Texas Art's Second Curriculum: Hands-On Apprenticeships After the MFA

A Glasstire article argues that in Texas, the real education for artists begins after the MFA, in workshops, print studios, fabrication labs, and art-services infrastructure. It highlights Dave Culpepper's 2019 exhibition "That's Not Going Anywhere" at Co-Lab Projects in Austin, where his work as a museum preparator informed his art. Ethel Shipton's career in San Antonio, including her role at Ruby City and her public work "You Are Here" (1997), exemplifies the blend of artist and preparator. Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Austin, founded in 1989, with Master Printer Alyssa Ebinger, teaches artists through printmaking. Alice Leora Briggs' "La Ventana" (2013), printed at Flatbed and acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 2022, demonstrates the collaborative process. Cedars Union in Dallas, a 7,000-square-foot incubator with shared fabrication spaces, formalizes post-graduate learning. Joe R. Villarreal's public sculptures "El Papalote" and "El Trompo" (2024) in San Antonio, built from his experience as a graphic designer, show how trade skills feed public art. Houston's TYart, acquired by UOVO in 2025, represents the logistical expertise that supports large-scale works. The article concludes that Texas art gains strength from this second curriculum of skilled hands and industrial patience.