Cherise ‘Rhys’ Munro

Cherise ‘Rhys’ Munro is a Detroit native who previously worked within the structural steel industry; her experiences prior to attending UTSA explain her interest in the subject matter of architecture and geometric shapes.

Munro refers to herself as a “visual artist” because she is interested in painting, sculpture and many other different mediums. After experimenting with a selection of art mediums at UTSA, Munro is now drawn more towards sculpture than her chosen focus of painting.

“Whether the medium is paint, wood, or found objects, intuitively I reassemble the parts, resulting in improbable and unexpected architectural creations,” said Munro.

Everyday architecture, urban atmospheres and the cityscapes of Mexico City, Paris and Detroit influence this contemporary artist.

“Exploring architectural elements from art history and reconstructing them into a contemporary renaissance is the theme carried throughout my work,” said Munro. “Also, I maintain a strong interest in the contemporary renaissance occurring in cities such as my hometown Detroit, as ways of life and surroundings change and evolve.”

Munro is also devoted to her minor, art history; she is currently the president of the Art History Association at UTSA. During spring break, Munro attended Dr. Eckmann’s Contemporary Mexican Art class in Mexico City for the second time. This trip absolutely inspired her cubist work. 

More of Munro’s artworks can be viewed on her website: rhysmunro.com.

Emily Fagan

Emily Fagan is a 3D metal sculpting artist whose focus is creating sculptures using scraped and found metal. She chose reclaimed metal as her medium because of the instant gratification felt after converting a discarded metal item into a piece of art.

“The reason why I weld steel is that it enables me to make a diverse range of pieces with movement and balance that I could not achieve using clay or wood for example,” said Fagan. “Steel is very strong and welding is an immediate process that I find really appeals to the way that I work.”

Fagan is inspired by her autism when creating her reclaimed pieces. According to Fagan, her disability does not limit her potential. She merges her view of reclaimed metal with her view of autism: if an individual views an item as trash and discards it, that does not make the item useless. 

The artist is also interested in other mediums such as collage. Fagan’s collage “Self-Reflection” focuses on her interest in engineering.

“It is an irony, an art student who loves engineering,” said Fagan. She creates her collage by placing pieces of engineering articles in contrast to blank spaces that combine to display a self-portrait; this piece melds her two academic interests into one expressive and personal piece of art.

Barbara Miñarro

Artist Barbara Miñarro, a native of Monterrey, Mexico who currently attends UTSA, has a strong interest in painting and sculpture.   

“The departure from my home in Mexico to the United States has shaped the way I approach my work and serves as the underlying current,” said Miñarro. “Readapting and abstracting the way my body, language and culture conforms to environments, I conduct this through painting and sculpture.”

Miñarro is interested in the human body and the stereotypes that surround a person’s physical characteristics. She is inspired by Gestalt’s “The Law of Grouping” which states that humans naturally perceive objects in organized patterns, so consequentially humans similarly create society’s social constructs.

“I question the nature of this law to more abstract notions such as grouping of people by gender, sex, ethnicity, nationality, and placing borders on marginalized individuals,” said Miñarro.

Miñarro’s piece “Self” represents her physical attributes. Within this piece, she abstracts specific body parts and then paints the whole figure in particular hues that represent feminine tones. The central piece is then suspended inside of a bed frame, while her braided hair is placed above the headboard.

Barbara Miñarro’s multimedia piece “Self” is currently showcased at the 33rd Annual Juried Student Exhibition located within the Main Art Gallery on UTSA’s Main Campus.

More of Miñarro’s artworks can be viewed on her website barbaraminarro.com