Lawndale Art Center

January 20, 2012 Artist Talks

2012-01-24T23:26:00.002-06:00

If you missed the opening last Friday, check out these clips from the artist talks:

Stuart Hinds performance at Lawndale, December 1, 2011

2011-12-05T10:07:00.002-06:00

Here's a clip from last week's overtone performance by Stuart Hinds at Lawndale:

Skull-A-Day: "San Calaca" Skull

2011-12-05T10:06:00.000-06:00

Skull-A-Day: "San Calaca" Skull: This painted shelf unit is from Enrique Camacho so I'll let him tell you more... "This is a painting I created for Houston's Lawndale Art ...

Chronicles of a Summer Intern 2: The Big Slideshow

2011-07-28T18:47:00.002-05:00

Hello again everyone! Welcome to the second installment of “Chronicles of a Summer Intern!” Today I am going to tell y’all (yes, I wrote “y’all” because we’re in Texas and that’s what we do apparently…) about another annual event held at Lawndale called The Big Slideshow, which took place on Wednesday, July 20 and Thursday, July 21, 2011.

This two-night event gives artists that were accepted into The Big Show a chance to talk about their work in more detail. By utilizing a combination of images of earlier as well as current pieces in their presentation, the audience is allowed to enter the mind of the artist for a brief five minutes in time and gain insight into his/her various motivations, influences and artistic processes. And boy, were they varied! The artists who participated in The Big Slideshow displayed an exploration of a range of themes including, but not limited to: nature, mortality, violence, politics, biology, space and feminism. Also, it was interesting for me to finally be able to connect an artist’s face with a particular work of art because for the past few weeks I had no idea what any of the artists looked like in person.

Each evening the talks started around 6pm, and although PowerPoint was involved, it was an informal and casual set of presentations, which kept the night very fluid and upbeat. I think the allotted five-minute time slot pushed some of the artists into either condensing their oeuvre or letting the images speak for themselves. All in all, it was up to the artists in deciding how they wanted to present their work to the audience though.

I liked hearing about the artist Clare Hulfish’s work (see first image below) and was fascinated to find out that she also makes stop animation films in addition to her animal portraits, which you can view at her Vimeo site. Michele A. Zacks work also intrigued me because of its small scale and historical connections. She makes tiny oil jugs that she sometimes places in specific settings, like a treasure chest for example (see second image below).

Clare Hulfish
Year of the Tiger, 2010, Oil on canvas, 10" x 8"
Year of the Rabbit, 2010, Oil on canvas, 10" x 8"
Year of the Dragon, 2010, Oil on canvas, 10" x 8"

Michele A. Zacks
Treasure Chest #6, 2010, Clay, wooden box and sand, 4" x 10" x 6"

It was exciting to hear all the different artists talk about their educational background, and discuss their other work and artistic philosophy because during jurying this kind of information is left out. Thus, the piece has to be strong enough to convey to the juror what the artist is all about and what they are trying to achieve on its own. Now whenever I walk through the Lawndale galleries, I can put almost all of the pieces in The Big Show in a more specific context. I think having this context adds another layer to each work, as well as another dimension to the show itself. I thoroughly enjoyed The Big Slideshow and am looking forward to the artist talks next year!

- Stacy Kirages (summer intern)

Chronicles of a Summer Intern: The Big Show 2011

2011-07-19T15:08:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! My name is Anastasia Kirages (or Stacy if that’s easier…) and I am currently interning at Lawndale for the summer. I graduated from the University of Texas about a year ago with a BA in Art History and a certificate in business. When I am not interning at Lawndale, I spend my time working on my art zine, Modernizm, and going to art shows around town. I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to be a part of Houston’s art scene through interning at one of the most well known contemporary art organizations in the Bayou City. I have already learned so much while working here and I hope to share my experience with you all through future blog posts.

One of my main duties as an intern at Lawndale these past few weeks was helping out with The Big Show, which I think some of you are quite familiar with. For those of you who are thinking, “What in the world is The Big Show?!,” I will be happy to explain! Formerly known as The East End Show, The Big Show is Lawndale’s annual open-call, juried exhibition. Artists living within 100 miles of Lawndale can submit up to three pieces of work, which are then judged on-site by a guest curator. This year’s curator was Larissa Harris from the Queens Museum of Art, who was very down to earth lady!

In addition to helping promote emerging Houston area artists, The Big Show also provides a way for non-artists to become more connected to the art community through numerous volunteer opportunities. Anyone who is interested in learning more about how to put on a major exhibition is welcome to volunteer for The Big Show! Here is a break down of the different jobs I was able to help out with:

1. Art intake: Two days of answering any questions artists may have about the submission process, and moving, carrying and placing a lot of artwork in numbered spots throughout the Lawndale galleries.

