Dale Stewart suicide

by Bill Davenport April 13, 2009

Dale Stewart, a Houston artist best known for his association with the "I Love You Baby" collective, shot and killed himself Monday just before noon in the park outside the Menil Collection. Stewart was a sometime contributor to Glasstire, and a resident of Commerce Street Artists Warehouse before its breakup. 

12 comments

12 comments

elrodney April 14, 2009 - 09:23

Peace be with you Dale. I will always remember the fun times we had at ILYB. You painting everything yellow and us scrubbing it off to leave a cool wash of yellow over everything. Pouring paint over my head. I wish things wern’t so hard for you. You will be in my thoughts forever. Peace brother.

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LMG April 14, 2009 - 12:39

I am extremely shocked and saddened by this news. Dale was a sweet, kind person with much talent. He always seemed to know how to make people smile and laugh. My heart goes out to his loved ones. May he rest in peace always.

Lisa Marie Godfrey

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fresh hooptie April 14, 2009 - 18:31

I’ve been so shocked by this news that it’s difficult to put words together. Dale seemed like he was doing so well. He was a kind, intelligent and wonderful friend. My thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.

Howard Sherman

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smalls April 15, 2009 - 06:41

Hello all,
Dale was an amazing artist, and I’m so glad to see that he’s being honored here. We used to hang out and sketch together as kids. His sketches always blew mine out of the water. He had the rare combination of a preternatural eye, a skilled hand, and a complex mind that wrapped around old concepts and invented new ones with ease. He was hilarious, he was a huge dork, and sadly, he was very very troubled. That he was in enough pain that he felt he had to do this is incomprehensibly sad to me. I don’t have words to explain the grief that I feel at the loss of him.

We are planning memorial services here in Houston and will be working out the details shortly. We know that it will be in the Montrose area, and hope that it will involve a procession to the park. I’ll post the exact plans here as soon as they are worked out.

Dacia Clay

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bktrac April 15, 2009 - 19:35

Oh Dale. We knew this was coming, and we did not do enough to stop it. You wouldn’t let us anyway.

Thank you for being so good to Miles. I will think of you every time he sings “The Farmer and the Dale.” You always gave him the coolest gifts.

You were an outstanding father. Emotions came so sparingly to you, and yet it was clear to anyone around you and the girls for even a moment how much you loved them. I can only imagine the torture that captured your mind so fiercely that it tore you away from your daughters.

I will remember you as eternally conflicted. A bohemian with Armani glasses; an artist amongst lawyers; an intellectual amongst artists; a free spirit trapped between walls of severe anal retentivity.

There was so much noise between your ears. I hope it is quiet for you now. Rest in peace.

Brian

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slotex April 16, 2009 - 21:34

For four years, Dale was a friend and neighbor to me at Commerce Street. My memory of him during that time is the muffled whine of a table saw followed by the occasional thack of a nail gun as he quietly worked in his studio. Living next door to him, I would often find him constructing precise hexagonal canvases or creating a series of geometric forms out of ordinary lumber, while his dog, Amy, slept nearby. I will always remember Dale as an intelligent, thoughtful person whose analytic and serious nature framed both his art and his life. I truly wish you had not suffered, so.

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hugo fat April 17, 2009 - 08:35

Looking back I guess it’s apparent you had it in you to do something like this, but I still can’t believe it. I wish you could have got through this. You were a good fellow and I am glad I got to know you. I hope you are peace. Goodbye from JJ.

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sugar April 17, 2009 - 11:24

My first memory of Dale was the ILYB yellow paint incident and my last was a lunch a year or so ago while trying to mend some fences. After that, we lost touch.

Dale was extremely, bright, talented and very, very opinionated. In fact, his sharp tongue and argumentative nature was what first attracted me and lead to many heated discussions and collaborations. Over time we became good friends and spent many afternoons sharing ideas about art and architecture. We also spent many nights out on the town and of course Wednesdays at CSAW.

