Marshal and Victoria Lightman’s ever-present Houston art appreciation group, Looking at Art, turns 25 this year. Established in the fall of 1989, Looking At Art takes groups of earnest self-educators, fledgling collectors, and other curious folks on visits to artist’s studios, galleries, alternative spaces, museums, and collector’s homes. After 25 years, the group has visited everyone and everything there is to see in Houston many times—and though the herd-like hustle it takes to get a large-ish group from one site to another makes it easy to disparage the art-lookers as tourists, the availability of a fun, not-too-expensive group intro into the Houston art scene has put many a timid layman in touch with some the real contemporary art that’s happening in the city.
The Lightmans are super-fans: Looking at Art is but one of many pies in which they’ve got their fingers: Victoria serves as board president at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft as well as advisory board member for Inprint. Marshal currently serves on the boards of Diverse Works, Core Fellow committee at the Glassell School, and Houston Arts Alliance Civic Art committee.
