Now Open Sundays

Beginning Sunday, January 31, the Gallery and Gift Shop at 401 S. Austin Street will be open Sundays from noon-4pm. Stop by and see the great art and exhibitions the Art Center has to offer.

Welcome New Board Members

Five wonderful people were elected/re-elected to our Board this year:

Dee Becker

Education: Bachelor of Natural Science from University of Texas

Professional Career: Licensed Real Estate Agent with Key Allegro Real Estate. Owner of Dee Becker Real Estate Appraisal Services

Family History: My grandparents fell in love with Rockport in the 1950’s. She was an artist who painted local beach scenes while he sport fished. I moved to Rockport permanently with my parents in 1972 when we made our summer home on Key Allegro our main home.

My mother established and owned Islander Interiors until her retirement. She was the go-to interior designer on Key Allegro and in Rockport for many years. She also furnished and staged homes. Inheriting my mother’s love of art and design I moved to Indonesia for several years collecting indigenous art and furnishings from the area. I traveled extensively in the region experiencing the art and culture of places like Bali.

I returned to Rockport with my son so he could grow up here. I was involved with him in his scouting as he achieved Eagle Scout. Every summer he took all the classes at the Art Center he could. He graduated from Texas A&M at College Station and is currently an Ocean Engineer for a major oil service company.

Personal Statement/Mission: The Rockport community has given so much to my family. The Art Center is a special part of my history and my son’s childhood, I want to do my part to continue the legacy of this special place.

Tracey Ramsey Bennett

Tracey Ramsey Bennett worked at the San Antonio Public Library Foundation (SAPLF) from 1996 until her retirement from the organization, as President, this past December. After a long and fulfilling career in San Antonio, Tracey happily relocated to Rockport this May.

During her time at the Foundation some of her responsibilities included: co-publishing SAPLF’s bilingual “Arte Kids” book series with the SA Museum of Art and Trinity University Press; overseeing two free and open to the public programs: “Born to Read” (early reading initiative) and the “Literacy Caravan” (a mobil classroom); raising funds for the acquisition of art works for the Library system. Tracey’s main responsibility was to raise private dollars to supplement the City of San Antonio’s Public Library System’s budget. While at the SAPLF Tracey also served as co-founder of the San Antonio Book Festival established in 2000.

After graduating from Goliad High School Tracey attended The University of Texas in Austin where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Radio, Television and Film. Before joining the SAPLF she worked at the Southwest School of Art and the San Antonio Art Institute. Born in Goliad, Tracey has one daughter who is a senior at Savannah School of Art and Design.

Mike Catlin

Education: Elementary School, New York and Texas; Jr. High School, Texas; High School, Texas; University, Oklahoma and Texas; Continuing education, Texas. Degree in Fine Art, Certificates in Programming and Graphic Design. I still attend art workshops and classes from a variety of Artists.

Professional Career: I started Custom Framing Art at the age of 16. I’ve framed for Amado Pena, Malcolm Furlow, Peter Max, Bonny, Frank Howell, Tony Magar and other world-renowned Artists. I have painted 8 foot by 4-foot show posters for Amado Pena and Malcolm Furlow. I taught at the University of Texas in Arlington’s continuing education program. I currently own Coast Modern a Custom Frame shop and Art Gallery in Rockport, TX.

Community Service: In 2015 I started a Youth Art Program in Portland Texas and the United States Congress for that effort recognized me in 2017. In 2018 I did a framing program with the Rockport Art Center where 10% of Art Fest Poster framing sales were donated back to the Rockport Center for the Arts. I helped paint the public piano for the Rockport Cultural Arts District in 2018. I was also a Rockport Film Festival sponsor in 2019.

Special Interests: Sailing, Travel, Being a part of the Art Community, not only as an Artist and Gallery Owner, but also as a collector, teacher and critic.

Personal Mission: When I chose Rockport as the location for my Gallery and Frame shop, it was because I saw major support for the Art Community and the potential to help that Community grow. My mission within the Art Community first and foremost is to be an Artist with passion and integrity for the Arts. We as Artists have the ability to “police” ourselves and it’s important that we operate with integrity and realize our decisions can affect the Art Community around us. A strong Local Art community promotes interest, buzz and sales from art collectors and the casual art lovers alike. Helping create and sustain a strong Art Community requires education and the Rockport Center for the Arts has been providing that type of support for decades. I too believe that education is a big part of being an Artist and the second part of my mission is Art Education.

