Discover artwork inspired by all corners of Texas in the first set of exhibitions for the Rockport Center for the Arts’ (RCA) 2026 season. Remaining on display throughout the first quarter of the year, the exhibitions feature ranch-inspired works by B. Shawn Cox, color-soaked paintings by Lisa Baer Frederick and geometrically abstract wooden and steel sculptures by Jack Gron. These regional artists, be they purebred Texans or more recent converts, offer personalized depictions of familiar landscapes that resonate with viewers while sparking conversation.
This exhibition cycle “gathers voices from across the state into one conversation here in Rockport,” said Catey Arnold, curator of exhibitions at the RCA. Despite the variety of media, Arnold forged a unifying theme: finding meaning in human complexity and “how we hold ourselves upright in a changing world. “Together, these exhibits form a conversation about resilience, attention and grace,” she continued. “How we keep moving forward thoughtfully, both as individuals and in community. They each bring a generosity of spirit, and it felt like the right energy to begin the year with.”
B. Shawn Cox’s “Hanging by a Moment” opened the season, presented by Fieldguide Financial and displayed until Feb. 22 inside the McKelvey Charitable Fund Gallery. His work features ranch imagery in many shapes and media, such as gun-slinging holograms in lenticular print, cattleherders printed over floral fabrics and the floating ballpoint-on-mylar cowboy figures featured in this current exhibition. Described by Arnold as “living in that split-second between falling and landing,” Cox lays bare his own perspective, critique and commentary on the social mythology of West Texas.
Lisa Baer Frederick’s “Echoes of Grace,” presented by Realtor Karen Mella and on display inside the H-E-B Gallery until March 3, captures the flora and fauna, beach life views and domesticity of the Coastal Bend in layers of rich texture. Her process of painting and repainting; layering and carving away; and letting emotion over order drive her brush strokes all inject a sense of life into her pieces. Repackaging familiar scenes into semi-abstract, borderline abrasive uses of color beckons visitors, locals or not, to pause for a second.
“Rockport is a place where nature, creativity, community and reflection overlap, and Lisa’s work carries that same layered vitality,” said Arnold. “Her paintings reflect what it means to slow down and truly study your surroundings—to notice how moonlight shifts across a room, to watch deer move quietly at dusk or to savor those early mornings when the bay is so flat and clear it blends into the sky.”
Rounding out the slate with abstract steel and wood sculptures comes Jack Gron’s “Attempting Balance,” set up inside the Jeanie and Bill Wyatt Gallery until March 22. A Corpus native by way of Ohio, Gron spent his final teaching years reshaping the sculpture program and foundry at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi as the Chairman for the Department of Art. Since retired to Houston, his newest collection explores the idea of finding steadiness amid chaos, punctuated by warm tones and a mixed use of materials.
Whether stepping through RCA’s doors for your monthly visit or for the first time, the 2026 opening exhibitions offer something for everyone along with a distinct way of seeing the state we call home.
Contact: 204 S. Austin St. | 361.729.5519 | rockportartcenter.com
