Upcoming, Current, and Past Events:
2022.06.23, 7 pm: In Conbversation: Edouard Kopp and Pete Gershon on Visionary Art in Houston. Join us for a conversation about visionary art with Pete Gershon, Curator of Programs at the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, and Edouard Kopp, John R. Eckel, Jr. Foundation Chief Curator of the Menil Drawing Institute. Held in conjunction with the Menil Drawing Institute’s exhibition, Joseph E. Yoakum: What I Saw, Gershon and Kopp consider the parallels between self-taught artists Yoakum and Jeff McKissick, founder of the Orange Show, a folk-art environment located in Houston’s East End.
2022.05.29, 1:30 pm. Gulf Coast MENSA SynRG annual meeting. Pete Gershon gives an overview of the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art’s portfolio of environments and the stories behind their creation.
Exhibition: Prints and Ceramics from Little Egypt Enterprises and Related Studios
Leslie and Brad Bucher Gallery, The Glassell School of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
On view: September 6 – November 17, 2019
In the 1970s and 80s, the expertise and equipment supplied by master printer David Folkman and his colleagues at the Little Egypt Enterprises print shop provided a transformative opportunity for Houston’s artists to explore the medium during a period of rediscovery and reinvention. Decades later, Little Egypt’s collected output is deserving of greater recognition as one of the city’s most significant, imaginative, and longstanding collaborative art projects. This exhibition presents lithographs, silkscreens, etchings, and ceramics produced by Little Egypt Enterprises (1972-1989) and its descendants, the Cerling Etching Studio (1990-2004) and Tembo/Cerling Collaborative Studio (1999-2002).
The exhibition features works by Ron Arena, James Bettison, Jack Boynton, Alice Cahana, Bob Camblin, Fernando Casas, Penny Cerling, Mel Chin, Rochella Cooper, David Folkman, Lucas Johnson, Enrique Leal, Bert L. Long Jr., Suzanne Manns, Eileen Montgomery, Kelly Moran, Brian Portman, Don Redman, Philip Renteria, Anastasia Sams, Charles Schorre, Allan O. Smith, Earl Staley, Frank X. Tolbert 2, Michael Tracy, Arthur Turner, Marco Villegas, Bob Wade. Organized by Pete Gershon for the Core Residency Program. Catalog with original essay and color illustrations designed by MG&Co. and published in an edition of 500.
Panel Discussion: Sunday, October 6, 2019, 1 p.m. Join exhibition organizer Pete Gershon and participating artists Penny Cerling, Kelly Moran, Earl Staley, and Marco Villegas for a panel discussion presented in conjunction with Prints and Ceramics from Little Egypt Enterprises and Related Studios. Favrot Auditorium at the Glassell School of Art, free
2019.11.15 In this episode of Houston Public Media’s “Unwrap Your Candies Now” Catherine Lu chats with Houston arts writer Pete Gershon about Lawndale Art Center’s 40th Anniversary. They discuss the center’s history and impact, from its DIY beginnings in 1979 as an annex for University of Houston art students and its role as an incubator for experimental art to current exhibits and plans for the future. Gershon is Chair of Lawndale’s Advisory Board and author of Collision: The Contemporary Arts Scene in Houston, 1972 – 1985.
2019.10.01, 7 p.m.: Houston Art Gallery Association is pleased to present local art historian Pete Gershon, author of “Collision: The Contemporary Art Scene in Houston, 1972-1985”, who will be discussing seldom known stories about the Houston art world, gleaned from his hundreds of interviews. Our host is HAGA member Deborah Colton Gallery. Attendance is free and open to the public. This experience is a part of HAGA’s ongoing First Tuesday Art Event Program scheduled throughout the year at various member galleries. For more information about HAGA, please visit www.artgallerieshouston.com
2019.09.08, 3 p.m.: Pete screens Bert, John Guess’ acclaimed documentary on the art and life of Bert L. Long, Jr., at 14 Pews, 800 Aurora Street, Houston. Conversation with Guess to follow.
2019.06.21, 6 p.m.: Pete reads from ‘Collision’ and talks with curator Mariah Rockefeller and director Lynn Castle at the opening reception of Gulf Coast Lore and Lure, on view June 15 to September 1 at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont.
