Archway Gallery Upcoming Exhibition Calendar
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October 7 - November 2, 2023 Spaces A Dialog in Paint, Fiber, and Clay by Silvia PintoSouza and Laura Viada With Observations in Japanese Haiku by Jon Halliburton Opening Reception Saturday, October 7 5 – 8 p.m. with Artist Talk at 6:30 p.m. Complimentary Valet Parking and Light Refreshments |
In this exhibition, painter Silvia PintoSouza and weaver Laura Viada, engage in a visual dialog about creating space for beauty in a turbulent, violent, and painful world. Their dialog is enhanced with observations in haiku by poet Jon Halliburton, who will read from his work at the opening reception.
PintoSouza and Viada share a love of geometric form and its underlying grid as a means of expression. In sacred geometry, the simple intersection of straight lines at right angles symbolizes the link between the spiritual and the material. Though not a form itself, when multiplied this intersection forms the grid, the foundation for the square, the triangle, the circle, and all geometric forms which, in turn, carry their own symbolic meaning.
“When I look at an image, my inclination is to break it down into geometric shapes,” says Silvia PintoSouza. “I use strong contrast in color and shadows to enhance and give depth to the geometric space.” PintoSouza has employed these techniques over decades to create luminous paintings of ordinary objects, nature, and everyday life. For this exhibition, she abandons images and focuses her attention solely on geometric form. Her creative vision, across many years of painting, continues in this body of work – to illuminate the sacred within the mundane, the light within the darkness, the simple beauty within complexity. “I paint for the sake of art itself, with no political or social message,” explains PintoSouza. “Art is my refuge from the chaos, pain, and tragedy I see in the world. There’s plenty of misery broadcast to us every day – I feel no need or wish to add to it. I paint for those who seek beauty to soothe their hearts.”
The grid formed by the interlacement of warp and weft is the essence of weaving, and Laura Viada has always found expressive power in emphasizing it. She uses the grid, shifting colors, and empty spaces to draw beauty and possibility from the pain and limitation of human existence. Viada’s powerful series, Madrugada, takes us to the early hours of the morning, after the “dark night of the soul.” In another series, Black or White, she challenges thinking patterns that can obscure possibilities and blind us to potential. Like PintoSouza, Viada is not interested in political statements or social commentary. “My work comes from my interior landscape – my perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and struggles, which I believe are fairly universal,” she comments. “The grid is my metaphor for human existence and thought. Its lines are our human limitations, its spaces are our possibilities. How we respond to our limitations and and fill the spaces, how we give them form and color, determines who we are and how we live.” PintoSouza agrees and adds, “Pain is easy – it’s all around us and often overwhelms us. Beauty, joy, and hope are hard. We have to search for them and create spaces for them. That’s what art is for.”
Silvia PintoSouza, a native of Colombia received her Art and Design diploma from Byam Shaw School of Fine Art and Design in London; it is now known as Central Saint Martin’s School of Art. While in London, she met her husband, Marco, and moved with him to Rio de Janeiro, where she continued her training in metal printing, lithography, woodcut, and silkscreen. For the last 25 years she has lived in Houston and has devoted herself exclusively to painting. PintoSouza has exhibited her artwork in many solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States, Europe, and South America, and her artwork is included in collections throughout the world. She joined Archway Gallery in May 2016. This is her third exhibition at Archway.
Laura Viada is a handweaver and fiber artist who creates works of art in natural fibers and metallics. While taking a pause from a demanding career in law, she discovered weaving, fell in love with the world of fiber and never looked back. For the past 25 years, Viada has been an active member of the Texas fiber art community. Her award-winning work has been exhibited nationally, and she is a former Artist-in-Residence at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. She joined Archway Gallery in December 2017. This is her second exhibition at Archway.
Jon Thomas Halliburton has lived in Houston since 1977. He is the founder and CEO of www.Ensearch.energy where he has represented clients such as Shell, Siemens, KBR, and Aker Solutions. He is an amateur artist, plays the Fender Jazz Bass and Les Paul Guitar, and enjoys writing lyrics and poetry – specifically, Japanese Haiku. He is an avid collector and patron of the arts, and a world traveler, all of which he credits with shaping his world perspective and inspiring his writing.
PintoSouza and Viada share a love of geometric form and its underlying grid as a means of expression. In sacred geometry, the simple intersection of straight lines at right angles symbolizes the link between the spiritual and the material. Though not a form itself, when multiplied this intersection forms the grid, the foundation for the square, the triangle, the circle, and all geometric forms which, in turn, carry their own symbolic meaning.
