Beyond the Live Oak Peninsula

A Message from Luis Purón, Executive Director

Dear Patrons of the Arts,

It’s hard to believe that four months have passed since the start of 2021.  Here’s a recap of what we have accomplished so far:

1.     We successfully moved Kline’s Cafe Building, which will add density to the downtown area.  The property will soon be added to the City’s tax roll.

2.     We broke ground and our capital project is well underway. Take a drive downtown, you will soon start to see vertical movement.

3.     In May, our coastal contemporary building designed by Richter Architects will be featured in Texas Architect magazine.

4.     The 1st Annual Spring Art Fair, presented by Salemi’s Ace Hardware, helped us exceed our net income goal by 100% thanks in great part to generous sponsors and underwriters.

5.     We have hired a new Administrative Assistant, Brooke Bruni who starts today.

6.     Our new sculpture project, which is fully funded, is on queue for delivery and installation this winter.

7.     The Exhibition Committee traveled to San Antonio to do studio visits, see exhibits and plan for the future.

8.     We have hosted 3 exciting and diverse new shows per month in February, March and April.  

9.     Birds in Art 2021 will be migrating to Rockport at the start of 2023, to be exhibited in our brand new Galleries.

10.  We are in the process of hiring an Education Coordinator for youth and adult programs.

11.  We continue to successfully fund our youth education programs, raising almost 90% of our goal.

12.  Workshops and Free Family Saturdays are demonstrating stronger participation than last year. 

13.  We hosted the publisher and editor of Glasstire, Texas’ premier online art publication, to look at our capital project and exhibits.

14.  In an effort to reach new audiences and form collaborations, we invited Masters in Fine Arts students from the University of Texas at Austin to Rockport for a plein air weekend (see images below courtesy of Jesus Treviño). Thanks to Edie Wall Muehlberger, Al and Diane Johnson and Captain Tommy Moore for giving these budding young artists the inspiring scenery our coastal community has to offer which they committed to canvas.

15.  We are in the process of selecting the art work by Robin Hazard that will become the poster that will represent this year’s Rockport Art Festival.  Hazard’s poster will be revealed at her solo show opening reception - Saturday, June 19 at 5 PM.

16.  We are in the process of finalizing a very strong media buy and PR plan to promote the Art Festival.

17.  We are moving forward with a traditional Art Auction Gala and the Art Festival. We expect the Art Auction Gala to be a complete sell out early. Patrons like you, have started making table reservations. 

Across the great State of Texas, the buzz is strong about what is happening with the Arts and at the Art Center in Rockport.  I encourage you to stay involved. Keep your membership active. Increase your membership level. Volunteer for the Art Festival. Donate to the Imagine Capital Campaign.  Great things are happening!

Luis Purón 
Executive Director 

 

 

At the Intersection of Art and Commerce

A Message from Rebecca Bridges Rice, Board President

Dear Members, 

Two weekends ago, we celebrated the 1st Spring Art Fair by the Bay at the Fulton Convention Center. The event was presented by Salemi’s Ace Hardware. By most accounts, the weekend tourism and economic development event was a tremendous success. The Board of Directors is very proud that the staff created a totally new experience and executed it to perfection.

All numbers are not yet in, but attendance for the three day event exceeded 1,000 participants. With a strong marketing and advertising campaign, tourists visited from all parts of Texas. The Art Fair celebrated the work of our local artists with 30 participating in the event. Although not all artist sales have been reported, today they stand at $75,000. Most importantly, artists made contact with new collectors which allowed them to sell directly to them and book commissions. 

Last week Executive Director Luis Purón, announced that the event will take a place again next year during the last weekend in March, so mark your calendars now for what is sure to be the most exciting event of the Spring season. Never afraid of innovation, the staff promise to deliver an improved format in 2022.

Having been a participating artist in the Art Fair, this got me thinking about the important role the Art Center plays in our community by directly impacting artists’ economies. Last year artists experienced limited sales and exposure due to the pandemic. The Art Center impacted artists through The New Normal Grants totaling $150,000 (thanks to the generosity of Fine Line Diversified). As President I get to see financials, and I am impressed by the strong sales the Galleries and Gift Shop report on a monthly basis. In November of last year a special one-day sales event took place that grossed $35,000, putting 80% of that directly into artists’ pockets. If you walk into the gallery today you’ll see the walls littered with red dots, which means “sold.” 