2019.06.15, 2 p.m.: Pete Gershon and sculptor Ben Woitena in conversation about the art and life of Masaru Takiguchi in conjunction with Reflections at Hooks-Epstein Gallery, 2631 Colquitt, Houston.
2019.06.07, 2 p.m.: Talking about Collision live on Austin’s 91.7 FM KOOP’s ‘Rag Radio’ with Thorne Dreyer.
2019.05.19, 2 p.m.: Pete Gershon in conversation with Michael Tracy at the Galveston Art Center, including a rare screening of the feature-length film Michael X, filmed in Galveston in 1975.
2019.05.15, 6 p.m.: Pete joins curator Katie Robinson Edwards to introduce a screening of Ken Harrison’s 1975 Texas art documentary Jackelope at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden in Austin in conjunction with the exhibition James Surls: With In, With Out. Conversation with Jackelope artist Letitia Eldredge and book signing follow.
2019.05.09: Pete talks about the Orange Show on the 40th anniversary of its public opening on The Texas Standard, archived here.
2019.03.30 ‘Collision’ receives the 2019 CASETA Publication Award at the 17th Annual Texas Art Fair and Symposium on Early Texas Art at the TCEA Conference Center in Austin.
2019.03.01 ‘Collision’ receives the Ron Tyler Award for Best Illustrated Book on Texas History and Culture at the Texas State Historical Association annual conference at the Omni Hotel in Corpus Christi.
2018.12.27 ‘Collision’ makes the ‘Top Five: Highlights from ‘Glasstire’s Best of 2018’
The Collision fall/winter book tour:
2019.01.09 Collision book reading and signing at Brazos Bookstore, Houston
2018.12.30 Collision book reading and signing at The Crowley Theater, Marfa
2018.11.19 Collision book reading and signing at The Twig, San Antonio
2018.11.15 Collision book reading and signing at The Wild Detectives, Dallas
2018.12.16 Pete Gershon and Basilios Poulos in conversation at Deborah Colton Gallery in conjunction with Basilios Poulos: A Moment in Time (plus holiday pop-up book sale).
2018.11.07 Pete Gershon leads a tour of works from the Public Art of the University of Houston System, including sculptures and paintings by Salvatore Scarpitta, James Surls, Dorothy Hood, Jim Love, and George Bunker.
2018.11.01 Collision author Pete Gershon is the guest on Living Art, KPFT, 90.1 FM, at 6pm.
2018.10.02 - 2018.10.30 Sharon Kopriva: Early Works, The Jung Center, Houston
This exhibition presents paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by Houston-based artist Sharon Kopriva, all relating to her life changing visit to the Nazca Desert in southern Peru in 1982. Kopriva is internationally known for her spiritual and darkly mysterious sculptural work--mummy-like figures which deliver a biting and frequently macabre critique of Catholic righteousness. Information supplied by the natural landscapes of Peru, Australia, and Hope, Idaho has also been central to her practice. This selection of rarely-seen, foundational early work is supplemented by archival materials that help to tell the story of Kopriva’s Peruvian epiphany. Organized by Pete Gershon.
2018.10.06, 5-7pm: Opening reception. Peruvian Pisco will be provided by Hacienda La Caravedo, In 2010, the Kallop Family of Houston purchased the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Americas, established in 1684. The Caravedo brand is the most award-winning Pisco and is considered the finest expression of estate produced, hand-crafted Pisco coming out of Peru.
2018.10.09, 7pm: Discussion with exhibition organizer Pete Gershon and artist Sharon Kopriva about the work in the show.
2018.09.29, Pete Gershon in conversation w/ former Blanton curator Annette DiMeo Carlozzi, BookPeople, Austin
Creating Collision: The Contemporary Art Scene in Houston, 1972-1985
Hirsch Library, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston
On view: August 28 – December 15, 2018
Featuring rare and unusual ephemera from the collection of the Hirsch Library including materials published by the B&E Holding Firm, H.J. Bott, Lawndale Annex, Louisiana Gallery, Midtown Art Center, Moody Gallery, Robinson Galleries, Studio One Alternative Space, Texas Gallery, and the Archives of American Art.
