Sculpture installation begins in new Rockport Center for the Arts’ Sculpture Garden

ROCKPORT, Texas (Oct. 3, 2022) — Gardens come in all shapes and sizes, including the Patricia Bennett Moore Sculpture Garden, part of the new 1.2-acre Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA) campus slated to open in November. The 16,000-square-foot garden has recently begun blooming with the installation of sculptural works from the RCA permanent collection, along with granite benches designed and created by Jesús Moroles. 

A total of eight sculptures from artists with state, national, and international recognition, will grace the garden, which also includes greenery, water features, and the five Moroles benches, making the space suitable for relaxation and contemplation. The general contractor for the new RCA, Teal Construction Company of Houston and Corpus Christi, and Moroles Art Co. of Rockport are handling the installation and garden work, which is expected to be completed in October.

“The Sculpture Garden concept was established at RCA back in 2000 with the acquisition of our first piece, Rites of Spring by Kent Ullberg,” said RCA executive director, Luis Purón. “The acquisition was made possible through a generous grant from the Margaret Sue Rust Foundation, before the passing of Mrs. Rust.  The sculpture was unveiled on her birthday. Since that time, we have continued to collect amazing works, 18 in all, by some of the art world’s most renowned sculptors.”

The first sculpture to be installed on Sept. 9 was Merry Time Romance, 2021, a scaled-up sculpture by the Swedish master Kent Ullberg and a key piece of the RCA permanent collection, followed in late September by Man’s Best Friend, 1999, by Michael Atkinson. Next will be Lighthouse Fountain 2002, by Jesús Moroles, scheduled for installation Oct. 6–7.

The remaining five sculptures will be Uccelli (Birds of St. Francis), 1972, by artist Charles Umlauf; Walking White Flower, 2011, by artist James Surls; The Inevitable Question, The Lure of Simple Inclinations, and The False Shadow of Transformation, 2016, by Danville Chadbourne; Interlocking, 1985, by Jesús Moroles; and Days, 2009, by Mark Williamson.

Two of the pieces, previously on long-term loan, were returned in time for placement in the new garden: Uccelli, from the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum in Austin where it had been since 2017, and Walking White Flower, displayed in City of San Antonio’s Mahncke Park since 2019.

An additional three RCA sculptures, strategically placed along S. Austin St., help beautify the downtown area and create a dialogue that ties-in to the sculpture garden in the new campus. They include Austin Street Red, 2021, and Spirit of Rockport, 2019 by Nic Noblique; and Beach Day, 2022, by Kathy Wardle.

The garden also serves as a visually inspiring transitional space between the new two-story, 14,000-square-foot visual arts and education building and the adjacent one-story, 8,000-square-foot Rockport Conference Center (The ROCC), which is also part of the RCA campus in the heart of downtown Rockport.  The garden area will also be utilized for special events hosted by RCA, as well as those booked by private entities through The ROCC for after-hours enjoyment.

Award-winning Richter Architects of Corpus Christi designed the new coastal contemporary facility, including the garden.

“The Sculpture Garden really serves as an outdoor living space and a stunning visual feature for the new facility,” said architect David Richter, FAIA. “A courtyard leading guests into the garden is actually nestled into the main building and serves as a focal point, drawing the eye into the garden, clearly visible even to passersby on the street.” 

With the opening of its new campus, RCA says it plans to continue expanding its collection. “Additional sculptural acquisitions are currently underway,” said Purón. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thirteen of the sculptures from the RCA Permanent Collection, as they appeared previously installed in the former RCA Sculpture Garden, can be viewed on the RCA website.