Janet Eager Krueger named TAMIU
Arts and Humanities Scholar of the Year

By Paul de la Peña-Franceschi

Ranch hands, hay bales, feisty cows maybe but not one "bucking bull," and an old red pick up -- it's all there in the rich hues of light and color that come to life in representational style on the canvases and prints of Janet Eager Krueger, associate professor of art at Texas A&M International University, who was named this year's College of Arts and Humanities Scholar of the Year. Recognized for her achievements in art, she is the first professor from the Department of Fine and Performing Arts to receive the award, which was bestowed by her peers in the academic community.
The nomination for scholar of the year reflects an intense and lengthy process, according to Dr. Nasser Momayezi, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. All professors from the College of Science and Technology, the College of Business Administration, the College of Education, and the College of Arts and Humanities participate in the nomination.
Each faculty member is asked to make nominations to their respective deans and a scholar from each college is chosen. The nomination criteria encompass three areas: teaching abilities, service to both the community and the campus, and the faculty members' professional publications and research from the previous academic year. Once a faculty member is nominated, each dean requests a dossier from each professor. At this point the faculty members vote on their peers based on their accomplishments. Near April the four Scholars of the Year candidates are voted upon campus-wide for the final selection of the Scholar of the Year.
Dr. Momayezi said that Prof. Krueger was "a very talented, creative, hardworking instructor who cared about the full development of her students." He added, "Being recognized by her peers is the highest honor any faculty member could receive."
Krueger prides herself on the amount of research she puts into her profession. She calls her lifetime partner, husband George, one of her best critics, one who was instrumental in helping her focus for the preparation of the piece called "Auction." When she had difficulty depicting cowboy hats, he served patiently as her model for countless polaroids while wearing every hat he owned. "Even though I live on a ranch, you can and must do research," she joked.
The images of a red pickup truck figure largely in Krueger's ranch scenes. Krueger said she wants the beholder "to embrace the vehicular presence so there is a welcome that greets the viewer." She added, "When others critique your work, you can often learn from them. They offer a new perspective that you may never have realized before that moment." In real life the truck has been an integral part of the Krueger family ranch operation in Encinal.
Krueger's primary mediums are oil on canvas and Prismacolor pencils. She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1975 at the University of Texas at Austin. She worked as an artist in residence at A&M Consolidated ISD in College Station in 1976-77 and as a slide curator to the architecture department at Texas A&M University in 1978-1979. She was hired as an art instructor at Laredo Community College in 1983. She continued working in art, and returned to graduate school to complete a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1998. In the same year, she was hired at A&M International, where she continues to build a strong and ever-expanding art program. With the opening of the new Fine and Performing Arts building at TAMIU this April, Krueger envisions the development of a bachelor's degree in art and dreams of the possibility of a BFA and master's program.
Krueger said the objective of her teaching style is to give her students the experience of an entirely new way of seeing the world and art. Whether she has her students look at a structure, an item, or a person, it is important that students can turn to art even if they have never studied art before. Beginners in Krueger's classes start with rendering, representing that object in a sketch, sculpture, or painting, while advanced students learn and eventually accept that they may look beyond the borders of a given art project. They are challenged to express that impression. Krueger has used still life, nude models, and the occasional bleeding hog's head from the local butcher's shop. "One can be a skilled craftsman -- even Picasso was a great craftsman -- but it is the development of that talent that makes one an artist," she said. Krueger's curriculum is designed with art history as a jumping off point for all of her students.
Artistry runs in Krueger's family. Her mother was an artist and her sister is Creative Services Director with TexasMonthly magazine in Austin. She is often amazed that so many of her students missed out on basic art instruction. Since she grew up in an arts environment, she assumed that everyone else was raised the same. Krueger is the mother of two children, Will, a freshman at UT Austin, and Kate, a junior at Cotulla High School.
Krueger obviously enjoys her profession as an art instructor, as is evidenced by her own work and her desire to open the hearts and minds of her students. "Art is another way to enjoy all of your senses," she said.
Professor Krueger can be contacted at TAMIU at 326-2591 or online at jkrueger@tamiu.edu.