2. Jurying: I got a behind the scenes look at how works are selected for such a varied exhibition like The Big Show by helping display the works of art for the juror to assess. Being a part of the jurying felt like being at a mini-art camp!

3. Pick-up: Artists who did not get selected for The Big Show come to pick up their work from Lawndale and we help them by locating it within the galleries.

4. Hanging: Now comes the most physically demanding job…the actual hanging of the work! Also, there is some math involved in putting works of art on the wall. Who knew, huh? I had the opportunity to hang two paintings all by myself (see images below)!

Mark Benham, Egypt, 2011, Acrylic on canvas, 30" x 24"

Amy Newland, MRGT091185, 2011, Oil on canvas, 30” x 30”

5. Member’s preview and opening reception: One night is for the members, artists and their family to mingle and chat, and the other night is for a huge opening where everyone is invited to come check out the work at The Big Show. You can volunteer as a gallery assistant, help promote membership at Lawndale, take photos, or work at the very packed bar, which was my job for the night! I enjoyed working at the refreshment area because I got the chance to talk to some very interesting people.

View from inside the main floor

View from behind the packed bar

Helping out with The Big Show was definitely an experience I will never forget. If you haven’t had the time to stop by and see the show, don’t fret because it’s up ‘til July 30, 2011! I can even give you a personal tour if you are so inclined because I love talking to others about art and helping people discover exciting new artists. Stay tuned for more updates from Lawndale for the summer! Until then…

- Stacy Kirages (summer intern)

Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park!

2011-03-30T15:26:00.008-05:00

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Nope. It’s Lawndale’s “High Flying Kites!” The Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park was this past weekend and as a Lawndale intern, I got to oversee a booth in the Creative Zone with Christine West, Lawndale's Executive Director!

I’ve volunteered in the Creative Zone before, but never have I seen it so busy! Kites must be the new cool. All the volunteers who helped us, thanks so much! Your time was tremendously appreciated! Another big thank you to all the kids who stopped by to make treasures with us! They were all beautiful! Parents, your kites were nice too! It was so much fun and really a wonderful sight to see a bounty of colors floating through the air. The breeze during a warm Houston Spring weekend was perfect for flying! I don’t want to brag, but my Hello Kitty kite caught some serious air. Just sayin’.

The stroll through Memorial Park was pretty grand as the paths are laced with so many creative pieces of art. There was never a dull moment. There were so many options for food as well! I was only able to try the gyro and I must say it was mighty tasty. All of the freebies from places like Capitol One and Community Coffee made the experience even better! All in all, it was a pleasant weekend spending time with my neighbors enjoying all the art that Bayou City had to offer. I can’t wait until next time!

- Trinh

KUHF Interviews with Boozefox, Tobiah Mundt and Logan Sebastian Beck on The Front Row

2010-09-21T17:18:00.002-05:00

Many thanks to Meghan Hendley and our friends at KUHF 88.7FM for these interviews:

September 20, 2010 - Math of the After-Wrath, Boozefox
September 13, 2010 - BEING, Tobiah Mundt & Following Huck Finn, Logan Sebastian Beck

Museum District Day 2010 - Saturday, September 25, 2010

2010-09-21T17:04:00.003-05:00

2010-2011 Studio Artists: Daniel McFarlane

2010-09-13T17:04:00.003-05:00

Boozefox - Math of the Afterwrath

2010-09-10T14:40:00.000-05:00

DESIGN FAIR 2010 is here!

2010-04-16T17:30:00.003-05:00

All about the 2010-2011 Lawndale Artist Studio Program application!

2010-04-16T17:00:00.003-05:00

If you haven't heard the news, Lawndale is now accepting applications for the 2010-2011 Lawndale Artist Studio Program. The deadline for applications is May 28, 2010 by 4pm. You can see all the details on our site. Simply put, this program offers 3 artists 24 hour access to a studio on the 3rd floor of Lawndale for 9 months, along with a $500 per month stipend and a $1500 materials budget. Lawndale also works with selected artists to schedule studio visits with local and visiting artists and curators. The 2010-2011 studio artists will have their work included in a group exhibition at Lawndale in May 2011. The application is open to artists over 18 years old that are not currently enrolled in a degree program. The programs focus is on Gulf-coast area artists, but is open to artists who can relocate to Houston.

To apply, download the application form here! It's a fairly simple application (6 images, one page statement, resume and image list) and a low fee ($15 which helps us bring in a great panel of jurors!).

