ROBERTA HARRIS
Roberta Harris makes paintings and sculpture, often based on archetypical symbols and forms such as hearts, moons, animals, and plants, always with an intention to delight and uplift. Harris was born in Passaic, NJ in 1943 but grew up in Houston where she went to Pershing Middle School and Bellaire High School. From 1963 to 1973 she studied at the University of Texas in Austin; Parsons School of Design and Hunter College in New York City; and the University of Houston. She attended the prestigious Whitney Independent Study Program in 1972, and returning to Houston found opportunities to show her work at Cusack Gallery, and in tightly-curated group shows at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (Private Works, 1973), and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Abstract Painting and Sculpture in Houston, 1974 and The Studio Show: Four Artists, 1977). She also taught at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (1974-76) and the Museum School/Glassell School of Art from 1974-87. Travel in Europe in 1982-83 amplified the influence of German Expressionism and classical Greek artwork on Harris’ paintings and sculpture. Harris was featured in solo shows at the Tyler Museum (1980) and Amarillo Arts Center (1983) and a 1985 solo exhibition inaugurated the exhibition space in the Transco Tower. Harris spent a few years in Santa Fe from 1990-93, then returned to Houston to give private lessons and to continue to create new work. Her career has been celebrated with two museum retrospectives: UP: Roberta Harris 1985-2009 at The Women’s Museum in Dallas (2009) and Roberta Harris: 1972-2013 at Katy Contemporary (2015).
Pete Gershon interviewed Roberta Harris at her home in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood on February 10.
Further Research:
This project funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance