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Memorials/Donations
The Museum of the Gulf Coast
Tenth Annual Art and Photography Contest
To celebrate Robert Rauschenberg's 100th birthday, a Rauschenberg poster from our archive will be awarded to an entry that was inspired by Port Arthur's legendary artist.
This years exhibition will be on display through April 19th. Entries will be available for pick-up the following two weeks to May 2nd.
RESULTS of the Tenth Annual Art and Photography Contest held in 2025.
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Youth Art:
Honorable Mention: Ricki Lyn Rackenschuh and Samuel Dunn
3rd Place: for Untitled, Rafi Latiolais
2nd Place: for Games, Domino Sutton
1st Place: for Beach Landscape, Kenleigh Harris
Teen Art
Honorable Mention: Timmy Schreck, Ella Owens, Elizabeth Carrillo, Luke Douglas, Scarlett Patxot, and
Alejandro Ramirez
6th Place: Panda, Madisyn Block
5th Place: Hand of Moses, Baylor Dillon
4th Place: Buttons!, Phoebe Patton
3rd Place: Trick or Treat, Brooklyn McMaster
2nd Place: Mark Edelstein, Elizaveta Gorokhova
1st Place: Vanitas, Harley Babb
Student Photography
Honorable Mention: Melanie Hilario, Haydee Castillo
3rd Place: Reaching the Oasis, Payton Bryan
2nd Place: Timeless Tulips at the Market, Aaliyah Elizondo
1st Place: Brown Beauty, Elizabeth Carrillo
Adult Photography
Honorable Mention: Jerry Connally, Shari Stark, Mike Cacioppo
3rd Place: Cattail Marsh at Sunrise, Lori Spaid
2nd Place: Cruising, Jerry Connally
1st Place: Busy Bee, Rosemary Mathis
Non-Professional Art
3rd Place: Summer, Grace Mathis
2nd Place: Remember You Are One, Maria Chinn
1st Place: Blue Carnations, Ashley McNeil
Professional Art
Honorable Mention: Thomas Veillon, Michelle MacMahan, William Ray, Enjoli Bush
3rd Place: Piece of My Heart, Ines Alvidres
2nd Place: Let Me Take You Down, Mike Cicioppo
1st Place: Kanchanphon #1 – 2025, Johnny Charles Milich
The Rauschenberg Award for the best entry inspired by Port Arthur artist Robert Rauschenberg, goes to
Grace Mathis for her piece entitled Summer. She will receive a Robert Rauschenberg poster.
Harley Babb - 1st Place, Teen Art
J.C. Milich - 1st Place, Professional
Ashley McNeil - 1st Place, Nonprofessional
Ines Alvidres - 3rd Place, Professional
Enjoli Bush - Honorable Mention, Professional
Jerry Connally - 2nd Place, Photography
Lori Spaid - 3rd Place, Photography
The Museum of the Gulf Coast was pleased to announce the results of the 10th Annual Art and Photography contest. The opening reception was held on Thursday, February 13th in the Dunn gallery to an overthrow crowd of 108 participants, family, and friends. This year’s contest celebrated the 100th birthday of Port Arthur artist, Robert Rauschenberg. Artists and photographers were invited to enter works inspired by the artistry of Robert Rauschenberg. Grace Mathis won that competition and was awarded a poster held by the museum that was once donated by Rauschenberg. Other categories were Professional Art (having sold more than 3 pieces), Nonprofessional Art, Photography, Youth Art (grades 6-8), Teen Art (grades 9-12), and Student Photography.
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Curator, Robert Fong said, “We were very pleased to give each nonadult that attended the reception a memento exclusively sent to us by the Rauschenberg Foundation.” These included items that were originally offered in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The items were handed out after the awards ceremony in the Rauschenberg Gallery on the second floor. All 3 items are still available and are for sale in the Museum’s gift shop for a limited time.
