The Exhibition
There exists in any time period what is referred to as the “spirit of the age.” Our age has witnessed a dramatic change in patriarchal dominance as it relates to the matriarchal. Internationally known artist James Surls examines this shift – and its implications for contemporary art and culture – in the exhibition Finding Balance. Surls has chosen 26 works by eleven artists that represent a wide range of media and perspectives, all contributing to the creative quest for balance.
Events
07.01.06
Finding Balance opens with
a public reception on Friday,
October 13, 2006 and runs
through January 14, 2007.
A Lecture and Book Signing
Event with James Surls and
Leonard Shlain is to be
announced.
Press Info
For more information on
the exhibition or book, please
contact the Houston Center
for Contemporry Craft at
713.529.4848.
The Catalog
A documentation of the exhibition that further examines this paradigm shift. The main essay is written by Leonard Shlain, author of two in-depth studies on this subject, The Alphabet Versus the Goddess and Sex, Time and Power. James Surls has written the supporting essay and there is a foreword by participating artist Charmaine Locke.The Curator
No artist of his generation has had a greater impact upon the development of Texas as a locale of vibrant creativity than James Surls. Surls is a self-described "eternal optimist," and his infectious enthusiasm for all matters artistic made him a catalyst for a generation of young artists. As an instructor and cultural impresario he encouraged artists, including Sharon Kopriva, Joseph Havel, Michael Galbreth and Jack Massing (The Art Guys), among others, to expand the boundaries of their social and aesthetic expressions. However, Surls is not simply a regional artist. His natural force and intellectual concepts place him securely within the international artistic circuit.
The Artists
The eleven participating artists in Finding Balance are:Jim Baker
Robert Brinker
Monica Chau
Linda Girvin
Jody Guralnick
Pamela Joseph
Charmaine Locke
Brad Miller
Brian Reid
Barbara Sorensen
James Surls
The Events
The opening Preview for Finding Balance is Friday, October 13. A Lecture and Book Signing Event with James Surls and Leonard Shlain is to be announced.In addition, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft will coordinate educational programming with local women’s organizations, enrichment centers, schools and community centers.
The Craft Center
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is a non-profit organization founded to advance education about the process, product and history of craft. The Craft Center’s major emphasis is on objects of art made primarily of fiber, metal, glass, clay and wood.
The Center, located in the Museum District at 4848 Main Street, is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, and Sunday noon - 5:00 pm. Admission is free. Parking is available directly behind the facility off Travis Street. The Craft Center is 1½ blocks south of the Wheeler Avenue MetroRail station on Main Street. The Craft Center is funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County and Texas Commission on the Arts. The Center provides exhibition, retail and studio spaces to support the work of local and national artists and to serve as a resource for artists, educators and the community at large. For information, call 713.529.4848 or visit www.crafthouston.org.