I Love You Baby, like many collaborative ventures was ripe with the internal struggles. Even through our differences I always believed him an important part of the collective and consider him my friend. I am deeply saddened by the by the news of his passing and my heart goes out to his family and all those whose lives he touched.

Vaya con Dios, Dale

-w.

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smalls April 17, 2009 - 15:01

Please join us in remembering Dale Stewart, who died this Monday.

We will meet at 6pm this Saturday April, 18th at the Art League Houston gallery for a memorial service, then process to Menil Park to lay flowers and notes at the tree he died beneath. There will be a reception following at Poison Girl bar.

If you have and would like to share any photos of Dale, and/or any of his artwork, please bring it to the gallery with you and arrive no later than 5:30. The Art League has generously offered us their walls to hang anything we like for the service. This will be an informal memorial, and we invite anyone with stories about Dale to share them during the service.

Bring flowers, letters, or other tokens to lay at the tree.

Poison Girl was one of Dale’s favorite hangouts. The owners have offered their space to one and all–children are welcome. Some of Dale’s favorite foods will be served.

There will also be a remembrance mass for Dale at the Chapel of St. Basil at the University of St. Thomas. Dale worked at the library there. The mass will be held at 12:30pm on Tuesday, April, 21st. Some of his coworkers and student employees will be speaking at the mass. Everyone is welcome. If you would like to speak at the mass, please let the university know by contacting Jim Piccininni, the library director, at [email protected]. He will make sure that they make time for you to speak.

If you knew Dale and are able to attend, your presence at any or all of these events will be greatly appreciated. Please also feel free to pass this on to others who may have known him. Please see location and parking details below:

Art League Houston
1953 Montrose Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77006
Link to Google Map directions: http://tinyurl.com/c8k229
Parking information: There is a parking lot attached to the building. Feel free to park there. You may also park on the street on either side of the building. There is another small lot on Willard St. behind the building as well. Do not park in the Texas Art Supply parking lot, as they have been known to tow.

The Menil Park
1500 block of Sul Ross St.
Houston, Texas 77006
Link to Google Map directions: http://tinyurl.com/ceq6fc
Parking information: There is a lot of on-street parking around the park. Park anywhere the street signs say you can. The park is situated between the Menil Museum and the Rothko Chapel, across the street from the Cy Twombly Gallery.

Poison Girl bar
1641 Westheimer Rd # B
Houston, Texas 77006
Link to Google Map directions: http://tinyurl.com/cdwwcg
Parking information: Poison Girl is located in a grouping of businesses between Mint Boutique and Bombshell Tattoos. It is directly across the street from an emergency veterinary clinic. Look for the red lights in the window–it’s easy to miss. There is a small parking lot near the bar. There is also street parking in front of the bar, and in the neighborhood behind it.

Chapel of St. Basil
3800 Montrose Blvd
Houston, Texas 77006
Link to Google Map directions: http://tinyurl.com/dxyp86
Parking information: The University of St. Thomas has an inexpensive parking garage located next to the chapel. On street parking is also available.

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skeez 181 April 17, 2009 - 21:43

Ever since I heard about this tragedy I can’t stop thinking about Dale. We use to run into him alot at St. Thomas after the CSAW downfall. He use to come over our studio and bring his records to burn them onto disc, we would chat about art and music. I never really was that close to him but just the fact that we hung out a bit hit me close to home. May God’s grace embrace you and your family, in Yehoshua’s name. See you man…I won’t forget you.

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Bexar July 5, 2009 - 12:04

Happy Birthday Dale!!! We all miss you so much.

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Daniel adsme October 1, 2016 - 12:32

I was just thinking about you Dale. I still do from time to time. You had a kind smile and you were very welcoming and generous with me when i first got to csaw. I wish I had known you better. Thanks for the ruler. Peace brother. This is Daniel adame

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