spring/summer 2008
NE W S L I n E
the Art Museum of the University of Houston
FAREWELL from the director It seems as if only yesterday I was introducing myself and saying hello to my new life in Houston. That was June 2000. In just eight short years, Blaffer Gallery has grown and developed into a major venue for contemporary art. Our focus on the creative process—our core value is to encourage creativity and nurture independent thinking—has given rise to many wonderful exhibitions, publications, and programs. The state of the museum is strong. Since 2000, Blaffer has presented fifty-two world-class exhibitions, thirty-nine of which were organized in-house, and seven of which traveled to additional venues across the United States. All were accompanied by significant publications, many produced in collaboration with internationally renowned publishers. We have become an important partner in the development of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. The budget has more than doubled, and the staff has grown by more than fifty percent. Our mentorship program is a national model, and we have trained countless young museum professionals. The museum set big, audacious goals and met each one. I am enormously proud to have been a part of this productive and dynamic period. My departure is bittersweet; as I accept a new challenge as Director of The Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, New York, I leave behind a cherished institution and a warm and welcoming community. Blaffer is poised for another great leap, and I am certain that the incoming director will receive the same enthusiastic welcome and support that I have had the privilege to enjoy. The upcoming projects for the remainder of this year promise to be provocative, stimulating, and beautiful. Please take the time to visit. And check out our fabulous new website at www.blaffergallery.org!
Upcoming Events Friday, May 9 6 – 8 p.m. Opening Reception for 2008 Houston Area Exhibition Wednesday, May 14 12 noon Brown Bag Gallery Tour for Charles “Teenie” Harris: Rhapsody in Black and White Thursday, May 15 6:30 p.m. HOT on H-TOWN, the 2008 Blaffer Gallery Gala Wednesdays, May 21, June 4, July 2, and Thursday, May 22 12 noon Brown Bag Gallery Tours for 2008 Houston Area Exhibition Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon Summer Arts Workshops
Wednesday, July 16 6 p.m. Contemporary Salon for 2008 Houston Area Exhibition
Friday, September 12 6 – 8 p.m. Opening Reception for Damaged Romanticism: A Mirror of Modern Emotion
the SCENE AT BLAFFER
2.
3.
1.
5.
6. 1. Bill Arning, guest panelist at the Artists Up Close Contemporary Salon, points to an Ackerman film playing behind him.
4.
2. Blaffer's 35th anniversary celebration draws a crowd.
8.
3. Dr. Elizabeth Gregory leads the Chantal Akerman Brown Bag Gallery Tour.
4. UH Law students enjoy refreshments and Chantal Akerman's films at a Student Bar Association mixer. 7.
5. Terrie Sultan with John Antel at the 35th anniversary celebration. 6. Dr. Bill Howze speaks at a Blaffer internship event. 7. Young Artist Apprenticeship Program (YAAP) participants make their Blaffer debut. 8. The 11th Street Cleaners perform at the 35th anniversary celebration.