I’m not necessarily talking about teaching Art, but the education of emerging art enthusiasts as well as the seasoned art collector. Buying and talking about Art can be intimidating to the young professional that is interested in buying fine art or starting their art collection. We have an opportunity as professional Artists, Gallery owners and Art educators to make our community approachable and less

intimidating for not only collectors but for aspiring collectors as well. Art collection doesn’t always have to be polished originals, it can be sketches, studies, art proofs etc. and the new Art collector might not understand or even know those options exist. Being a part of the Rockport Center for the Arts at any time would be an honor and privilege. However, with the exciting new chapter for the Art Center right around the corner, I think now would be the perfect time for me to offer my knowledge and dedication to the Rockport Center for the Arts.

Susan O’Bryant

Susan O’Bryant is married to Bill. They have lived in Rockport for the past 30 years. This will be the second time for Susan to serve on the Art Center board. Susan also served as Chairman of the Tour of Homes Kickoff Party at its inception over 25 years ago along with two other co-chairs. Susan graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and received a Master’s in speech pathology from Texas Christian University. One of Susan’s hallmarks and distinct honors in our community is to have served as Founder of the Odyssey After School program in 2002. At Odyssey, she has served as President of the Board of Directors. She remains involved in the organization as a member of the Advisory Board. She founded and helped fund and underwrite the art program at Fulton Elementary. She currently serves in the Key Allegro Homeowner’s Association, where she resides with her husband Bill. They have two wonderful children and eight grandchildren, and they enjoy their company often.

Susan has been a longtime supporter of the Rockport Center for the Arts. In the uncertainty caused by Hurricane Harvey; she selflessly provided leadership and funding guidance to many area nonprofits that experienced tremendous loss; including Rockport Center for the Arts.

Dwayne Whitley

Dwayne Whitley is a Lifetime Benefactor who lives in Portland, Texas and spends a considerable amount of time in Rockport. He has been an active volunteer for art center functions since 2005.

Dwayne is a graduate of Texas A&M - College Station with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and a Master's Degree in Public Administration.

Dwayne currently has a tax accounting practice in downtown Corpus Christi and a part time office in Rockport.

Dwayne has been a Founding Board Member and Treasurer of the Rockport Cultural Arts District from Feb 2016- May 2017 and serves on the Board of the Friar-Thomas Ranch Foundation in Cuero, Texas.

He is a Member/Volunteer of the Texas Historical Foundation, Member of the Historic New Orleans Collection, New Orleans, La., Member of the Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, Member of the Museum of Fine Arts-Houston, Tx, Member of the New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, La., and Member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Dwayne has actively supported the Art Center in the past and has expressed a desire to continue to do so in the future.




Thank you for your service

to the Art Center!

Robin Hazard Named 2021 Poster Artist

Every year, a committee made up of collectors, gallerists, artists and staff affiliated with the Rockport Center for the Arts gathers to select one master artist who will join a select group of individuals known for their achievements and excellence in the Arts, for their engagement and contributions to the organization and for their ability to capture the coastal aesthetic that Rockport and the Rockport Art Festival are known for.  A 28 year old tradition continues next year with the selection of Robin Hazard (http://robinhazard.com/).  The Rockport Art Festival (since 1969) will take place July 3rd and 4th, 2021.

2021 Merit Artists Chosen

Congratulations to our 2021 Merit Artists: George Ann Jonshon, Sarah Fedak, and Cisco Willison. Their group exhibition - Standing Out 2021 - will take place next December. Congratulations to Anne Uhr, our people's choice winner. She receives a complimentary 1-year membership to Rockport Center for the Arts. Thank you to our juror, Caroline Kneese, of Cerulean Gallery in Amarillo and Dallas.