The juror panel is made up of an established artist living in Houston, an outside critic or curator and a member of Lawndale's Programming Committee. The 2010-2011 application jurors are:
Robyn O'Neil, Artist
Andrea Pollan, Director of Curator's Office, Washington, DC
Robert Ruello, Artist and Lawndale's Programming Committee Chair

The most frequently asked question we've received so far is about the "description of prospective public skills workshop or presentation" to be included in the application. This public program is a chance for you to share your expertise or engage with the local art community. Past studio artists have put together a variety of programs. A few examples of these programs include "Seniorita Cinema", Houston's first Latina film festival, organized by Round 1 studio artist Stephanie St. Sanchez. In Round 2, Teresa O'Connor, owner of Hello-Lucky and advocate for bringing art into our everyday surroundings, organized "Getting Design from your Work", a workshop introducing artists to some of the ways they can get their work out to the public through multiples such as t-shirt design, prints, etc. Also in Round 2, Lynne McCabe organized "Making Meatballs with McCabe", a cooking workshop and performance. The current studio artists also have a few great programs planned for this spring. Just last week, I joined Dawn Black's workshop "Paint a Pet" and made this! In May, Nick Meriwether will teach you how to make a contact microphone and David Waddell has planned a video screening of short animation films. Check out the upcoming events page of Lawndale's site to learn more about these upcoming events.

You might have many questions about the program and how to apply. I'm here to help! Feel free to give me a call at 713-528-5858 or send me an email at dnance@lawndaleartcent.org. We're also planning for an information session on May 10, 2010 at 6pm at Lawndale, so mark you calendars if you want to walk through the application with the Lawndale staff.

Best of luck with your application! - Dennis

2010-02-10T16:09:00.006-06:00

Yay! You came back to find out who the giant teddy bear is from my last blog or if you missed that blog, here is a shot from the parking lot window of Teddy, a 6' stuffed bear as he swings in the Snack micro gallery. Snack Projects is a small exhibition space curated by Michael Guidry and Robert Ruello. Lawndale counts itself lucky to have to opportunity to house the 2009/10 season of exhibitions.

Don't run and get your eyes checked just yet, they are not deceiving you. You are in fact looking at an incredibly innovative installation titled, Poly-Lawn-Dale by Ned Dodington. How can you not appreciate an artist who plays on words and is capable of marrying the natural and artificial in such beautiful form? This work embodies the impact of humankind on nature and if nothing else is worth checking out for the cool factor alone.

There are not enough photos on Flickr to do justice to the exhibit being showed in the John M. O’Quinn Gallery by the members of UUPA Crust: Robert Hodge, Lovie Olivia and Michael Kahlil Taylor so I will point your way to one that moved me to tears due to my own research on the subject. Lovie Olivia's Principles of Pleasure, 2009 is a visual response to genital female mutilation which most people aren't even aware still occurs in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

For the first time since this exhibit opened I have the main gallery all to myself and I hear the slight murmurs of melancholy music coming from the Mezzannine Gallery and I walk upstairs to investigate....

posted by: Afrodet, intern

2010-02-09T16:14:00.003-06:00

I am privileged and excited to announce that I have officially taken over the Lawndale Blog! Please allow me to catch you up on the things you may have missed and the exhibits you definitely need to check out. My first week "on the job" was spent painting walls until I realized I was actually only priming them. Obviously I had never painted a wall before (one of the coolest things about Lawndale is that something new always pops up!)

Second week here I got to meet one of the coolest artists to come out of New Orleans, Sally Heller. Her installation, Ab-Scrap uses the "leftovers" of everyday consumer items and creates a magic landscape with them that forces you to question how much stuff you really use in your lifetime.

If you came to the opening reception and you have not returned to Lawndale since, then you only witnessed Jarrod Beck's work, Migration Center at night and it has a completely different feel and look at different times of the day. Come back on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon and I would love to share in your awe as you experience the different positions of the sun cast light and shadow on his installation.

Why is that giant teddy bear in a swing?!

Stay tuned for my next blog for the answer as well as a few more highlights from some of our current shows!

posted by: Afrodet, intern

From the Archives

2009-08-04T18:57:00.005-05:00

As we celebrate our 30^th anniversary (1979-2009), we thought we’d take a look back through Lawndale’s archives and share some of our findings with you and give you all the opportunity to share your memories with us. We see a few recognizable faces in this photo from the original Lawndale Annex off Hillman.

Share your stories about the people and the location by leaving a comment or post your own photos from back in the day to our Flickr Group.

Big Show Jurying 2009!