We are building a new campus dedicated to the Arts at the intersection of South Austin Street and North Street. The intersection might as well be called Where Art Meets Commerce. The Art Colony in a once sleepy fishing village has graduated into a plucky and Thriving Arts Community, and we have the Art Center and its patrons to thank for that.

Yours truly, 

Rebecca Bridges Rice
President 

Kline’s Cafe Update

A Message from Rebecca Bridges Rice, Board President

Dear Members of the Art Association,

It has been three months since my tenure as President of the Board started.  And what a whirlwind it has been. 

As we prepare to begin construction on our new 22,000-plus square-foot facilities and 1.2-acre campus in downtown Rockport, our former home, the historic Kline’s Cafe Building is ready to begin the journey to its new location.

With deep historic ties to the Rockport community, Kline’s served as our home from December 2017 to December 2019. In preparation for the move, we prepared a detailed relocation plan that was approved by the Texas Historical Commission. The relocation is a joint effort between the Art Center and its eventual owner, Upside Ventures LLC, of Austin, Texas. The 1940s-era Kline’s will begin its move this Wednesday, March 31 around 9 a.m. from its current location on South Austin St. The building will move west on North St. and then south on Magnolia to be positioned on a new foundation located at 504 S. Magnolia Street. The four-block journey is expected to take two days.

Ram House Movers of Sinton, Texas, will be moving the one-story, 2,000-square-foot building — a slab-on-grade foundation, masonry, cinder block, stucco walls and a wood frame roof — a total weight of 220 tons. Ram House Movers has worked on significant projects in Texas, most notably relocating the History Center for Aransas County to its present location on Cedar Ave., as well as moving the Stillman House from Corpus Christi to its present location in Brownsville.

Upside Ventures LLC, who owns and manages commercial interests in Austin and Rockport, plans improvements for Kline’s, including ADA accessibility, and beautification of the site through landscaping that once adorned the building at its Austin St. location. Once it is set on its new concrete foundation, the building will meet FEMA elevation requirements.

Last year, we retained an architectural historian at Amaterra, LLC in Dallas to prepare historical documentation regarding the 70-plus-year-old structure. Kline’s is considered significant under Criterion C, architecture, as a good example of Art Moderne at the local level of significance. The documentation can be found at RockportArtCenter.com.

Once moved, our construction can begin in earnest. It is slated for completion June 2022. 

Regards,
Rebecca Bridges Rice

 

Day Tripping to San Antonio’s Art Scene

A Message from Luis Purón, Executive Director


Dear Patrons of the Arts:

Last week the Exhibition Committee set its sights on San Antonio and conducted a series of studio and gallery visits as we seek to fulfill an ambitious calendar of exhibitions for 2022-2023.  Most art institutions switch shows on a quarterly basis; but not your Art Center.  We offer three different gallery experiences that turn over exhibits 9 times per year.  The purpose of our journey, was to familiarize ourselves with what is happening in the Arts across the vast state of our creative Texas.

Our first stop was Hausmann Millworks, where we visited with over ten artists, including Louis Vega Treviño, who as a visiting artist, has painted a mural in Rockport at Odyssey After School and conducted a chalk-up event through the Free Family Saturdays program.  Then we visited with gallery owner Robby Felder, at Felder Gallery, located on Main Street.  Felder’s gallery was once located in Port Aransas.  He is currently representing our very own Robin Hazard, who was selected as this year’s master artist for the Rockport Art Festival (July 3-4, 2021). 

After a leisurely lunch, we headed to the studio of Fernando Andrade to learn more about his current body of work.  Andrade draws figures using graphite on paper which he sometimes embosses with words.  He also is working on a series of abstract acrylic paintings on canvas combined with drawing.  Andrade has two exciting exhibitions this year at the Mexican Cultural Institute in San Antonio and Gerald Peters in Santa Fe.

We rushed back to the downtown area to visit Artpace San Antonio; famed for founder Linda Pace and its international resident artist program.  We received a preview of Nazafarin Lofti’s exhibition All Things That Grow.  Lotfi combines drawing, painting, and sculpture to explore the spatial and temporal experience of bodies out of place.  She was recently in Rockport filming and photographing her sculptures in the Lamar area amongst the natural habitat of its most famous residents, the whooping cranes.

