MEDIA CONTACT:

Vanessa Ormsby, RCA Communications Manager

(361) 320-2064 / vanessa@rockportartcenter.com

BIG DOG FINDS NEW HOME AT ROCKPORT CENTER FOR THE ARTS

One-ton sculpture slated to be lifted into place Jan. 17; public invited to observe

ROCKPORT, Texas  (Jan. 8, 2025) — While most are bringing pets inside this time of year, Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA) is making a permanent outdoor home for a dog named Espinazo.

Measuring an impressive 7 feet tall, 10 feet long, 4 feet wide, and weighing in at a whopping 2,000 pounds, the bronze work by artist Greg Reuter, a huge dog lover himself, will be the latest addition to the Patricia Bennett Moore Sculpture Garden. On Friday, Jan. 17, TNT Crane & Rigging of Corpus Christi will use a 78-ton crane positioned in RCA’s back parking area to carefully lift Espinazo over the ceramic studio building into its new interior courtyard home. Work will start at 10 a.m. and is expected to take several hours.

Named after a street dog Reuter saw while traveling in Mexico, Espinazo, meaning backbone, will be familiar to those who know Reuter’s work, including his “Make the Dog Bark” sculpture exhibition at RCA in early 2024, inviting viewers to explore their emotions through his many versions of man’s best friend. The sculpture was fully cast using the lost wax process, assembled, and finished at the Ken King Foundry in Houston where it is currently housed, waiting to begin its journey to Rockport.

The new sculpture will be the 11th piece in the sculpture garden, joining  Merry Time Romance, 2021, and Kingfisher, 2012, Kent Ullberg; Man’s Best Friend, 1999, Michael Atkinson; Moonscape, 2014, Lighthouse Fountain, 2002, and Interlocking, 1985, Jesús Moroles; Uccelli (Birds of St. Francis), 1972, Charles Umlauf; Walking White Flower, 2011, James Surls; the triptych The Inevitable Question, The Lure of Simple Inclinations, and The False Shadow of Transformation, 2016, Danville Chadbourne; and Days, 2009, Mark Williamson.

Growing up in California in the 60’s with a love of music and surfing, Reuter started his career in Hawaii where he received an MFA in sculpture and ceramics from the University of Hawaii, moving to Texas in 1978 to teach at Corpus Christi State University, now Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. For the last 15 years, his sculpture has revolved around the Padre Island National Seashore, using the beach as his studio. Shown nationally and internationally, his work is represented in numerous public and private art collections including the Art Museum of South Texas, and he has lectured in the U.S., Germany, Mexico and Japan. 

For information, visit rockportartcenter.com, follow RCA on Facebook and Instagram, or call (361) 729-5519.

About Rockport Center for the Arts

The new 1.2-acre Rockport Center for the Arts, the Coastal Bend’s first multidisciplinary arts organization, is located a block from Aransas Bay in the heart of the Rockport Cultural Arts District. Designed by the award-winning team at Richter Architects, the state-of-the-art campus features a two-story, 14,000-square-foot, visual arts and education building with four galleries and five classrooms (204 S. Austin St.); The Rockport Conference Center, a one-story, 8,000-square-foot conference and event center, known as The ROCC, (106 S. Austin St.); with a 16,000-square-foot Sculpture Garden serving as a visually inspiring transition space between the two buildings. The hours of operation for the showroom, galleries, and gift shop are Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday from noon–4 p.m. Admission is always free. For information on event space, or to book an event, call (361) 450-8033. For general information and to become a member, visit rockportartcenter.com, follow RCA on Facebook, or call (361) 729-5519.

About The Rockport Conference Center (The ROCC)

Located at 106 S. Austin St. on the 1.2-acre Rockport Center for the Arts campus is The Rockport Conference Center (The ROCC). Perfect for small conferences and board meetings, team-building events, family reunions, wedding receptions and more, the one-story, 8,000-square-foot conference and event center features a 4,400-square-foot ballroom (Randy Ewing Kemper Hall), 1,400-square-foot reception area (Estelle Stair Foyer), a fully equipped catering and culinary arts kitchen, and state-of-the-art AV and Wi-Fi throughout. For general information or to book an event, visit the-rocc.com, or call (361) 450-8033.

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