2009-06-27T20:17:00.003-05:00

It is Saturday evening, the end of the first half of jurying for the Big Show! All through the process of intake on Wednesday and Thursday, we've been tweeting some of the work artists have dropped off. This year is on par with last year, with over 400 artists participating and almost a thousand works to go through, we've been really busy!

This is my second year helping out with the Big Show, and it is always so interesting to see how the juror goes through the works. Last year Aram Moyashedi was the guest juror, and after two days of jury we started to see patterns. When it was over, I got to ask him about his choices, and there were two particular trends he was interested in presenting for the show. He was interested in text-based work, and geometric abstraction over organic abstraction. Not every work followed these themes, but they were prevalent.

So far, I haven't quite been able to decern Laura Fried's motivations. So far we have over 90 works on the shortlist, so there is still a lot to sort through before she narrows down the show selections. I'm curious about how she is making her decisions - the way she asks questions and considers each piece, she has ideas that link her choices in ways I don't understand yet. What interests me most, though, is how every so often, she will come across a work and say "I like this one, but no", or "This is really impressive, but no". It just shows how you never know what the guest juror is going to pick; Laura is not simply picking work that she likes or is impressed by, but she has an idea that she is working towards and may eliminate work that shows talent but doesn't fit her plan for the overall exhibition.

I've been taking pictures over the past week, to show the sheer volume of the responses we've had for the Big Show, but I forgot my camera at the gallery today. Instead, here is a link to the Chronicle's behind-the-scenes tour of the Big Show intake.

By the time I show up at the gallery tomorrow, I imagine most of the jurying will be complete. Hopefully I will get to call some of the lucky artists whose work will be part of this year's show! An enormous thanks to all of the artists who participated, it has been so much fun to see so many works of art from our area, and to be able to support the community, just like the community supports us.

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant

summertime

2009-05-30T14:59:00.004-05:00

It is very nearly June, and that means it is almost time for the Big Show! Every year, Lawndale holds an open-call for works from local and regional artists, and from that work, an exhibit is put together by a guest curator from out of state. I was lucky enough to work on last year's Big Show, and it is my favorite event. I really enjoy being able to see all of the work that gets submitted, and then seeing what the juror-curator cherry picks for their show - it is so interesting to see what a non-local curator puts together from entirely local work.

This year's entry form will be available on our website later this week. Drop off dates are June 24th and 25th from 10am to 5pm.

In the meantime, our current shows are still up through June 13th. Lawndale is also hosting MICROLIVING, created by 5th year architecture students from the University of Houston and William Massie and Santiago Perez, and will be on display on our back lawn through June 27th.

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant

Lauren's Week at Lawndale

2009-05-15T15:33:00.004-05:00

My name is Lauren, and I just spent a week interning at Lawndale Art Center, as a school assignment. I am a student at Woods Middle School. During the last month of school everyone is required to partake in an internship as part of our school curriculum. The 8th graders have to go out and find a business and apply for an internship for that week. Basically it is a fun practice for preparing for job searching when you enter the real world. After we are accepted for the internship we write a résumé and a business letter, and then mail it to the business.

My experience here at Lawndale Art Center has been an interesting one. Everyday I would work with a different member of the staff and see what they do and assist them with various tasks. Like on Monday I worked with Zach, and since Monday was a slow day, all I really did was help them set up for a workshop that was going on that night. On Tuesday I worked with Karen, and then later that day I helped the artist Kevin Curry with his giant quilt by putting some of the designs together. On Wednesday I helped Christine copy many different papers for their board meeting that evening. Thursday I got to watch the downstairs while every one else was up in a meeting which was cool, because normally a teenage is not allowed to watch an art studio while everyone else is upstairs.

I personally found this to be a really fun and interesting experience that I would defiantly want to do again!

posted by: Lauren, School of the Woods Intern

round 3

2009-05-10T20:46:00.003-05:00

It has been a while, hasn't it?

I haven't worked since the last show, but that doesn't mean Lawndale has been slacking off. Since last we blogged, the crew at Lawndale has been busy. They hosted the 14th Annual Modern Market, attended by some great Houston area antique dealers.

The next time I entered the building, the Lawndale crew had set up six - count 'em! - new shows. There are shows in every gallery, the project space, and the classroom!