3
2008 houston area exhibition May 10 – August 2, 2008
This summer, we are pleased to celebrate the Houston Area Exhibition, a tradition that has been presenting exhibitions every four years since the inception of the museum. As the curator, I am very excited about this year’s edition. Not only does it introduce artists who are young or new to the Houston community, but it also offers more seasoned artists the opportunity to develop new work and to be seen in a fresh light. The issues put forth in the works in the exhibition vary, but what connects all of the artists is an active engagement with ideas and concerns that define life in this particular contemporary moment – be it as an individual, a society, or a nation. Held every four years, the Houston Area Exhibition takes the pulse of contemporary art made in Houston to offer a snapshot of what matters to artists in the here and now. Seth Alverson’s paintings of vacant rooms, open coffins, and funeral parlors serve as metaphors for his disappointment in academia as an institution for the generation of ideas. But the symbolic declaration of academia’s death is also the recognition of its loss. As with any death, those who remain behind are left with a vacuum impossible to Above: fill. William Betts’s machine-produced Seth Alverson Death and Life in the Alps, 2007 paintings of highways, based on surOil on canvas veillance imagery, are a matter-of-fact 60 x 84 in. reminder that national security and Courtesy the artist 4
individual rights to privacy are becoming increasingly incompatible in these times of uncertainty. Sasha Dela’s objects and installations made of found recyclable materials address the problematic intersection of politics, ecology, and economics, where we all are the cause of our planet’s deterioration as well as the ineffective harbinger of a possible solution. Jonathan Durham uses the institutional language of religion in film and sculpture to address the role of specific cultural histories in today’s world and our understanding of their legacy. Hana Hillerova seeks to reconcile inner and outer life in sculptures whose surfaces and structures are open and absorptive to the outside world, but at the same time offer a contained place for quiet contemplation. Hedwige Jacobs’s drawings pull the viewer into a world full of lived experiences. Charting life in all its mundane twists and turns, the drawings offer a visual stream of consciousness without beginning or end. Andy Janacua proposes a “new colonial theory.” In revisiting, redefining, and recontextualizing monuments and symbols of modernity, he seeks to question and broaden our common notions and understandings of history. Nicholas Kersulis’s painted discs and stones confound the definitions of painting and sculpture, raising questions about representation while seeking truth in both nature and culture.
On View
Top, left: Hedwige Jacobs Crying Colors, 2007 Pencil and marker on paper 19 x 24 in. Courtesy the artist
Bottom, left: Gabriela Trzebinski Bigfoot, 2007 Oil on canvas 30 x 30 in. Courtesy the artist
Top, right: Jonathan Durham Twas in the Moon of Wintertime, 2008 Stills from single channel video Courtesy the artist
Bottom, right: William Betts I-10 and Resler, El Paso, Texas, June 8, 2007 7:00am, 2008 Acrylic on canvas 54 X 72 in. Courtesy the artist
5
Top: Hana Hillerova Untitled, 2008 Wood, spray paint 60 x 60 x 60 in. each Courtesy the artist Above, left: Jonathan C. Leach Reconstruction, 2007 Acrylic on canvas 47 x 46 in. Courtesy the artist Above, right: Audry Worster Metropolis, 2008 Oil on canvas 72 x 60 in. Courtesy the artist Right: Nicholas Kersulis Rocks, 2008 22 rocks with synthetic polymer gesso displayed on studio table Dimensions variable Courtesy the artist
6
Top: Andres Janacua Untitled, 2006 C-print 24 x 28 in. Courtesy the artist
Bottom: Julie Spielman The Galveston Plan, 2008 (detail) Transparencies on slide table Dimensions variable Courtesy the artist
On View Mindy Kober’s series of gouaches translates the symbolic imagery representing each of the fifty states on the backs of American quarters into luscious compositions spiked with her own witty and subversive political commentary. Jonathan Leach’s paintings of cityscapes are deeply influenced by the different dynamics of the places he has inhabited. In his serial portrait of Houston, he charts the unique energy of this city as a vibrant and complex metropolis. In creating the appearance of having employed children to build a wall in the gallery space, Lynne McCabe’s project questions legitimate boundaries and current modes of community-oriented practices. Ariane Roesch examines the quality of communication in the digital age. Her work depicts as circuit drawings the exchange of information in the workplace among connected yet ultimately isolated individuals. Julie Spielman’s practice investigates the construction of personal histories and references their relationships within or outside people’s original cultural contexts. Born in Kenya to a Polish father and an English mother, Gabriela Trzebinski has been engaged with issues of culture, race, and gender since early childhood. In paintings of death, mutilation, sex, and political injustice, she lays bare the harsh realities of her multicultural experience on the African continent. Jeff Williams draws our attention to the pollution and contamination that is now an integral part of the fabric of daily life. In exposing the rotten foundations of our existence, he encourages a more responsible stance toward the environment and our treatment of it. Audry Worster creates fantastical landscapes and cityscapes, whose combination of biomorphic and crystalline shapes seems to be drawn from the heavens as well as the earth to create a bridge between the terrestrial and the celestial. We hope that you are as excited about this exhibition as we are, and that we can count on you to support the artists in this community and celebrate their presence among us. Together we can make our 35th anniversary exhibition season a resounding success.