2018.12.13: “Meet the Books: Hirsch Library Exhibition Tour” by Pete Gershon, 1:00 - 1:20 pm
Exhibition: Contemporary Artists in Houston from the Collections of William J. Hill and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Leslie and Brad Bucher Gallery, The Glassell School of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston
On view: August 3 – November 11, 2018
Featuring sculptures, paintings, photographs prints, and works on paper by John Alexander, The Art Guys, Bob Camblin, Charlotte Cosgrove and Helen Orman, Ibsen Espada, Ezekiel Gibbs, Joseph Glasco, Allan Hacklin, Roberta Harris, Joseph Havel, Rachel Hecker, Dorothy Hood, Terrell James, Ken Jewesson, Luis Jimenez, Sharon Kopriva, Jesse Lott, Jim Love, Suzanne Manns, Jesus Moroles, Kermit Oliver, Basilios Poulous, Forrest Prince, Philip Renteria, Bertram Samples, Don Shaw, Gael Stack, Earl Staley, Richard Stout, James Surls, Michael Tracy, Arthur Turner, Ben Woitena, Dick Wray, Sandie Zilker. Organized by Pete Gershon.
Friday, September 7, 6 - 8pm: Reception
Sunday, September 23, 1pm: Collision book launch event, Favrot Auditorium, Glassell School of Art. Program: 1:00 – 1:45 pm: Collision presentation by Pete Gershon / 2:00 – 3:00 pm: Panel discussion: Pete Gershon, Alison de Lima Greene, Bert Samples, Earl Staley / 3:15 – 3:20 pm: Group photo of ‘70s/’80s HTX artists on atrium steps by George Hixson / 3:30 – 4:30 pm: Book signing with writer and participating artists
Sunday, September 30, 1pm: Contemporary Houston Artists film festival, Favrot Auditorium. Program: 1:00 – 1:30 pm: Dorothy Hood: The Color of Life (1985, 30 min., Pamela Peabody, dir.) / 1:30 – 2:00 pm: Jesse Lott: Art & Activism (2017, 30 min, Cressandra Thibodeux, dir.) / 2:00 – 3:00 pm: vintage Super8 home movies with live narration by artist Earl Staley / 3:00 – 4:00 pm: Jackelope (1975, 60min., Ken Harrison, director)
reviews:
2018.08.08 Houston Chronicle - Art Daybook: Molly Glentzer on 'Landscape With Skull'
2018.09.30 Glasstire - ‘Art Dirt: Pete Gershon and Houston’s Wild Art History’ [podcast]
2018.10.13 Glasstire - ‘Artists: Historians Really Are Your Friends’ by Ariane Roesch
Group photo of Houston artists at Collision book launch, The Glassell School of Art, September 23, 2018. Photo by George Hixson.
2018.09.04 'Collision: The Contemporary Art Scene in Houston, 1972-1985': Sneak peek and gallery tour at the Glassell School of Art, Houston, TX. Presented by Visual Arts Alliance.
Get a sneak peek of the new book, ‘Collision: the Contemporary Art Scene in Houston, 1972-1985.’ Author Pete Gershon gives an overview of the project and leads a tour through the related exhibition ‘Contemporary Artists in Houston from the Collections of William J. Hill and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.’
2018.04.09 'Collision: The Contemporary Art Scene in Houston, 1972-1985' at University of Houston, Fine Arts Building Room 110, Houston, TX
Overview of the research behind 'Collision: the Contemporary Art Scene in Houston, 1972-1985.' Free and open to the public. This talk is sponsored by the University of Houston Program in Art History.
2018.01.07 Conversation with Butch Jack and Pete Gershon at Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX
Join Lawndale along with artist Meredith "Butch" Jack and Pete Gershon, Lawndale programming committee chair, in conversation about sculpture, Houston's art scene, and communication in all its forms. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Meredith Jack: Playing in the Sandbox, Too, on view November 13, 2017 - January 7, 2018. This event is free and open to the public. Beverages provided by Saint Arnold Brewing Company.
