Student Highlights
Congrats to all the Graduating Students of 2023!
And congrats to Priscila Huerta (third from the left, next to College of Fine Arts' Dean Ward) for being chosen to be a Commencement Bell Ringer!
Commencement Bell Ringers are honors given to graduating students at each commencement ceremony. Graduating students apply to be considered for this honor during the fall and spring semesters. Students selected have been actively involved in student life initiatives, demonstrated academic excellence, and embody the Vaquero Honor Code.
Annie Snelson - AXA Art Prize Student Competition 2023 Finalist
Name: Annie Snelson
Major: Studio Art
College: College of Fine Arts
Hometown: Brownsville, TX
Congrats to Annie Snelson to being one of the finalists of this prestigious competition! Good luck Annie, winners will be announced in November 2023 in NYC!
Press release and details about the Competition:
AXA XL is pleased to announce the 40 student artists who have been selected for the sixth edition of the AXA Art Prize US 2023 Exhibition. The shortlisted artists are enrolled at 30 different schools and hail from 17 different states. The shortlisted works will go on view in November at an in-person show at the New York Academy of Art and will also be part of a virtual exhibition at axaartprize.com. The Prize winner and runner up will be chosen by VIP artists in November.
Over 700 submissions were received from a record 203 different schools, both undergraduate and graduate programs. Submissions were first reviewed by regional jurors from the Prize’s Strategic Advisory Board of 30 major art schools and programs in the U.S. including the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Pratt Institute and California College of the Arts. The final 40 works in the exhibition, which include paintings, drawings and prints, were chosen by an Exhibition Jury comprised of Ian Alteveer, Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Peter Eleey, Curator at UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Ann Philbin, Chief Curator at the Hammer Museum, and independent curator Nancy Spector.
This competition is open to figurative paintings, drawings and prints made by undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in art programs in the US. The first prize is $10,000 and second prize is $5,000; winners will be chosen by renowned artists Jules de Balincourt, Damian Loeb, and Mickalene Thomas alongside Jennifer Schipf, Global Chief Underwriting Officer– Fine Art & Specie at AXA XL.
Arlette Solis Almanza - Profile in Excellence
Name: Arlette Solis Almanza
Age: 19
Major: Graphic Design
College: College of Fine Arts
Hometown: McAllen, TX
High School: Achieve Early College High School, McAllen, TX
Why UTRGV?
Some of the main aspects I was looking for in a university were affordability and staying close to home and I was able to find what I was looking for at UTRGV.
What made you decide on your current major?
I have loved art for as long as I can remember, and it has always been an important part of my life and identity. I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the creative field so I could work on something that I love. This led me to choose graphic design as my major since it incorporates art and creativity with technology to communicate ideas through visual language.
Lily Sanchez - Profile in Excellence
Name: Lily Sanchez
Age: 20
Major: BA in Graphic Design
College: College of Fine Arts
Hometown: Progreso, Texas
High School: Progreso High School
Why UTRGV?
Many factors contributed to my decision. The first was that UTRGV offered a career path I was interested in. Additionally, I have always wanted to stay close to my family and UTRGV is a reasonable distance from my home. Lastly, UTRGV offered me a much-needed generous help financially. No other university offered all these components for me.
What made you decide on your current major?
I have always had an interest in art and being creative in general. So, I knew I had to pick a major that allowed my creativity to shine. A major where I knew I could simultaneously learn and have fun.
Yamilex Cantu - Profile in Excellence
Name: Yamilex Cantu
Age: 20
Major: Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design
College: College of Fine Arts
Hometown: Edinburg, Texas
High School: Johnny G. Economedes High School in Edinburg
Why UTRGV?
Choosing to study at UTRGV enabled me to stay close to home while being relieved of the financial burden that college tends to accumulate. I have been fortunate enough to receive financial support and scholarships here at UTRGV, and I knew I could acquire a quality education in something I love to do here.
What made you decide on your current major?
In high school, I had a teacher once suggest I take up graphic design classes that were being offered off campus upon completing a project that required we make certain characters using only the existing shapes in PowerPoint. I remember having so much fun working on the project. At the time, I had already thought of registering for a graphic design class the following year, and her words of encouragement just confirmed my decision to be the correct one. The next year, with the help of my new graphic design teacher, I grew to understand and work with the Adobe Suite, as well as participate in a competition for digital illustration. By then, I was sure graphic design was what I planned to study and continue doing.
Marian Ramirez - Profiles in Excellence
Name: Marian Ramirez
Age: 21
Major: Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Concentration in Graphic Design
College: College of Fine Arts
Hometown: Mission, TX
High School: Sharyland High School, Mission, TX
Why UTRGV?
UTRGV allowed me to have a good education close to home with many scholarship opportunities.
What made you decide on your current major?
I’ve loved art my entire life, and I started at UTRGV with a concentration in studio art rather than graphic design. What made me switch over was the way that the graphic design field incorporates art into technology and advertising, and I found this to be very intriguing and something I wanted to try out.
Arely Suarez - Profile in Excellence
Name: Arely Suarez
Age: 20
Major: Graphic Design
College: College of Fine Arts
Hometown: Mission, Texas
High School: Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy, Sharyland, TX
Why UTRGV?
I chose UTRGV because of the chance it gave me to be close to home. Family has always been incredibly important to me and the opportunity to pursue a career while still being with my family was an opportunity that no other university could offer me. UTRGV also has an incredible graphic design program with excellent professors which only reassured me that this was the perfect place for me.