Top: Lynne McCabe Potluck, 2007 Installation view of photographs at Project Row Houses Courtesy the artist Middle: Jeff Williams Mantel, 2008 Wood, drywall, paint 127 x 109 x 18 in. Courtesy the artist Bottom: Ariane Roesch Office: Conference 4 [Passions Fly High], 2007 Xerox print on vellum with colored thread 5 x 7 in. Courtesy the artist
Claudia Schmuckli, Curator, Blaffer Gallery
7
Damaged Romanticism: A Mirror of Modern Emotion September 13 – November 15, 2008 This fall, Blaffer Gallery is pleased to present Damaged Romanticism: A Mirror of Modern Emotion. Featuring fifteen internationally recognized contemporary artists working in painting, sculpture, installations, and photography-based media, the exhibition explores contemporary art in which the fantasies of classic romanticism have been mitigated by the clarity of pragmatic realism. The artists are linked by their visual representations of how, in the face of the disillusionments and failures of modern life, romanticism has been replaced by a defiant optimism, or “damaged romanticism.” Belonging neither to a style nor to a traditional school, the featured works all embody an outlook frequently forged in heartbreaking disappointment, but never resigned to pain or failure. Artists in the exhibition include Richard Billingham (England); Berlinde de Bruykere (Belgium); Edward Burtynsky (Canada); Sophie Calle (France); Petah Coyne (United States); Angelo Filomeno (Italy/United States); Jesper Just (Denmark/United States); Mary McCleary (United States); Florian Maier-Aichen (Germany/United States); Wangechi Mutu (Kenya/United States); Julia Oschatz (Germany); Anneè Olofsson (Sweden); David Schnell (Germany); and Ryan Taber/Cheyenne Weaver (United States). Suffering, tragedy, and misunderstanding form the soil out of which the works in Damaged Romanticism spring, making a place, as they grow, for hope. This hope has nothing to do with the unattainable platitudes of idealism, but on the contrary is sensible, even pedestrian, in its groundedness in the gritty vicissitudes of the real world. Stubborn optimism takes the place of dreamy utopianism in the exhibition. In this sense Damaged Romanticism embodies an aftermath aesthetic. At the heart of these works is the recognition that virgin births are fantasies, that blank slates are not found but actually involve lots of often violent erasing, and that starting
8
Left: Angelo Filomeno Arcanum: Rolling Shit, 2006 Embroidery on silk lame stretched over linen with crystals, citrines and diamonds in 18kt gold setting 21 x 16 in. © Angelo Filomeno
fresh is more like starting over, often with more psychological baggage than one would choose to begin with. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s claim that American lives have no second acts does not apply to the works in Damaged Romanticism, all of which are built on the knowledge that rebirth grows out of the experience of things gone horribly wrong. Damaged Romanticism: A Mirror of Modern Emotion was organized for Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston, by Terrie Sultan, Director, The Parrish Art Museum (former Director of Blaffer Gallery); David Pagel, Assistant Professor of Art Theory and History at Claremont Graduate University; and Colin Gardner, Professor in Critical Theory and Integrative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The exhibition and publication are made possible, in part, by the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, the Cecil Amelia Blaffer von Furstenberg Endowment for Exhibitions and Programs, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, Ellen and Steve Susman, and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany.
