Austin Museum of Art: 20 to Watch

I was recently selected as one of the 20 new artists to watch by the Austin Museum of Art located in downtown Austin, Texas. The show opens February 15, 2008 and runs through May 11 before heading off to other cities. This will be my first museum showing. In July I submitted work online. Then in September, I was called in for an interview to meet with the four curators/judges at AMOA. Diane Barber Director/Curator, Diverse Works, Houston; Eva Buttacavoli, Director of Exhibitions and Education, Austin Museum of Art; Bill FitzGibbons, Director, Blue Star, San Antonio; Dennis Kois, Director, Grace Museum, Abilene.

During the week I teach at SFA in Nacogdoches and commute in. I spend three days a week in Austin, four if I'm lucky and teach 4 days. My interview was scheduled for a Thursday at noon. I had planned to drive back to Austin Wednesday night after class but was kept late so woke at 6am Thursday to make the four hour drive back to Austin. I arrived at 11:30am and went straight to present. I followed this with lunch with my friend Leslie, the photo editor at Texas Monthly, whom I had filled in for May-June of this year while she took her maternity leave. At 2pm I started the drive back, 'The Road to Nac' as I like to call it followed by my three hour class on video that evening at 6pm. Needless to say when I got the call this week I was ecstatic that I had done so well given the circumstances.

I head out tomorrow morning to catch a flight to NYC. I've been gone for over two months now and can't wait to be back. I have a show which opens Sunday at Silvermine Gallery in New Canaan Connecticut. Peter MacGill was the juror and will be giving a lecture at 1pm.

Images from my Repository series were selected for both shows. A 30x40 of Exam 2 will be on display at Silvermine and a 40x50 of Clean 2 will be on view at AMOA along with one other piece.