Chloe Vela has been putting paint brush to canvas since she was a little girl, and this year, she got to showcase her art as a Painting I student during the Texas Southmost College Master Copy Art Exhibit.
The college’s Fine Arts department hosts this exhibit annually at the TSC Fine Arts Gallery, located at the International Technology, Education and Commerce Center (ITECC) to give Painting I students like Vela a chance to share their art with family and friends.
“Becoming an artist has always been a dream of mine,” said the 29-year-old. “Painting, drawing and writing are my passion and I’m so glad I finally decided to pursue it and put all my energy into it.”
The McAllen native, who’s painting was inspired by the work of Belgian artist Rene Magritte and his piece Lovers II, started college several years ago as a nursing student, but never found the profession to fill the void created by not pursuing art.
“Art is all around us. It has a never-ending role in this world,” she said. “Being here at TSC and studying under instructors and artists like David Ransom and Robert Andes and being given the opportunity to share our work with the world is priceless.”
This is also the first time that Vela and many of her classmates have had an art piece for sale.
“Whether my piece sells or not this time around, all of these opportunities are still learning experiences and evidence that TSC changes lives, it has changed mine,” said Vela. “I’ve undeniably grown as an artist and established a foundation I can build upon, reaffirming that the decision I made to pursue art was the right choice.”
Vela expects to earn an associate degree in Art from TSC next semester and plans on continuing her education as an artist.
TSC Art Instructor David Ransom said he is proud of Vela and her classmates who have spent countless hours perfecting their paintings and preparing them for the Master Copy exhibit.
“For our students, this exhibit and the experiences leading up to it are a moment of transformation and is immeasurable,” said Ransom. “I’m excited that their laborious effort is now being recognized. This is why we created this exhibit – to highlight their work. I’m proud of what they have produced and I know these students are going to go far.”
Ransom is also excited to see the TSC Art program growing with the addition of two new programs in spring 2022: Digital Media and Design II, which will introduce instruction in three-dimensional design.
For more information about TSC’s Art program, visit tsc.edu.