One (or, depending on how you look at it, three) of the shows on view right now is a group show, featuring the past year's Studio Resident Artists of Lawndale. I have been looking forward to this show since I started working at the gallery - every other month I'd ask, "When are the resident artists shows again?" While I was eagerly anticipating this show, I have to admit, it is a little bittersweet. The artists moved into their studios around the same time I started working at Lawndale, so they seem a little like fixtures for me there, not only because I am used to seeing them (well, most of them, but I will get to that), but they are all so friendly and accessible, they help make Lawndale a wonderful place to be. After this show, they will move out of the studio space and move on to other opportunities, and I'm going to miss them all.

This past Friday we had the opening, which was well attended, and each of the six artists gave short talks about their work. I tried to get some pictures of the artists while they were talking, but as I have a moral objection to the use of flash in photography, they may be blurry. Bear with me.

El Franco Lee II, discussing his Mannerist-Pop style paintings and drawings.
The first thing everyone inevitably says first about El Franco Lee II is how nice he is - all of the resident artists are beyond nice, but El Franco is the type of friendly that makes you immediately comfortable as he introduces himself. The second thing people usually comment on is how stunning/shocking/expressive his work is. These are the things I heard about El Franco over the past nine months, but it took me a while to learn these things for myself. Why? Because one other thing about El Franco is that he is elusive. He was the last artist I met, and I think (if I remember correctly), that was only three weeks ago. Whenever he was mentioned amongst the Lawndale staff, it was "I just saw El Franco this morning, he stopped by, he should still be here", but he was never there when I would look for him. He was a little like the Phantom of the Studios, with sitings reported, but not ever actually materializing while I was there. If nothing else, all of the rumors about him were absolutely true - amazingly gracious and so talented.

Kevin Curry, discussing "Gold and Pawn".
If El Franco Lee II seemed like he was never around when I was working, Kevin was very regularly in his studio, but was not any less gracious to visitors. He was never too busy to stop and say hello, and discuss whatever project he was working on at the time. Not only is Kevin always working on something, but it was almost always something completely different each time I looked in on his studio. He manages to work in a wide array of materials, from fabric to plastic to wood to electronics, but his work is not so thematically erratic - each project emphasizes how his hand has manipulated and altered the presence of the object, the meaning and the purpose.

Amber Eagle discussing the imagery in her work.
Tired of me talking about how nice everyone is? Too bad! It would be criminal to talk about Amber and fail to mention how nice she is. Out of all three shows, her work is my favorite to explore, probably because it is the least familiar to me. I hadn't seen much of her work over the course of her residency, so I didn't really know what to expect. There is such a great sense of influences in her work, weaving together not just gender iconography, but different cultural iconography too, not without a certain sense of levity that nicely pokes at feminine archetypes in pictorial art. Instead of attacking those archetypes, however, it seems like Amber is genuinely having fun with them, and her good nature about it is infectious. Amber is also well known for her participation in the Art Car parade, so this opening was particularly well timed for her. She drove her car, "Lady of Transportation", to the opening, and I was lucky enough to catch her in full costume Saturday morning, pulling out of the lot on her way to join the parade:

Fantastic!

After the current residents take their leave, it will be three whole months before I get to meet the new kids. This summer is going to seem a little lonelier around the galleries on Saturdays, that's for certain.

If you are interested in seeing more information, or applying for the next round of Lawndale Studio Residency, everything you need can be found on our website. Applications for the 2009-2010 program are due by May 29th!

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant

the listening post

2009-04-04T11:43:00.006-05:00

Before new shows get set up, I get to read over the artists statements. I'm not usually here for the installation, so I have a week or two to try to figure out how these shows are going to look. Thus far, I have been 100% wrong about how I imagine the shows to look, or function, and I'm glad for it, because the artists and weekly Lawndale staff always have much better ideas about presentation than I.

I think there were several ways Tim Brown's show, The Listening Post, could have been presented. Given that there is a direct correlation between the imagined portraits of the callers and the actual sound clips from calls received, I imagined it to be presented more directly. Here's a picture of the caller. Here is a sound clip of this caller. So on and so forth, down the line.

Part of the real genius conception of his show, though, isn't just the interesting and bizarre conversations with strangers, but how Brown has recreated the environment, from his perspective, for these events. He has set up individual cubicles, that are small, but kind of comfortable, with all the detritus of human occupation. Posters, greeting cards, candy wrappers, coffee mugs, photographs, notes (presumably from other imaginary employees), things that make you feel like you are entering someone else's tiny world, confined by dull colored walls. There you sit, listening on the headsets, to conversations between two people you have never met, and you start to get a small feeling of what it might be like for those people at the call centers. It makes me appreciate the fact that the drawings are on the wall behind you as you listen, so that you can experience the kind of isolation with the strangers that inspired the them.

