The beginning of the fall semester is always full of exciting activities for all. This semester marks the beginning of scheduled art exhibitions for the first time in many years. It is only fitting the first exhibition includes the art of one of Texas Wesleyan's alumni, Angel Fernandez. The exhibition titled Dual: Angel Fernandez and Winter Rusiloski brings the works of Angel and his wife Winter together in their third collaborative exhibition.

Make plans to come by to view their exhibition. The exhibit opens Aug. 21 and runs through Oct. 4 with an artist reception from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16.

About Angel

Angel Fernandez attended FWISD's Northside High School. Upon entering Texas Wesleyan Angel brought with him a love of art inspired by his teacher the late Gloria Enis. It wasn't long before Angel made his mark in the Department of Art as the much-needed student assistant. While managing to keep the art faculty organized, Angel engaged with fellow art majors in subversive (and very creative) campus activities. Some of these antics included wrapping himself in Duct Tape to accept his Art Major of the Year Award at the May awards ceremony. Other activities included spray painting himself in gold paint and donning a Speedo to 'perform' his sculpture final in various places across campus.

Another memorable occasion was when the art faculty invited newly hired president Dr. Hal Jeffcoat to a formal lunch in Art North. The purpose of the lunch was to show the need for a new art facility. Unknown to the art faculty Angel and another cohort served the candlelit meal dressed in French maid attire and fishnet hose. I could go on but some of the activities were R-rated and I am not sure the website monitors would print the complete unedited story. Long story short Angel made the most of his time at Texas Wesleyan. It seems his motto was - First have fun, then learn, challenge, and go forward with dedication. This is exactly what he has done.

After leaving Texas Wesleyan, Angel entered the MFA program in sculpture at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. He graduated with his terminal degree in 2005 magna cum laude. While working on his master's degree in fine arts he held instructor positions at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, followed by faculty positions in the Tarrant County Community College system. Since 2009 he has taught at TCC's Trinity River Campus where he is a tenured associate professor.

Outside of Angel's teaching position he and his wife Winter Rusiloski, who is also an artist and teaches painting at Baylor University, curate exhibitions at their gallery, deadWest. Angel has created sculptural public art, some of which are on the Wesleyan campus. He has an extensive exhibition record that also includes lectures, workshops and professional presentations.

"Angel was born in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico. He grew up in the northern region of Chihuahua before coming to Fort Worth. From an early age, he accompanied his uncle German to his fabrication shop where he was exposed to object making. Additional visual influences include the statuary programs in Catholic Churches and the fantastic images found in various religions literatures," said Fernandez in his biography.     

Texas Wesleyan is very proud of this alumni. With hard work and vision, he continues to hold the visual arts in high regard and recognizes the important position it holds in an enlightened culture. He has a strong familial connection that is witnessed through his work and collaborations with his wife and joy of life brought to him via his five daughters and extended family. It's fitting that Angel is returning to Texas Wesleyan along with his wife, Winter, to be the first scheduled exhibitors in Texas Wesleyan's new university gallery.