VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

 Block 7 Wine Company and McWhorter Gallery hosts a closing reception for the exhibition Hope Dies Last - an exhibit of recent works by Sherry Sullivan benefiting Houston's Casa Juan Diego, a center serving immigrants, refugees and the poor.

Closing Reception and Talk: Jan. 15, 2 - 5 p.m., Block 7 Wine Company, 720 Shepherd Dr., Houston, TX 77007.

This exhibit, which officially closes on Jan. 16, builds on the momentum of Sherry Sullivan’s original “Stations of the Cross” paintings donation to Houston’s Casa Juan Diego. Mark and Louise Zwick, founders of Casa Juan Diego, will be on hand to discuss their house of hospitality serving immigrants, refugees and the poor, and their recently released book “Mercy Without Borders.”

About the Exhibit
In keeping with the show title "Hope Dies Last," Houston-based artist Sherry Sullivan selected paintings for inclusion that inspire hope on many levels - from hope that comes from healing and overcoming personal setbacks to hope for a new beginning and a better life.

Among some of the "hopeful" images depicted in the work are colorful hot air balloons floating up and away, flowers stretching toward the sky, an abundance of vibrant life-affirming vegetables, a mountain rising above a rocky landscape, and a goddess representing a fiery star in the night. Most works are oil on canvas, or pastel and colored pencil on Arches.

Sherry Sullivan's own personal journey of hope this past year is reflected in many of her paintings. At the age of 81, the artist, who says her art is her "oxygen," endured two broken hips on separate occasions, and each incident involved surgery, a hospital stay, and a month-long rehab in a nursing home followed by home therapy. Hope of returning to her home studio and painting once again gave her the strength to carry on.

And hope is exactly what Casa Juan Diego stands for in terms of the immigrant population it serves. For the past 30 years, Casa Juan Diego has been providing food, clothing, shelter and medical care to this often-forgotten community - making hope for a better life and a new beginning a reality for so many.

"For decades, I've greatly admired the work of Mark and Louise Zwick. They welcome the 'poorest of the poor' and the most disenfranchised at Casa Juan Diego. No one is turned away," said Sherry, who has lived in the Bayou City for nearly 40 years. "There's no better reward than having my work help in some small way in advancing their mission in practicing the 'Works of Mercy' on a daily basis."

About Sherry Sullivan
Sherry Sullivan, who describes herself as "an abstract artist always with some subject matter," has been an artist ever since she could hold a pencil. Born in Chicago in 1929, she often found refuge in the basement of her childhood home - where a bare light bulb, table, crayons, boxed watercolors, pencils and paper became her visa to a universe of her own. In her youth, Sherry studied art at Northwestern University, Marycrest College and the Art Institute of Chicago - the latter two of which awarded her scholarships.

Her paintings, drawings, box sculptures and mixed-media reliefs have been featured in group and solo shows at galleries, colleges, travelling exhibitions and community sites in leading U.S. cities and even internationally. She also has many works in private and corporate collections. Sherry, who has five children and three grandchildren, says she's committed to having "the strength to endure, to visually externalize, to cull from chaos the elements of art that energize the intellect and the senses to continually and ultimately create objects of transcendental beauty." For more information, visit: www.sherrysullivanart.com.

About Casa Juan Diego
Casa Juan Diego - founded in 1980 following the Catholic Worker model of Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin - serves immigrants, refugees and the poor. From one small house, Casa Juan Diego has grown to 10 houses. Casa Juan Diego publishes a newspaper, the Houston Catholic Worker, six times a year to share the values of the Catholic Worker movement, and the stories of the immigrants and refugees uprooted by the realities of the global economy.

Mark and Louise Zwick, founders of Casa Juan Diego, have recently published a book entitled "Mercy Without Borders." The book captures the "stories, joys, hopes and tragedies of immigrants who have come to Houston, and the Zwick's impassioned plea for change in the political and economic forces that drive people to immigrate."

The book will be available for purchase at the "Hope Dies Last" exhibit. It also is currently available at Brazos Bookstore at 2421 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX 77005, or online at http://www.amazon.com/Mercy-Without-Borders-Catholic-Immigration/dp/0809146894.  For more information on Casa Juan Diego, visit: http://www.cjd.org/.

About Block 7 Wine Company
Block 7 Wine Company is a wine retail, full-service restaurant, and event venue serving quality on all fronts on Houston's Washington corridor. For more information, visit: http://www.block7wineco.com/.  

About McWhorter Gallery
McWhorter Gallery, which curates art exhibits at Block 7 Wine Company, focuses on the dynamic talent pool of artists based in Houston, Texas. Through a diverse offering of styles and mediums, McWhorter Gallery provides an appealing environment and experience to the art connoisseur. McWhorter Gallery holds monthly exhibits.

For more information, visit: http://www.mcwhortergallery.com/.