VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Spacetaker hosts Houston artist Joshua Smith's solo exhibition Memory Pending as part of its ARC Exhibition Series from Saturday, April 16 - Friday, May 6. Opening Reception: Saturday, April 16, 5 – 7 p.m.

Using appropriated imagery, Smith explores the manipulation of memory and the role that it plays in shaping both public and personal histories. Driven by an interest in working with images as found objects Smith uses an ever-growing archive of collected source material to describe social, political, and historical landscapes. It is within these landscapes that Smith addresses themes of social conflict, monument, and empire.

His exhibition, influenced by film, architecture, religious iconography and the history of photography, searches to create a place where past, present, and future intersect.

Memory Pending will open with a public reception on Saturday, April 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibition will be on view at Spacetaker’s ARC Gallery through May 14, 2011 and is free and open to the public.

With the ARC Exhibition Series, Spacetaker seeks to provide Houston-based emerging and mid-career visual artists with an alternative space to show their work outside of a commercial gallery setting. Spacetaker staff and Artist Advisory Board members dedicate time and resources to mentoring each artist on exhibition preparation, marketing, press engagement, and patron cultivation, in effect equipping each artist with valuable skills for independent exhibition management.

For information about Spacetaker’s exhibition proposal process, visit http://www.spacetaker.org/content/page/arc-exhibitions.
 
About the Artist:
Joshua Robert Alan Smith, a Houston native, is a painter, photographer, and musician. After spending a number of years focusing on writing, recording, and touring with a Houston instrumental band Smith graduated with a B.F.A. in Painting from Texas State University. He has shown his work throughout Texas and has collaborated with musicians and independent record labels. Smith spent time in Austin and Dallas before returning to Houston, where he currently lives and works. Visit his website: http://imaginaryempire.com

About Spacetaker:
Spacetaker is a 501(c)3 professional organization and Artist Resource Center located in Houston’s First Ward whose mission it to provide artists and small non-profits access to economic development, continuing education, and networking opportunities to support their professional growth.