Our last stop was at the San Antonio Art League in King William for a 40-year retrospective of photography by inventor Ansen Seale.  The committee learned about his creation, the slit scan camera; a modern digital version of the panoramic camera.  In his version, a single sliver of space is imaged over an extended period of time, yielding the surprising result that unmoving objects are blurred and moving bodies are rendered clearly.  The result is pure magic.

On the way home some rested and others discussed how valuable it is to see art in person and how important it is to meet the artists whose work that allows us to imagine a better world. 

At Rockport Center for the Arts, our job is to keep the wheels of arts, culture and the humanities turning. By reaching out to artists across the state, we can advance our mission as the primary catalyst for the Arts in its many forms.

Yours,
Luis Purón

The Impact of Art

A Message from Luis Purón, Executive Director

Dear Patrons of the Arts:

First off, Happy Texas Independence Day!  I have fond memories of this holiday from when I was in college at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Remembrances of those times bring to mind the prestigious repositories for art and historical ephemera that call the University of Texas home.   It is estimated that 170 million objects reside at places like the Harry Ransom Center, home to the Gutenberg Bible; and the Blanton Museum of Art, home to the prestigious Michner Collection.  One of the major milestones in the history of the Blanton Museum of Art was the gift of almost 300 twentieth-century American paintings by the novelist James A. Michener and his wife.

The beginning of the museum dates back to 1927, when Archer M. Huntington donated 4,000 acres of land to the University with instructions that it be used to support an art museum. Proceeds from the land sale created an endowment for museum operations and funds for brick and mortar construction. On the year I was born, 1963, the University Art Museum opened in the Art Building at 23rd Street. Renowned sculptor Charles Umlauf taught there for 40 years.  In 1972, parts of the collection were exhibited in the galleries of the Harry Ransom Center, and in 1980, the gallery inside the Art Building was renamed the Huntington Gallery. At that time and because of the University, Austin was the center of the Texas art world.

In the mid-1990s, Mrs. Michener started a campaign for the construction of a new museum. The Houston Endowment made a gift to honor its former chairman, and the Huntington became the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art, which opened its doors in 2006.  I was living in Pennsylvania at the time, but I followed the developing story from afar.

My love and appreciation for Art and for Artists was born in these rooms and galleries in the early 1980s.

I know many of you have your own personal stories about the impact Art has on your daily lives.  I look forward to hearing them at the opening of the 14th Annual Rising Eyes of Texas, which takes place this Saturday at 5 PM.  The juried exhibition of undergraduate and graduate students in the visual arts promises to be the most diverse one yet. And YES we have a submission from my alma mater.

Go see some Art this weekend!

 Luis Purón
Executive Director

 

Breaking Ground

A Message from Rebecca Bridges Rice, President of the Board

Dear Members:

I hope that by now you had a chance to look at the recorded video of the Annual General Meeting that was circulated via email this past Friday.

Last week was a momentous period for the Arts in Rockport.  We broke ground, we are ready to get started with construction, and we launched the public phase of the Imagine Capital Campaign.  Teal Construction, our general contractor, has started to mobilize equipment on the site, and soon you will see materials as well.

The relocation of the Kline’s Cafe Building hit a snag with the rough weather we had two weeks ago.  The concrete pour for the foundation at the new site was delayed for warmer weather.  We expect the pour will last two days and it will be completed this week.

Although we did not have Congressman Michael Cloud with us at the groundbreaking, he did send a lovely message that I would like to share with you:

“This is a great day for Rockport, and I wish I could be there in person instead of in Washington voting. Though Hurricane Harvey brought some of the most destruction we have seen in our area, Texans, especially Rockportians, have shown the world what it looks like to persevere and prevail over this hardship. Not only has Rockport banded together to recover from Harvey, they have continued to do so while battling the coronavirus, the economic downturn, and now most recently a severe winter storm. 

