Augustine Chavez

Adjunct Faculty
College of Visual and Performing Arts

achavez@umhb.edu
Baugh
UMHB Box 8447
(254) 295-4675
Curriculum Vitae (Résumé)

Augustine Chavez is a Texas based artist from San Marcos Texas. Raised in Staples Texas, Chavez was exposed to the open air landscape. As a child, Chavez loved to draw and depict his surroundings of the western scene. As an adult, he maintained his passion for art and continues to be inspired by his everyday surroundings. Chavez earned his Associates Degree at Austin Community College in Art, he then earned his Bachelors Degree at Texas State University in Fine Art, and continued his education and earned his Master's Degree at The University of Texas at San Antonio in Fine Art. In 2016, Chavez was one of 400 national artist to exhibit in a National Political Art Show in Washington D.C. at Touchstone Galleries. His painting won 1st place and was featured in the Washington Post. Chavez continues his journey as an artist reflecting on his indigenous heritage, the working class, and the beauty of the world. Chavez was recently the Artist in Residence at Amado Pena Studios in Santa Fe New Mexico and is now residing in Texas.

Subjects Taught
Drawing, Art Appreciation
Degrees Earned
Masters Degree in Fine Art
Research Interests

My current work depicts construction workers doing what our society depends on. Inspired by the realist of the 19th and 20th century Gustave Courbet, who focused on unveiling the lines of everyday workers, I am interested in unveiling inequalities in race and work by depicting the workers in our communities. I feel construction workers have a really hard labor intense job with little support from labor organizations. Living in South Texas, most construction workers are Latino. Most of the figures in my paintings do not show a face because society does not think of them as important, yet they are the ones who build our infrastructure. In my paintings, I force the viewer to take a look at the legs of America. I encourage the viewer to stop and look at the work they are doing in-order to better our communities.