Mar 3 - Apr 9 | Reception Mar 4

McKelvey Charitable Fund Gallery @ 204 S. Austin

Sponsored by Jessica & Christopher Giesey Rising Eyes of Texas Fund.

Each year, undergraduate and graduate students in the visual arts take center stage in the Rising Eyes of Texas, a juried exhibition now celebrating its 17th year at Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA).

Scheduled for March 3–April 9, this year’s event features the work of 30 artists from 15 universities and colleges across Texas, including Abilene Christian University, Baylor University, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Houston Christian University, and The University of North Texas. The exhibition will be held in the McKelvey Charitable Fund Gallery on the upper level and is free and open to the public.

“The Rising Eyes of Texas show provides a window to the future of contemporary art in Texas and beyond,” said Elena Rodriguez, curator of exhibitions for Rockport Center for the Arts. “Many of our past exhibitors have gone on to enjoy successful art careers and we are proud to provide a venue for  them to  showcase their talents.”

Featured works will include paintings, sculptures, video art, prints, and more, with the top three “best in show” artists selected by juror Tanja Peterson receiving a share of the $1,500 purse supplied by the Christopher and Jessica Giesey Rising Eyes of Texas Scholarship Fund. Jean and Charles Giesey are long-time patrons of the arts and donors to Rockport Center for the Arts, including the scholarship fund named after their children, which provides Rising Eyes of Texas prize money and assists students with submission fees to provide opportunities to all regardless of means. Jean also was a member of the RCA board of directors for six years (2014–2019), serving as board chair in 2017.

And for the first time in the show’s history, there will be two additional awards presented: The “Barrow Foundation Curator of Exhibitions Award,” a $500 prize recognizing the artwork and artist statement, selected by Rockport Center for the Arts; and the “Giesey Award,” also a $500 cash prize, awarded by the Giesey family for creativity, originality, and artistic merit.

“The Giesey family believes in encouragement and opportunity—something I myself experienced walking through the doors of the Rockport Center for the Arts for the first time,” said Jean Giesey. “This scholarship was created to allow artists to further develop the art in their souls and to pursue their artistic careers, regardless of media or means.”

This year’s esteemed juror, Tanja Peterson, serves as director of Redbud Arts Center in Houston. Dedicated to helping artists and collectors while promoting Texas art, she is an educator, photographer, juror, and writer with a specialty in 20th-century modern and contemporary art, and has authored numerous art-related books and catalogs.

A public reception with the participating art students, their faculty, and Peterson will be held at RCA on Saturday, March 4, from 5–7 p.m.

Rockport Center for the Arts is located at 204 S. Austin Street. Hours of operation are Tuesday–Saturday 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.

2023 Rising Eyes of Texas Exhibiting Artists by University/College

Abilene Christian University
Avery Stillman

Baylor University
Ellis Barber
Sophia Collins

Houston Christian University
Dreana Booker
Ashleigh Buchanan
Brendan Flores
William Soller
Allison Turcios
Constance Yowell 

Sam Houston State University
Liz Hayes
Charlie King
Arthur Mangum 

San Antonio College
Cheyanne Reyes 

Southern Methodist University
Taryn Uribe Turner 

Stephen F. Austin State University
Ginger Gore Russell
Rebecca Talbot 

Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
Mariana Ruvalcaba Cruz
Katelyn Girouard
Gabriella Vian

Texas State University
Hannah Rodriguez 

Texas Tech University
Sierra Greenslade 

Texas Women’s University
Alexandra Barnett 

The University of North Texas
Atinuke Adeleke
Carter Cordes
Chenxi Gao
Archit Karkare
Jae-Eun Suh 

The University of Texas at Arlington
Aubrey Barnett 

The University of Texas at Dallas
Dárē Akinwole 

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Karla Cruz