ROCKPORT, Texas (January 2, 2025)

For those of you who met Luis Purón at the NSS Sculpture Celebration in Indianapolis, we have news from the Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA).

Purón, executive director of the Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA), will be stepping down from his position at the end of May 2025, concluding a remarkable 10-year tenure as the longest-serving leader in the non-profit’s nearly 56-year history. He announced his decision today, addressing the RCA Board of Directors in an executive session.

“For every leader, there is a season. Throughout my tenure, Rockport Center for the Arts experienced continuous evolution driven by a variety of factors. As my time draws to a close, it is the ideal opportunity for the organization to strategize about future priorities under new leadership in the stable environment we have worked so hard to create. I am proud to say that I have achieved every goal I set out to accomplish a decade ago.”

Purón relocated to Rockport to take on the executive director role in May 2015 after 13 years of honing his business and marketing skills in the biotechnology industry on the East Coast. Although he had no prior creative sector experience, he brought with him an extensive network of national and international connections, a strong commitment to the arts in Texas, and a wealth of fresh ideas.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to express our profound gratitude to Luis for his extraordinary leadership over the past decade,” said RCA Board of Directors President Lucy Nye. “Luis has not only transformed the Rockport Center for the Arts into a vibrant, resilient organization but has also significantly contributed to our community and the arts in Texas. His vision and dedication have elevated RCA to new heights, expanding its reach, resources, and impact in ways that will resonate for years to come. As we look to the future, the board is committed to a thoughtful transition process that will ensure our next leader builds upon Luis’s iconic legacy and continues to serve our mission with the same passion and excellence.”

Purón’s efforts to enhance cultural tourism in Rockport proved successful, highlighted by the $13-million Imagine Capital Campaign to build the new 1.2-acre RCA downtown campus, opening in December 2022, following Hurricane Harvey’s 2017 destruction of the former RCA facility. Featuring a 14,000-square-foot art and education building, an 8,000-square-foot conference center and a major expansion of its programs, RCA has seen membership triple and attendance increase from 22,000 to an impressive 50,000 visitors annually. The organization’s net worth has also increased eightfold, its budget has multiplied fivefold, new revenue streams were established allowing for less reliance on special event income, a new endowment was initiated, and a six-figure end-of-year surplus has become the norm.

“One of the criticisms we encountered during the planning phase for the capital project, was a deep concern that we would not be able to sustain the new facilities financially,” said Purón. “That concern lingered within me, so I made a personal commitment to remain in my position for two years after the project’s completion to demonstrate that financial viability was possible.”

In 2023, Purón was appointed to the esteemed Board of Directors of Texans for the Arts, a statewide advocacy organization dedicated to safeguarding public funding for the arts. In 2024, he was elected Treasurer of the Board.

However, his RCA tenure was not without challenges, including reopening in a temporary facility a mere 99 days after the 2017 hurricane and hosting a full exhibition and event schedule in 2018. That same year, as the capital campaign kicked into high gear, personal tragedy struck as his youngest brother, a prominent political figure in Mexico, was assassinated. Purón collaborated in 2019 with the City of Rockport and Aransas County to successfully secure a $5 million disaster recovery grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, and in 2020, managed to keep everyone on the payroll when forced to close by the pandemic. Purón also encountered public controversy over announced initial plans for the new RCA campus that included the demolition of Kline’s Cafe, a once-popular diner serving as a temporary gallery, situated on the land acquired in July 2016 by RCA. Purón helped broker a deal welcomed by all that relocated the building a few blocks away in March 2021, clearing the way for construction to begin on the new campus.

Purón’s final act will include support for RCA’s endowment through the auction of his contemporary art collection. He also plans to address the community one last time during The Financial State of the Rockport Center for the Arts annual meeting. Dates for both events will be revealed in the coming weeks.

“I moved to Rockport to write one chapter about the story of our art community. But this book is not finished. Thanks to a thriving RCA, many pages remain to be penned,” said Purón. “I have forged a 44-year career built on a foundation of authenticity, hard work, and the courage to take calculated risks. As I prepare to leave, I take pride in knowing that I dedicated the best years of my professional life to Rockport and contributed to making my community a better place.”

About Rockport Center for the Arts

The new 1.2-acre Rockport Center for the Arts, the Coastal Bend’s first multidisciplinary arts organization, is located a block away from Aransas Bay in the heart of the Rockport Cultural Arts District. Designed by the award-winning team at Richter Architects, the state-of-the-art campus features a two-story, 14,000-square-foot, visual arts and education building with four galleries and five classrooms (204 S. Austin St.); The Rockport Conference Center, a one-story, 8,000-square-foot conference and event center, known as The ROCC, (106 S. Austin St.); with a 16,000-square-foot Sculpture Garden serving as a visually inspiring transition space between the two buildings. The hours of operation for the showroom, galleries, and gift shop are Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Admission is always free. For information on event space, or to book an event, call (361) 450-8033. For general information and to become a member, visit rockportartcenter.com or follow RCA on Facebook.