“When I look at an image, my inclination is to break it down into geometric shapes,” says Silvia PintoSouza. “I use strong contrast in color and shadows to enhance and give depth to the geometric space.” PintoSouza has employed these techniques over decades to create luminous paintings of ordinary objects, nature, and everyday life. For this exhibition, she abandons images and focuses her attention solely on geometric form. Her creative vision, across many years of painting, continues in this body of work – to illuminate the sacred within the mundane, the light within the darkness, the simple beauty within complexity. “I paint for the sake of art itself, with no political or social message,” explains PintoSouza. “Art is my refuge from the chaos, pain, and tragedy I see in the world. There’s plenty of misery broadcast to us every day – I feel no need or wish to add to it. I paint for those who seek beauty to soothe their hearts.”
The grid formed by the interlacement of warp and weft is the essence of weaving, and Laura Viada has always found expressive power in emphasizing it. She uses the grid, shifting colors, and empty spaces to draw beauty and possibility from the pain and limitation of human existence. Viada’s powerful series, Madrugada, takes us to the early hours of the morning, after the “dark night of the soul.” In another series, Black or White, she challenges thinking patterns that can obscure possibilities and blind us to potential. Like PintoSouza, Viada is not interested in political statements or social commentary. “My work comes from my interior landscape – my perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and struggles, which I believe are fairly universal,” she comments. “The grid is my metaphor for human existence and thought. Its lines are our human limitations, its spaces are our possibilities. How we respond to our limitations and and fill the spaces, how we give them form and color, determines who we are and how we live.” PintoSouza agrees and adds, “Pain is easy – it’s all around us and often overwhelms us. Beauty, joy, and hope are hard. We have to search for them and create spaces for them. That’s what art is for.”
Silvia PintoSouza, a native of Colombia received her Art and Design diploma from Byam Shaw School of Fine Art and Design in London; it is now known as Central Saint Martin’s School of Art. While in London, she met her husband, Marco, and moved with him to Rio de Janeiro, where she continued her training in metal printing, lithography, woodcut, and silkscreen. For the last 25 years she has lived in Houston and has devoted herself exclusively to painting. PintoSouza has exhibited her artwork in many solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States, Europe, and South America, and her artwork is included in collections throughout the world. She joined Archway Gallery in May 2016. This is her third exhibition at Archway.
Laura Viada is a handweaver and fiber artist who creates works of art in natural fibers and metallics. While taking a pause from a demanding career in law, she discovered weaving, fell in love with the world of fiber and never looked back. For the past 25 years, Viada has been an active member of the Texas fiber art community. Her award-winning work has been exhibited nationally, and she is a former Artist-in-Residence at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. She joined Archway Gallery in December 2017. This is her second exhibition at Archway.
Jon Thomas Halliburton has lived in Houston since 1977. He is the founder and CEO of www.Ensearch.energy where he has represented clients such as Shell, Siemens, KBR, and Aker Solutions. He is an amateur artist, plays the Fender Jazz Bass and Les Paul Guitar, and enjoys writing lyrics and poetry – specifically, Japanese Haiku. He is an avid collector and patron of the arts, and a world traveler, all of which he credits with shaping his world perspective and inspiring his writing.
OCTOBER 2023 EXHIBITION EVENTS
October 7 (Sat) |
Opening Reception (5 - 8 p.m.) and Artist Talk (6:30 p.m.) |
October 8 (Sun) |
Robinhood Quartet (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.) Comprised of violinists Angela Ryu and Hannah Corbett, violist Conor McAvinue and cellist Adam Willson, the Robinhood Quartet loves to indulge in the romantic harmonies of Brahms. The group formed at Rice University’s the Shepherd School of Music in late 2022 and has been dazzling audiences and concertgoers with their virtuosic playing ever since. Free and open to the public. |
October 14 (Sat) |
Mark Rodrieg (7:00-9:00 p.m. VIDEO | ART | MUSIC | TEXT Join Mark Rodrieg for an evening of mixed-media art, discussion, and light reception. In this series, Mark explores the concept of imagining the non-present in artistic production, i.e. the relationship between and among abstract work, aesthetics, performance practice, and our imaginations. |
October 15 (Sun) |
Poetry and Music with Marcel Wormsley and Yan Shen (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.) Marcel Wormsley is a poet, thinker, aspiring library and information science professional, and mental health/arts advocate. Marcel has given several public poetry readings throughout Houston and actively supports the vibrant poetry community in the city. He will be joined by pianist Yan Shen. |
October 22 (Sun) |
Harp and Guitar Duo (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.) Come hear the unique duo of Emily Klein and Marc Garvin on harp and guitar. Free and open to the public. |
October 29 (Sun) |
Aurora Trio (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.) A wonderful harp, flute and cello trio and a familiar group at Archway. They will be presenting a program with the theme 'Celestial'. |
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November 4 - 30, 2023 Tic-Tac-Hobo Featuring Prints and Tapestries by Blaine Davis Opening Reception Saturday, November 4 5 – 8 p.m. with Artist Talk at 6:30 p.m. Complimentary Valet Parking and Light Refreshments |
For his first exhibition as a member of Archway Gallery, printmaker and weaver Blaine Davis takes the viewer on a tour through the decades of his creative life. The prints, linocuts, copper plate etchings, and tapestries which make up this exhibition include some of Davis’ early works, which are the first expressions of the ideas and images he has carried into his recent work.
