![\"Portrait](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/doug-hensley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n This School of Art graduate holds two master\u2019s degrees and just completed a prestigious
\n residency in Germany.<\/p>\n
\t\tCREATORS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In those times when Brandy Gonz\u00e1lez might have struggled a little to believe in herself, As a result of that unwavering support, Gonz\u00e1lez earned two master\u2019s degrees from \u201cThey helped me believe that I could do something more rather than just stopping after Gonz\u00e1lez was already a successful art teacher, and she had a stable career with a Talk about a scary proposition.\u00a0<\/p>\n Faculty members like Ghislaine Fremaux<\/a>, associate professor of painting and associate director in the School of Art, Sangmi Yoo<\/a>, a professor of printmaking & drawing, Future Akins-Tillett, a former faculty member \u201cI walked away from Texas Tech having a new mindset and greater confidence in newer Her vision and talent were recently affirmed once again when she landed a prestigious The residency is highly competitive with Gonz\u00e1lez being selected from among hundreds \u201cI have a coworker who has been in the arts scene for a long time, and he is my local At the time, Gonz\u00e1lez saw herself as an art teacher, but as she talked through the \u201cPart of me is already built like I would rather jump and fall than never jump at So, she applied and waited. Months later came that moment Gonz\u00e1lez learned she had As it turned out, Gonz\u00e1lez\u2019s inspired words in her application caught the committee\u2019s \u201cWhen you have a family, you have to manage your time and be grateful and conscious \u201cAnd that\u2019s what got me here.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, it was a little more than that. Gonz\u00e1lez completed her first master\u2019s in 2013 \u201cOnce I finished my MFA, I went on to teach, and I really implemented the skills I At the residency, Gonz\u00e1lez has spent time being inspired by Germany and other European The only residency-stipulated obligation Gonz\u00e1lez must fulfill is a visit to Darmstadt, \u201cThree months is a short time, and it goes by very quickly,\u201d Gonz\u00e1lez said. \u201cI have She and her family lived in a flat a few blocks from the studio, and everyone except \u201cEverything is really set up for families,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s an artistic community, Gonz\u00e1lez not only sees the path ahead more clearly than before, but she also has traveled \u201cFirst and foremost, document everything,\u201d she said. \u201cYou never know what exhibition, \u201cSecond, stay open to how an arts education might shape your future because success To learn more about Gonz\u00e1lez\u2019s work, visit her website. <\/a><\/p>\n
\n it didn\u2019t matter because she had Texas Tech University<\/a> professors who believed in her enough to make up for it.<\/p>\n
\n the School of Art<\/a> in the J.T. & Margaret Talkington School of Visual & Performing Arts<\/a> and then launched a successful art career. After completing her master\u2019s in art education<\/a>, Texas Tech faculty were instrumental in encouraging her to pursue her master\u2019s in fine arts<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n my educational degree,\u201d Gonz\u00e1lez said. \u201cWithout their support, I don\u2019t know if I would
\n have pursued my MFA. They believed in me in such a fierce way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n secure income, but Texas Tech faculty believed she could accomplish more. They challenged
\n her to take the plunge and look for ways to share her artistic gifts with the world.<\/p>\n
\n in the School of Art and Terry Morrow, former professor of printmaking who passed
\n away just more than a year ago, were among those who helped equip Gonz\u00e1lez. For her,
\n they opened ways and means of seeing the world through a lens of possibility.<\/p>\n
\n and harder technical skills,\u201d Gonz\u00e1lez said. \u201cI was also inspired by the support I
\n felt and that the ideas I had were worth being said.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n spot as a Contemporary at Blue Star Berlin Residency Program\/K\u00fcnstlerhuas Bethanien
\n International Studio Program in Germany. Gonz\u00e1lez began the three-month residency
\n April 15 and completed it earlier this month. Her work focuses on printmaking, public
\n art and community engagement and has been exhibited nationally and internationally.<\/p>\n
\n of applicants. At first, she wasn\u2019t sure about applying, but colleagues encouraged
\n her to pursue it.<\/p>\n
\n mentor,\u201d Gonz\u00e1lez said. \u201cHe told me, \u2018You have got to do this; it\u2019s right up your
\n alley.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Brandy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_2331.jpg\")
Brandy Gonz\u00e1les<\/p>\n
\n process with people she trusted, the opportunity gained appeal. Finding out the residency
\n accepted families turned out to be a significant plus.<\/p>\n
\n all,\u201d she said with a laugh. \u201cMy personality is such that I was already leaning that
\n way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n been selected. The residency director called to inform her of the choice during her
\n conference period at school, and the news caused her to erupt in tears of joy and
\n gratitude.<\/p>\n
\n attention, and they were moved to give Gonz\u00e1lez the opportunity to see what she could
\n do.<\/p>\n
\n of the small amount of time you have to work,\u201d she said. \u201cI was consistently making
\n quality work, but not at the scale or pace I was used to doing, so I wrote in the
\n letter, \u2018Give me time and space and watch what I can do.\u2019 I just wrote the truth.<\/p>\n
\n before earning her second graduate degree three years later. She has been teaching
\n at middle school, high school and college levels for the past 20 years. Today, she
\n is the dual credit instructor for art appreciation at Clark High School for Northwest
\n Vista College as well as an adjunct professor at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio.<\/p>\n
\n learned at Texas Tech,\u201d Gonz\u00e1lez said. \u201cAt the same time, I was applying to exhibitions
\n and staying active as an artist. That\u2019s the big thing: Even if you\u2019re not producing
\n in a large way, showing your work speaks to the dedication you have for your practice.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Brandy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_2319.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n locales. She has time to be creative and also to travel and have her family see in
\n person some of the sites many others have only read about.<\/p>\n
\n Germany, the sister city of San Antonio, which sends four people each year to be artists
\n in residence. Gonz\u00e1lez also has a solo show scheduled for the summer of 2027, which
\n takes the bulk of her time.<\/p>\n
\n the solo show, so I brought work, and I have some large things I want to finish while
\n I\u2019m here and have the space to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n Gonz\u00e1lez returned to the U.S. early, giving Gonz\u00e1lez two-plus weeks to zero in and
\n focus on work she wants to make sure is completed before she returns.<\/p>\n
\n and the area we were in is the arts capital of Berlin, so being in that atmosphere
\n has just been life-changing, not only for me as an artist, but also for my family,
\n and for us to be here together has changed us in a way that I can\u2019t even put into
\n words.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n far enough to share advice with other aspiring artists.<\/p>\n![\"Brandy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_2332.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n project, collaboration or achievement is going to fold out into the future. Record
\n everything, and that will strengthen any applications for grants, residencies and
\n other opportunities.<\/p>\n
\n does not fit into one single definition of being an artist. There\u2019s no one, right
\n path. I have maintained an active studio practice, but I\u2019ve also built a very fulfilling
\n role as an educator, so be flexible and willing to define success on your own terms.\u201d<\/p>\n