Art sometimes points the way. Take Ai Weiwei’s “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, order ” now guarding McGovern Lake in Hermann Park. They seem to be telling us to look to the lake and beyond, once you figure out what animal you are, of course. (I’m a sheep.)
In our Cultural Warrior interview, Matthew Lennon, Houston Arts Alliance Director of Civic Art & Design, goes into great detail on how public art can enliven a city.
Showing us what we might have missed seems a covert theme of this issue, from Nancy Zastudil’s musings on Liliana Porter’s surreal world now occupying Sicardi Gallery to Debra Barrera’s investigations of Richard’s Serra’s bold drawings at The Menil Collection.
It’s part of a documentary maker’s job to shine a light on the unseen. Marene Gustin chronicles the lives of Houston’s film storytellers, who do just that on a range of subjects, from Alex Luster’s vivid portrait of Houston’s street art culture in “Stick em Up!” showing at the MFAH, to Douglas Newman’s searing portrait, “The Reconstruction of Asa Carter,” airing on KUHT/Channel 8.
Every month, the cultural landscape of Houston shifts. Sometimes, the terrain can change right underneath us, quite literally, like the artists taking over Russ Pitman Park this month. Spring marks the opening of the Asia Society Texas Center, the next month of FotoFest’s in depth survey of contemporary Russian photography and iFest’s focus on Argentina. Our heritage as an international city comes full circle with Corella Ballet making their Houston debut on the Society for the Performing Arts stage. But we have to love that the company is dancing a Stanton Welch ballet!
In our stories and reviews, we aim to share what we have seen, and to reveal what has been pointed out to us. Who knows, I may even venture out on one of those paddle boats. Ai Weiwei’s animal heads seems to be saying, “Go for it.”
Nancy Wozny
editor
nancy@artsandculturetx.com
@artsculturehou
Arty Party Alert!
Please join us for our first ever Cultured Cocktails to benefit Fresh Arts, and to celebrate the joining of Spacetaker and Fresh Arts Coalition in holy artimony on April 19, 5– 10 p.m. at Boheme.
