CONTACT: Julie Navejar
kajam03@tamuk.edu or 361-593-2590

Local Artist Brings Work To Texas A&M-Kingsville

KINGSVILLE (September 19, 2002) — A Corpus Christi artist will display his work at the John E. Conner Museum located on the campus of Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The exhibit by Ron Stephenson, “The Southwest in All Its Splendor,” will be up from Thursday, Sept. 26, through Saturday, Oct. 19.

Stephenson is one of the most dynamic artists in South Texas, concentrating on themes that transcend mere representation. In recent years, he has concentrated on capturing his unique vision of the Southwest and the Native American Indian in his work. He works mostly with acrylics.

Art critics have classified his work as “a culmination of bold, powerful composition and bright colors on canvases of vibrant, electric hues, utilizing primary colors applied in bold strokes to give dimension and character to the canvas.”

Stephenson does his research by traveling to the areas of his possible subject matter and then taking photographs of any and all interesting subjects. He then returns to his home studio and adds the product of his research to his imagination and his love for the Southwest. The end result is a tremendous burst of energy and talent on a piece of canvas.

The artist was born in southern Ohio. He began drawing at an early age. After graduation from high school, he received a full scholarship to the University of Tampa where he studied commercial art.

In 1960, while serving in the United States Navy, Stephenson was stationed at Naval Air Station Kingsville. It was there he met and married Aurora Benavides, a local girl. They settled in Corpus Christi.

He became a professional artist in 1972 and has since established a business, Ron Stephenson’s Art Studio and Gallery. He has won numerous awards for his art and he has lectured and demonstrated his technique as an instructor.

His work has been exhibited in first class galleries in Carmel, California; Seattle, Scottsdale; Miami; Oklahoma Grove, Oklahoma; Albuquerque; Taos; Santa Fe; Georgetown; Chicago; San Antonio; Alexandria, Virginia; Wimberly; Houston; Dallas; Brownsville; and Kerrville.
His paintings hang in permanent art collections as well as private ones in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, England, Italy, Spain and St. Croix, Virgin Islands.

The Conner Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 361-593-2810.

-TAMUK-