Davis has always been drawn to the symbols, used by Hobos -- Depression-era, nomadic workers -- to convey information, directions, help, and warnings to fellow “Knights of the Road.” The title work consists of nine Hobo symbols arranged in a grid which reminded Davis of a game of tic-tac-toe. “I have used these symbols in my work for a long time, but this was the first instance where I included this much color, and I’m quite happy with the result,” says Davis. “I first used these symbols over 30 years ago. They were with me before all of the rest of the ideas and images in this show, and are still being used. I like the idea of my work with these symbols as a framing reference for the show.”
Davis’ copper plate etchings are the result of a process he calls “controlled accidents” – experiments with addition and subtraction. “There is usually no plan,” he explains. “I just see what happens using various techniques, adding layers, and sometimes chopping whole sections of the plate away to edit the piece. The plates can go into the acid numerous times while I keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.” Davis’ linocuts, on the other hand, are planned and he uses them to play with color and form. For example, he created the “Brazil” series after a trip to that country, using images and colors to which he was drawn.
This exhibition also includes some of Davis’ tapestries. “I’ve been weaving longer than I’ve been printing, and I enjoy that process, too,” he explains. “While some of my tapestries are planned, others are created spontaneously, depending on what I want to do at the loom on any given day.” One large piece in the exhibition is the result of a collaboration with other members of Contemporary Handweavers of Houston. Others include some that Davis wove during a residency in Iceland a few years ago, and a second version of his favorite tapestry, the first being long sold.
“I wish I had some all-encompassing story to tell about my process for making art,” says Davis, “but, for the most part, it just happens, and I'm happy to go along for the ride.”
Blaine Davis grew up in Maine, Idaho, and Wisconsin. He moved to Texas after graduating from college in 1975. Four years later he received a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and went to work as a librarian for the Houston Public Library. At that point he also began taking art classes at the Glassell School in Houston where he eventually found his way to the printmaking studio. He currently makes his art at Burning Bones Press, a cooperative press in the Houston Heights. He is also a tapestry weaver.
Davis has always been drawn to the symbols, used by Hobos -- Depression-era, nomadic workers -- to convey information, directions, help, and warnings to fellow “Knights of the Road.” The title work consists of nine Hobo symbols arranged in a grid which reminded Davis of a game of tic-tac-toe. “I have used these symbols in my work for a long time, but this was the first instance where I included this much color, and I’m quite happy with the result,” says Davis. “I first used these symbols over 30 years ago. They were with me before all of the rest of the ideas and images in this show, and are still being used. I like the idea of my work with these symbols as a framing reference for the show.”
Davis’ copper plate etchings are the result of a process he calls “controlled accidents” – experiments with addition and subtraction. “There is usually no plan,” he explains. “I just see what happens using various techniques, adding layers, and sometimes chopping whole sections of the plate away to edit the piece. The plates can go into the acid numerous times while I keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.” Davis’ linocuts, on the other hand, are planned and he uses them to play with color and form. For example, he created the “Brazil” series after a trip to that country, using images and colors to which he was drawn.
This exhibition also includes some of Davis’ tapestries. “I’ve been weaving longer than I’ve been printing, and I enjoy that process, too,” he explains. “While some of my tapestries are planned, others are created spontaneously, depending on what I want to do at the loom on any given day.” One large piece in the exhibition is the result of a collaboration with other members of Contemporary Handweavers of Houston. Others include some that Davis wove during a residency in Iceland a few years ago, and a second version of his favorite tapestry, the first being long sold.
“I wish I had some all-encompassing story to tell about my process for making art,” says Davis, “but, for the most part, it just happens, and I'm happy to go along for the ride.”