Part of what I love about this show (and, perhaps, what I love about many of the shows we have here) is how kind of disoriented people get when they enter the building. "Did you move your offices down here/out here?" It is a tribute to how successfully Brown has designed the space. In fact, the first time I saw them, I was shocked that I wasn't somehow involved in it - there are enough bunnies, kittens, dinosaurs, and yes, even the random airplane poster, I thought someone had raided my apartment for props (it doesn't help that I actually have this poster by kozyndan on my wall at home). It is so real, that everyone assumes it has to be where the Lawndale staff works, not part of the show. My favorite thing to show the people who comment on it is the actual downstairs office, in comparison:

uhh, yeah. Dennis? Zach? You guys need to get to work on beautifying your workspace. Tim is showing you up, big time. :D

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendent

Empty Bowls

2009-03-25T11:11:00.006-05:00

I hope you'll forgive this late update, but this past weekend was crazy busy!

This past Saturday, Lawndale and HCCC co-hosted the Empty Bowls charity event. If you've never attended before, Empty Bowls is a day-long ceramics event, with tons of bowls created by local artists, community members, and local schools. Sweet Tomatoes provides everyone who purchases a bowl a complimentary soup lunch and bread from Whole Foods. There were ceramics and woodworking demonstrations, and live bands played in the HCCC garden.

Thanks to everyone who came out to volunteer, you all did a fantastic job! Thanks to everyone who bought bowls, your donation to the Food Bank will really go far! It was a great event with a great turn out. If you didn't make it out this year, you should make it to next year's, because it is really a lot of fun!

Looking forward to this weekend, Lawndale will be at the Bayou City Arts Festival, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! Zach, Karen, and Christine will be at the Lawndale booth at the Creative Zone in Memorial Park, so if you are out there, stop by and say hello! Lawndale will be open Saturday, also, so you can come out and see the current shows.

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant

saturday visitor appreciation day

2009-03-14T22:58:00.005-05:00

Today at Lawndale I held a kind of impromptu Saturday Visitor Appreciation Day. All this really means is that I baked a few dozen cookies and brought them in to share with all of the gallery visitors today.

What prompted this seemingly random event? Well, Lawndale had an anonymous valentine last month, and I thought it would be nice to reciprocate. So I waited until today, which is the day the Japanese celebrate White Day. In Japan, only girls give out chocolates on Valentine's Day. Then, a month later, it is the guys' turn to reciprocate. Since someone was so nice to think of Lawndale on Valentine's, it seemed only right to share the love with the people who support Lawndale. Hence the pink heart-shaped cookies.

Incidentally, it is also Pi Day. I had considered making pi-shaped cookies, but then I thought combining two relatively obscure holidays might overwhelm people's geek tolerance. But, if you are of that persuasion, I invite you to watch this delightful math animation.

In actual Lawndale news, we have four new shows up! Unfortunately, I couldn't attend the opening last night, which is a total bummer because it was apparently really great, from all accounts. The new shows are so much fun. You know you've got something good going on when a little kid runs up to you and exclaims, "This is soooo cooooool!", which is exactly what happened to me today. I will likely update more about the shows next week, after I've had a little more time with them, but for my day today, I spent most of it looking at artists' websites and reading their statements, which is a pretty great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant

quilting bee-hemoth, part one

2009-03-01T19:06:00.003-06:00

This past Saturday was one of the most fun yet! Kevin Curry, one of Lawndale's resident artists, held the first (of several, hopefully) Quilting Bee-hemoth. Staff, interns and volunteers came in to help Kevin with a massive project involving quilting.

This first event focused on cutting fabric into strips, which will later be used to create giant quilting squares. No sewing yet, but maybe in the future. I think we managed to cut enough strips to keep Kevin busy for a while.

It was a lot of fun to cut fabric and talk with everyone, but it was almost more fun digging through Kevin's piles of thrift store fabric finds. Since he is trying to use all patterned fabrics for the quilt, there are some crazy guilty pleasure fabrics - you know the ones, the fabrics that catch your eye at the store, and you can't decide if they are genius or awful. But he has some completely amazing finds also, like this one:

Christine and I are in negotiations to save this fabric - as amazing as it would be to have as part of the quilt, I also feel it has other possibilities. Like wallpapering my apartment. If anyone has any idea where to find this fabric, please don't hesitate to share that information with us!

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant

who's side are you on?

2009-02-21T14:36:00.001-06:00

Eek! I came in to set up the galleries today, turned the corner, and came face to face with a line of resistance. The soldiers are tired of being confined in the project space, and, after leaving the opposing team cowering the back corner of the room, advanced into the hallway. They've already taken over the third floor. Luckily, I think they have reached an impasse at the stairwell (wheels and stairs don't mix), and it doesn't seem as though they have figured out how to use the elevator yet (or, perhaps they just aren't tall enough to reach the buttons?). Surely it is only a matter of time. Send reinforcements!

