—————————————————— Houston Art Galleries Worth the Trip During the Month of June 2015 | Houston Press

Visual Arts

In Case You Missed it: "Art Worth the Trip" at Local Galleries This June


Beginning collectors are finding that prints offer a unique opportunity to collect professionally curated art at affordable prices. In association with PrintTX 2015, Nicole Longnecker Gallery is showcasing more than 30 juried works from Texas artists including lithography, relief, intaglio, monotype and serigraphy. Houston-based sculptor Nelda Gilliam’s Untitled 7 is powerful and detailed, with its deliberate tears and layered mounting. Austin-based Veronica Ceci has been working on a series of prints that explore society’s involvement with electronic devices. “One Watching is one of the pieces that catches you off guard by appearing simple, yet the color overlay effect continues to grow in complexity as you view,” said Brad Barber of Nicole Longnecker Gallery, about the eight-color reduction woodcut with stencil.

Juror’s Talk and Awards, June 28, 1:30 p.m. Through July 3 at Nicole Longnecker Gallery, 2625 Colquitt, open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment, 713-591-4997, longneckergallery.com.


At d. m. allison gallery, which focuses on contemporary art, Inka-Maaria Jurvanen is experimenting with the element of time in her "POWER" exhibit, incorporating the simultaneous or contiguous in her two-dimensional drawings. Jurvanen seems able to render exactly what is needed, and tends to focus more on theme. According to gallery owner Dan Allison, the artist is not only addressing the struggle between the “haves and have nots,” but also on how we interact with one another, feeling that social and economic equality result from a thousand tiny acts, rather than broader strokes. In her artist's statement, Jurvanen writes that, “there is no freedom without power.”

Gallery talk June 20, at 2 p.m. Through July 4 at d. m. allison gallery, 2709 Colquitt, open Wednesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment, 832-607-4378, dma-art.com.


A happy coincidence occurred at Anya Tish Gallery, with its dual exhibition "Juergen Strunck & Jon Vogt, Breaking Pattern: New and Recent Prints." When the artists were chosen, the gallery owner and curator were only aware that they both hailed from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In graduate school, Vogt was influenced by Strunck and even wrote a paper on his mentor; they later came to know each other. “Juergen is highly regarded by many Texas printmakers as quite an innovator of technique,” said the gallery’s Sarah Ansell, who curated the exhibit. “He created his own tools in the ‘70s to make these iconic prints, and because of this his prints are pretty bewildering in terms of trying to understand how they were made, even to other printmakers.” Vogt, who received his MFA in Printmaking this spring from the University of North Texas, Denton, pushes his patterns to find the extent at which a static image can appear to move.

Through July 11 at Anya Tish Gallery, 4411 Montrose, open Tuesday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment, 713-524-2299, anyatishgallery.com.


Jeffrey Dell’s solo exhibition at Art Palace features screen prints that combine graphic shapes and metamorphic color, often emulating three-dimensional shapes such as folded paper or curled ribbon. He is exploring the concept of our desire to perceive visuals as real, even if they cannot exist as represented. The works in Boundary Extension were completed during a four-month Charles Adams Studio Project Artists in Residence program in Lubbock.

Through July 4 at Art Palace Gallery, 3913 Main, open Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment, 832-390-1278, artpalacegallery.com.


Sixteen member artists are represented in Archway Gallery’s Ink & Image 2015 exhibit, which celebrates the art of printmaking. Anita Nelson works primarily in linoleum and features animals in both her prints and paintings. “[She] comes from a long family tradition of print makers,” said Debra Ford, publicist for Archway Gallery. “Her father-in-law was a print maker and so is her husband.” Shirl Riccetti’s Life’s Balancing Act incorporates cork circles in balance with two acrobatic figures, rotated with varying pressures and degrees. A merging of 2-D and 3-D was accomplished with Paula Haymond’s Seraphim Keepers of Time; she added texture to wood and then leather through various tools, including a dental drill.

Akua Inks workshop, June 20, 10 a.m. to noon. Through July 8 at Archway Gallery, 2305 Dunlavy, open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., 713-522-2409, archwaygallery.com.


Emerging artist Brian James Thompson is the invited artist at Galeria Regina this month, with his exhibition of outsider art entitled A Persistent Rumor. Though self-taught, his works offer clean, pristine and elegant fields of color, juxtaposed with geometric shapes and thought-provoking titles such as The German Case and Dance of Matches.

Through July 4 at Galeria Regina, 1716 Richmond, open Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. and by appointment, 713-523-2524, galeriaregina.com.


Lori Vrba’s The Moth Wing Diaries at Catherine Couturier Gallery features romantic and ethereal toned gelatin silver prints of children, women and natural elements, with a gauzy essence and dreamy quality. Her narrative themes of memory, loss, providence and revival are explored through conflict and ultimate peace against a Southern landscape setting.

Reception and book signing July 11, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Through August 31 at Catherine Couturier Gallery, open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 713-524-5070, CatherineCouturier.com.
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Susie Tommaney is a contributing writer who enjoys covering the lively arts and culture scene in Houston and surrounding areas, connecting creative makers with the Houston Press readers to make every week a great one.
Contact: Susie Tommaney