The art by the sea: Galleries of wonder dot the Texas Gulf Coast from Rockport to Beaumont

Coastal waters have long been incubators of artists' enclaves. And although the Texas Gulf Coast is no French Riviera, the area still brings a lot to the table. This summer, take the plunge and navigate the waters of these art communities.

Rockport

Named one of the "Top Ten Art Colonies" in the United States by Coastal Living Magazine, Rockport is less than a three-and-a--half-hour drive away, but offers an authenticity and natural beauty that makes it feel much farther. Aransas County has been an art colony since the late 1800s, and in 1948, the Fulton School of Painting was founded. More than 15 galleries dot the town's grid, which is just enough to fill a weekend getaway. On July 3 and 4, the Rockport Center for the Arts is host to the 41st Annual Art Festival, featuring over 120 artists, as well as live music.

The center boasts a seaside sculpture garden — don't miss the work of National Medal of Arts Award Recipient and Rockport resident, Jesus Moroles.

If you've got a flair for historic architecture and the decorative arts, take a turn by the Fulton Mansion, a restored mansard roof villa dating to 1877. Family portraits, gas lamps and starfish collections offer insight on Gilded Age life on the Gulf. Stroll around the majestic, windswept oaks dotting the property. The crashing waves of a nearby beach will be waiting for you when you're finished.

Orange

At the Stark Museum of Art, paintings, sculpture and prints from the 19th and 20th centuries highlight the stunning land, dramatic people and diverse wildlife of the American West. The earthy collection makes a thoughtful juxtaposition to the clean lines of architect Ernesto G. Liebrecht's design. The current temporary exhibition, "Blooms: Floral Art in the Stark Collections" is unapologetically pretty, featuring a collection of paintings so earnest that Houston art spaces would never dare to display them.

Of a higher pedigree are works by naturalist artist John James Audubon, housed in the permanent collection galleries.

Port Arthur

A landmark in the Golden Triangle, the Museum of the Gulf Coast spotlights the rich array of talent across the plain. A highlight is the Robert Rauschenberg Gallery, containing 21 works by the combine-obsessed artist. This collection underscores the tumultuous state of pop culture in 1960s America, with images of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Vietnam War, Janis Joplin and J.F.K.

The gallery is unique for its display of works created between 1985 and 1991 — long after the reign of Pop Art — called Rauschenberg's "Overseas Cultural Interchange," with each work focussing on a different nation, from Cuba to Germany to Malaysia. Of special interest to Houstonians is the display of posters the artist designed for the Houston Grand Opera.

Opening June 13, the exhibition "Being Andy Warhol" presents a series of photographs taken by the pop art prince during the 1970s and 1980s. The collection illustrates the artist's preoccupation with fame, his use of the camera both as a social equalizer and social diary and his construction of identity as a commodity. These 18 black-and-white photographs lend a glimpse into the elusive artist's public life, his social circle and the artistic phenomenon he curated.

The June 13 opening will be accompanied by a screening of the 2002 documentary Andy Warhol: The Complete Picture at 2 p.m. The exhibition remains on view through August 15.

Beaumont

It's more than refineries and a pitstop on the way to Louisiana border casinos. As the current exhibition of Beaumont-born John Alexander at Houston's McClain Gallery may attest, the region implies a singular mystique deriving from its swampy landscape and heavy industry. This summer, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas on Main Street features the temporary exhibition, "Rusty Scruby: Playing in the Sand." Scruby's sculptural installations meditate on life by the sea, informed by his childhood on Kwajalein Island, a secret U.S. military base in the middle of the South Pacific, and now his studio in Beaumont.

The museum's permanent collection is also worth a gander. Don't leave the premise without staring Alexander's The Beast in the eye.

Craving something off the beaten path? Underground art enthusiasts should make the short drive north of the city to the Ice House Museum and Cultural Center in Silsbee. The galleries there offer a mix of fringe craft art and travelling exhibitions by contemporary artists. In August, the Ice House will hold its annual "Piney Woods Artist Competition," which will be judged this year by Alexis McCarthy, director of the Beaumont Art League.