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ROCKPORT CENTER FOR THE ARTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LUIS PURÓN
TO STEP DOWN AFTER DECADE OF LEADERSHIP
ROCKPORT, Texas (Jan. 2, 2025) — Luis Purón, executive director of the Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA), will be stepping down from his position at the end of May, concluding a remarkable 10-year tenure as the longest-serving leader in the non-profit’s nearly 56-year history. He announced his decision today, addressing the RCA Board of Directors in an executive session.
“For every leader, there is a season. Throughout my tenure, Rockport Center for the Arts experienced continuous evolution driven by a variety of factors. As my time draws to a close, it is the ideal opportunity for the organization to strategize about future priorities under new leadership in the stable environment we have worked so hard to create. I am proud to say that I have achieved every goal I set out to accomplish a decade ago.”
Purón, who will turn 62 this year, relocated to Rockport to take on the executive director role in May 2015 after 13 years of honing his business and marketing skills in the biotechnology industry on the East Coast. Although he had no prior creative sector experience, he brought with him an extensive network of national and international connections, a strong commitment to the arts in Texas, and a wealth of fresh ideas.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to express our profound gratitude to Luis for his extraordinary leadership over the past decade," said RCA Board of Directors President Lucy Nye. "Luis has not only transformed the Rockport Center for the Arts into a vibrant, resilient organization but has also significantly contributed to our community and the arts in Texas. His vision and dedication have elevated RCA to new heights, expanding its reach, resources, and impact in ways that will resonate for years to come. As we look to the future, the board is committed to a thoughtful transition process that will ensure our next leader builds upon Luis’s iconic legacy and continues to serve our mission with the same passion and excellence."
Purón’s efforts to enhance cultural tourism in Rockport proved successful, highlighted by the $13-million Imagine Capital Campaign to build the new 1.2-acre RCA downtown campus following Hurricane Harvey’s 2017 destruction of the former RCA facility. Originally slated in September 2015 as a strategic expansion plan for the former RCA location, the capital project was the primary motivation for Purón to take the executive director position. As a result of this initiative, RCA's footprint expanded from the former 5,700 square feet to an impressive 22,000, featuring a 14,000-square-foot art and education building and an 8,000-square-foot conference center. The project was completed on budget and without any residual debt.
Following the successful completion of the capital campaign and opening of the new RCA campus in December 2022, speculation emerged within the Texas art community that Purón might pursue opportunities at art institutions in other markets — speculation that proved unfounded. Under Puron’s continued leadership, new brands have been launched, innovative marketing campaigns introduced, membership tripled and attendance increased from 22,000 to an impressive 50,000 visitors annually. The organization’s net worth has also increased eightfold and its budget multiplied fivefold, new revenue streams were established allowing for less reliance on special event income, a new endowment was initiated, and a six-figure end-of-year surplus has become the norm. Rockport’s public art program has also more than doubled, marking 10 years of remarkable growth and development.
"During the planning phase for the capital project, one of the criticisms we encountered was a deep concern that we would not be able to sustain the new facilities financially," said Purón. "That concern lingered within me, so I made a personal commitment to remain in my position for two years after the project's completion to demonstrate that financial viability was possible."
Those two years have now passed, along with Purón’s proof of principle, and the leadership position at Rockport's premier non-profit will soon be available for a new candidate.
“Collaboration, tenacity, and uncompromising aesthetics built the campus, but hope for the future and a better quality of life for our community is what keeps it alive,” said Purón. “The multi-disciplinary arts organization envisioned by our founders in 1969 has come to fruition and has a strong heartbeat. I am passing on an established and professional operation—an organization that has successfully navigated every challenge it has faced with grace.”
And there were challenges. In the aftermath of the 2017 storm, RCA gained national attention when Purón successfully pivoted a traveling exhibition from the damaged facility to the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi, just days before its scheduled arrival. Birds in Art opened to the public just 33 days after the hurricane-ravaged Rockport, attracting 16,000 visitors over its two-month run. Purón has often attributed this unexpected act of kindness from its sister institution as the catalyst for RCA's renaissance, saying, “I never looked back; we couldn’t afford to lose momentum.” Additional statewide attention came when RCA opened its doors to the public in a temporary location a mere 99 days after the storm, offering a full exhibition and special event schedule with educational programs for 2018.
In June 2018, just three months after launching the Imagine Capital Campaign, Purón faced personal tragedy when his youngest brother Fernando, a prominent political figure in Mexico, was assassinated. That same year, Purón encountered public controversy over announced initial plans for the new RCA campus that included the demolition of Kline’s Cafe, a once-popular diner serving as a temporary gallery, situated on the land acquired in July 2016 by RCA. Purón eventually helped broker a deal welcomed by all that relocated the building a few blocks away in March 2021, clearing the way for construction to begin on the new campus.
In 2019, Purón collaborated with the City of Rockport and Aransas County to successfully secure a $5 million disaster recovery grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, helping RCA to eventually expand its facilities and construct more resilient, storm-resistant buildings.
“The show must go on,” was the mantra Purón adopted for the 2020 season when In April, RCA was forced to close its doors due to the pandemic. And while participation in programs was minimal and budgets were revamped, no employees were furloughed and no salaries were reduced. By late 2022, with the completion of the 1.2-acre campus designed by Richter Architects, it seemed that RCA had made a strong recovery. The opening ceremonies in December 2022 attracted 700 supporters, highlighting the organization’s resurgence.
In 2023, Purón was appointed to the esteemed Board of Directors of Texans for the Arts, a statewide advocacy organization dedicated to safeguarding public funding for the arts. In 2024, he was elected Treasurer of the Board.
Purón’s final act will include support for RCA’s endowment through the auction of his contemporary art collection. He also plans to address the community one last time during The Financial State of the Rockport Center for the Arts annual meeting. Dates for both events will be revealed in the coming weeks.
“I moved to Rockport to write one chapter about the story of our art community. But this book is not finished. Thanks to a thriving RCA, many pages remain to be penned,” said Purón. “I have forged a 44-year career built on a foundation of authenticity, hard work, and the courage to take calculated risks. As I prepare to leave, I take pride in knowing that I dedicated the best years of my professional life to Rockport and contributed to making my community a better place.”
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 away 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.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Click here for a Creative Moonlighting “Artistry in Leadership” podcast and here for an episode of South Texas Leaders on KEDT-TV featuring Purón.