thesis show for Juleanna Fuller
November 20 - December 19
Opening Reception Nov 20
ROCKPORT, Texas (Nov. 16, 2020) — Rockport Center for the Arts will host Threading Memories Nov. 20–Dec. 19, a special graduate thesis show for Juleanna Fuller, who will receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in December from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Department of Art + Design.
The exhibit will showcase many of Fuller’s large and unique fabric creations, a talent she discovered and honed early on in her life. “My earliest memories of creation involve sitting at a sewing machine surrounded by my grandmother and aunts who were teaching me the art of meticulous measurement, intentional color choices, and precise stitching of fabric to create masterpieces that might be lying in someone’s chest for generations to come,” said Fuller. “I have allowed myself to explore an unpredictable medium like quilting not through a traditional lens of pattern and measurement but through spontaneous decisions about directional line and its connection to stitch lengths as I butt up color and pattern. With the addition of different fabric treatments such as rust dying and acrylic paint, I have incorporated the physical movement and action I found myself longing for in my process.”
Threading Memories works will be viewable and for sale both in person and online at rockportartcenter.com. The month-long event, which is free and open to the public, will kick off Friday, Nov. 20, with a reception from 4–6 p.m., with a maximum of 70 attendees admitted at one time in the galleries. All attendees, including visitors, staff, and volunteers, are required to wear face masks and maintain social distancing.
“When Elena, our curator, and I were made aware that thesis exhibits at TAMU-CC were cancelled due to distance learning and the pandemic, we quickly offered Juleanna a space for this important rite of passage in her career as a developing artist,” said Luis Purón, executive director for Rockport Center for the Arts. “Offering young artists a voice fits who we are as an arts institution, and we are always thrilled to enhance our collaborations with regional institutions such as the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Fine Arts program.”
Born in the Midwest, Fuller and her family transitioned to the Texas Gulf Coast in 2009 where she grew to appreciate the unique community and varied experiences. After beginning her undergraduate study at TAMU-CC with its diverse student body and supportive faculty, she found her passion, guided by the instruction of teachers and mentors across many art mediums including ceramics, painting, drawing, and sculpture with a focus in foundry work. In the last year or so, she found herself craving comfort and the familiar in her work, returning to her quilting roots and applying her life’s experience to her four years of coursework in the arts.
“So often as we get older and have new experiences, we tend to forget some from the past.,” said Fuller in reference to her thesis work featured in Threading Memories. “While creating these works, memories from my past and present were stirred up. Weather from color, pattern, or the simple sound of the sewing machine, I wanted to create pieces that could ignite these memories for myself with one look and create a new ones for others, unforced and unconstrained.”
Fuller has worked closely with TAMU-CC faculty members throughout her studies including a personally chosen three-member faculty committee — a requirement of all students seeking a BFA degree — designed to foster artistic growth and provide feedback and encouragement. Fuller's own committee is comprised of Professor Leticia Bajuyo (sculpture), Professor Meg Aubrey (painting and drawing), and is chaired by Professor David Hill (foundations).
"The BFA program at TAMU-CC is a challenge,” said Hill. “It demands a student produce as a mature artist would. Even with faculty support, it's a lot of pressure. But sometimes it takes pressure like that to galvanize all you have learned. Juleanna has successfully done just that. I've watched her transform into an artist. I no longer talk with her as a student, I talk with her as an artist."
Fuller has also made connections with other artists, drawing inspiration and guidance from the close-knit community of artists throughout Rockport. Serving as a studio aide for local artist Dianne Johnson, she also has continued to perfect her skills designing and creating silver jewelry, recently participating with Johnson and three other RCA Member Artists in a special RCA showcase event — Women on the Verge of a Silver Meltdown, presented by La Palmera — a celebration of the creative spirit in artists who work with metals, primarily silver.
Now an RCA Member Artist herself, Fuller also recently became a member of the RCA team, working part-time in the gallery.
Rockport Center for the Arts is located in downtown Rockport at Estelle Stair Gallery, 406 S. Austin Street. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit rockportartcenter.com, follow RCA on Facebook, or call (361) 729-5519 for more information.
About The University of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Department of Art + Design
The University of Texas A&M - Corpus Christi is located at the end of Ocean Drive, south west of central Corpus Christi. The nickname "Island University" is literal as the campus occupies Ward Island, which sits between Oso Bay and Corpus Christi Bay. The Department of Art + Design is housed on campus, in the Center for the Arts building, which is also home to the theater and music department. The Weil Gallery, also located in the Center for the Arts, hosts shows that feature regional and national artists. The department's hallways perpetually feature current student work. Administrated by Interim Chair, Professor Louis Katz, the Department of Art + Design boasts 115 undergraduate art majors, and 10 graduate students.