Glasstire counts down the top five art events in Texas this week. For last week’s picks, please go here.
1. New Stories: New Futures at Pioneer Tower
August 20 – 21, 2021
Will Rogers Memorial Center (Pioneer Tower, Fort Worth)
From the Arts Council of Fort Worth and AURORA (DFW):
“New Stories: New Futures at Pioneer Tower will include iconic artwork projected onto the 204-foot tall Pioneer Tower by international artists as well as an exhibition on the surrounding grounds by ten local and regional new media artists!
“Fort Worth Public Art, managed by the Arts Council of Fort Worth, is pleased to present new groundbreaking public artworks by internationally acclaimed new media artists Refik Anadol and Quayola. The pair of works have been commissioned by the City of Fort Worth to be projected on all four sides of the historic Pioneer Tower located in Fort Worth’s Cultural District.
“On the same two nights, the Arts Council of Fort Worth and AURORA are presenting an exciting exhibition of new media works by local artists curated by Lauren Cross, Ph.D. on the grounds surrounding the tower. Cross has selected works by new media artists: Nick Bontrager, Ciara Elle Bryant, Angela Faz, Jessica Fuentes, Jeff Gibbons, Jin Ya Huang, Sedrick, and Leticia Huckaby, Raul Rodrigues, and Bernardo Vallarino. The Arts Council of Fort Worth is covering the cost of this exhibition for all visitors.”
2. Third Ward Special
August 11 – September 25, 2021
The Community Artists’ Collective (Houston)
From the organizers:
“Visit Houston’s iconic Third Ward neighborhood through the lenses of six photographers with deep roots in the area at the Community Artists’ Collective’s August exhibit. Third Ward Special, opening August 11, features the works of Marc Furi, Flash Gordon Parks, Rabéa Ballin, Risky Cereal, Brian Ellison and Derrell Boson. The art is inspired by the many facets of the cultural, historic epicenter and is curated by Miles Payne and Marc Newsome.
“The Third Ward, one of Houston’s oldest neighborhoods, is a historically Black community with a neighborhood park originally purchased by former slaves. It is home to Texas Southern University, a historically Black college. The community is considered by some to be the cradle to the city’s civil rights movement. Many Black artists, activists, judges and politicians grew up in the area.
“The Collective, 4101 San Jacinto, Suite 116, is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 12 noon until 5 p.m. and by appointment.”
3. MIRAAA Media Festival
August 21, 2021
McAllen Creative Incubator
“MIRAAA Media Festival is an experimental multimedia festival taking place virtually and in-person on August 21 in McAllen, Texas. Our mission is to empower local artists to explore non-traditional storytelling through collaboration and experimentation with the intention of illuminating under-represented border narratives.
“MIRAAA Media Festival’s mission is to empower RGV artists to explore non-traditional storytelling through collaboration and experimentation with the intention of illuminating under-represented border narratives. Brought to you by the NALAC Arts Border Narrative Grant. MIRAAA Media Fest will take place August 21, 2021 at the McAllen Creative Incubator and will showcase over 20 Rio Grande Valley Artists.
“Featuring work by: Matthew Sustaita, Eduardo Martinez, X3NORM, Jesika Cueta, Alma Montano, Natalia Rocafuerte, Myriah Acosta, C. Díaz, Conny Cavazos, Andres Sanchez, Jorge.png, Hugo Uribe, Monica Lugo, Valley Swerve, Gavi Nati, Monica Varela, Italia, Eric Vasquez, Clarissa Sifuentes, Rawmirez, Rachel Comminos, Antonio Antinori, Alejandra Martinez, Divine Agbeko, Nansi Guevara, Xuan Licerio, Michael Angelo Medina and The Alta Vista Agency.”
Raymond Butler
4. Raymond Butler: Welcome to Struggleville
June 19 – September 11, 2021
Plush Gallery (Dallas)
From Plush Gallery:
“Born and raised in South Dallas, Raymond Butler’s work focuses on childhood memories of growing up there, filtered through a prism of pop culture references. He finds creative inspiration in the sandwiches he grew up eating as a kid, ‘the food of champions for most kids growing up poor in America,’ as he says. He calls these handmade wooden versions of this childhood menu ‘Sammies,’ and they each have distinct personalities. Cartoonishly anthropomorphized, with bites taken out of their bread ‘faces’ or pulled apart with a melting cheese ‘smile,’ the artist uses these characters to represent the stretching of resources in his youth, as a means of survival. His works mirror the absurd humor, violence, and endless entertainment of the cartoon animations he watched as a means of escape from the harsh realities of life growing up.”
5. Andie Flores: ANTI-TOURISM MANIFESTO
August 4 – September 10, 2021
Online only. To view this exhibition online, go here.
From Welcome to My Homepage Residency:
“ANTI-TOURISM MANIFESTO is an exploration in methods of immediate anti-capitalist anti-tourism, using the body (of a dead cat) to agitate, disrupt, and redirect muralism in Austin, Texas.
“andie flores is a writer, visual and performance artist, and comedian whose work and play are guided by questions of audience, excess, glitches, legacy, experiments of liveness, and performances of online identity. Through self-portraiture, character video experiments and live (in-person and online) performances, her work explores and explodes the complexities of knowing oneself as a racialized body and general clown idiot in multiple layers of time, space, and cultural connectivity.”
