Director's Bio
Adrienne Rison-Isom Director
The Director of the Gallery Ms. Adrienne Rison-Isom is a master sculptress who was inducted into the National Women of Achievement Hall of Fame, for her achievements in the category of Art/Music. She has a personal interest in the area of public arts education. Both of her parents Dr. and Mrs. Rison served long distinguished careers as teachers and shool administratiors in public schools.
Curriculum Vita
Adrienne Rison-Isom
8404 Mayview Drive
Austin, Texas 78724
(512) 928-1606
Professional Expertise
Over 22 years of Administrative Experience
Over 20 years of
Commercial Art Experience
Over 15 Years of Experience in the Communication industry
Education
Masters of Liberal Arts in Humanties, emphasizing the study of cultures, and societies; additional course study in “Organizational Management” / 18 hours of Master’s level Art Courses.
St. Edwards University, Austin, Texas, 2006
Bachelors Fine Art Degree (5 year)
Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas, 1998
Extended courses from - University of Texas Austin, Austin Community College. Courses in commercial writing, preparation for 3rd Class FCC License (U.T.). Other academic courses (ACC).
Experience as an Administrator:
Director of WTGI
Wax Track Gallery International Incorporated
Established In 1998
Ms. Isom develops studio art guild / apprentice style
curriculums, installs and manages them within educational institutions.
Administrative Management Experience
Managing this diverse organization requires skills in grant
writing, also diplomacy to conduct collaborative projects with
international, cultural, political organizations and entities.
Extensive knowledge and understanding of wide range of
historical subject matter is necessary.
Developing exhibitions
Ms. Isom designs, and creates exhibitions for various
government, and private institutions. This entails researching
and gathering historical information, or artifacts. These exhibitions
are leased out on demand, or created for permanent exhibitions for
institutions. Ms. Isom is our primary Master Artist who may
create, or direct the creation of sculptures, industrial art,
monuments for institutions, drawings, murals, graphic designs,
and computer generated art for individual clients.
Experience as an Educator
1998- present
Seven years of teaching experience from level 5th to 12th grades.
served at Austin Independent School District, and charter school
(512) 989-2561 contact D.B. Bearden for details of our history.
1985-1997
11 Years of administrative and office experience with Texas
Department of Human Services (Headquarters 51st and N. Lamar}
Responsibilities entailed:
Serving the Fiscal Division Department in the coordination and balancing of reports
and redeemable food stamp coupons returned from state contracted vendors (an accounting series position).
In her last two years with the department Ms. Isom served as an office
assistant to the Director of the Medicaid Division ( Mr. Thomas
McClinton); Developing legal correspondences, and other
communications using diplomacy. This responsibility also entailed
carrying out other support duties to the division.
The duration of the 11 years concluded with Ms. Isom’s promotion to the position of Research Analyst, in the Medicaid division. This position involved the managing of contracted nursing home, and private care accounts.
(512) 438-3011 Personnel
Adrienne Rison-Isom
“ While working with the department I also worked on completing a higher education degree I had started in the 1970’s, and did not complete due to trials I faced as a young adult, and later starting a family. After obtaining this degree I left the state for what I deemed, was a “higher calling”. This higher calling was to become an educator”.
Grants and Awards
Inducted into the National Women of Achievements Hall of Fame in the
Category for Art / Music 2002
Honored by:
Texas State legislature for Artistic Achievements 2002
The National Association of Negro Women 2003
B.O.S.S. (Black Organization of State Workers, based at the
Texas State Comptrollers) 2004
Invited Speaker
Invited Guest Speaker at Texas Southern, to talk to Freshman Class at the John T. Biggers Art Department 2003
Invited Speaker for National Association of Negro Women
Invited Motivational Speaker for B.O.S.S. (Black Organization of State Workers)
Career Speaker for Partners in Education at several Public Schools
Recent Invited Presenter at a St. Edwards Symposium, to speak on the subject of “ The Current State of Art Education Programs at the Public School, and Higher Education Level” (April 2007).
Awarded funding as an artist from the Henry Ford Foundation for accomplishments in art.
Awarded funding form the City of Austin, Cultural Contracts for Wax Track Gallery Art Humanities Org., program 12 consecutive years to current as an individual, and a contractor.
Awarded funding from Texas Commission on the Arts as an individual, and state contractor 8 consecutive years.
Commissioned to create the first African American monument, which will be placed on the State of Texas Capitol Lawn (unveiling 2008)
Professional Artist
Founder of the “Wax Track Gallery International” traveling exhibition of historical memorabilia, and life-size statues in wax, fiberglass, bronze, concrete and other durable mediums.
Adrienne Isom has created over 30 life size statues! She has also completed a variety of sculpture in other mediums; She has done many large and small paintings, and has served as consultant on restoration projects, as well as initiating restoration as a contractor.
You may view some of her work on the commercial site isomenterprises.com, or goggle her name.
Experienced Journalist Writer
Ms. Isom also has over 15 years in journalist experience. She has worked for three radio stations, and one television station, as a News / Public Affairs Director, a News Announcer, and a Board Operator (70’s). She has been employed for at least two newspapers in Houston, and Austin, and continues to write for a variety of small publications on a freelance basis.
Diplomacy
She has established many ties with a variety of companies, international organizations, and individuals, which has enabled her to expedite private, commercial projects, and historical endeavors with efficiency.
Television and Radio Appearances
Ms. Isom has been the featured guest on may television, and radio programs.
KLRU – Documetary “I’ll Make Me A World”. Featured African American leaders,
speaking on the success of African Americans in the 21st Century.
KAZI - Morning Show- Invited guest speaker on several occasions, to speak
on the subject of the effects of academic curriculums, and strategies of improvement at the public school level,.
News 8 – Ms. Isom has been a featured guest on several occasions. Firstly,
Ms. Isom was featured two years ago. News 8 spent an entire morning
with Ms. Isom at the site of a popular downtown mural, which she was
restoring for the second time in 5 years. She was recently ( April 28, 2007)
made the featured guest on a Saturday talk show, speaking on the subject of the Tuskegee Airmen.
You may look at excerpts of these interviews on the news8.com site. (Type in Hickory Street Mural)
Fox 7 Morning Show – Ms. Isom has been a featured guest many times. Her
most recent interview was April 2007. Ms. Isom was interviewed live, to
speak on Tuskegee Airmen History, and a featured exhibition that the
Wax Track Gallery brought to a disadvantaged area in East Austin ( Doris
Miller Auditorium), from Alabama. This was the largest and first pre-civil rights exhibition ever brought to Austin.
Additional Experience You Should Know
In addition to her lengthy career with the State of Texas, Ms. Isom also has a history of serving in a variety of positions, in accounts receivable, payable, and some general ledger experience. She also has an extensive background of service with a variety of Credit Reporting Agencies, these include Retail Commercial Credit Agency, Equifax, Retail Credit Association, and other credit departments within a variety of companies. She served as a Credit investigator, in the area of compilation of credit history, and other data, developing reports for contract retail, and financial vendors. (Early 80’s)
How she can help you.
All of the combined experiences Ms. Isom has gathered over the years were achieved because she is able to follow, as well as lead. She is trained at observing the needs of an organization, or client, and collaborating with them to develop strategies of improvement. These experiences, and training make her an efficient worker able to help organizations on a variety of levels, allowing organizations to achieve their goals, optimizing their financial resources.