more on the way...
The Lawndale Art Center opened their newest exhibits on Friday the 16th, the cleanly produced shows spotlighted a cohesive penchant for brightness and vitality, even if it is only skin deep. The current shows look professional, they are curated well and should be recommended for touring out-of-towners. Kick up the lighting a little bit and this is a perfect example of what a regional art space should be- a platform for locals to look good in pics, on paper and for a month in the gallery. In Little Known Facts, curator Michael Guidry's smart use of artist's collections (David Aylsworth, Robert Ruello, Laura Lark, Andrew Groocock and Gabriela Trzebinski) juxtaposed with their paintings and sculpture gives the lion's share of space to the objects rather than the work but in doing so concentrates the vast associations of the everyday fetish in select exemplary pieces that are carried by their heftier counterparts. Elaine Bradford's twisted animals on the second floor are spare, but allow the visitor space to peruse their enigmatic forms. Brian Piana's Myspace pages writ large in the back gallery bring both video game store sale racks and the blinders of computer screen-based rectangular vision to mind, the undertaking of using all available wall space is a positive choice given the vapidness of erasing all content from the Lawndale's "Friends". All the way up on the third floor the formalist-sounding Differentia installation of Lily Hanson is an intriguing space, but her little landscapes, sculptural tables and soft beanbag thingies hold more associations than the artist seems willing to admit (not that there's anything wrong with that). I missed Heather Shore and Julie DeVries' Operaskia shadowbox performance but I had a chance to sneak backstage and check out what it'll be like to go back next week when they give a performance for a local elementary school group. Reminds me of the Adventures of Prince Achmed...
officially there are too many art openings Saturday to see them all... check out the BBAP Trail Show along Buffalo Bayou at Sabine Street...
Artcrawl in the Chron! We sure know its been a heavy ride for Patricia Johnson in the last few weeks, but she seems to be pumping out articles like nobody's business!
On Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 7 p.m. the transgender community of Houston and southeast Texas and its allies will gather at the Holocaust Museum (5401 Caroline, 77004) to honor those killed because they didn’t conform to traditional gender norms. The event is part of the internationally coordinated 9th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance to be held in more than 90 cities worldwide.
The Houston Transgender Unity Committee organizes the event, which always includes a reading of the names of the murdered people. The event this year will also include remarks by local trans people who have recently been victims of violence. Local politicians, including City Controller Annise Parker and City Council member Sue Lovell, are expected to attend. A 6:30 reception will precede the program.
We live in times more sensitive than ever to hatred based violence. Over the last decade more than one person per month has died due to transgender-based hate or prejudice, regardless of any other factors in their lives. This trend shows no sign of abating. Many of these crimes against transgender individuals remain unreported and unsolved. There is also a great deal of violence and discrimination aimed at the gender diverse population
Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgender, each was a victim of violence based on bias against transgender people.
The Day Of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, it allows us to publicly mourn and honor the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten, and it expresses love and respect for all people in the face of national indifference and hatred. It also reminds non-transgender people that we are their sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers and gives our allies a chance to step forward and stand with us.
More information is available at the Unity Committee website, www.htuc.org, and the TransHouston site, www.transhouston.com.
Posts
All Comments
