The time has come for Rockport resident and this year’s poster artist, Angalee DeForest. Featuring her recent work, Illuminated Reflections is DeForest’s second solo exhibit at Rockport Center for the Arts. Last year, DeForest was selected as the 50th Annual Rockport Art Festival Poster Artist. In conjunction with the extremely prestigious honor of creating the official image of the long-standing event, DeForest will have a solo exhibit of over 25 original works at Estelle Stair Gallery, located at 406 S. Austin Street in downtown Rockport. Rockport Center for the Arts rented the space specifically to host the annual, blockbuster show. “Illuminated Reflections is a tribute to life on the Texas coast,” says Elena Rodriguez, Curator of Exhibitions. She adds, “DeForest’s limited color palette and painterly marks are the work of someone who truly loves Rockport, and her art is a great homage to the region.” Free and open to the public, the exhibit will run from Saturday, June 15 through Saturday, July 27. A gallery talk, reception and poster signing will take place on Saturday, June 22 starting at 4:30 p.m.
Adding spirit to the celebration of art, Tito’s Handmade Vodka has signed on as the Title Sponsor and is supporting Rockport’s Summer of Art, an offering that started last year. Rockport Center for the Arts will be releasing the recipe for the signature cocktail for the summer season. “We are grateful to Tito’s Handmade Vodka for being sponsoring the summer festivities related to the three art exhibits we are hosting,” states Luis Purón, Executive Director. He adds that the collaboration with the Austin-based brand was forged last year thanks to the Rebuild Texas Fund.
Angalee DeForest pursued her love for art through her studies of fine art at the University of Texas at Austin, and independently with nationally known artists throughout the United States. An ardent student, she believes artists never stop learning or striving to reach new goals. She has taught classes in watercolor, pastel, and oil painting, as well as portrait and figurative sculpture. She is a signature member of the Connecticut Pastel Society, and an associate member of Oil Painters of America, Portrait Society of America, Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists, Degas Pastel Society, American Women Artists, American Impressionists Society, and the Outdoor Painters Society. Her work has been accepted in many national juried exhibitions including Allied Artists of America, Hudson River Valley, Pastel Society of America, and Degas Pastel Society among others. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Rockport Center for the Arts.
“Being selected as the artist to represent the 50th Anniversary of the Rockport Art Festival is a great honor. It is such a privilege to join the ranks of the most distinguished former poster artists. It has been both challenging and exciting to present my vision and expression of love for this beautiful South Texas coast, and it is my hope that these paintings bring a sense of peace and gratitude to all who view them,” states DeForest.
A color specialist, Deforest adds, “There is an undeniable grandeur to the Texas Gulf Coast. My personal desire is to protect the memory of this magnificent coastline through my artwork and inspire the conservation of its land, water, and wildlife for future generations. Creating a work of art that communicates that need, conveys the beauty that I see around me, and generates an instant and heartfelt reaction from the viewer, has always been my greatest goal.”
The official image of DeForest’s poster will be revealed the night of the exhibit opening, June 22. It will be used as the official image for the 50th Annual Rockport Art Festival. It will be available for sale throughout the event. The Rockport Art Festival will take place on July 6 and 7, 2019 on the Festival Grounds. The original work of art will be sold live at the Art Auction Gala, on July 5, 2018. Posters will be available for sale at the Festival Store, and at Estelle Stair Gallery.
The Rockport Art Festival Poster Artist is a 27 year tradition. To commemorate this important tradition, a very special exhibit of Past Poster Artists will be hosted at the Art Center’s temporary hub located at 106 S. Austin St. “June 22 will be a very special evening in Rockport; we will have two openings at two venues located three blocks away from each other. At the same time 10 other art spaces will join in the fun with their own exhibits for the Rockport Art Loop. We are hopeful that our community comes to celebrate the beauty in art and what brings us together year in and year out,” adds Rodriguez.
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About Tito’s Handmade Vodka:
Tito’s Handmade Vodka is America’s Original Craft Vodka. In 1997, Bert “Tito” Beveridge, now a 50-something geophysicist, obtained the first legal permit to distill in Texas and created Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Tito’s corn-based vodka is naturally Gluten-Free and is distilled using old-fashioned pot stills. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is distilled and bottled by Fifth Generation Inc. in Austin, Texas, and is available in Liter, 1.75L,750ml, 375ml, 200ml and 50ml sizes. For more information, visit www.titosvodka.com.
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About the Rockport Art Festival Poster Artist Tradition
Every year, a committee 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 Rockport Center for the Arts, and for their ability to capture the coastal aesthetic that Rockport and the Rockport Art Festival are recognized for. The 27 year old tradition continues into the organization’s next 50 years.
1993 - Harold Phenix †
1994 - Steve Russell (Russell is a founding member of the Rockport Art Association, Inc.)
1995 - Al Barnes †
1996 - Herb Booth †
1997 - Jesus Moroles †
1998 - Evelyn Atkinson
1999 - Ricardo Rivera †
2000 - Kay Barnebey
2001 - Jim Offeman
2002 - Flint Reed
2003 - Anita Diebel
2004 - Thom Evans †
2005 - Carol Koutnik
2006 - Hal McCaskill
2007 - Nanci Barnes
2008 - Teresa Justice
2009 - Lisa Baer Frederick
2010 - Shirley Hughes Blackman
2011 - Betty Shamel
2012 - Bruce Bitter
2013 - Bonnie Lou Prouty
2014 - Pamela Fulcher
2015 - Chance Yarbrough
2016 - Joey Blazek
2017 - Barb Robinson
2018 - Debbie Stevens
2019 - Angalee DeForest
Legend: † Deceased
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