2017.09.30 “Collision: The Contemporary Art Scene in Houston, 1972-1985” at Deborah Colton Gallery, Houston, TX
Pete Gershon discusses his forthcoming book in conjunction with the exhibition Focus on the 70s and 80s: Houston Foundations II, on view August 26 - November 4, 2017
photo: Deborah Colton
2017.05.11 Reading from Collision at Linda Clarke & Associates, Houston, TX
Reading and ‘friend-raiser’ for Collision project presented in conjunction with James Surls’ Thought Wave - Drawings from Matter and Mind, on view March 25 - September 3, 2017.
2017.03.03 “Panel Discussion: SPEAKEASY featuring Mydolls” Lawndale Art Center, Houston, TX
Discussion organized in conjunction with Mydolls record-release performance at the third installment of SPEAKEASY, a new program featuring music, performance, and discussions of contemporary art that takes its cue from the eponymously titled series presented at Lawndale from 1993-2002.
Speakers: Pete Gershon, SPEAKEASY co-curator and Lawndale Art Center programming committee chair [moderator]; Mary Ross Taylor, former director of Lawndale Art Center; and Mydolls: Trish Herrera, Linda Younger, Dianna Ray, George Reyes. Video by Cressandra Thibodeaux.
2017.02.02 “Gallery Talk: Bert L. Long, Jr.: Looking for the Right Time” Deborah Colton Gallery, Houston, TX.
This gallery walk-through with exhibition curator Pete Gershon places the work of Houston artist Bert L. Long, Jr. in a historical context. Deborah Colton Gallery artist Jonathan Paul Jackson also shares his perspective as an artist influenced by Long’s artwork and legacy.
2016.11.19 - 2017.01.28 - Bert L. Long, Jr.: Looking for the Right Time, Deborah Colton Gallery, Houston, TX
Deborah Colton Gallery presents Looking for the Right Time, a solo exhibition of the works of Bert L. Long, Jr. (1940-2013), one of the most talented, versatile, and prolific artists ever to hail from the state of Texas. With his paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and photographs, he sought above all else to communicate with the viewer. Curated by Pete Gershon.
2016.10.02 “Reviving Houston’s Lost Art History” Houston Art Fair Lecture Hall, Silver Street Event Space, Houston TX
Four projects in the works aim to rescue Houston’s significant art history from the sands of time. Panelists Theresa Escobedo, Director, Houston Foundations’ Focus: Suzanne Paul project; Pete Gershon, Core Residency Program Coordinator at Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Patricia Hernandez, Founding Director, Studio One Archive Resource, Patricia Johnson, independent scholar, author, and Pulitzer-nominated former Houston Chronicle art critic, and Chelby King, independent scholar and past Lawndale Art Center Director, speak about archives and volumes in the works respectively on photographer Suzanne Paul, “Collision: Contemporary Artists in Houston 1972-1985,” the Studio One Archive Resource initiative, and the CAMH’s seminal museum director and mentor to the de Menils, Jermayne MacAgy. Moderated by Catherine D. Anspon, Executive Editor, PaperCity.
2016.09.09 ArtFiction: Ten Fictional Modernists from Texas. Curated by Rino Pizzi. John M. O’Quinn Gallery, Lawndale Art Center, Houston
Participating writers: Janis Bergman-Carton , Edward Carey, Annette DiMeo Carlozzi, Robert Faires, Pete Gershon, Saundra Goldman, Steve Harrigan, Kurt Heinzelman, Kirk Lynn, Mary Mikel Stump and Katie Robinson Edwards
Participating artists: Leon Alesi, Stella Alesi, Brett Brookshire, Jules Buck Jones, Rick Mansfield, Amy Morrow, Jana Swec, Liz Ward, Steve Wiman, Caroline Wright and Sydney Yeager
Participating actors: Jennifer Balkan, Florinda Bryant, Cami Calys, Teresa Elliott, Van Harrison, William Hoover, Jeff Mills, Amy Morrow, Nadine Mozon, Jason Phelps and William Tucker
"ArtFiction is a collaborative project I developed over the last two years and involves exchanges between writers, visual artists and actors/performers. This project addresses a broad range of cultural perspectives on the relations between art production and critical narratives and the effect of artists’ biographies on the public perception of their work. Ten writers were invited to write about ten fictional Texas artists supposed to be living and working any time between the 1940’s and the early 1980’s. Ten actual artists responded by creating work that could be attributed to the imagined artists, and ten actors sat for photographic portraits of the fictional personas. Ten actors studied the biographies and impersonated the artists for photo sessions in photographic styles current with their time and consistent with their personas. There are two distinct contexts for ArtFiction. One relates to the historical experience of art--its institutions, its established professional and intellectual cultures, its modes of production and circulation, and the conflicting claims in terms of value, authorship and historical relevance. The second is specific to the cultural landscape and the communities where the project will be presented. In the broad landscape of Texas modern art history, the narratives of the various fictional artists are meant to create a symbolic counterpart to the actual historical experience, which to date is still far from being fully researched and assessed." Rino Pizzi, curator
Artist Caroline Wright writes about channeling the fictional Morris Blodgett.
