The Art of Everything
By: Michael Pennywark
If, like most rational people, you’re choosing to spend these last few weeks before the apocalypse enjoying the holidays and blowing all your money on booze rather than stockpiling your underground bunker, then you’re probably feeling a little nostalgic right now as December 21st creeps ever closer. Of course, if you’re reading this after trying to set a record for how many holiday parties you can crash before the end of the world, you might also be struggling to remember all the awesome art openings and events you attended this year. Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered. I took a look back at some of the events that have kept Houston’s art community growing both locally and internationally, and checked in with a few of the people we talked to this year to find out what happened after we blacked out at their openings.
In a year that featured a lot of, well, “everything,” DiverseWorks showed that Houston has truly become a major hub for exciting 
experimental artists as they hosted zoe|juniper’s performance and installation, “A Crack in Everything”—an immersive experience that combined dance, video, photography, and installation. Arguably, the strength of Houston’s art community lies in its support of local art and organizations such as DiverseWorks, Spacetaker, and Fresh Arts Coalition, which serve to foster local talent. In perhaps the most exciting news for emerging artists, Fresh Arts and Spacetaker announced their merger, a move that will no doubt strengthen bonds within the art community itself.
In the meantime, Spacetaker’s Artist Resource Center provided us with some truly memorable exhibits this year such as Curtis Gannon’s comic-book collages in “and everything in between,” and Lisa Chow and Y. E. Torres’ fanciful collaboration in “Once there was, once there wasn’t.” Chow and Torres hosted a somewhat magical tea party representing the mid-point in their exhibition. Catching up with Chow and Torres, I was told that everyone had a blast – there were unicorns and bunnies aplenty. And from what I understand, afterward, guests found confetti in places no confetti should ever be.
Collaborative works were the order of the year and showcased Houston’s support for the arts as demonstrated by events such as Insight|Out which brought together film, dance, and music at some of Houston’s unique historical landmarks. The Aurora Picture Show, DiverseWorks, and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts hosted the event celebrating Houston and its culture.
Talking to Mary Headrick at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, I learned that quite a few of us dropped by to enjoy Chris Hedrick’s witty wooden illusions in “Implied Utility,” and that we can look forward to more cool exhibits next year (of course this will depend on any impending Armageddon, I’m sure).
When we talk of Houston, though, we also think of the world-class museums such as the Houston Museum of Natural Science and 
the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Exhibitions focused on the Titanic, “Egyptomania,” and “Scandinavian Design” certainly continue to draw us back, but perhaps the most significant events of the year were the wildly successful Houston Fine Art Fair and the Texas Contemporary Art Fair. Of course, I was happy just to get to talk to Cheech Marin about his collection of Chicano art at the HFAF. We can expect both of these fairs to grow in the coming years.
If this wasn’t enough to establish Houston as the epicenter of the Texas art community, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston also graced us with the presence of Rob Pruitt’s “Andy Monument” and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts announced a residency for The Light Surgeons who performed their stunning live cinema piece, SuperEverything* at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival. If SuperEverything* got you as excited as me, then we should be in for a treat when they present their next show based on Houston.
One sign of how much our art community has grown is the number of shows that we are exporting these days. Nothing could be cooler than Aerosol Warfare taking its blow up dolls on the road to “Blow Up L.A.” and various other parts of the country. I can’t forget the artsanity of Free Press Houston’s FPSF artstravaganza, though judging by the amount of beer that was consumed that weekend, I’d wager that many people might have a hard time.
So that’s a reminder of the awesomeness that was Houston’s art scene this year and a glimmer of what to expect next year, though there’s no telling what our post-apocalyptic art scene may have in store for us. Oh, and if right now it’s the 22nd and you banked on the Mayans being right about the end of the world and didn’t bother to buy any presents before yesterday, you can always check out Asher Gallery, the gift shop at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft—they have some very unique gifts, jewelry, and home décor – all made by national craft artists.
Asher Gallery at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-5pm, Sunday: 12pm-5pm
4848 Main St. Houston, TX 77002
