August 27, 2022 – November 5, 2022
The Julia Ideson Gallery
550 McKinney St., 77002 | 832-393-1313
Charles T. Bowling, After the Storm, n.d., The John L. Nau III Collection of Texas Art
Opening to the public on August 27, 2022, at the historic Julia Ideson Building, is Texas Modernism(s): Houston/ Dallas in the 1930s. In Houston and Dallas, Modernism became the central focus for two small groups of local artists from 1926 – 1942. Made up of mostly youngsters, along with their forward-looking mentors, the Cherry-McNeill Group in Houston was influenced by European movements, while the Dallas Nine (and adjacent artists) up north took inspiration from their immediate surroundings and promoted Regionalism.
By showing the work of the two groups side by side, this exhibition intends to explore the looks and philosophical underpinnings of two seminal aspects of Texas art history. The Cherry-McNeill Group and the Dallas Nine strongly influenced later developments in their two respective cities, as well as the state in general. At the same time, the exhibition will demonstrate that Modernism, when it came to America, was not limited exclusively to the art centers of the East Coast.
This exhibit is free and open to the public.
Dates are subject to change.
Fashionable Art : Designs Inspired by the Permanent Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
August 6, 2022 – November 2, 2022
Central Library | 1st Floor Gallery
500 McKinney St., 77002 | 832-393-1313
This exhibition features garments from Fashion Fusion, an annual competition presented by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the award-winning Fashion Design program at Houston Community College. For this year’s competition, HCC students and alumni designed original outfits inspired by items and artworks in the Museum’s permanent collection. The students and alumni entered their designs into one of four representative categories: Antiquities, Renaissance, Baroque, and Modernism.
Designers who drew inspiration from the antiquities collection were able to choose from the styles and subjects found in the art of the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, a period of cultural history generally spanning from 4,500 BCE (the beginnings of Western Civilization) to about 450 CE (the beginning of the Middle Ages). The origins of the Renaissance (meaning “rebirth”) can be traced back to Italy in the late 13th century and continued to around 1650. Renaissance artists were influenced by nature, the effects of light, realistic depiction of the human form previously captured by the Greeks and Romans of classical antiquity, and pagan and religious iconography.
The Baroque period, which lasted roughly from 1600 – 1750, overlapped with the Renaissance, leading to some similarities in style and subject matter. However, Baroque art and architecture are characterized by drama, lavishness, and excessive ornamentation, designed to appeal to human emotion. In stark contrast to preceding art movements, Modernism (c. 1890 - c. 1950) rejected hyperrealism. This period encompassed various styles and art movements, ranging from the loose brushstrokes of Impressionism to the harsh lines of Cubism. It also includes the exploration of the subconscious worlds of Surrealism, finally culminating in non-objective abstract art.
In a departure from previous years, the sixth annual competition required the creation of an additional component: a coordinating face mask to demonstrate that fashion and health safety can exist hand in hand.
This exhibition is free and open to the public. Dates are subject to change.
This exhibition is in partnership with
Houston Community College, Fashion and Costume Design Department
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
And generously supported by
Houston Public Library
City of Houston