Loving Every Sandblasted, Sunburnt, Salt-Crusted Moment...
Work by Jeffrey Neel McDaniel
Although Jeffrey Neel McDaniel has been painting professionally for less than a decade, his colorful style is well developed and made him a perfect choice as the 2022 Rockport Art Festival poster artist, a tradition the last 30 years of the annual Art Festival, which is now in its 54th year.
"I believe art enriches and improves our lives,” said McDaniel. “My art is inspired by the natural beauty of the South Texas Coast, Big Bend, and the Texas Hill Country, especially around the Laguna Madre, the Chisos Mountains, and the Frio River.”
McDaniel's June 17–July 31 solo exhibition at Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA), Loving Every Sandblasted, Sunburnt, Salt Crusted Moment…, features a collection of his works, including the original poster art for the July 2–3 Art Festival.
A free public reception will be held on Saturday, June 18, from 5–7 p.m. to kick off his RCA show, featuring the unveiling of both the poster and the original work by McDaniel at 5:30 p.m. The original work will be auctioned live at the July 1 Art Auction Gala, which helps raise funds for RCA’s visual arts and art education programs. Seriated and signed giclées and non-seriated and unsigned posters will be available for sale at the gallery during the reception and at the Art Festival Store during the event weekend.
RCA will also host Artistic Legacy: Past Poster Artist Exhibition June 17–July 31 in Galeria Dos. Also known as the Rockport Art Festival Past Poster Artist Show, the exhibition features works from many of the artists selected to create the signature poster art for the annual Rockport Art Festival through the years, and is a visual representation of what inspires artists to move to Rockport and become part of the most vibrant art community on the Gulf Coast.
The first Rockport Art Festival was hosted in 1969 and has grown to become one of the most respected, and longest-running juried art festivals in the United States. Since 1993, a diverse committee of artists and art patrons have gathered to select one master artist that captures the coastal aesthetic that is symbolic of Rockport’s coastline and the Rockport Art Festival.
This select group of chosen artists that embody the Rockport Art Festival, the first of whom was master artist Harold Phenix, are known for their achievements in the Arts, their engagement and contributions to the Rockport Center for the Arts, and their ability to successfully portray the coastal aesthetic that is uniquely Rockport and that is recognized across the State of Texas. With vibrant paintings inspired by the local scenery, Corpus Christi native McDaniel was the perfect choice.
“I have been watching Jeffrey Neel McDaniel’s work since 2013, and it’s been interesting to see him grow as an artist and develop a visual language that is very much influenced by the saturate colors of the Texas coast,” said Elena Rodriguez, curator of exhibitions for Rockport Center for the Arts.
A Licensed Professional Counselor, specializing in trauma and crisis counseling, McDaniel began painting in 2013. With an amazing ability to capture the beauty of life around him, his work often depicts the awe-inspiring Rockport sunrises, the haunting depths of the ocean, and the brilliant colors of tropical flowers. He has participated in the Rockport Art Festival since 2019 and has received recognition at numerous other events over the years, including First Place in Botanicals (Corpus Christi Art Center, 2021); Best in Show (Kerrville Art Center, 2021); Third Place (Outdoor Painters Society Show, 2020); and Best of Show (Watercolor Society of South Texas, 2016).
“Painting is a great stress reliever for me, but the urge to paint is driven by the marvel and mystery of the natural world around me,” said McDaniel. “I express my wonder, curiosity, and gratitude through my art, and hope people feel a connection to nature when they view my paintings."
“For 30 years, the Rockport Center for the Arts has put forth artists that are inspired by the beauty of Rockport’s natural surroundings and what makes our fair city the gem of the Texas coast. On June 18, we will celebrate this enduring tradition of fine art with two magnificent exhibitions,” said Luis Purón, RCA executive director.