Rockport, Texas, August 19, 2025
News Summary
The Rockport Center for the Arts has appointed Elena Rodz as the Master Artist for an upcoming festival. She will showcase her original artwork during a solo exhibition, contribute to the Art Auction Gala, and offer fine art prints at the RCA gift shop in collaboration with Hare and Hound Press. Rodriguez, who previously served as the RCA curator, will bring her unique artistic vision to the event, focusing on the interplay of light and shadow in Texas landscapes.
Rockport, Texas — The Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA) has named Elena Rodriguez, known professionally as Elena Rodz, as the 2026 Rockport Art Festival Master Artist. She will be featured in a solo exhibition during the festival on the July Fourth weekend in 2026, will create an original work for the festival’s kick-off Art Auction Gala, and will have a fine art print of her work distributed through the RCA gift shop in partnership with Hare and Hound Press of San Antonio.
Key details and immediate implications
Elena Rodz served as RCA curator from 2013 to 2023 and returns to the Rockport Art Festival in a prominent artistic role. The Master Artist designation includes a solo exhibition at the festival, the original work for the gala auction, and a fine art print release available at the RCA gift shop. The Rockport Art Festival official website will carry updates and additional logistical information as the July 2026 weekend approaches.
Professional background and education
Rodriguez holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master of Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art, completed in 2009. After graduate study, she maintained studios in Brooklyn before returning to Texas in 2013. She initially lived in Rockport after returning and later moved to Corpus Christi, where she has continued her artistic practice and teaching.
Artistic style and notable work
Her work focuses on small-scale realist oil paintings that often depict nocturnal suburban scenes and Texas landscapes characterized by elements of mystery and shadow. One notable series, titled The Vastness of Choice, applies Impressionist techniques to study changing light conditions on a gulf coast scene. The thematic emphasis on light, atmosphere and mood has been a consistent feature of her work.
Roles in arts administration and education
Rodriguez’s decade as RCA curator (2013–2023) involved curatorial programming and engagement with the local arts community. Following that curatorial role she has taught in the Art & Drama Department at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, contributing to arts education alongside her studio practice.
Reception and community response
RCA staff have highlighted Rodriguez’s sustained studio practice and contributions to the regional arts community as reasons for her selection. The center’s executive leadership has noted the depth and originality of her work and indicated that she is emerging as one of the region’s more recognized artists. The Master Artist role offers increased visibility for her art during a prominent community event.
Logistics for the festival and related art sale
The Rockport Art Festival is scheduled for the July Fourth weekend in 2026. As Master Artist, Rodriguez will mount a solo exhibition during the festival and provide an original work for the festival’s Art Auction Gala, which opens festival events. A limited fine art print will be produced through Hare and Hound Press in San Antonio and made available at the RCA gift shop. For event schedules, ticketing and further details, the Rockport Art Festival official website will post updates.
Background context
Elena Rodriguez is a native of Chalk Mountain, Texas, and spent formative years visiting major regional museums, including regular trips to the Dallas Museum of Art and the Amon Carter Museum of Art in Fort Worth. Those museum experiences factored into her early exposure to visual art. Her professional path includes formal art education, a period working in Brooklyn studios, a decade-long curatorial tenure at the Rockport Center for the Arts, and subsequent academic teaching in Corpus Christi.
What to expect next
RCA will finalize programming and exhibition details in the months leading up to the festival. Festival organizers and the center will publish schedules, ticketing information and ancillary events online. The Master Artist exhibition and auction entry are expected to be highlighted in festival promotions and on-site programming once published.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has been named the 2026 Rockport Art Festival Master Artist?
- Elena Rodriguez, also known as Elena Rodz, has been named the 2026 Master Artist by the Rockport Center for the Arts.
- When and where will the Master Artist exhibition take place?
- The solo exhibition will take place during the Rockport Art Festival on the July Fourth weekend in 2026 in Rockport, Texas.
- What will Rodriguez contribute to the festival?
- She will present a solo exhibition, produce an original piece for the festival’s Art Auction Gala, and have a fine art print made available at the RCA gift shop via Hare and Hound Press.
- What is Rodriguez’s artistic style?
- Her work consists primarily of small-scale realist oil paintings that depict nocturnal suburban scenes and Texas landscapes with pronounced use of shadow and atmospheric mystery. She has used Impressionist methods in at least one series to explore light variations.
- What is Rodriguez’s background in the arts?
- She holds a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art (2009). She worked in Brooklyn studios, served as RCA curator from 2013 to 2023, and has taught at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi.
- How can I get updates about the Rockport Art Festival?
- The Rockport Art Festival’s official website will provide updates and additional details leading up to the 2026 event.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Master Artist | Elena Rodriguez (Elena Rodz) |
| Festival dates | July Fourth weekend, 2026 |
| Exhibition type | Solo exhibition during Rockport Art Festival |
| Auction contribution | Original piece for Art Auction Gala |
| Print availability | Fine art print at RCA gift shop via Hare and Hound Press (San Antonio) |
| Curatorial background | RCA curator, 2013–2023 |
| Education | BFA — Washington University in St. Louis; MFA — New York Academy of Art (2009) |
| Artistic focus | Small-scale realist oil paintings; nocturnal suburban scenes; Texas landscapes; exploration of light and shadow |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
Additional Resources
- Glasstire: Rockport Center for the Arts Names Former Curator as 2026 Festival Master Artist
- Glasstire: Elena Rodriguez Departs the Rockport Center for the Arts
- KRIS 6 News: Rockport Center for the Arts Launches its Guy Clark Festival
- Texas Highways: From Rockport to San Angelo, Texas Clay Art Takes Shape
- KRIS 6 News: Rockport Ranks Third for Best Coastal Small Town by USA Today
- Wikipedia: Rockport, Texas
- Google Search: Rockport Art Festival
- Google Scholar: Elena Rodriguez artist
- Encyclopedia Britannica: art festivals Texas
- Google News: Rockport Center for the Arts
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