PROMOTING APPRECIATION OF THE VISUAL ARTS
Art League Houston has provided art experiences for Houstonians since 1948
(June
10, 2011) Art League Houston (ALH) is one of Houston’s longest operating
non-profit visual arts organizations, created to promote the public
appreciation of and interest in the visual arts. Art League Houston was
founded in 1948 and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1953.
Art League Houston was preceded in early Houston history by the Houston
Art League, founded in 1913 by five women to conduct art classes and
exhibitions in the public school system. After receiving a donation of
land at South Main and Montrose from philanthropist George Henry
Hermann, the Houston Art League built the first fine arts museum in
Houston. In 1929 it amended its state charter and changed its name to
the Museum of Fine Arts.
Art League Houston was originally located at 906 Tuam. It was the first
of its kind in Texas, focusing on cultivation of the visual arts within
the total community through exhibitions, classes, and outreach
programming. The Art League School was founded in 1968, and the next
year it was moved to a new location at 1953 Montrose. It offered classes
for both the professional and novice student, including printmaking,
jewelry, painting, drawing, and collage.
In 2007, ALH built a new facility on its existing site on Montrose Blvd.
The new building, with additional gallery and studio space, has meant
that ALH can offer more programming to the community than in past years.
In addition, the new facility has an on-site coffee house leased to
Inversion Coffee House and an attractive outdoor patio.
During the past 63 years, Art League Houston has provided over 1,000
exhibitions to the Houston community, showcasing the work of 20,000
artists. Nearly 25,000 students have received instruction at Art League
School. In 1983, Art League Houston created the Texas Artist of the Year
award as an annual project documenting Texas art history.
Jennifer Ash, Exhibitions Coordinator, is excited about what the Art
League has to offer Houstonians. She says there are two galleries
available for a variety of media. The larger Main Gallery is used for
major exhibitions by artists while the adjacent Project Gallery is open
to innovative works programmed by the Art League. “We have a lot of area
for our students including the patio area, the coffee house and an
adjacent house which we own.”
The League also implements programming for youth and families. It
provides life drawing classes for high school students, free art
workshops for families, and art residencies in H.I.S.D. Title I schools.
In partnership with the Harris County Department of Education, ALH
annually presents the Scholastic Gold Key Exhibit, consisting of award
winning art by middle and high school students.
In 2010, ALH initiated the Kids Studio, a program of affordable winter
and summer art camps for children. Its Healing Art program was
established in 1991 for adults living with chronic illness and/or
physical disability.
In July: the Project Gallery will feature an exhibition of new works on
paper by Houston-based artist Catherine Colangelo. Fleet for Abby
presents an installation of sixteen beautifully crafted gouache sail
boat paintings on Japanese Okawara paper, inspired by the story of
sixteen-year-old Abby Sunderland’s attempt to become the youngest person
ever to sail solo around the world. It explores the themes of
friendship, youthful adventure and childhood imagination.
Captivated by Abby’s adventurous spirit, Colangelo began to develop a
fantastical fleet of sixteen sail boats that would accompany Abby and
her boat Wild Eyes along their long and dangerous journey, providing
them with the companionship and protection needed to live out their
dream.
Fleet for Abby transforms the gallery into an imaginary ocean, where a
fairytale-like fleet of brightly colored, intricately patterned and
delicately hand-painted sail boat paintings, playfully escorts a
painting of Abby’s boat Wild Eyes across the gallery walls. Each
sail-boat is unique, and named after an individual friend from
Colangelo’s childhood.
Colangelo received a BFA in Painting from The Cooper Union in New York.
Her work was included in the Texas Biennial in 2009 and 2011 and is
included in The Drawing Center’s Viewing Program in New York. She
received Houston Art Alliance Individual Artist Grant Awards in 2007 and
2011.
The opening reception will be July 15, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. with the artist
talk at 7:00 p.m. On view through Aug. 26.
Eminent Domain Reform Signed Into Law
Strengthens private property rights, requires good faith offer by government
Gov. Rick Perry has signed Senate Bill 18, implementing landmark
eminent domain reforms to strengthen private property rights. The
governor designated this legislation as an emergency item for the
2011 Legislative Session.
The
new law requires that condemning entities make a good faith offer
before the beginning of the condemnation process. Local and state
government entities interested in acquiring private property must
first make an offer, in writing and based on an appraisal, to the
landowner to purchase the property through a voluntary sale for a
fair price. This is designed to prevent the government from making
lowball offers, knowing the land can be taken by eminent domain if
the landowner doesn’t accept.
The
law also requires condemnation petitions to specifically state the
public use for which the land is needed, eliminating instances where
land is taken without current plans for its use. Additionally, the
bill makes it clear that private property can be acquired only for a
public purpose, not for private benefit.
In the 2009 session of the legislature a measure was passed to allow
Texans to vote on a constitutional amendment requiring land only be
taken for public use, ending the seizure of property for use by a
private developer. Texas voters passed this amendment in November,
2009. Local governments can no longer condemn an entire area for
redevelopment by claiming it is blighted without proving that each
section is blighted. The amendment also protects Texas landowners
against further grants of eminent domain authority by requiring each
new grant to receive a 2/3 vote in each house of the Legislature.
