Exhibition – TAMU-CC Bell Library features sculpture students

During the 2018 Spring semester, Assistant Professor of Art Leticia Bajuyo and her Advanced Sculpture students collaborated with Dr. Catherine Rudowsky, Dean of Libraries, and the staff of the TAMU-CC Bell Library yielding unique responses to sites throughout the first and second floors of the library.

“It became more than just me working on my art. I had to rely on others and practice good communication – whether it was with my professor, other artists, or people at the installation site. You work as a team,” said Sarah Spaulding, recent Islander graduate and sculpture student.

Beyond Books: Bell Library Features Islander Student Art Sculptures,
by Richard Guerrero, Sydney Spangler, and Joshua Esparza
July 9, 2019
Kudzu by Sarah Spaulding

Following a sequence of smaller assignments, the students refined their work into proposal packets and presentations for the selection committee. The students had to respond to a variety of questions and continue to update the committee as installation time neared.

“I was given the opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions that helped shape the students’ sculptural designs and installation process,” said Anjanette Jones, Bell Library staff and a member of the committee. “The collaborative process of public art installation was fascinating to be a part of. At Bell Library, we always welcome collaboration with other departments and organizations. We’re honored to be able to showcase and support the artistic talent of our Island community.”


Beyond Books: Bell Library Features Islander Student Art Sculptures,
by Richard Guerrero, Sydney Spangler, and Joshua Esparza
July 9, 2019

The final eight installations and artworks will be on exhibit for one-year when they will be deinstalled at the end of Spring Semester 2020.

Article – Art Professor Greg Reuter

When Art Professor Greg Reuter arrived from California to teach ceramics and sculpture at Corpus Christi State University in 1978, the University stationery still had the name Texas A&I University-Corpus Christi. In the ensuing 40 years, Reuter has taught thousands of students, lectured in Mexico, Germany, and Japan as well as in the United States, and shown his artwork across the globe. Reuter’s work also appeared in the 1988 film, “D.O.A.,” which starred Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. Reuter retired in December 2018.

Art Professor Greg Reuter Looks Back on 40 Years of Teaching
By Richard Guerrero | Published: June 19, 2019

Exhibition and Award – Jennifer Garza-Cuen

New York Gallery Klompching has recently announced their selections for the ‘FRESH 2019 Summer Exhibition’ in which Assistant Professor of Photography, Jennifer Garza-Cuen received an Honorable Mention. 

Exhibition Dates: July 17–August 10, 2019 Opening Reception: July 18, 6:00–8:00pm 

View Garza-Cuen’s On-Line Showcase at: https://www.klompching.com/fresh-2019-honorable-mention-jennifer-garza-cuen 

The Klompching Gallery was established in Dumbo, Brooklyn in September 2007. Owned and operated by Debra Klomp Ching and Darren Ching, the gallery quickly established itself as a gallery with an extraordinary roster of artists from which to purchase some of the best examples of contemporary photography—with exhibition reviews in publications such as The New Yorker, Art Review, Modern Painters, New York magazine and the Wall Street Journal, as well as numerous notable cultural websites. 

Since its inception, the gallery has earned a solid reputation for providing informed guidance on the acquisition of contemporary fine art photography.

Exhibition – Leticia R. Bajuyo

TAMUCC Assistant Professor of Sculpture, Leticia R. Bajuyo, was selected to participate a group exhibition titled PSYCH OUT!!! – a psychedelic outdoor sculpture show at Byrdcliffe Art Colony in Woodstock, New York
Exhibition Dates: July 13, 2019 through November 3, 2019

PSYCH OUT!!! Curator Alan Baer is an architect with exhibition design experience and served on the exhibition committee of the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild from 2006 to 2014. The PSYCH OUT!!! outdoor group exhibition will take place on the grounds of Byrdcliffe, founded in 1902 and the site of the original Woodstock art colony. The exhibition commemorates the 50th anniversary of the legendary Woodstock Music Festival: “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music,” which was held August 15 to August 18, 1969.

Bajuyo’s addition to PSYCH OUT!!! is an installation titled Lift, 2019
A 7ft x 21ft sculpture suspended by cable, this installation hovers above the stone wall as if a ceiling to a room in the woods. The colors of CDs and DVDs curve and spiral above head, but the mosaic ceiling almost disappears when viewed from the side.

This project was supported by a grant from the Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi Division of Research and Innovation.

https://www.leticiabajuyo.com

Award – Nancy Miller

Nancy Miller, Assistant Professor of Art and Coordinator of the Graphic Design program, was one of Two Islander Faculty Make CC Under 40 List.

CCU40 “honored 26 outstanding Coastal Bend professionals under the age of 40, highlighting their contributions to the community. For the first time in the program’s history, this group was composed almost entirely of millennials, ranging in age from 23 to 38.”

“Nancy Miller, Assistant Professor of Art and Coordinator of the Graphic Design program, received her bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Texas Christian University and her MFA in Media Design from Full Sail University. Miller built her repertoire designing for brands like Nike and creating solutions for a multitude of clients as a Creative Director at a local advertising agency before joining the Island University Department of Art & Design. At A&M-Corpus Christi, she uses her 15 years of real-world experience to enrich the minds of the students. To Miller, the link between education and community work is clear.”

“Involvement in the community informs my perspective as an educator,”  said Miller. “It helps me understand the issues that affect my students and allows me to develop meaningful service-learning opportunities for them that dually serve our community.”

