Celebrating the Rising Stars of the Texas Art Scene
March 5 - April 4
Opening Reception March 6
Each year, undergraduate and graduate students in the visual arts take center stage in the Rising Eyes of Texas, a juried exhibition now in its fourteenth year at Rockport Center for the Arts.
Scheduled for March 5–April 4, the exhibition is free and open to the public. This year’s event features the work of 34 artists from 15 universities and colleges across Texas, including paintings, sculptures, video art, prints and more, with the top three “best in show” artists receiving a share of the $1,000 purse. Winning entries will be selected this year by Rigoberto Luna, artist and co-founder of Presa House Gallery in San Antonio.
A reception with the participating art students, their faculty and Luna will be held on Saturday, March 6, from 5–7 p.m. at Rockport Center for the Arts.
“Everyone looks forward to the annual Rising Eyes of Texas show because of the diversity and freshness of the artwork” said Elena Rodriguez, curator of exhibitions for Rockport Center for the Arts. “When you see the exhibition, you are truly looking at the future of Texas’s art world, and it’s quite exciting.”
Juror Rigoberto Luna is an artist, designer, and independent curator born and raised in San Antonio, currently working for the City of San Antonio World Heritage Office and Department for Culture & Creative Development. Luna also serves as the National Endowment for the Humanities art handler for the San Antonio Museum of Art and as a consultant/curatorial assistant for Big Medium in Austin, including the organization’s 2021 Texas Biennial art exhibition. In 2016, Luna and fellow artist Jenelle Esparza founded Presa House Gallery in San Antonio, providing an eclectic range of local, national, and international exhibitions as well as musical acts, poetry events, performance art, film screenings and more.
“This year, the prize money has been supplied by the Christopher and Jessica Giesey – Rising Eyes of Texas Scholarship Fund,” Rodriguez said. “The Giesey family wants to support fledgling artists as they begin on their upward journey in the art world. Their generous donation reduced the cost of submission fees, allowing artists of many economic backgrounds to apply for the show.”
Rockport Center for the Arts is located at 401 S. Austin Street at the Baker Law Building, first level. Hours of operation are Tuesday–Thursday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Friday and Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday, noon–4 p.m. Admission is free. Visit rockportartcenter.com, follow RCA on Facebook, or call (361) 729-5519 for more information.
Featured Artists
Baylor University
Ellis Barber
Kirupa Sargunaraja
Houston Baptist University
Allison Currie
Guadalupe Hernandez
Clinton Millsap
Midwestern State University
Ismael Izaguirre
Sam Houston State University
Arthur Magnum
Glenda Pivaral
Dakota Rogers
South Texas College
Ana Lourdes Hernandez Flores
Stephen F. Austin State University
Elizabeth Fontenot
Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Payton Koranek
Texas Christian University
Adrianna Touch
Texas State University
Emily Berger
Sydney Guzman
Chantal Lesley
Sid Nyman
Kristen Salai
Rachel Tucker
Texas Tech University
Sara Drescher
Jessica Lambert
University of Houston
Veronica Gaona
University of North Texas
Atinuke Adeleke
Diana Rojas
Henry Thomas
Calvin Yuan
University of Texas, Arlington
Mike Lopez
Liz Markum
University of Texas, Austin
Jesus Treviño
University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley
Michel Flores Tavizon
Elizabeth Gonzalez
Brenda Juarez
Cristobal Rodriguez
Cecilia Sierra