PREView
Top, left Petah Coyne Untitled #1103 (Daphne), 2002–03 Mixed media, 72 x 83 x 86 in. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Lelong, New York Š Petah Coyne
Top, right: Florian Maier-Aichen Untitled (Long Beach), 2004 C-print, 71 1/2 x 92 1/2 in. Edition of 6 Courtesy the artist and Blum & Poe, Los Angeles Bottom, left: Julia Oschatz Untitled (oilland), 2005 Oil and lacquer on canvas, 16 1/2 x 23 5/8 in. Courtesy the artist and Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, New York Bottom, right: Wangechi Mutu Be quiet, I saved you already, 2006 Mixed media on mylar, 90 1/4 x 51 1/4 in. Susanne Vielmeter Los Angeles Pojects
9
Special F e atu re Ten new paintings by Janaki Lennie installed on University of Hhouston-downtown campus
Janaki Lennie, a native of Australia now living in Canada, has installed ten new paintings at the recently completed building for the College of Business at the UH-Downtown campus. The commissioned paintings reside in alcoves— an early decision to protect the paintings from passers-by —in the main hall of the first floor. The result is a successful and subtle integration of art and architecture. Well known for her paintings of urban environments, Lennie depicted in her early works modern-day concrete freeways plowing through tranquil, picturesque eighteenthcentury landscapes, a social commentary on humanity’s encroachment on nature. Since 2000, she has taken a new approach, focusing on natural and fabricated objects viewed against the backdrop of a vast, empty sky. She paints with a certain blur, and murky greens and browns illuminate the scene as if sunlight or moonlight were being filtered through layers of pollution. At the edges of the paintings, the viewer sees tree limbs, buildings, or oil refineries amid the haze. In Untitled, from the Provisional Space–Houston series (2007), streetlights shine in the sky, their misty distortion almost reminiscent of UFOs in a science fiction film, familiar imagery to those who reside in smog-filled cities like Houston. Clear and smoky, dark and light, vast and detailed— her work depends on a balance of these opposites. 10
Lennie’s paintings are neither nostalgic nor critical of industry in opposition to nature. Rather they are intended as resting points for the eyes and mind in a world full of noise and clutter, perhaps an escape for the citydweller who never leaves town, but who wants to feel a stronger connection to the earth and cosmos. They are observations and possibilities for solace in an urban environment. Janaki Lennie currently lives in St. Johns, Newfoundland. She received her M.F.A. in painting from the University of Houston in 1999. The UH-Downtown College of Business building is located on Main Street at Shea Street just north of I-10, adjacent to FotoFest and DiverseWorks. You can see more of Lennie’s work at www.janakilennie.com and at Finesilver Gallery, Houston, and Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas.
Janaki Lennie Installation view of Provisional Space–Houston series, 2007
Janaki Lennie Untitled, from the Provisional Space–Houston series, 2007 20 x 16 inches Oil on linen
11
Young Talent Shines at Blaffer The spring 2008 session of the Young Artist Apprenticeship Program was one of the best to date with ten students from four HISD schools completing the six-week course. Austin High School, Chavez High School, Eastwood Academy, and Milby High School were each represented by some of the brightest young artists in the area. Guided by artist mentors Gwen Thompson and David Waddell, the class produced an exhibition entitled Phases in Time that impressed peers and audiences alike. Scholarships were awarded Top: YAAP student Adolfo Lara (center) with Blaffer Educato Adolfo Lara and tion staff, Katy Lopez (left) and Katherine Veneman Priscilla Ordaz, thanks (right). to The Martha Meier Bottom: Memorial Scholarship YAAP instructors David Waddell (left) and Gwen Thompson (right) with Gustavo Galaviz (center, left) Endowment Fund. and Priscilla Ordaz (center, right). Now Just a Click Away For both group tours and individual visitors, learning more about Blaffer exhibitions has never been easier. Whether you’d like to tour the current art on display or walk through the public art collection that fills the campus, scheduling a free, docent-led tour can be done online at our newly 12
redesigned website, www.blaffergallery.org. Visitors coming to Blaffer also have the option of taking a free cell phone tour. Simply call 713.481.2811 and follow the prompts. Whether you are coming to the museum in a group or on your own, we encourage you to take advantage of the many ways to learn more about the exhibitions. A Season of Stars The slate of speakers for the winter season was impressive as experts from around the country visited Blaffer. The Artists Up Close roundtable, co-hosted by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Visitors at the Artists Up Close ContempoCenter for the Arts, included rary Salon, co-hosted by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. acclaimed guests Bill Arning, Curator, MIT List Visual Arts Center; Dr. Margarita De La Vega Hurtado, retired professor and film scholar, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and Marian Luntz, Curator of Film, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The Brown Bag Gallery Tour was led by Director of the Women’s Study Program and author Dr. Elizabeth Gregory. Many thanks to all our speakers and guests for joining us. Design Students Compete for Masters Thesis Exhibition project Over twenty Graphic Communications students from the Junior Graphic Communication Major class taught by Cheryl Beckett of Minor Design competed this winter to be chosen Don Suttajit by the Blaffer staff as the designer for the 2008 School of Art Masters Thesis Exhibition publications and entrance wall. We were impressed by each student’s appealing design, hard work, and dedication. Though it was a tough decision to pick one student, Don Suttajit was selected as this year’s winner. Many thanks to Don and his
EDucation/development
great work, and we are pleased to be the first in his portfolio documenting what should prove to be an illustrious career for this emerging young designer.