“Work is far from complete but we are making progress. The Art Center is a great example of that as it is a wonderful part to the Rockport community. There is a very distinct and vibrant art culture in Rockport, and the Art Center is at the center of that. For years, it has provided opportunities and resources by displaying local art work, cultivating creativity among students, and contributing to the tourism industry that abounds in Rockport. I want to express my gratitude to all those who made this day possible. I look forward to returning to Rockport soon to see the new Art Center for myself.” 

As you read in Mary Hime’s columns last year, we are fortunate to have been able to collaborate with some amazing people, entities and organizations to get this project to where it is today, including the City of Rockport. My sincere thanks to Mayor Patrick R. Rios and his staff.  

Regards,

Rebecca Bridges Rice
President of the Board of Directors

2021, Here We Come!

A Message from Rebecca Bridges Rice, President of the Board

Dear Members:

This is a very exciting time to be serving as President of the Board of Directors. In the coming months we will begin construction on our new campus, and as we enter this historic time in our organization’s history, I am thankful to be surrounded by a highly involved team of Directors complete with Past Presidents and Committee Chairs as well as a knowledgeable and dedicated staff at the ready, who continue to contribute their time and expertise.

We have our eye on four goals in our three-year Strategic Plan.  Our Past President, Mary Hime, has encapsulated our goals by posing the question “What would success look like?”  In the following areas:

  1. Completing the building of our new facility;

  2. Developing a successful Performing Arts and Convention Center;

  3. Ensuring that RCA is a strong membership organization;

  4. Improving the financial position of the organization

Donors and Volunteers — We couldn’t do it without you!

Being a volunteer organization, we are aware of the impact donors and volunteers have on the Art Center. You have helped make our beloved Art Center become a vital part of Rockport’s quality of life. In 2021, we will continue to rely on you. 

These are exciting times for our organization.  I look forward to serving all of you and helping the Art Center achieve our goals and further our mission, to be the catalyst and epicenter for the Creative Arts.

Explore. Discover. Express.

Rebecca Bridges Rice
President of the Board

Spring into the Art Fair

A Message from Luis Purón, Executive Director



Dear Members and Patrons of the Arts, 

At the end of last year, we pondered how we were going to pull-off an aggressive program and fundraising plan in the midst of a pandemic. First, we reflected on lessons learned in 2020: remain nimble.  We were fortunate to be able to adapt two events in November- the Silver Meltdown and the Film Festival.  Both were extremely successful, and improved our financial bottom line while delivering on our mission.

Which brings me to the latest wheel we are reinventing.  Mark your calendars for the Spring Art Fair to be held April 16-18.  We have invited the many artists and artisans that were going to take part in last year’s Tour of Studios to host a three-day Art Fair at the gleaming Fulton Convention Center.  

The premise is simple and it ties to our mission: helping artists.  There will be 20 booths in 6,000 square feet of open space with a tall ceiling.  Fulton recently acquired three air purifiers that will give us all more confidence in sharing indoor space. Will we require social distancing, mask wearing, and hand sanitizing during the event?  Absolutely.  With a government led vaccination program starting to take hold, more Texans will be inoculated by mid-April.

The weekend kicks-off Friday, April 16, with a patron and sponsor party.  Guests will get a firsthand preview of the magnificent work created by our area’s finest artists in diverse mediums: ceramics, collage, glass, metal work, painting, photography, wood work, and more.

The event opens to the general public on Saturday and Sunday April 17 and 18.  For your safety, we will limit the number of people inside the venue to 450 at any given time.  During the Fair, visitors will get to shop in a leisurely fashion, visit the artist’s booths, and witness a select number of artist demonstrations to learn about a variety of materials, art mediums and techniques.

 The Board of Directors, the staff and I look forward to welcoming you to the Spring Art Fair by the Bay our first tourism and economic development event of the 2021 season.  

Stay tuned!

Luis Purón
Executive Director

2021 Participating Artists

Terry Baiamonte
Teenya Barnard
Lisa Baer Frederick
Michael Couvillion
Anita Diebel
Danya Heck
Stan Irvin
Diane Johnson
Kim Knifechief
Carol Koutnik
Janet Lee
Elsa Matthews
Genie Mysorski
Bonnie Lou Prouty
Jennifer Racette – Alison Julien Collection
Vivian Rood
Kelly Schaub
Eric Von Seibert
Barbara Sparkman
Wind Way Gallery

 

2020: A Recap

A Message from Mary Hime, Past President of the Board

Dear Members:

A year ago, when we were welcoming in 2020 none of us dreamed how different a year it would be.  Many of our dreams and goals had to be put on hold.  Fortunately, some were still able to be achieved.