ARTISTS FIND SILVER LINING AMIDST COVID CHALLENGES

MEDIA CONTACT:
Karen Ernst, Deputy Director
(361) 729-5519 / karen@rockportartcenter.com

 

ARTISTS FIND SILVER LINING AMIDST COVID CHALLENGES

Spirit of mentoring shines through as female designers’ jewelry takes center stage in Nov. 7 event

 

ROCKPORT, Texas (October 29, 2020) — For five female designers, the upheaval of 2020 simply meant working together to creatively showcase their unique fall lines. This year’s aptly named showcase — Women on the Verge of a Silver Meltdown, presented by La Palmera — is Rockport Center for the Arts’ (RCA) celebration of the creative spirit in artists who work with metals, primarily silver. 

The popular annual event is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7, at Estelle Stair Gallery from 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m. Although the traditional runway show was prerecorded this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event will include individual shopping opportunities culminating with an evening trunk show. The event showcases dozens of one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, as well as select winter white mudcloth garments and leather purses, from RCA Member Artists and Rockport residents Danya Heck, Teenya Barnard, Diane Johnson and Juleanna Fuller, along with Kim Knifechief, an RCA Member Artist from New Mexico.

"This has become one of the highlights of our year,” said Karen Ernst, deputy director for Rockport Center for the Arts. “These are creative, strong women who support each other in their creativity. Kim mentored Diane, who in turn has been mentoring Juleanna, who has served as Diane’s studio aide in Rockport. This community of artists is like no other in the country in its’ support of the arts and the artists’ support of one another.”

The fashion event has become Rockport’s most coveted event of the fall season. Instead of a room full of 200-plus female guests the event usually draws, RCA has set up six one-hour blocks from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. and 2–5 p.m., where up to four social pods of five women each are scheduled every hour for private shopping experiences, followed by the trunk show from 6–7:30 p.m. with a limit of 70 guests. Pod costs range from $125 to $250 per group based on the time slot.

“I came up with the idea for a jewelry-focused runway show for ladies only following the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, “ said Luis Purón, executive director for Rockport Center for the Arts. “It’s our gift to the resilient women of Rockport who have done so much over the course of five decades to create a strong and vibrant art center and community.  Even a pandemic can’t stop them.” 

For information and to register a social pod, contact Karen Ernst at the RCA Administration Office, (361) 450-8033, or karen@rockportartcenter.com. Those who would like to attend the event should plan to reserve a spot soon as space is quickly filling up. A preview look book and runway show are both available online at rockportatcenter.com.  

 

About Rockport Center for the Arts
Rockport Center for the Arts is located in downtown Rockport at Estelle Stair Gallery, 406 S. Austin St. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission is always free and open to the public. Visit rockportartcenter.com, follow us on Facebook, or call (361) 729-5519 for more information. #PodWithUs

 

About La Palmera
Located in Corpus Christi, Texas, La Palmera is a 1 million-square-foot super-regional mall with more than 100 retail and restaurant tenants including Dillard’s, JCPenney, Macy’s, P.F. Chang’s and H&M. Acquired in July 2008 by IMI and Trademark Property, La Palmera is the first mall to be awarded LEED® Silver for Core and Shell 2.0 established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is an IREM Certified Sustainable Property. The mall features a 600-seat food court with a 4,500-gallon feature aquarium and a children’s ocean-themed play area. For more information on La Palmera, go to www.lapalmera.com, or call (361) 991-3755.

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The New Normal Rockport Deadline Pushed Back to Aug. 9

The New Normal Rockport Deadline Pushed Back to Aug. 9

Rockport-area artists have two additional weeks to apply for a portion of $150,000 in grant money through THE NEW NORMAL–Rockport, an initiative challenging visual artists to create works inspired by their current experiences in the world. The online application deadline is now Sunday, August 9, and all Rockport-area artists contributing to the Rockport art community and economy are eligible to apply.

Fine Line Group, in Partnership with Gallery of Dreams, Announce the Launch of THE NEW NORMAL Rockport

FORT WORTH, TX (July 2, 2020) – Today, Fine Line Group, the Family office of Sasha and Edward P. Bass, announced the launch of THE NEW NORMAL Rockport. Building on the success of THE NEW NORMAL artist initiative in Fort Worth, this $150,000 competitive grant program challenges Rockport’s visual artists to create works inspired by their current experiences in the world.

