In Memoriam: Tré Arenz
The artists and art lovers of Austin are still reeling from the sudden passing of Tré Arenz. The local artist, probably best known for her figurative ceramics work, died unexpectedly at her home on the morning of May 8. An artist who was as generous in her life as in her work, Arenz was said to appreciate “the extraordinary in the ordinary,” which may explain why she had so many friends in the community. A number of them gathered at her studio as news of her death circulated. After receiving her M.F.A. from UT-Austin in 1988, Arenz became a regular on the scene, showing at LyonsMatrix Gallery, Austin Museum of Art, and Davis Gallery, where she was represented in the 2002 exhibition “Dumbo and Beyond.” Arenz approached her work with a spirit of playfulness, and much of it was characterized by her wit and humor. Her career brought her numerous honors, from a Connemara Conservancy Foundation grant to a Rockefeller Foundation study grant for Arenz and choreographer Deborah Hay to go to Bellagio, Italy. She was invited by the American Craft Museum to participate in a traveling exhibition it had organized. She received commissions for the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, the Austin Zoo, and Austin’s Art in Public Places projects, for which her Wall of Hands at the St. Elmo Service Center — 260 hand imprints from people in the neighborhood, each in a glazed ceramic tile stacked upon the other on the power plant’s retaining wall — was an award winner. Works of hers may be found in the collections of Houston Power and Light, the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art, and AMOA. She is survived by her mother, Terri Mersereau; her father, Robert Arenz; sisters Heidi Kleist, Elaine Brock, Annabelle Groh; and brother Eric Arenz. She will be missed. Friends will gather to celebrate her life at the studio, 500 W. St. Elmo, on Saturday, May 17, at 5pm.
Honors
Congratulations to Dr. Judith A. Jellison of the UT School of Music on being one of seven new faculty members elected to the Academy of Distinguished Teachers at UT-Austin. A specialist in music education and therapy, Jellison is known internationally and nationally as a speaker, teacher, researcher, and published author. She now becomes one of 80 members of the academy, which recognizes outstanding teaching, and personal commitment to students and the learning process, particularly at the undergraduate level.
Critics Table Addendum
In the list of nominations for the 2002-2003 Austin Critics Table Awards, two nominations were inadvertently omitted. The category of Costume Design should include Neal Teguns for Sweet Charity. The category of Dancer, Female should include Laura Cannon for The Well Inside. Our apologies to those artists.
This article appears in May 16 • 2003.