05/18/2018 - 08/12/2018

Art Museum of South Texas, Affiliated with TAMU-CC

Rather than traveling all over the great state of Texas, AMST’s Curator of Exhibitions, Deborah Fullerton, brings a selection of the best contemporary artists to AMST visitors. The Target Texas biennial exhibition is the best way to survey Texas contemporary art. In this fifth edition of Target Texas, AMST brings six artists from across the state, a place as big as many countries, to answer the question, “What inspires the contemporary artists of Texas?” Artists included in this exhibition include: Sedrick Huckaby of Fort Worth, Teresa Ruiz of Corpus Christi, Rigoberto Gonzalez of McAllen, Barbra Riley of Canyon Lake, Sarah Williams of Houston, and Elizabeth Payne of Yoakum. An accompanying full-color catalogue is available.

What inspires each artist depends upon a lifetime of experiences such as storytelling, family, nature, current events, and urban issues. In addition to life experiences, Target Texas artists have a variety of inspirations rooted in the distinctness of the region where they live including landscape, architecture, and wildlife. Compelled to create, the artists choose a medium to depict a visual message by combining their skills, techniques, personal experiences, and regional representation. The result is uniquely Texas, yet relatable to audiences globally.

No matter the medium, the artwork in the exhibition is the result of months of preparation. As the work develops, it sometime evolves in surprising ways. While study the art in Target Texas, imagine what compelled the artist to create the work. Given your life experiences, what message do you interpret from the artist? Do you relate to the artist’s message? Each artist made personal sacrifices in order to dedicate their life to art. What have you set aside in your life to pursue your passion? What inspires you?