more information about remaining tickets and absentee bidding, please contact Susan Conaway at 713.743.9537 or seconaway@uh.edu.
Call to Students: Blaffer Student Association Seeks Members If you are energetic about art in any way, we invite you to join the Blaffer Student Association. This organization, which brings together students from all academic disciplines, hosts three to four events per year and is a great way to get involved in the University of Houston community and to build your resume at the same time. For more information, contact Association President Laura McGrath at blaffersa@uh.edu.
Community Members Celebrate Blaffer Programs Blaffer Gallery is proud to announce recent generous grants from the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, Ellen and Steve Susman, and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Houston, in support of Damaged Romanticism: A Mirror of Modern Emotion; and from Jane Blaffer Owen in support of Art Focus, Blaffer’s award-winning educational outreach program. We are deeply appreciative and extend our thanks to all for recognizing the importance of exhibitions and programs with a special focus on emerging or under-recognized artists and bodies of work.
Blaffer Wins Gold We’re pleased to announce that the exhibition catalogue for Jean Luc Mylayne has won a gold award at this year’s Texas Association of Museums annual conference, which was held in Galveston in March. The book was designed by Jack Woody of Twin Palms Publishers and Jean Luc Mylayne. Plenty of copies still remain, and are available for $65. Call Blaffer’s front desk at 713.743.9521 to order your copy of this award-winning catalogue. It’s About That Time for HOT on H-TOWN On Thursday, May 15, Blaffer Gallery celebrates its 35th Anniversary in style. Individual tickets to the city’s most exciting arts affair are still available at $300/person. New this year: artists in the 2008 Houston Area Exhibition will be the showcase of the event. The sixteen artists will be seated around the room, and you will have a chance to bid on their artworks in the auction. This is a very HOT opportunity to get to know a local, emerging artist. For those of you who cannot attend, did you know that you can participate in the auction via absentee bidding? For
Spotlight on Donor Support of University Education Jerome and Minnette Robinson’s commitment to the museum goes far beyond supporting its exhibitions – they have extended Blaffer’s educational program Art Focus, which serves as Jerome and Minnette Robinson an invaluable resource for university with Katherine Veneman (back, learning and achievement. Initiated left) and Tina McPherson (back, right). to encourage students to integrate the teaching experience with their overall studies, the Jerome and Minnette Robinson Scholarship Endowment is awarded to one student who shows both academic achievement and exceptional ability as a museum docent. This year’s recipient, Tina MacPherson, is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Communications in the School of Art. She is the third scholarship recipient. For more information or to contribute to the scholarship endowment, please contact Susan Conaway at 713.743.9537 or seconaway@uh.edu. 13
B laf f e r Par tn e rs LEAD SPONSORS The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation Houston Endowment, Inc.