2016.09.10 Artist Talk led by Rino Pizzi with artists and writers from the exhibition ArtFiction: Ten Fictional Modernists from Texas, Lawndale Art Center, Houston.
2016.08.24 “Self-Taught Art in the Community,” The Menil Collection, Houston TX
Susanne Theis, programming director of Discovery Green, moderates a panel on the intersections of art and community with Smither Park designer Dan Phillips, author Pete Gershon, and curator William Fagaly. Co-presented with the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art.
2016.03.24 "Film screening: Jackelope," Brown Auditorium, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Independent filmmaker Ken Harrison provides a look into the contemporary Texas art world of the mid-1970s. Jackelope is loosely divided into three segments focusing on three young artists: James Surls, George Green, and Bob Wade. This fascinating time capsule captures each artist in casual moments, sharing ideas about art, the artistic process, and life in Texas. Jackelope also includes appearances by fellow Texas artists John Alexander, Mel Casas, Letitia Eldredge, and Mike McNamara. Unseen for many years, Jackelope is presented in a new digital restoration.
Post-film discussion with artist James Surls, moderated by Pete Gershon, coordinator, Core Residency Program, Glassell School of Art
2016.02.12 “Gallery Talk: Texas Originals - Six Bayou City Expressionists” William Reaves | Sarah Foltz Fine Art, Houston, TX
Pete Gershon discusses the work and lives of painters Jack Boynton (1928-2010), Dorothy Hood (1919-2000), Leila McConnell (b. 1927), Charles Schorre (1925-1996), Richard Stout (b. 1934) and Dick Wray (1933-2011)
2015.12.03 "Film screening: Jackelope," Brown Auditorium, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Independent filmmaker Ken Harrison provides a look into the contemporary Texas art world of the mid-1970s. Jackelope is loosely divided into three segments focusing on three young artists: James Surls, George Green, and Bob Wade. This fascinating time capsule captures each artist in casual moments, sharing ideas about art, the artistic process, and life in Texas. Jackelope also includes appearances by fellow Texas artists John Alexander, Mel Casas, Letitia Eldredge, and Mike McNamara. Unseen for many years, Jackelope is presented in a new digital restoration.
Post-film discussion with filmmaker Ken Harrison and artists Bob Wade and Letitia Eldredge, moderated by Pete Gershon, coordinator, Core Residency Program, Glassell School of Art
2015.10.08 “Readings from Pow Wow: Contemporary Artists Working in Houston, 1972-1985” Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston TX
Author Pete Gershon reads excerpts from his [since retitled] work-in-progress.
2015.10.01 “Rino Pizzi Introduces Art Fiction: 10 Fictional Modernists From Texas” Jones Center Roof Deck, The Contemporary Austin, Austin TX
ArtFiction is a new project by Rino Pizzi, in collaboration with ten writers, ten visual artists, and ten actors/performers. The group is developing ten fictional modernist visual artists and performers working in Texas between the 1940s and the 1980s. This event will be the first announcement of the upcoming exhibition, and will present previews of articles, biographies, and reviews created by the writers, as well as images of artwork and photographs. The exhibition will be accompanied by a book/catalogue designed by DJ Stout/Pentagram.
