Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts to Exhibit Works by Aldine ISD Art Educator Rebecca DeGroot
The artist describes herself as a woodworker with a wandering imagination.
Rebecca DeGroot poses next to one of her works at the Kendall College of Art and Design.
[dropcap color=”#888″ type=”square”]T[/dropcap]he works of Rebecca DeGroot have caught the eye of the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts. The museum has selected two of DeGroot’s pieces for its fall exhibition.
DeGroot is an art teacher at MacArthur High School.
The museum selected DeGroot’s woodworks titled “Refuge” and “Reach.” They form part of the “Turning Point: Woodturning’s Evolution From Ancient Craft to Fine Art” fall 2016 exhibit. She is one of several artists whose work is on display. The exhibition opened September 23 and runs through January 7, 2017.
The exhibit includes 49 works created by 16 Gulf Coast artists.
“Reach” by Rebecca DeGroot
Turning Point is a fascinating overview of masterworks in this ancient field of artistry. Though the origin of woodturning dates to 1300 BC, it has undergone significant changes. The art form has seen continued improvement of machinery and technology. This has allowed craftsmen to develop work with increasing levels of intricacy and skill. This has elevated the lathe-based technique from craft to fine art.
The [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts is free and open to the public. The address is 6815 Cypresswood Dr, Spring, TX 77379.
Museum Hours & Contact Information
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday
10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Thursday
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday
CLOSED Sunday & Monday
Phone: (281) 376-6322
Laura K. Baker, Development & Exhibitions Director: [email protected]
The KCAD featured DeGroot in its blog in 2014. The writer described her wooden creations as “Martian … as though they’ve just scuttled right out of the pages of H.G. Wells’ The War of The Worlds to await orders from the mother ship.”
Actually, they’re bowls. DeGroot has been infatuated with them ever since creating her first one for a class. DeGroot let her imagination run wild. Before long she was turning out her creature-like bowls. Each one with its own unique physical characteristics..
“Refuge” by Rebecca DeGroot
“I was really drawn to this concept of taking a typical domestic object and adding animalistic qualities to it,” said DeGroot. “There’s a shock value in a bowl with legs that looks like it might start crawling around the table. I loved seeing people’s reactions, so I just started to make more.”
DeGroot was homeschooled until seventh grade.
“[Art class] clicked with me,” she says. “It was the time of day that I looked forward to. Once I got into a normal school setting, the same thing happened. Art gave me freedom. The teachers were much more forgiving if I did draw outside the lines, literally. They really let anyone thrive in those classes. It’s expressing yourself, being who you are, and showing that off.”
Another custom-designed bowl by Rebecca DeGroot.
DeGroot pursued her dream to become an art teacher. Ever since discovering her passion for artistic expression, she felt destined to teach. She learned how to instill that same passion in the artists of tomorrow.
“There’s a certain stage in students’ artistic development where they hit a block,” said DeGroot. “The students that actually work to overcome that block are the ones who usually excel,” said DeGroot.
Visit the Pearl Fincher Museum to see her work.
MacArthur made U.S. News & World Report’s Best High School 2015 Rankings. The National Center for Urban School Transformation recognized MacArthur in 2013. The campus has also received recognition from the National Center for Educational Achievement. MacArthur also made Niche’s Top 100 High Schools in Houston.
About the Author: Leticia Fehling
