February 16 - March 31 2024
McKelvey Charitable Fund Gallery
Reception Saturday, March 9, 5-7pm
Rising Eyes of Texas, a yearly collegiate juried exhibition showcasing paintings, sculptures, video art, prints, and more by select Texas undergraduate and graduate visual arts students, returns Feb. 16–March 31.
Hosted annually since 2007, this year’s show features the work of 29 artists from 17 universities and colleges across Texas, including Abilene Christian University, Baylor University, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Houston Christian University, and the University of North Texas. The exhibition will be held in the McKelvey Charitable Fund Gallery and is free and open to the public.
“Rising Eyes of Texas has become a showcase for many students who are primed to have successful art careers,” said Catey Arnold, Curator of exhibitions for Rockport Center for the Arts. “We are proud to provide the opportunity for these emerging artists to get the exposure they deserve and to give our guests a glimpse into the future of contemporary art in Texas.”
Juror Tracy Saucier, Director of the Beeville Art Museum, will select the top three “best in show” who will share in the $2,000 purse supplied by the Christopher and Jessica Giesey Rising Eyes of Texas Scholarship Fund. The show also includes two additional awards: The “Barrow Foundation Curator of Exhibitions Award,” a $500 prize recognizing the artwork and artist statement, selected by Rockport Center for the Arts; and the “Giesey Award,” also a $500 cash prize, awarded by the Giesey family for creativity, originality, and artistic merit.
Event benefactors Jean and Charles Giesey are long-time patrons of the arts and donors to Rockport Center for the Arts, including the scholarship fund which provides Rising Eyes of Texas prize money and assists students with submission fees to provide opportunities to all, regardless of means. A member of the RCA board of directors for six years (2014–2019), Jean served as board chair in 2017, leading a 100-day recovery campaign to successfully restore operations after the RCA facility was destroyed that year by Hurricane Harvey.