As Board President last year, I had three goals for the Art Center in 2020: to be transparent; to maintain the financial strength of the organization; and to start construction of our new facilities. 

First, we attempted and I believed succeeded to be transparent with not only the members but also with our donors and the community at large.  Second, I am pleased to report that the financial position of the RCA is strong as we start 2021 and that we did not need to access our reserves or take on any debt during 2020.  Finally, although construction has not yet started on our new facilities, I feel confident that you should see a shovel in the ground by the end of this month.

Last night was my last board meeting as President.  We ratified the election results for four new and one returning board member, and we elected officers for 2021.  Their names are listed in a separate article.  I will still be on the Executive Committee as Past-Present.  One of my areas of responsibility will be to chair a board committee that will finalize the Strategic Plan (2021-2023) that we developed at our board retreat in December.  You will hear more about this at the annual membership meeting on February 25th.

I want to thank 2020’s Board of Directors and the staff for their commitment to the Art Center this past year.  None of the goals could have been accomplished without them.  I also want thank two former Presidents whose terms on the board ended- Terry Baiamonte (2016) and Jean Giesey (2017).  They have left an indelible mark on the Arts in Texas.  Finally, I would like to say a special thanks to Luis who works tirelessly for this organization.  His focus and energy are unmatched.

It was my honor to serve as Board President in 2020.  Happy New Year! 

Mary Hime
Past President 

2021: Refocus on Programs

A Message from Luis Purón, Executive Director


Dear Members and Patrons of the Arts, 

Despite the pandemic, 2020 was a banner year for Membership.  Revenue in that category exceeded budget by 6%.  To show any growth at all in an economic downturn is very rewarding.  Last year, we reached out to you more than ever through Broad Strokes, your monthly newsletter, and you stayed connected to us.  Here are some statistics- 

Number of active members:                619
Local Members - Rockport-Fulton:     337 (54%)
Non - Local Members in Texas:          168 (27%)
Out of State:                                         114 (19%) 

The Newsletter idea is something 2020 President of the Board Mary Hime championed at the start of her term.  We have had fun coordinating the theme of our monthly columns.  What it did is to help us think about the words “mission centric.”  From her leadership down to the staff, it helped craft a direction to make everything we set out to do about you, our members.

So how did we do? We have always prided ourselves in our connection to working artists.  Numbers don’t lie.  Sales in the galleries and the gift shop exceeded budget by a whopping 25%.  We will work very hard to recreate the magic we built at Estelle Stair and aim to exceed expectation in this rubric in 2021.  Our grand re-opening is tomorrow at our new location across the street (Baker Law Building 401 S. Austin St.)  Stop by and visit with Gift Shop Manager, Kim Ivey, who is offering a 25% sale in Art Center inventory through January 31st.

On the Fundraising side, our end of year appeal was simple and focused on our service to the community through youth art education.  At the end of November we launched a campaign to raise $48,000 to support programs such as ArtSpace Summer Art Camp and Free Family Saturdays.  Both programs lost funding last year, as foundations and corporations were leaned on to address basic human needs.  To date we have raised $19,000, or 39% of our goal! Donations are still pouring in.  This funding will help us bring college interns from the Southwest School of Art to help us execute an ambitious summer program.

I am excited to report that Juleanna Fuller will be the lead instructor for Free Family Saturdays this year.  An announcement of when that kicks-off is forthcoming.  On December 12th, Juleanna graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Texas A&M Corpus Christi. We look forward to some exciting lesson plans from her. 

I look forward to working with local artist, Rebecca Bridges Rice, who has been elected as President this year.  The aim of her tenure is a Refocus on Programs.  Rebecca has a specific interest in continuing to nurture the skills of the many working artists that are part of the Art Center family.  The staff and I look forward to executing her vision. 

I’d like to personally thank Mary Hime for her strong leadership and a team builder.  No challenge is too great for her to address. She is a hands-on leader, and we could not have been successful without her.  Happy New Year!