THE NEW NORMAL Rockport supports the creative community’s economic recovery through both service and art. The program will culminate with the creation of an important and profound body of work that interprets and documents the Rockport community's experience confronting three major contemporary challenges of our time: 1) recovery from Hurricane Harvey; 2) impact of COVID-19 on health, work, and social interaction; and 3) the country's current focus on eradicating systemic racism. A five-person panel of Rockport’s most influential art leaders will manage the selection process for this competition. Panelists will review candidate applications and provide grants of either $2,000 or $5,000 to Rockport artists based on the strength of their proposal, portfolio, and demonstrated financial need.

THE NEW NORMAL Rockport is administered by Gallery of Dreams, a Fort Worth nonprofit arts organization established by Lauren Childs of Fort Works Art.

“Cinema, literature, music, painting, sculpture and other forms of art are widely considered to be the repository of a society's collective and indelible memory,” said panelist and Executive Director for the Rockport Center for the Arts, Luis Purón. “Much has been written about the intrinsic value art plays in strengthening a community's identity and sense of place. Extending our own mission to support the artists of Rockport by providing the creative space to learn, grow, and impact their studio practice economically, we are beyond thrilled to play a part in THE NEW NORMAL. Ed and Sasha Bass’ vision to further empower our local arts community through grant-making will encourage creativity, diversity, healing, and inclusion.”

THE NEW NORMAL artist grant program is a first of its kind initiative. Its pilot program launched in Fort Worth in April 2020 has already given over 30 grants to artists to help get them back to work. The program’s founders, Sasha and Ed Bass, have historic family ties to the Rockport community. As the Fort Worth pilot gained traction, they began working with local arts leaders to bring THE NEW NORMAL to Rockport.

“Ed and I are excited to bring this program to Rockport’s vibrant arts community. This competitive grant initiative supports the artistic community’s economic recovery from pandemic shut-downs and sparks communal reflection on the many urgent issues every community is now confronting,” said Mrs. Sasha Bass. “Artists are ‘essential workers’ in society’s processing and healing from trauma. The body of work this program helps to create will live on to tell Rockport’s story at this unprecedented moment in history.”

A recent survey commissioned by Americans for the Arts found that as many as two- thirds of artists in the U.S. are without income due to the pandemic, making it one of the hardest-hit professions in the country. THE NEW NORMAL initiative aims to jumpstart Rockport’s creative economy by providing a highly-focused support structure that helps its artists get back to work, while also bringing the community together to share, process, and heal through art that truly speaks to what members of the community are feeling and experiencing.

Applicants are asked to submit a written proposal including a personal statement in which they express how this opportunity inspires them to create and how the artwork they intend to create will support the Rockport-area community as it copes with the impact of the pandemic and wrestles to address the larger social justice issues it has helped bring to the forefront. Applicants are also asked to provide an overview of the artwork they intend to create, examples of their current work, and a statement of need. The full application is available here. There is no fee to apply.

Application Open: Now
Application Deadline: July 26, 2020
*Awards will be announced July 31, 2020

SELECTION PANEL
Sara Sells Morgan
Director Art Museum of South Texas

Suzanna Moroles
Founder of MorolesArtCo.
Jesús Moroles Archivist/Art Curator

Luis Purón
Executive Director Rockport Center for the Arts

Elena Rodriguez
Curator of Exhibitions Rockport Center for the Arts

Michelle Smythe
Executive Director K Space Contemporary

PARTNERS

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Rockport Center For The Arts Returns To Estelle Stair Gallery For Summer Poster Artist Show

Rockport Center For The Arts Returns To Estelle Stair Gallery For Summer Poster Artist Show

 (ROCKPORT, TX) Rockport Center for the Arts is happy to announce that it has secured Estelle Stair Gallery, located at 406 S. Austin St. in downtown Rockport, for the months of June and July 2018 to host its annual Art festival Poster Artist exhibit.  The agreement was entered into on May 8 with Lisa Baer Frederick, proprietor of Estelle Stair Gallery who is a Poster Artist herself (2009).  Baer Frederick is also the niece of the famed gallerist that bears the historical building’s name.  She states “I am so excited!”