Medals, certificates, and $1,050 were distributed to all of the winners. The exhibition will be on display through April 13th. The yearly entry deadline is typically around January 20th. Those wishing to enter next year’s competition should check out the museum website at MuseumoftheGulfCoast.org in December of this year.
Preparing your entry
The Museum of the Gulf Coast invites everyone to enter our yearly community art contest. Artists and photographers 18 and under may enter one entry free of charge in both art and photography. Adults will be charged $15 per entry and may enter two entries in each category. We have categories for all levels of competition from sixth graders to adults in both the professional and nonprofessional categories. All proceeds go toward the cash prizes. Entries are generally accepted each year in January with a reception in February. An attempt will be made to display all of the entries in our Dunn Gallery. The contest exhibition usually lasts from February through April each year. An entry form with rules and deadlines for next year's competition will be posted online each year.
Links about Port Arthuran Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg is one of the most important American artists our country has ever produced. One of his works of art sold for $88 million dollars - the sixty second most expensive ever. In honor of his 100th birthday, on October 22 of 2025, the Museum of the Gulf Coast will be awarding Rauschenberg Art Posters given to us by the artist to select works of art inspired by Mr. Rauschenberg's art and live. For students who are unfamiliar with his work, the links below may be helpful.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation rauschenbergfoundation.org/
Museum of the Gulf Coast museumofthegulfcoast.org/robert-rauschenberg
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RESULTS of the Ninth Annual Art and Photography Contest held in 2024.
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One hundred ninety people attended the opening reception of the Ninth Annual Museum of the Gulf Coast Art and Photography Contest. Results were announced, and certificates, medals, ribbons, and cash prizes were handed out to the winners. Entries will hang in the Dunn Gallery through April 30th, with many for sale.
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Student artists ages 11 – 18 participated through their schools from Memorial H.S., Port Neches Groves H.S., John Wesley H.S., Bob Hope Middle School, Dequeen Elementary, and Christian Home School Enrichment Labs. Other students from Beaumont and Vidor also participated.
Adult artists competed in the Professional and nonprofessional art categories. For the contest, a professional was defined as an artist who had sold four or more pieces. Photographers competed in the 11 – 18 student category and the adult category.
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Entries will be available for pick-up between May 1st and May 15th. Students who entered through their schools will have their pieces returned to them.
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Results of the Ninth Annual Museum of the Gulf Coast Art and Photography Contest
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Youth Art – 1st Isabel Tindall, 2nd Celia Alvarado, 3rd Katie Migues, 4th Melany Hernandez, 5th Eloise Bromley, 6th Melanie Barragan
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Teen Art – 1st Ashley McNeill, 2nd Madison Gutierrez, 3rd Ella Owens, 4th Ignacio Guevara Sosa, 5th Yuran Morrison, 6th Miles Denzlingh
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Nonprofessional Art – 1st William Ray, 2nd Rene’ Moak, 3rd Grace Mathis
Professional Art – 1st Michelle MacMahon, 2nd Enjoli Bush, 3rd JC Milich
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Nonadult Photography 1st Memphis Hunter, 2nd Heidy Guerrero, 3rd Eduardo De Leon,
Adult Photography – 1st Jerome Cabeen, 2nd Jerome Cabeen, 3rd Jerry Connally
Honorable Mentions
Youth Art (11 – 14 years) - Leslie Murillo, Elana Papillo, Diana Lopez, Priscilla Vargas
Teen Art (15 – 18 years) - Arianna Davis, Milan Phan, Ayra Momin, Timmy Shreck, Merrick Monroe, Anthi Marie Crowell, Kadence Blakeman, Landon Smoke, Ismael Cervantes, Dayra, Jaramilo, and Yaidelysy Rivera Colon
Nonprofessional Art - Pattie Dawes
Professional Art - John G. Woodard, and Michelle MacMahon
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Adult Photography - Emily Mire, Rene Moak, and Jerry Connally
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Those not present for the reception can pick up their prizes through May 15th. An I.D. of the winner, or if a minor without an I.D., their parent will be required.