For Immediate Release

August 5th, 2025

Contact | Vanessa Ormsby, RCA Communications Director

Elena Rodz | 2026 Rockport Art Festival Master Artist
An Exhibition Showcasing RCA’s Former Curator
Summer 2026

Solo Exhibition Opening Summer 2026
In the H-E-B Gallery, Rockport Center for the Arts
Presented by Legacy Wealth Partners, LLC
During the 58th Annual Rockport Art Festival

Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA) proudly announces Elena Rodz as the 2026 Master Artist, the 34th recipient of the prestigious title. Known for her evocative nocturnal oil paintings that reflect her surrounding environments, Rodz continues a celebrated tradition that began in 1993 with Harold Phenix. The honor includes a solo exhibition during Rockport Art Festival, one of the longest-running juried art festivals in the U.S., held annually on the July Fourth weekend.

Rodz will also create an original work for the Art Auction Gala, a long-standing kickoff event for the festival. In addition, a fine art print—produced by Hare and Hound Press in San Antonio— of the live auction artwork will be available at the RCA gift shop.

"I am thrilled to welcome back one of our own, a brilliant talent whose creative voice is as bold as it is unforgettable,” said Karen Ernst, executive director of Rockport Center for the Arts. “Elena’s work radiates a depth and originality that sets her apart, and it is no surprise she is quickly emerging as one of the most celebrated artists of our region. We are honored to showcase her in 2026, and proud to be part of her artistic journey."

“Elena’s unwavering commitment to her studio practice in recent years, even while devoting so much of herself to the arts community, has resulted in a body of work that warrants presentation in a masterful light” says Catey Arnold, Barrow Foundation Curator of Exhibitions. “I’m honored to play a role in celebrating her as Rockport Center for the Arts’ next Master Artist.”

About Elena Rodz
Born in Chalk Mountain, Texas, Elena Rodz spent her childhood among barn cats and open skies. Her early love of art was nurtured by visits to the Dallas Museum of Art and the Amon Carter Museum with her grandmother. After earning a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA in Painting from the New York Academy of Art, she established studios in Brooklyn before returning to Texas in 2013.

Rodz fell in love with the flat, vast landscape of the Gulf Coast and made Corpus Christi her permanent home. She served as curator for Rockport Center for the Arts for a decade, helping to connect a small town with the larger contemporary art world. Since 2023, she has taught at Del Mar College, mentoring the next generation of artists. Her home is lovingly shared with pets who outnumber the people two-to-one.

Selected Solo Exhibitions
2025 — TBA, South Texas College-Pecan Campus, McAllen, TX
2024 — As the Sun Goes Down, Wind Way Gallery, Rockport, TX
2023 — We’ve All Been There, Produce Gallery, Corpus Christi, TX
2022 — Dilly Dally, Redbud Gallery, Houston, TX
2021 — It’s Only For a Moment, K Space Contemporary, Corpus Christi, TX
(Top 5 Solo Exhibitions by Glasstire Magazine, June 24, 2021)
2019 — Where I’ve Been, Gallery at Anita Diebel Studio, Rockport, TX

Selected Group Exhibitions
2025 — Summer Show, New York Academy of Art, NYC
— Celebrating Community Art, All Saints Episcopal Church, Corpus Christi, TX
— La Merienda, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX
2024 — Texas Contemporary Artists, Gotham Art Gallery, NYC
— New Texas Talent, Craighead Green Gallery, Dallas, TX
— Target Texas, Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, TX
— Posies, Fort Works Art, Fort Worth, TX
— Small Works Show, 400h Gallery, Fort Worth, TX
2023 — 10th Annual Juried Exhibition, Artspace 111, Fort Worth, TX
2022–2011 — Exhibitions in Houston, Fort Worth, Seattle, NYC, and more

About the Rockport Art Festival
Since 1969, the Rockport Art Festival has showcased juried works from over 120 artists in disciplines such as painting, ceramics, glass, woodwork, and jewelry. It is recognized as one of the most respected art festivals in the country.

About Rockport Center for the Arts
Rockport Center for the Arts is a cultural hub on the Texas Coast, providing exhibitions, education, and programming to nurture the arts in the community and beyond. To learn more, visit rockportartcenter.com or call (361) 729-5519.

Rockport Art Festival Master Artists, 1993–2026
1993 Harold Phenix • 1994 Steve Russell • 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 • 2020 V… Vaughan • 2021 Robin Hazard • 2022 Jeffrey Neel McDaniel • 2023 Kent Ullberg • 2024 Patsy Lindamood • 2025 Susie Black • 2026 Elena Rodz