Beverly and Howard Robinson Stephen W. and Marilyn R. Miles Foundation Texas Commission on the Arts Vinson & Elkins LLP Nancy and Sidney Williams
MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS The City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance The Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation Institute of Museum and Library Services
VISIONARY PARTNERS Anonymous donor Chinhui and Eddie Allen Emily Baker and Gerardo Amelio Suzette and Darrell Betts The Brown Foundation Kristen and David Buck Mary Kay and Robert Casey, Jr. Michael Casey CenterPoint Energy Jereann and Robert Chaney Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany Crescent Real Estate Equities Limited Rania and Jamal Daniel Sherry and Larry Steven Davis ElephantBridge.com Karen and Stephan Farber Sharon and David Felt Susan K. Kutzner and James J.Ferguson III Victor B. Flatt Terrie Sultan and Christopher French Lester Marks and Penelope Gonzalez Gastonia and Gordon Goodman Ryan Gordon Ann and Jim Harithas Pablo and Maria Cristina Henning Dorene and Frank Herzog Nancy and Carter Hixon Dodie and Richard Jackson Joan Blaffer Johnson JPMorgan Private Client Services Joan and Marvin Kaplan Karen and Eric Pulaski Philanthropic Fund The Methodist Hospital Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. The Mitsui USA Foundation Moody Gallery Morgan Stanley Morgan Dunn O’Connor Jennifer Smith and Peter Ragauss Lisanne and Jim Rogers Shirley and Don Rose Karen and Scott Rozzell Mary Eliza and Park Shaper Leigh and Reggie Smith Wilhelmina R. Smith Southwest Health Group, LLC Stanford and Joan Alexander Foundation Emily and Alton Steiner Cynthia Toles Ellen Weiss, The Weiss Group of Merrill Lynch Marcy Taub and Tom Wessel Isabel Brown Wilson
PROGRAM PARTNERS The Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation John P. McGovern Foundation Occidental Energy Marketing, Inc. Jane Blaffer Owen Louisa Stude Sarofim Dorothy Carsey Sumner Ellen and Steve Susman Texan-French Alliance for the Arts/ Levant Foundation The Visionary Initiatives Fund Vicky and Don Eastveld, Miranda and Dan Wainberg, Founding Members Joanne and Derby Wilson DIRECTOR’S COUNCIL Marita and Jonathan Fairbanks Gretchen and Andrew McFarland Lisa and Russell Sherrill DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE Andrews Kurth LLP Sallie Morian and Michael Clark Jo and Jim Furr/Gensler Claudia and David Hatcher Jane Dale Owen Minnette and Jerome Robinson Sikkema Jenkins & Co. Texas State Bank Union Pacific Foundation DIRECTOR’S PARTNERS Nancy C. Allen Baker Hughes Foundation Raymona and William Bomar Linda and Simon Eyles Marita and Jonathan Fairbanks The Fifth Floor Foundation Janis and William Hopson Ann Jackson Ira Jackson Cornelia and Meredith Long Nancy and Robert Martin The Michael & Rebecca Cemo Foundation Meg and Nelson Murray Judy and Scott Nyquist Richard Stodder Charitable Foundation
14
FOUNDING PARTNERS Carol and A. L. Ballard Kristy and Andy Becnel Booker-Lowe Gallery and Lowe and Booker Charitable Trust Cheryl Verlander and Chuck Bracht Kathy and George Britton Buck Family Foundation Jane and Robert Cabes Amy Sutton and Gary Chiles Susie and Sanford Criner David Stone Interior Design Paula and John Hansen Clare Casademont and Michael Metz Carol and David Neuberger Judy and James Nicklos Cabrina and Steven Owsley River Oaks Women’s Breakfast Club Jackie and Richard Schmeal Lane and Bob Schultz Raquel and Andrew