Exhibition and Awards – K Space Contemporary

MEMBERS ONLY is a non-thematic, juried art exhibition of new works of art by current members of K Space Contemporary. Entries were juried by the K Space Contemporary Exhibition Committee to determine what would be exhibited in MEMBERS ONLY and selected awards. The Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi represented well at the exhibition and the top three awards went to Islanders!

Silas Breaux was awarded Best of Show for his artwork Best of Show – “Construct #2.” This award includes getting to have a solo exhibition at K Space Contemporary in the Corner Spot in 2020.

TAMU-CC graduate students Carlos Israel Villarreal and Kylie Justus were awarded Second and Third Place in the MEMBERS ONLY exhibition and they will have a two-person show in the Corner Spot in 2020.

Exhibition Dates: May 3 – 30, 2019 in the main gallery

www.kspacecontemporary.org.
Corpus Christi, TX 78401


Exhibition – TAMU-CC Art Faculty Biennial 2019

In the fifth incarnation of this exhibition series, Confluence, AMST emphasizes the caliber of art expertise located here in South Texas. Works include painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, printmaking, graphics, and design work by contributing artists: Meg Aubrey, Leticia Bajuyo, Jennifer Garza-Cuen, Rich Gere, Andrea Hempstead, David Hill, Louis Katz, Nancy Miller, Ryan O’Malley, Joe Peña, Laura Petican, Barbra Riley, Greg Reuter, and Lars Roeder. Guest lecture by Carey Rote, Ph.D.

Exhibition Dates: April 18th – August 11th 2019

Art Museum of South Texas
1902 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Corpus Christi, TX 78401

Below are installation images courtesy of Jennifer Garza-Cuen

A New Islander – Richard W. James

Ceramicist and Sculptor, Richard W. James will be moving to Texas and joining the faculty of Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi as an Assistant Professor of Art beginning Fall 2019. He will be teaching in both Sculpture and Ceramics ranging from introductory levels to graduate courses.

Richard W. James is currently a long-term artist–in-residence at The Archie Bray Foundation. He constructs his figurative sculptures by combining his ceramic background with objects, materials and processes that closely relate to his rural upbringing. Richard received his BFA from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 2001. After graduating, he worked as a production potter, built wood kilns, and ran his own studio until returning to academia in 2010 as a special student at Indiana University for two years.

Richard received his MFA in ceramics from the University of Kansas in 2016, where his thesis work received the 2016 Sculpture Magazine Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award. He has been a summer artist-in-residence at Zhenrutang in Jingdezhen, China, and a long-term resident at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. He has also written for Ceramics: Art and Perception, Ceramics: Technical and Ceramics Monthly. His work is featured in numerous private collections and exhibited across the country, as well as China and Italy.

http://richardwjames.com

Guggenheim Fellow – Jennifer Garza-Cuen

Jennifer Garza-Cuen, Assistant Professor of Photography, was named a 2019 John Simon Guggenheim Fellow.

The Foundation receives approximately 3,000 applications annually and this year only awarded 168 fellows. This highly prestigious award provides up to 12 months of support for professor Garza-Cuen’s work in photography. The Fellowship has been in existence since 1925. 

Edward Hirsch, president of the Foundation said “It’s exceptionally satisfying to name 168 new Guggenheim Fellows. These artists and writers, scholars and scientists, represent the best of the best” 

The Guggenheim’s web page of professor Garza-Cuen that includes her TAMU-CC affiliation: https://www.gf.org/fellows/all-fellows/jennifer-garza-cuen/

Untitled – Coal Mine, Buffalo, WY by Jennifer Garza-Cuen

Since its establishment in 1925, the Foundation has granted more than $360 million in Fellowships to over 18,000 individuals, among whom are scores of Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, poets laureate, members of the various national academies, and winners of the Pulitzer Prize, Turing Award, National Book Award, and other significant, internationally recognized honors. 

Congratulations Jennifer Garza-Cuen on such a great achievement! 

Also, Texas Monthly just did an expose about her work and award entitled “Corpus Christi Photographer to Use Guggenheim Grant on El Paso/Alaska Project”: https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/corpus-christi-photographer-to-use-guggenheim-grant-on-el-paso-alaska-project/

Jennifer Garza-Cuen by Asa Gilmore

Exhibition – Leticia R. Bajuyo

TAMUCC Assistant Professor of Sculpture, Leticia R. Bajuyo, was selected to participate a group exhibition titled – Interwoven at 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky
March 20 – October 6, 2019
Reception, March 31, 4-6pm

In 2019-20, cultural and civic organizations throughout Louisville will be honoring the contributions of female artists to the community through participation in Enid Yandell: A Life of Art and Activism, a series of exhibitions and programs celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Enid Yandell, the first female sculptor from Kentucky to achieve international success and one of the first women inducted into the National Sculpture Society.

Recognizing Enid Yandell’s artistic achievements and her legacy of social activism, Interwoven highlights works by ENID member artists Leticia Bajuyo, Linda Erzinger, Valerie Sullivan Fuchs, Bette Levy, and Joyce Ogden that reflect or respond to social issues through material and visual creativity.

About 21C Museum Hotel
21c Museum Hotel was founded by preservationists and contemporary art collectors Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson. The couple wanted to take an active role in the preservation and revitalization of downtown Louisville motivated by changes happening in and around their hometown.

With the belief that art can be a vital part of daily life and a spark to ignite new energy and ideas, they created 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville. Their innovative idea developed into a center for culture, community, genuine hospitality, and artistic expression.