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Civic Duty: Building Art, Building Houston

Presented by Houston Arts Alliance - space125gallery at Houston Arts Alliance - Alliance Gallery (formerly space125gallery)

January 29-March 6, 2009

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The Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) announces a two-part series of exhibits examining processes and methods used to create civic art in Houston beginning January 29 through March 6, 2009 at space 125gallery. The first of the series is entitled Civic Duty: Building Art, Building Houston and will showcase the different artistic processes that lead to some of Houston’s cultural treasures ranging from Hobby Airport to Kashmere Gardens to the revitalized water treatment facility near Lake Houston.

The installation of these new public artworks in Houston neighborhoods is the culmination of a long process that begins with the allocation of funding from the city’s “percent for art” ordinance and the selection of the artist through a request for qualifications. 

“Civic Duty: Building Art, Building Houston” is a group exhibition of nine contracted proposals for civic artworks integrated into the operations and neighborhoods of Houston. The exhibition focuses on the connection between artists commissioned through the HAA Civic Art + Design program and City of Houston department leadership.

Each of the artists was commissioned to produce original and site-specific permanent civic art projects in Houston locations. The exhibit will include renderings and material samples of newly installed projects and commissions currently in fabrication, underscoring the range of approaches contemporary artists use to create original artworks in municipal contexts. They worked closely in cooperation with building and facility teams including programming staff as well as architects to create artwork that is exciting for and appropriate to the city-owned facility where it is intended.

Projects highlighted in the exhibition include a diverse commission by artists Reginald Adams, Elmgreen/Dragset, Sharon Engelstein, Matthew Geller, Tim Glover, Jim Hirschfield and Sonya Ishii, Gordon Huether, Donald Lipski and Bert L. Long Jr. 

space125gallery located at 3201 Allen Parkway, Houston 77019.

The opening reception will be Thursday, January 29, 2009 from 6 – 8 PM.

Abbreviated Artist bio & site details:

Reginald Adams
Artist for the Kashmere Multi-Service Center Commission
Reginald Adams is a self-trained artist living in Houston, Texas. He is best known for his brilliantly colored tile mosaic murals, sculptures and other art projects. He engages local residents in his creation of community art projects in many of Houston’s most economically challenged neighborhoods. Reginald Adams was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Kashmere Multi-Service Center is a facility managed by the Health and Human Services Department.

Elmgreen/Dragset
Artists for the Memorial-Heights TIRZ 5 Tolerance Bridge Commission
Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset are a collaborative team based in Berlin, Germany. They won a privately funded international competition for the Tolerance Bridge, which is designed in partnership with the nationally recognized, Houston-based architecture firm SWA Group. Ingar Dragset was born in Trondheim, Norway; Michael Elmgreen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Tolerance Bridge is integrated into the pedestrian and bike trail and bridge project managed by the TIRZ5 – Memorial-Heights TIRZ Project Board.

Sharon Engelstein
Artist for the Mounted Police Service Animal Facility Commission
Sharon Engelstein is an artist working in Houston, TX with an extensive resume of local and national art exhibitions. She has received national recognition and awards from the Cultural Arts Council of Houston, the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Art. She was born in Montreal, Canada. The Mounted Police Service Facility is managed by the Houston Police Department.

Matthew Geller
Artist for the Sabine Street Pump Station Commission
Matthew Geller of New York City, has been widely exhibited the Whitney Museum of American Art and The Museum of Modern Art; Institute of Contemporary Art, London; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; and the Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art, California. A visual artist and writer, Matthew Geller was born in New York City. The Sabine Street Pump Station is the property of Public Works and Engineering (PWE).

Donald Lipski
Artist for the Water Museum Commission
Donald Lipski lives and works in Philadelphia, PA making public and studio art works. His many honors include awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome. The artist was born in Chicago. The Water Museum and education is a project of PWE in partnership with the Houston Area Water Commission (HAWC).

Bert L. Long Jr.
Artist for the Looscan Neighborhood Library Commission
Bert L. Long is a Houston artist. His work has been reviewed in more than 120 periodicals and is included in 18 permanent collections in the U.S. and abroad. In October of this year, he was honored with the prestigious Artist of the Year award by Texas Accountants & Lawyers for the Arts. Bert L. Long Jr. was born in Houston. Looscan Neighborhood Library is part of the Houston Public Library.

Jim Hirschfield and Sonya Ishii
Artists for the IAH International Terminal Commission
Jim Hirschfield and Sonya Ishii have been collaborating on public artworks for the past 15 years. Jim Hirschfield is teaches in the art department at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Chair of the Intellectual Life Committee. Sonya Ishii is a full-time studio artist and has been awarded numerous public art commissions across the country. Both artists live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. IAH Terminal A is managed by the Houston Airport System.

Gordon Huether
Artist for Hobby Airport Automated People Mover Commission
Gordon Huether is an experienced public artist with a studio in Napa, California. He has completed public and private projects in the U.S., Mexico, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, Fiji, and Korea, and exhibited across the US. Gordon Huether was born in Rochester, NY. Hobby Airport is managed by the Houston Airport System.

Tim Glover
Artist for HOPE Artist Neighborhood Project in Acres Homes
Tim Glover has been sculpting in Houston since 1986. He has completed public art projects for the University of Houston, Metro Light Rail, and Houston Cotswold Project. Tim Glover was born in Cleveland, Ohio. The HOPE Artists Neighborhood Project is managed by HAA Grants Program to develop public art projects in partnership with Houston HOPE neighborhoods.

Special Events in conjuntion with this exhibition:
The Houston Arts Alliance Civic Art + Design department  is preparing a series of three panels in conjunction with the Civic Duty exhibition.

Session 1:
Who is Civic Art: In the Community
Thursday, February 5, 6 – 7:30pm
Moderator: Jonathon Glus, Chief Executive Officer, HAA
Exhibiting Artist: Reginald Adams
Community/Design Professional: Scott Slaney, Managing Principal, SWA Group

Session 2:
Where is Civic Art: Beyond the Studio
Thursday, February 19, 6 – 7:30pm
Moderator: Carole Anne Meehan, Senior Project Manager, HAA
Exhibiting Artist: Sharon Engelstein
Community/Design Professional: Jose Solis, Gensler, Houston

Session 3:
What is Civic Art: DIY (Do-It-Yourself)
Saturday, February 28, 2 – 4pm
Moderator: Helen Lessick, Director of Civic Art + Design, HAA
Exhibiting Artist: Tim Glover
Community/Design Professional: To Be Confirmed

All panels are in the space125 Gallery, 3201 Allen Parkway, Houston.

About Houston Arts Alliance
The Houston Arts Alliance (HAA), a 501(c) (3) charitable organization, is the city's municipal arts agency dedicated to advancing the nonprofit arts industry in the Greater Houston area. HAA’s mission is to nurture, fund, advocate, and promote participation in the arts in Houston and Harris County, thus contributing to the enhancement of the region's quality of life, economic competitiveness and attractiveness as a tourist destination. HAA distributes more than $10 million in grants to nearly 250 nonprofit arts organizations and individual artists and manages the city's civic art collection of nearly 400 artworks as well as new acquisitions. For more information, visit the HAA website at: www.houstonartsalliance.com.