What made you decide on your current major?
My love for graphic design originated in a seventh-grade class. I decided to take a design course to fill a gap in my schedule and never expected for it to eventually become my career. My teacher at the time was an incredible inspiration to me, she opened career doors that I didn’t even consider possible. Her passion for design, along with her amazing skills and an outstanding eagerness to teach made me completely fall in love with design and the possibility of being able to be just like her. Since then, I focused my time on developing my skill and continued learning from professors who inspire me.
Abril Zepeda - Profile in Excellence
Name: Abril Zepeda
Age: 21
Major: Graphic Design
College: College of Fine Arts
Hometown: Reynosa, Tamaulipas
High School: Escuela Preparatoria Gral. Francisco J. Múgica
Why UTRGV?
I chose to attend UTRGV because I got to see from my brother the amazing experience that he was having. I wanted to experience the same thing. Coming from Mexico it has been an easy transition and it is close to home.
What made you decide on your current major?
I love art and how powerful it is. My mom is an artist, so it runs in the family.
‘Magical things’: Mexico City muralist leads Brownsville project
On a recent overcast morning in downtown Brownsville, a small group of artists were at work creating a portal to another dimension.
Sofia Castellanos, the Mexico City-based muralist leading the project, which involves about a dozen local artists, said her aim when designing the portal, which is actually a mural, was to create the sense of a world apart yet connected. The massive artwork covering the entire side of the Craftland building opposite the Brownsville/George Ramirez Performing Arts Academy at East 11th and East Washington streets tilts toward surrealism, which she said runs through her work. Click Here to Read More!
Professor Gina Palacios was contacted by Diana Gonzalez from the Mexican Consulate asking if students would be interested in volunteering in painting a mural with and by Mexico City artist, Sofia Castellano.
The UTRGV students who participated:
- Aleya Barrerra
- Yental Marquez
- Armando Castillo
UTRGV Alumni who participated:
- Robert Ruiz – MFA
- Jesse Burciaga – undergrad (with an MFA from UTSA)
Click the album below to see more pictures of the mural.
Ashley Garcia (Student Profile Excellence)
What made you decide on your current major?
I have always been interested in the arts from a very young age, but because the world currently and mainly runs through technology and communication, I decided to combine my passion for the arts into visual communication design, or graphic design. Graphic design allows me to explore other mediums aside from traditional art mediums, such as digital illustration, web and app design, and even motion graphics - it’s not solely restricted to tangible mediums.
How are you maneuvering being a student during the COVID-19 pandemic?
To be completely honest, I was weary of how things would move forward with the current situation we are in but seeing that my school offered various opportunities to help students during these uncertain times made me want to work even harder. At times, it does seem difficult to keep myself motivated when I’m in the same environment day after day, though I try to change my routine in order to feel more productive and focus on completing the given tasks of the day.
Fernando Ramirez (Student Profile Excellence)
How are you maneuvering being a student during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Although the university has switched from traditional classes to online due to COVID-19, UTRGV has been helping students and aiding us to continue our academic goals. This has encouraged me to keep going and finish my last year here at UTRGV. One of the things that has really helped me is keeping a list of tasks and reminders set on my phone to get everything done on time and not fall off schedule. Another thing that has helped me is taking walks outside and driving around to help me destress.
What are your greatest strengths and what are some challenges?
My greatest strength has been my determination. Although I have had challenges such as anxiety since school and work transitioned online, my determination has helped me push through. My determination keeps me from quitting and motivates me to keep trying and reach my goals.
Frida Retana (Student Profile Excellence)
Why UTRGV?
Being able to study close to home and the added bonus of a community of people from the Rio Grande Valley was something that I believed would make the transition from high school to college a lot easier. Along with this, the culture found within UTRGV is something I really admired and wanted to be a part of.
What made you decide on your current major?
I have always been interested in art but was unsure if I wanted to pursue it due to the popularized idea that studying anything creative would be a bad career move. I wasn’t sure what I’d do, but a friend of mine told me she was studying graphic design and it was almost like an epiphany. I had taken a graphic design class my freshman year but totally forgot about it and I didn’t realize that was something I could pursue in college. After researching more about it, the idea of studying graphic design seemed like a perfect fit for me.
Jose Hernandez (Student Profile Excellence)
What made you decide on your current major?
A career in art education seems logical for me because it can help me combine my passion for art and my passion to empower others to grow in their ability and confidence.
How are you maneuvering being a student during the COVID-19 pandemic
I’m just trying to make the best of the situation and I keep reminding myself that this is not forever. One of the things that has helped me maintain normalcy has been setting a designated time and space to work on my school assignments. This way I avoid distractions and I'm able to focus.
Josie Del Castillo (Student Profile Excellence)
What made you decide on your current major?
I’ve been passionate about art since a small age. When I decided to major in Studio Art it felt right to me, and it’s been the only pathway I wanted to pursue. By pursuing this career pathway, I’ve been able to learn variations of creative skills, and at the same time learn to grow as a person. I believe the arts have an important impact in an individual’s growth, knowledge, and humaneness.
What do you hope to achieve beyond completion of your major?
I want to acquire a job position in academia. I want to work as an art professor and help students develop their skills. My art professors have been so supportive from the beginning of my career, and I want to give back to the next generation.