Two UTSA alumni are among “10 Texas Artists to Collect Now,” according to Texas Monthly.

Kitty Dudics (top of page) often creates using water themes, including this pool scene (above).

Dudics’ portrait of her son painted in front of West Texas mountain peak El Capitan.

Kitty Dudics M.F.A. ’81, who taught painting at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi for 34 years, often focuses her work on water, inspired by her life on the Gulf Coast. Her ’Runner roots have continued in her family: Son David Dudics Jr. ’17, who’s been painted by his mom, received his master’s in geology from UTSA.

A Texas-themed portrait by Cruz Ortiz.

Cruz Ortiz ’00—famed for his paintings, drawings, and public art—lives in San Antonio, where he has taught high school art on the South Side. His works have become so legendary that he’s been commissioned by the likes of Hillary Clinton and Castro brothers Julián and Joaquin. But Texas Monthly’s editors note that “it’s his personal portrait work, with its whimsy and bold use of color, we love most.”