The current shows will only be open for another week! Next Saturday is the last day. Then Lawndale will be closed for two weeks while we set up all new shows. More information on that to come, but don't miss out on experiencing this great series of shows!

Also, join the Lawndale Art Center Facebook group to receive updates about shows and events!

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant

Valentine's Day at Lawndale!

2009-02-14T16:09:00.000-06:00

It is a gloomy Valentine's Day here in Houston. The storm clouds are a-rumblin', the wind is a-blowin', and there's nary a patron to be seen (or heard) here in the galleries. Well, that is a slight exaggeration - we've had a few people walk through so far today, including one who was here before me! It is a good thing I tend to get here a little early. But it has been pretty quiet, and very dark, in the galleries today.

Luckily, some kind-hearted soul thought enough of us to leave a little Valentine's present on our door! I found this little guy on the door handle when I arrived. I'm sure someone is going to come in on Tuesday (not Monday, because we will be closed in observance of President's Day!) and know exactly who it is from and what it means, but for me, it was a very pleasant random surprise. I would kind of like to think that maybe someone was going around the neighborhood, or all of their favorite places, and leaving little presents like this for them, without actually knowing the people who work or live there.

In response, maybe I will bring in cookies for everyone who visits on March 14th, to celebrate White Day. Maybe our Mystery Valentine will come in to see the galleries that day (which is, incidentally, the first full day of the new exhibits). Just because, we love you back. <3

(I guess this means I ought to use the rest of my day finding good recipes for cookies...)

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant

Upcoming events at Lawndale!

2009-02-13T20:24:00.000-06:00

Lawndale needs your help!

Non-profit organizations, such as Lawndale, can’t survive without wonderful volunteers, like you! There are several upcoming volunteer opportunities that we would love for you to be a part of.

- For our next exhibit, which runs from March 13 through April 18, 2009, we need help with the opening reception, Friday, March 13, 2009 from 6:30- 8:30 PM. For this exhibit we are showing works by Dennis Harper, David Waddell & Kelly Ulcak, Tim Brown, and Brent Fogt. There will be a membership table and a small cash bar that we will need help with. Email me which shift you would like to work (5:30-7:15 and/or 7:00-8:45) and where, and I will put you down!

- This year the Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park will be from March 27 through the 29th. With more than 300 visual and performing artists from around the corner to around the world, Memorial Park’s meandering trails and magnificent Texas pines will be transformed into an outdoor art gallery blooming with juried art and multi-cultural music and dance. Sponsored by the Art Colony Association, the Bayou City Art Festival helps raise money and give exposure to several local non-profit organizations, including the Lawndale Art Center. As a participating non-profit partner, Lawndale is asked to provide volunteers to help staff the festival. Check our website to sign-up for specific shifts.

- Lawndale Art Center's 14th Annual 20th Century Modern Market will take place from April 22 through April 26th this year. As always, we are looking for dedicated volunteers to help us out. Email me and/or check the website for any updated information that may come out as the event approaches!

I know these dates are kind of far away, but feel free to sign-up as early as possible! You can reach me at ZGresham@lawndaleartcenter.org if you have any questions/ comments/ concerns. Also, let me know if you would like to be included on our volunteer call list. I hope to hear from you guys soon!

posted by: Zach Gresham, Education and Volunteer Coordinator

why the current installations are the best on saturdays

2009-01-31T22:01:00.000-06:00

There are some Saturdays when there are people at the door before I've had a chance to flip a light switch. Other Saturdays... well, some Saturdays take a little while to get started. Today was an example of the later. I showed up a little early, got all of the shows lit and ready, and then had a solid hour of... nothing.

Nothing, except the gallery as my playground! The current shows are kind of awesome for a seemingly dull Saturday. There is something almost cathartic about them; after years of going to museums and galleries and behaving myself, being quiet and reserved and staying at least six inches away from the art at all times, I actually get a chance to play with the art. So I spent a little time on the third floor playing on Aram Nagle's battle-football-field, rolling the soldiers around and knocking them into each other. Then I spent a while longer "testing" Patrick Renner's telephone pole-music machines. Not only are these shows interactive, requiring the audience to become a part of the show in order for them to be successful, but they are NOISY. Fantastically, beautifully noisy. Lawndale is not a vacuum!