Segal Lisa and Russell Sherrill Ann and Richard Vaughan Mr. and Mrs. Ronald B. Walker Wilhelmina W. (Beth) Robertson Fund Nancy and James Willerson E. Wayne Wood THE MARTHA MEIER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND Andrew T. Anton Lavinia and Stephen Boyd Mary Ann and Robert Brezina Linda Buchanan Peggy and Thomas Caskey Grayson Cecil Michael Chmiel Sallie Morian and Michael Clark Mabeth and Kenneth Coleman Nancy and Bert Corkill Joan K. Bruchas and H. Philip Cowdin Dean DeVoss Dianne and Robert Edmonson Jennifer Fichter Carol and Dave Fleming Michael France Cathy Coers and Jay Frank Edward Gomulka Caroline Caskey Goodner Paul D. Grossbard Amir Halevy Warren Haley Tissy and Rusty Hardin Helene and Tod Harding Adana and Chris Haynes Marilyn Hermance Bonnie Hibbert Julia Jervis and O.L. Kirkpatrick Billie Koetter Jim Kollaer Shirley A. Kopecky William Lewis Linda and David Lynn Gundula McCandless
Terry S. Mahaffey Marsha Amdur Malev Pat Malone Marie Mansour-Partridge Martha Meier Family Estate Clark Martin Nancy and Robert Martin Emily Miller Betty Moody Nancy and Lucian Morrison National School of Public Relations Association Nolan-Rankin Galleries, Inc. Monica and Mark Oathout Marilyn O’Connor and Don Gill Custom Homes Janet and Tony Parisi Ada Perry Terri and David Peterson Earline Jones and Mike Prescott Peggy Vineyard and Jim Pruitt Sally and Norman Reynolds Norma and Davis Richardson David W. Roark Shirley and Donald Rose Billie and John Schneider Natalie C. Schwarz Carolyn and Calvin Simpson Mary Ann and Neal Simpson Gina and Kenneth Sones Grayson and John Stokes Gwyn and Tolis Thanos Ann and David Tomatz Corinne and Charles Tracy Mary Faye and Peter Way Linda J. Webb Nancy and Jim Willerson Clinton T. Willour Dorothy Wright William A. Zugheri In-Kind Armando’s Mary and Bernard Arocha Basiques Bergner and Johnson Design Yvonne and William Betts Bright Star Productions, Inc. City Kitchen Crescent Real Estate Equities, Inc. Da Camera of Houston ElephantBridge.com Linda and Simon Eyles Gensler Jane Lau Masterson Design Minor Design Group Piedritas Design Veronica Reed Carolyn Rose Saint Arnold Brewing Company Salon Stefano Savage Design Shade TEBO Design Tootsie’s Joanne and Derby Wilson Ann and David Tomatz
Corinne and Charles Tracy Mary Faye and Peter Way Linda J. Webb Nancy and Jim Willerson Clinton T. Willour William A. Zugheri RECENT GIFTS Recent Gifts (As of April 4, 2008) Claire and Doug Ankenman Kerry Inman and Denby Auble Belinda Bennett Frank Benton Eric Bjork Catherine Black Mike Bloom Elizabeth and Norman Bock Virginia and William Camfield Helen and Jeremy Davis Stewart Norman Davis Dalton Dehart Stephen Derry Lynn Detrick Roger Eichhorn Christine Bruni Fondren Gainer, Donnelly & Desroches, L.C. Galveston Arts Center, Inc. Eleanor and Dan Gilbane Wayne Gilbert Julie Greenwood Mary and George Hawkins Heimbinder Family Foundation Kim and Mike Howard Thomas Hughen, Jr. Fredericka Hunter Jerry and Nanette Finger Foundation Chelby King Lee and Riki Kobayashi Sharon Lederer Matilda B. Melnick Helen Mintz Marilyn Oshman Angi and Jack Patton Bunny and Perry Radoff Mary Ann and Carlos Ryerson Safeway, Inc. Brian Shaw Jeanne and Steve Sims William F. Stern Marylou Swift Renee G. Wallace David Ashley White Clinton T. Willour Xiaojing Yuan Paul Zider All efforts are made to be accurate; if you identify incorrect information, please contact the Office of External Affairs at 713.743.9537.
