2007 – Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

Women’s Tales: Four Leading Israeli Jewelers

HCCC — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:12:28 +0000

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft presents Women’s Tales: Four Leading Israeli Jewelers, the first comprehensive study of Israeli contemporary jewelry to focus on the careers of four of its leading women jewelers: Bianca Eshel-Gershuni, Vered Kaminski, Esther Knobel and Deganit Stern Schocken. Consisting of approximately 130 pieces of jewelry and vessels, the show was unique in its presentation of mini-retrospectives of the artists, each of whom has played a critical role in forging an Israeli identity in the contemporary jewelry movement. Their work is uniquely autobiographical, reflecting the reality that all are women, wives, and mothers who are living in Israel and are strongly impacted by its culture. HCCC has been selected as one of only three venues on the U.S. tour of this stunning exhibition.

Fresh Metal

HCCC — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:12:07 +0000

Fresh Metal, a stunning exhibit of work by the Houston Metal Arts Guild (HMAG), is the perfect complement to the Women’s Tales exhibition, demonstrating the skill of our fine local metal artists. Juried by Clint Willour, Curator of the Galveston Arts Center and HCCC Board Member, the show features metal jewelry and sculpture made from materials such as fine silver, sterling, copper and gold.

Intertwined: Contemporary Baskets from the Sara & David Lieberman Collection

HCCC — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:11:48 +0000

Intertwined, with its emphasis on highly textural, colorful and bold sculptural forms, gives viewers the opportunity to challenge their perceptions about the art of contemporary basket-making. More than 70 works by regional, national and international artists show the breadth of the art form, with traditional and functional works exhibited along with mixed-media sculptures. The artists have manipulated a range of materials such as grasses, fish skins, porcupine quills, grocery bags and postcards to create intriguing objects that push the boundaries of basket-making.

Sara and David Lieberman have assembled one of the best collections of contemporary baskets in the country. The more than 150 baskets in their collection were first collected for their function, appeal and roots in ancient traditions, but their selections soon included new works of great vitality that were more about expression and communication rather than function. The exhibition features the work of more than 40 artists, including early innovators, traditional artists and experimenters in the art of basket-making.

Intertwined: Contemporary Baskets from the Sara and David Lieberman Collection was organized by the Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona, and curated by Senior Curator Heather Sealy Lineberry and Jane Sauer, fiber artist and scholar.

Richard Black: The Art of Cue

HCCC — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:11:24 +0000

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is pleased to present Richard Black: The Art of Cue, a fantastic showcase of hand-crafted custom pool cues by Humble, Texas, artist Richard Black.

Drawing inspiration from sources as eclectic as Gauguin, Picasso, Fabergé eggs and Parker pens, Black has gone where few cue-makers have in terms of design. He incorporates exotic woods and materials such as rosewood, birdseye, snakewood, ebony, pink ivory wood, ivory inlay, mother of pearl, silver and ivory engravings to create some of the most remarkable pool cues you’ll ever see!

Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Objects

HCCC — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:11:04 +0000

Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials is a juried exhibition of more than 30 national artists who competed for the Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize, a prestigious award that recognizes excellence in the field of contemporary craft, in 2005. Organized by the Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, the show highlights amazing examples of the innovative ways in which artists are transforming found materials into contemporary art. Jurors selected finalists based on innovation, technique, high-quality execution, and above all, the degree to which their work challenged and moved viewers beyond their own frames of reference in terms of found materials.

Texas Masters Series: Cindy Hickok

HCCC — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:10:40 +0000

In the Texas Masters Series exhibition, Cindy Hickok ingeniously borrows from the “Old Masters” to guide viewers through an amusing and delightful tour of art history. The focus of the show is the Culinary Art Series, which Hickok describes as “an imaginary museum visit at lunchtime, when works of art inspire thoughts of food.” Hickok works entirely at a freehand sewing machine, stitching detailed works that draw the viewer in for closer examination. She renders incredibly precise images using her needle as a paintbrush and thread as paint. Each figure in her pieces takes between two and four hours to complete. Hickok’s career began in mosaic, where she learned to place two colors next to each other to allow the viewer’s eye to blend them. In fiber art, she continues this practice by using many colors of thread, adjusting the lightness or darkness by using contrasting bobbin colors.

Kickin’ It with Joyce J. Scott

HCCC — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:10:12 +0000

Kickin’ It with Joyce J. Scott is a thirty-year survey of works created between 1970 and 2003 by this multi-faceted artist. Scott creates objects with exceptional skill, while offering her distinctive commentary on social issues such as stereotyping, violence, family heritage and prejudice. The visual allure of Scott’s art is gracefully but poignantly contrasted with its provocative subject matter, which she draws from historic events of various cultures, as well as from her personal experiences and beliefs. A comprehensive overview of Scott’s varied and potent artistic career, Kickin’ It with Joyce J. Scott comprises 60 works in diverse media including sculpture, jewelry, prints and textiles, as well as videos and photographs of the artist’s performance and installation art. The exhibition is a visually dazzling and intellectually challenging display of work by an important American artist.