As I went back to the downstairs office to take my place by the phone, I remembered the musical component to Barry Stone's photography. I hadn't the chance to listen to the track he created all the way through yet, so I put on some headphones. I have to say, as someone familiar with the work of Harold Budd, Barry's track is the urban-ambient jam. I don't know how many times that track looped, but before I knew it twenty minutes had passed and there was a troop of patrons walking the galleries that I hadn't even noticed enter the building. Oops.

After that, things picked up in the galleries, so I returned to my post greeting people and answering questions. My favorite part of the day? Catching patrons timidly walking around the telephone poles, or stopping just at the doorway of the project space with uncertainty, and encouraging them to step into the installation. It won't work without you.

In other news:

IT is still there. Two and a half weeks later, Emily Sloan's words still remain. The forecast calls for rain tomorrow, so I guess we'll see if it survives until my next Saturday.

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant

in the space of absence, and others.

2009-01-24T15:03:00.000-06:00

Last night was the opening for the new series of shows, featuring Kathy Kelley, Aram Nagle, Patrick Renner, and Barry Stone. We had such a great turnout! So many people came out to see the new installations and hear the artists talk, the building was packed.

One really interesting aspect of the shows this time around is how well all the installations work together, creating a cohesive experience from the first floor to the third floor. Barry Stone’s photography starts it off by presenting works that work with many different ideas, particularly a tenuous balance between real and illusionary space, between natural and urbanized locations. There is also a sound component to Stone’s show, which helps tie his photographs together into a kind of narrative experience. His show moves nice into Kathy Kelley’s installation in the O’Quinn gallery, which has been entirely transformed by her enormous sculptural pieces made out of old tires. The way she has constructed and manipulated the material gives the work a sense of movement, so that it almost seems to become a living landscape, with mysterious orifices and tendrils and pods.

On the mezzanine, Patrick Renner has set up three telephone poles, adorned with ages worth of staples, pins, and nails. Each pole is equipped with mechanisms that, when moved around the pole, translates those nails and staples into sound, as a way to reveal a kind of secret message or communication that is intrinsically embedded in the poles. It works well with Kathy Kelley’s work, as both reutilize urban materials and imbues these otherwise inanimate and well-used objects with a new kind of life.

Another aspect of Renner’s telephone poles was his attempt to connect with childhood memories by turning the poles into music boxes. The mechanisms work in a similar fashion as old music boxes – turn an arm and the sound is created by the striking of a nail. This connection with childhood imagery follows on the third floor with Aram Nagle’s work. By referencing childhood pastimes – football games, toy soldiers, etc. – Nagle attempts to create a basic language to help define one of life’s most complicated events: war. In the project space Nagle has created a large play-battle field, complete with goals and yardlines and players – or, that is, soldiers. The soldiers can be wheeled around, and viewers are invited to create their own game with these elements.

All in all, it was a great night. If you couldn’t make it to the opening last night, the show will be running until the end of February. Come by the gallery during the week to see this amazing collection of shows, or come by on a Saturday and say hi to me!

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant

linger longer

2009-01-16T19:09:00.000-06:00

It is dead week at Lawndale - the time when the old exhibits come down and the new exhibits are set up. Emily Sloan had an installation piece outside the building, called "To Whom it May Concern". It was one of several similar installations placed at different locations around town. Using natural materials from the surrounding area, Sloan wrote short, site-specific messages for people to stumble across in their travels. Lawndale housed two different messages; outside the back entrance, Sloan wrote "Thank You" with gravel. In the empty lot adjacent to the building, she wrote "To Whom It May Concern" several times over with different colors of mulch.

The works were meant to age naturally - being subject to any and all fluxuations in weather and other forms of natural erosion, the messages eventually are dispersed over time. By the end of the show, the "Thank You" had become illegible, from the wind, rain, and human traffic, but it was possible to see a little of it if you knew what to look for. The strange part, however, was the piece in the lot - it weathered rainstorms, wind, and even snow, but it barely changed through it all. By the end, it was almost just as legible as it was in the beginning.

As part of the installation tear-down, the decision was made to "repurpose" the mulch, which just meant a little landscaping. So the mulch was swept up into neat, color-coordinated piles, and redistributed around the trees on the lot. After it was all swept away, though, the message was still there, on the concrete.

I thought my favorite part of this installation was on the days after it rained - some words and letters would collect pools of water around them, and when viewed from the third floor, gave those areas a wonderful kind of visual emphasis. But I think this might have just become my favorite part - the message was never meant to stay around indefinitely, but even when it was physically removed, the message is still there.

Emily Sloan's blog

posted by: Virginia, gallery attendant