Luis Purón
Executive Director

 

What Have You Done For Me Lately

What Have You Done For Me Lately

A Message from Luis Purón, Executive Director

What Have You Done For Me Lately is a cool pop song from 1986 by recording artist and uber-entertainer Janet Jackson.  I have always liked the title of the top ten hit, because it poses a question and Ms. Jackson wants an answer.  As our members, you deserve to know what the Art Center has done for you lately in exchange for your membership dues.  To illustrate the answer let me recap the month of November:

We have been conducting Workshops and Classes, Pottery Studio, and Printmaking Studio time safely. Today we kicked-off one of the final workshops of the year, a photography series by wunderkind Stephen Fisher who has a tremendous local following. 

Sales in the Galleries and Gift Shop remain strong despite the pandemic.  Aside from regular sales, the Silver Meltdown (AKA the hottest ticket in Rockport this fall) was a tremendous success, surpassing income of $31,000 in one day. Sales revenue is mission centric as the majority of it is paid back to artists in consignments.

Evelyn Contreras brought her brand of Diversity and Innovative Use of Materials and Artistic Methods from Santa Barbara, California, as our 8th Artist-in-Residence.  Her exhibit was picked up by travel publications in Austin and the Hill Country. 

In a year of pervasive cancellations here and around the world, the 14th Annual Rockport Film Festival kicked off successfully. 383 people attended. The Red Carpet Party was a huge success, thanks to the screening of this year’s blockbuster, Death in Texas. 

2005 Art Festival Poster Artist, Carol Koutnik’s exhibit at the Nave Museum in Victoria helped us strengthen our Relationships with Regional Partners.  The show, Beyond the Backdoor (on view through December 20), is sensational, featuring 56 pieces of art.  

A week after the Film Festival we hosted an opening reception for Juleanna Fuller’s Thesis Exhibit. Juleanna, our gallery assistant, is graduating with a degree in Fine Arts from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, another important Regional Partner. Her show Threading Memories will be on exhibit through the end of the year. 

For the better part of the year, we have been actively working with a major donor and a nationally recognized bronze sculptor from the State of Colorado on a New Acquisition to the Permanent Collection that will become a marvelous addition to the downtown landscape late in next year. A design concept maquette will be ready at the end of December.  Full funding is already in place.

Right before Thanksgiving, Elena and the Exhibition Committee hung one of the finest Currents: All Members Show yet.  Currents is a Celebration of Local Member Artists.  An opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, December 12 starting at 5 PM.  This year’s juror is Caroline Crockett Kneese from Cerulean Gallery in Dallas, and she will be on hand to help us announce next year’s Art Festival Poster Artist.

All of these accomplishments happened in one month. Whether participation is modest, or not, there is no plan to stop the beat of our song.  At the end of the month we will be moving out of the historic Estelle Stair Gallery and moving into the Baker Law building across the street.  That will be our showroom while we build a new Art Center complex.  Come see our new digs in January, they are marvelous.

Happy holidays,
Luis 

 

The Past, the Present, and Planning for the Future

The Past, the Present, and Planning for the Future

A Message from Mary Hime, Board President

Dear Members:

This month we celebrate the past and plan for the future.  If you haven’t had a chance to drive down Austin Street, you really should   The Kline’s Cafe Building is now ready to be moved.  What that means is that the add-on portion of the building has been removed along with the concrete, asphalt and landscaping. The actual moving of the building will take place over the next month.  It has been a long and complicated process.  We have worked with so many individuals and organizations to accomplish this, that there are too many to list in this brief article. You know who you are.  Thank you for your time, your patience and your understanding.  We believe that the Kline’s Cafe Building’s new location will be a wonderful place to properly maintain and showcase a building representing the Rockport of yesterday. 

On Friday, December 11th we will start to plan for the Rockport of tomorrow.  The Board of Directors (incoming and outgoing) will gather to launch our next three-year strategic plan for the organization.  Our last strategic plan was developed in 2015 and other than completing our new facility, all the other goals have been achieved.  It is an exciting time for the organization as we plan for our future.  We want to make sure that all our constituents will be served with our new facilities.  In addition, we want to ensure the financial viability of the organization for years to come.  This sounds like a tall order in this uncertain world but we believe we are up for the challenge. 

Yours,

Mary