Participants include writers Stephen Harrigan, Robert Faires, Kurt Heinzelman, Janis Bergman-Carton, Kirk Lynn, Mary Mikel Stump, Katie Robinson Edwards, Edward Carey, Saundra Goldman, and Pete Gershon; visual artists Liz Ward, Jana Swec, Sydney Yeager, Jules Buck Jones, Caroline Wright, Rick Mansfield, Stella Alesi, and Steve Wiman; performance artist Amy Diane Morrow; actors Jason Phelps, Nadine Mozon, Jeff Mills, Cami Alys, W. Tucker, Florinda Bryant, Billy Ray Mangham, Jennifer Balkan, and Teresa Elliott; and photographers Bret Brookshire, Leon Alesi, and Rino Pizzi. Most participants will be in attendance.
2015.07.19 Collective Solid: Panel Discussion with Pete Gershon and Christine Jelson West, Deborah Colton Gallery, Houston TX
Presented in conjunction with Collective Solid, (on view July 18 through August 22, 2015) this panel discussion, co-moderated by Pete Gershon and Christine Jelson West, highlights the artists' perspective on their work, their creative spaces, and their role in the Houston Art community.
Participating Artists: Darwin Arevalo, Dylan Conner, Jonathan Paul Jackson, Alex Larsen, Patrick Renner, David Salinas.
2015.06.03 “In Dreams, Visions: Eight Visionary Artists from Houston” C.G. Jung Educational Center, Houston, TX.
This discussion is presented in conjunction with In Dreams, Visions, an exhibition showcasing the work of eight visionary artists from Houston and the Texas gulf coast, a few of them conventionally trained, but most entirely self-taught. What they have in common is that they have used images from their dreams and visions as source material for their paintings, drawings, and sculpture. From spiritual rapture to existential torment, from wonder to despair, these artists have revealed their inner psychological landscapes in a way that may help us all to better contemplate and understand our own humanity.
Speakers: Pete Gershon, curator of the exhibition and author of Painting the Town Orange: The Stories Behind Houston’s Visionary Art Environments [moderator]; Kate Burns, Jungian analyst; Alison de Lima Greene, Curator of Contemporary Art and Special Projects at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
2015.05.05 - 2015.06.09 In Dreams, Visions: Eight Visionary Artists From Houston, C. G. Jung Educational Center, Houston
“The creative process,” wrote Carl Jung, “so far as we are able to follow it at all, consists in the unconscious activation of an archetypal image and elaborating and shaping the image into the finished work. By giving it shape, the artist translates it into the language of the present and so makes it possible for us to find our way back to the deepest springs of life.”
This exhibition showcases the work of eight visionary artists from Houston and the Texas gulf coast, some conventionally trained, others entirely self-taught. What they have in common is their use of images from their dreams and visions as source material for their paintings, drawings, and sculpture. From spiritual rapture to existential torment, from wonder to despair, these artists have revealed their inner psychological landscapes in a way that may help us all to better contemplate and understand our own humanity. Featuring the work of John Atlas, Henry Ray Clark, Frank Jones, Bert L. Long, Jr., Jesse Lott, James Reaben, Earl Staley, Dee Wolff. Organized by Pete Gershon with assistance from Jay Wehnert, Jack Massing, Dee Wolff, Jesse Lott, John Atlas, Earl Staley, Gail Reaben, Manny Sanchez, and the estate of Bert L. Long, Jr.
Installation view (with Jesse Lott's "Firebird" in foreground) by Pete Gershon
2015.05.17 “Pow Wow: Contemporary Artists Working in Houston, 1972-1985” The Frank and Eleanor Freed Auditorium at the Glassell School of Art, Houston, TX.
Pete Gershon, author of Painting the Town Orange: The Stories Behind Houston’s Visionary Art Environments (History Press, 2014) hosts this presentation and panel discussion based upon his work-in-progress Pow Wow: Contemporary Artists Working in Houston, 1972-1985. In it, he draws upon primary archival materials, contemporary newspaper and magazine accounts, and extensive interviews with dozens of significant figures to present a creative non-fiction narrative that preserves and interweaves the stories and insights of the artists, collectors, patrons, and administrators who transformed the city’s art scene. What were the highlights, the detours, the noble failures? How did the city influence these local artists, and how did they in turn influence life in the city? How did contemporary art activity in Houston reflect, oppose, or presage trends in the regional and national arts community? Was there really any such thing as a "Houston School," and if so, what was it? This project is funded in part by a grant from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.