Blaine Davis grew up in Maine, Idaho, and Wisconsin. He moved to Texas after graduating from college in 1975. Four years later he received a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and went to work as a librarian for the Houston Public Library. At that point he also began taking art classes at the Glassell School in Houston where he eventually found his way to the printmaking studio. He currently makes his art at Burning Bones Press, a cooperative press in the Houston Heights. He is also a tapestry weaver.
NOVEMBER 2023 EXHIBITION EVENTS
November 4 (Sat) |
Opening Reception (5 - 8 p.m.) and Artist Talk (6:30 p.m.) |
November 5 (Sun) |
Rice Jazz Ensemble (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.) |
November 10 (Fri) |
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November 12 (Sun) |
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December 2, 2023 - January 4, 2024 A Place in Mind Featuring Recent Paintings by Jim N. Hill Opening Reception Saturday, December 2 5 – 8 p.m. with Artist Talk at 6:30 p.m. Complimentary Valet Parking and Light Refreshments |
Jim N. Hill is known for his colorful paintings featuring floral, landscape, architectural, marine, and figurative imagery. In this exhibition, Hill’s lifetime of travels throughout the United States and Europe, as well as his National Guard deployment to Japan in the early 1970s, provide the inspiration for this exploration of the experience of place. Each painting reflects Hill’s sense of a location he has either experienced first-hand or intuitively conjured in his mind’s eye. His distinctive painting style and use of color imbues each image with a joyful sense of place inviting the viewer to enter that world and join the fun. Paintings in this show include images of architecture, carnivals and festivals, and landscapes from Japan, Europe, Mexico, and Texas.
Jim N. Hill moved to Houston after completing his Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in 1978. Beginning with small acrylic paintings of ladies in floppy hats and men with hats and mustaches, he began selling his work through The Artists Touch Gallery. These shape and color driven images soon received regional and then national attention. After exhibiting his work for two years at New York Art Expo in the early 1980's, Hill had solo exhibitions at The El Presidente Hotel and the Niko Hotel in Mexico City. A publishing studio there published eight editions of his work as serigraphs in editions of 200 – 300 prints and artist proofs, some of which are exhibited in this show. Hill’s paintings have been exhibited throughout the United States in such diverse locations as Los Angeles, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Nashville, Shreveport, and Salado, Texas. Hill’s commissions include two murals for the River Oaks Shopping Center in Houston, as well as paintings for the executive offices of Marshal Fields Department Store, hotels in Atlantic City and Los Angeles, and a large residential space in Washington, D.C.
Hill’s love for sharing art with others led to a second career in teaching. He was Adjunct Professor of Art at Houston Community College for over 20 years and also taught Pre-K4 through 8th grade students at Saint Anne Catholic School.
Jim N. Hill moved to Houston after completing his Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in 1978. Beginning with small acrylic paintings of ladies in floppy hats and men with hats and mustaches, he began selling his work through The Artists Touch Gallery. These shape and color driven images soon received regional and then national attention. After exhibiting his work for two years at New York Art Expo in the early 1980's, Hill had solo exhibitions at The El Presidente Hotel and the Niko Hotel in Mexico City. A publishing studio there published eight editions of his work as serigraphs in editions of 200 – 300 prints and artist proofs, some of which are exhibited in this show. Hill’s paintings have been exhibited throughout the United States in such diverse locations as Los Angeles, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Nashville, Shreveport, and Salado, Texas. Hill’s commissions include two murals for the River Oaks Shopping Center in Houston, as well as paintings for the executive offices of Marshal Fields Department Store, hotels in Atlantic City and Los Angeles, and a large residential space in Washington, D.C.
Hill’s love for sharing art with others led to a second career in teaching. He was Adjunct Professor of Art at Houston Community College for over 20 years and also taught Pre-K4 through 8th grade students at Saint Anne Catholic School.
DECEMBER 2023 EXHIBITION EVENTS
December 2 (Sat) |
Opening Reception (5 - 8 p.m.) and Artist Talk (6:30 p.m.) |
December 16 (Sat) |
Holiday Champagne, Art and Music (5:00 - 8:00 p.m.) |
FUTURE FEATURED ARTIST EXHIBITIONS
January 2024 |
Mohammad Ali Bhatti |
February 2024 |
Maryam Lavaf |
March 2024 |
Isabelle Perreau |
April 2024 |
Liz Conces Spencer and Joan Laughlin |
May 2024 |
Joe Haden |
June 2024 |
Print Houston Exhibition |
July 2024 |
Archway's 16th Annual Juried Exhibition |
August 2024 |
Terry Crump |