Curated by Cassie Normandy & Ryan O’Malley
May 14 - June 13
Opening Reception May 15
Curated by Ryan O’Malley and Cassie Normandy and featured in the RCA Main Gallery, Earthborn showcases a dynamic cohort of printmakers from across the country who incorporate themes of the natural world including reverence, spirituality, science, anthropomorphism, social commentary, or the supernatural, among other traditional and innovative approaches to the printmaking medium.
“There’s an intrinsic link between creativity and nature, and we look to nature to better understand ourselves and our place within it,” Normandy said. “It’s no surprise the very first prints were hand stencils communally placed on cave walls alongside depictions of animals. From Hokusai’s wave to Audubon’s birds, the expansive possibilities of print media are well suited companions to the layered complexities amongst plants, animals, the elements and humankind.”
“When honored with the invitation to curate a contemporary printmaking exhibition at the Rockport Center for the Arts, we were challenged to highlight the breadth of possibilities within the medium through a comprehensive, diverse and accessible lens,” O’Malley said. “When considering how to showcase artists we admire with the Coastal Bend community, relationships with the natural world emerged as a common thread.”
Exhibiting Printmakers
Marwin Begaye
Sasha Bitzer
Kala'i Blakemore
Silas Breaux
Catherine Chauvin
Clarissa Gonzalez
Annalise Gratovich
Dan Heskamp
John Jacobsmeyer
Jules Buck Jones
Eunkang Koh
Tyler Krasowski
Michael Krueger
Lauren Kussro
Carrie Lingscheit
Emmy Lingscheit
Valerie Lueth
Martin Mazorra
Dennis McNett
Johanna Mueller
Kathleen Neeley
Ali Norman
Cassie Normandy
Ryan O'Malley
Bryn Perrot
Andrew Polk
Kathryn Polk
Lars Roeder
Marilee Salvator
Katy Seals
Melanie Yazzie
About the Curators
Currently an Associate Professor of Art and Graduate Coordinator for Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, co-curator Ryan O’Malley received his BFA in Printmaking from the University of South Dakota and his MFA degree from Louisiana State University. As an artist, educator and member of the Outlaw Printmakers, his work has been included in numerous national and international exhibitions, publications, portfolios and collections and he has shown internationally including China, Estonia, France, Iran, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, and Russia. His expertise is also included in Printmaking: A Complete Guide to Materials and Process, Second Edition, by Fick and Grabowski.
As an artist and educator working across print, drawing, and collage media in Corpus Christi, the work of Earthborn co-curator Cassie Normandy is based in the interconnectedness of the natural world, utilizing printmaking as a method for experimentation and surprise. Steeping in research of forest ecology, animal behavior, plant cognition, and seed stewardship, Normandy’s work expresses curiosity and appreciation for non-human life who we are inextricably connected to. She has exhibited in numerous national and international exhibitions and has been included into public and private collections including the US Library of Congress.