Speakers: Pete Gershon [moderator]; arts patron Marilyn Oshman and artists Richard Stout, Lynn Randolph, Earl Staley, and Kelly Alison.
2015.03.21 “Telling Stories: Regional Artists and Their Art”. ARLIS/NA 43rd Annual Conference, Omni Hotel, Fort Worth, TX.
“Life is short, but art endures,” wrote Hippocrates. Indeed, art objects are likely to survive across generations, but the life stories of their makers, especially those of obscure regional artists, are far more ephemeral and too often lost to time. Fortunately, there are intrepid art historians, journalists, and researchers who seek to capture this information and preserve it for posterity. How do they organize their projects? How do they choose their subjects? What facts are gathered, and how is this information recorded, stored, and disseminated? This panel of three researchers will answer these questions as they discuss their experiences in documenting the work of regional artists.
Speakers: Pete Gershon, Program Coordinator, Core Residency Program, Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and author of Painting the Town Orange: The Stories Behind Houston’s Visionary Art Environments [moderator]; Craig Bunch, Assistant Librarian, McNay Art Museum and author of Collage and Assemblage in Texas: The Interviews; Jennifer Shaykett, Librarian, American Craft Council.
2014.12.14 Reading from Painting the Town Orange, Alabama Song, Houston, TX
Pete Gershon will read from his book 'Painting the Town Orange: The Stories Behind Houston's Visionary Art Environments,' an exploration of the biographies, techniques, and motivations of the creators of our city's handmade cultural landmarks, including the Orange Show, the Beer Can House, and the Flower Man's House. This event focuses on the incredible story of Cleveland Turner, the Third Ward's ubiquitous "Flower Man."
2014.06.05 Book Reading & Film Screening: Painting the Town Orange, Frank and Eleanor Freed Auditorium, Glassell School of Art, Houston, TX
Join author and Core Program coordinator Pete Gershon for a reading from his new book, Painting the Town Orange: The Stories behind Houston's Visionary Art Environments. The reading is followed by a screening of Laurie McDonald's 2000 documentary Eyeopeners, an exploration of seven visionary-art environments around Houston. Free & open to the public!
2014.05.10 27th Annual Houston Art Car Parade, Houston, TX
Judges: Bill Arning, director of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; Pete Gershon, author of Painting the Town Orange: the Stories Behind Houston's Visionary Art Environments; Raphael Rubinstein, Professor of Critical Studies at the University of Houston; with Ann Harithas, Will Robinson, and Marilyn Oshman. Presented by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art.
2014.03.13 Book Reading: Painting the Town Orange, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX
Houston’s sprawl has come with controversy, but it has created a blank canvas for the public art community. It all started in the Telephone Road Place subdivision, where retired mail carrier Jefferson Davis McKissack built the Orange Show, an extraordinary and eccentric monument to self-reliance, hard work and, yes, the fruit itself. McKissack’s installation spawned more of its kind in the Bayou City, like the Beer Can House, the Flower Man’s House, Pigdom—one woman’s “shrine to swine”—and a flourishing art scene committed to preserving Houston’s art environments. Author Pete Gershon tells the stories of these sites, their creators and the members of Houston’s unique art community, all
set against the backdrop of the city’s quirky history.
2008.01.21 - 03.14 "The Art of Noise", Steve R. Gregg Gallery, Art Institute of Houston, Houston, TX
The Art of Noise presents poster art, album cover art, and small works on paper from the collection of SIgnal to Noise editor Pete Gershon, including works by Peter Brotzmann, John Burpee, Gerritt Gollner, Frank Kozik, Chubby Jackson, Olivia Tremor Control, David Wang, Wes Wilson, and others.
2001.06.07 "Jazz and the Independent Spirits," Flynn Space, Burlington VT
Trumpeter Raphe Malik, journalist Bob Blumenthal, Signal to Noise publisher Pete Gershon, poet David Budbill, and Boxholder Records' Lew Kannenstine talk about the state of creative jazz in conjunction with the Discover Jazz Festival.