Property
owners will now have a stronger voice in determining who decides
what damages are owed if condemnation proceedings occur. They will
also be compensated for damages from any loss of direct access to
their property, and receive relocation assistance when forced from
their property.
The law requires a government entity that takes land to first have a
record vote stating the land to be taken and the project for which
it is being taken. It also requires entities to provide all
appraisals of the property that they have during negotiations to
ensure landowners understand the fair market value of their land.
Finally,
this legislation allows landowners to repurchase land at the price
they were paid for it if the project for which it was taken is no
longer needed, or if no actual progress is made on the project in 10
years, even if it has not been officially canceled.
“I’m proud to sign into law stronger eminent domain provisions
protecting Texas landowners from local and state government entities
that might consider abusing private property rights,” Gov. Perry
said. “We’ve come a long way in the effort to strengthen private
property rights through this legislation, and thanks to the hard
work of state lawmakers, particularly Sen. Estes, Sen. Duncan and
Rep. Geren, the dream of property ownership is more secure in the
State of Texas now than ever before.”
The
reform of Texas eminent domain laws has been the top priority of the
Texas Farm Bureau for three legislative sessions, according to
Bureau president Kenneth Dierschke. The Farm Bureau and other groups
had demanded Perry do something about eminent domain laws in the
state following the controversy over the Trans-Texas Corridor. In
2007, Gov. Perry vetoed similar eminent domain legislation and did
not place eminent domain reform on the agenda for the special
session in 2009. Those actions were a factor in the Farm Bureau’s
non-endorsement of him in the governor’s race.
But after the reforms were signed into law the Farm Bureau and other
agriculture groups endorsed the bill and praised Perry’s leadership
on the issue. “This legislation is a solution to the unfair
treatment many property owners have been subjected to in the
condemnation process,” Dierschke said. “The take-it-or-leave-it
attitude displayed by some condemning authorities will be replaced
by good faith and cooperation.”
Texas may have struck it big in oil ... again
By Frances Allday
The small community of Eagle Ford, six miles outside of Dallas, is
suddenly finding its name in headlines. It bears the name of a shale
rock formation first noticed on the surface of its clay soil and
throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The shale rock, rich in
organic material, releases hydrocarbons such as oil and gas when it
decays.
The
Eagle Ford shale rock was also found along the Austin Chalk
formation which extends from south Texas into the huge oilfields of
East Texas. The shale along this stretch of the state has been known
to have high volumes of oil and gas by geologist for decades. Some
wells were drilled in the formation but the thickness of the shale
prevented the wells from becoming productive. Thus the shale
formation was not considered a viable resource for drilling.
Then
in the ‘90s the oil companies began experimenting with a horizontal
drilling method and found it could be successfully used on shale
rock. A few years ago major companies like Halliburton, Weatherford,
Baker Hughes and Schlumberger began to perfect horizontal drilling.
They were able to turn the drill assembly at a 90 degree angle and
bore laterally into the shale. The shale could then be hydraulically
fractured using very high pressure fluids which release the oil
trapped inside the rock.
So
drilling companies began placing wells using the horizontal method
in the Eagle Ford shale formation, and soon began producing
impressive amounts of oil. They found that the shale was high in
carbonate content, making it brittle and easily fractured. Estimates
were that the Eagle Ford shale could yield billions of barrels of
recoverable oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas.
Now the Eagle Ford shale is being recognized as the sixth largest
oilfield ever discovered in the U.S. and the largest discovery in
over forty years. Well activity along the formation has begun at a
rapid pace, with most of the focus on oil because of depressed
natural gas prices. The shale covers a 21 county area from the
border of Mexico to an area only 100 miles northwest of Houston.
The
small boom towns in the path of the shale drilling will see their
populations grow and their economies prosper. This is already taking
place in south Texas counties where there is a large concentration
of these wells. Eventually the drilling will move further along the
formation to more central counties and towns like La Grange,
Giddings, Caldwell and Brenham.
Drilling and fracturing of shale does not come without controversy.
There are environmental concerns that the chemical fluids used to
break up the rock may be harmful to groundwater. The process also
uses huge volumes of water and nearby aquifers could be depleted,
especially in a drought.
Government
regulation is attempting to address the risks that shale drilling
may pose to the environment. The Texas Railroad Commission issues
well permits and has oversight of the exploration of oil and gas,
but does not have jurisdiction over environmental matters. The Texas
legislature, however, has passed a law, yet to be signed by the
governor, that will require drilling companies using hydraulic
fracturing techniques to disclose on a public website the chemicals
they are using. Next year, the Federal government will issue new
regulations for the fracturing process that most likely will be
stricter than state laws and impose stiff penalties for violations.
The huge oilfield discovery has the potential to boost the state’s
economy at a critical time. With the restrictions on offshore
drilling, this onshore find could make up for lost jobs and wages.
The Eagle Ford shale could be as big a turning point in the Texas
economy, as Spindletop was over 100 years ago.
For more information visit
eaglefordshaleblog.com or
www.rrc.state.tx.us.