B laf f e r Gall e ry Par tn e rship s $35+ Community Partner
$250+ Leading Partner
$2,500+ Corporate or Director’s Partner
• 10% discount on museum catalogues and purchases • Advance notice to all exhibition previews, lectures and events • Invitations to select museum programs • Subscription to Blaffer Gallery’s newsletter, Newsline
All of Supporting Partner benefits plus: • Complimentary copy of any one Blaffer Gallery publication • Invitation to two special events organized by Blaffer Gallery
All of Visionary Partner benefits plus • Complimentary copies of select exhibition catalogues • Recognition on promotional literature for twelve months • Special cocktail reception with the Director
$100+ Supporting Partner All of Community Partner benefits plus: • 25% discount on museum catalogues and purchases • Invitation to one special event organized by Blaffer Gallery • Invitation to members-only day trip and travel opportunities
$500+ Founding Partner All of Leading Partner benefits plus: • Complimentary copy of any one exhibition catalogue • Recognition in Newsline
$1,000+ Visionary Partner All of Founding Partner benefits plus: • Invitation to private events to meet visiting artists and curators • Recognition on the museum’s entry wall
$5,000+ Corporate or Director’s Circle All of Corporate or Director’s Partner benefits plus: • The opportunity to host a private function at Blaffer Gallery • Dinner with the Director for two
Exclusive benefits for $10,000+ Program Partners, $25,000+ Major Contributors, and $50,000+ Lead Sponsors are available. Please call 713.743.9537.
M e mb e rship – Join th e B laf f e r ❑ New Membership
❑ Renewal Membership
Name (please print name as you would like to be listed)
❑ A check for made payable to University of Houston Blaffer Gallery is enclosed. ❑ Credit Card Number (MC, VISA, AmEx.,Disc.)
Address
City State Zip
❑ Supporting Partner $100+ ❑ Leading Partner $250+
Expiration Date
❑ Founding Partner $500+
Name (as it appears on card)
❑ Visionary Partner $1,000+
Signature
❑ Corporate or Director’s Partner $2,500+ ❑ Corporate or Director’s Circle $5,000+
Phone Fax
❑ Community Partner $35+
Please complete and mail to:
Membership Office Blaffer Gallery, The Art Museum of the University of Houston 120 Fine Arts Building • Houston, TX 77204-4018
8HHAA00730⁄4041⁄H0097⁄C0717⁄NA⁄41311-42904
For more information call 713.743.9528 or visit us online at www. blaffergallery.org
;djhWdY[ ', 9kbb[d 8ekb[lWhZ
<hec ?#*+ Iekj^
Parking
Blaffer Gallery is located in the Fine Arts Building on the University of Houston’s central campus, Entrance 16 off Cullen Boulevard, near the intersection of Cullen and Elgin.
Reserved parking for museum visitors is along the front of parking lot 16B directly across from the Fine Arts Building. Visitors parking in the reserved area should check in at the museum’s front desk.
Directions
Je :e mdjem d
>eki je
d
;b]_d 7l[dk[
8bW\\[h =Wbb[ho
Location
From Downtown and points North: Take I-45 South toward Galveston. Exit #44C Cullen Boulevard. Turn right onto Cullen. Pass through the light at Elgin. Turn left into Entrance 16. From points South:
*+ <hec ?#*+ Dehj^
Take I-45 North towards Downtown. Exit #44A Elgin-Lockwood⁄Cullen Boulevard and continue on feeder road. Turn left onto Cullen Boulevard. Turn left into Entrance 16.
Front Cover :
xhibitions
For information call
Sasha Dela Black Water, Then and Now, 2006 Log, bottles, photos, water, and ink 36 x 18 x 18 in. Courtesy the artist
Hours Open Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed on Sundays, Mondays, and University holidays. All exhibitions and related programs are free and open to the public. The museum is ADA compliant.
Mindy Kober Florida, 2007 Gouache on paper 44 1/2 x 34 in. Courtesy the artist
713.743.9530 or visit us online at www.blaffergallery.org
2008 Houston Area Exhibition May 10 – August 2, 2008 Damaged Romanticism: A Mirror of Modern Emotion September 13 – November 15, 2008 Young Artist Apprenticeship Program Exhibition October 24 – November 15, 2008 2008 School of Art Annual Student Exhibition December 6 – December 20, 2008 Texas Oil: Landscape of an Industry January 17 – March 29, 2009 Electric Mud January 17 – March 29, 2009
Non-Profit Org. U.S.Postage PAID Houston, TX Permit No. 5910