Exhibition Dates: August 23- August 28, 2008
Experiential Opening: Saturday, August 23, 2008, 6-9pm

Houston-New York based, experiential Artist Molly Gochman presentsRelease: Give-Away III as her last event at Commune on 2445 North Blvd, Houston.  Molly Gochman’s The space will become alive with the interactive experience of Molly’s work on Saturday, August 23rd, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

Molly Gochman’s GIVE-AWAY PROJECT is a series that continually unfolds.Release: Give-Away III addresses relationships with change through exhibiting large-scale prints and intimate paintings, inspired by aspects within these prints. Both the prints and paintings serve as a ...

click to continue to Molly Gochman: Give-Away Release Party III]]> 2445 North Blvd., Houston, TX, 77098

Exhibition Dates: August 23- August 28, 2008
Experiential Opening: Saturday, August 23, 2008, 6-9pm

Houston-New York based, experiential Artist Molly Gochman presentsRelease: Give-Away III as her last event at Commune on 2445 North Blvd, Houston.  Molly Gochman’s The space will become alive with the interactive experience of Molly’s work on Saturday, August 23^rd, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

Molly Gochman’s GIVE-AWAY PROJECT is a series that continually unfolds.Release: Give-Away III addresses relationships with change through exhibiting large-scale prints and intimate paintings, inspired by aspects within these prints. Both the prints and paintings serve as a way of archiving choices, circumstances, and personalities. During the exhibition, the image on selected prints will become less distinct. People will use cleansing tools designed to correlate with the body as instruments for physically engaging with the work. Release encourages one to be present, connect, and let go.

Creating opportunities for community interaction, connection, and exchange is a primary investigation of Molly Gochman’s work.  When she began the GIVE-AWAY PROJECT in 2002, Gochman invited people throughout Houston to take place in an exchange,  ”Take home free clothes by modeling what you love”. People came throughout the evening the night of Give-Away Part I. Led by their curiosity, participants wove between the candy colored clothing and each other. It seemed as if garments were hovering at various heights within a large warehouse space. People chatted with each other. They also interacted with the objects by fondling them and evaluating their sizes and other features. They were considering the possibilities for these objects. Then, through documenting themselves with their chosen items, participants helped Gochman fulfill one of the intentions of this work, to investigate and record taste.

The lighthearted atmosphere encouraged visitors to openly express themselves while being documented. The prints, images of the participants, convey the type of energy present that evening.

Consistent with her entire body of work, Gochman explored the concept of value.  Not only with the depiction of what her participants valued, but also by showing how the actions within her installations have at least as much value as the installation itself. Exhibiting the documentation during Give-Away II, showed how a group of collective actions can evolve into a significant series of work.

Molly Gochman is an experiential, inter-sensory artist working and residing in both Houston and New York.  Her work provides evocative experiences through inter-disciplinary installations.  Born in San Antonio, Gochman studied art in New York City and London, and received her BFA from Guilford College in 2001.  In the last five years, Gochman’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

“My work returns what’s missing from life – fragile moments within cycles of creation and destruction.  Through performances and installations and the documents that record them, I communicate a delicate dance between presence and absence.  Creating work helps me come to terms with extremely contradictory experiences.  Within the work, rigid contrasts soften and boundaries become blurred.  Fabric, my primary medium, is used to transform surfaces into gurgling landscapes. My usage of materials within space allows me to create intimate experiences.  Supple, penetrable materials like fabric, allow my work to have a softening affect.  The common thread is not always obvious; mystery and romance hover. Unfolding myself as I work allows me to build environments that blur the relationships between particulars. A clarification can occur as one releases oneself within the mistiness of the work”.

The exhibition is in conjunction with Deborah Colton Gallery where the gallery’s portion of all sales will be donated to DiverseWorks andAurora Picture Show.   For more information, please access http://www.mollygochman.com/ and http://www.deborahcoltongallery.com/ or contact Deborah Colton Gallery at 713-869-5151.

The DW staff is hosting a fun filled night at Poiston Girl. Part of the proceeds go to DiverseWorks, so come and chill with us.

Poison Girl
1641 Westheimer
Houston, TX   77006

Click HERE to learn more about Poison Girl!

Based on Mad Libs, your favorite word game, Lens Libs, uses your photographs to “fill in the blanks” of the articles & stories. Not sure how to play?  That’s okay! Join us for the fun anyway!  A complimentary Mad Lib game will be given to the first 50 guests, courtesy of Penguin Group.

George Alexander
Catherine Anspon
David Crossley
Bill Davenport
John Devine
Christa Forster
Kara ...

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• SPIN4 Writers

Presented by DiverseWorks and HCP

Friday, July 25, 2008, 8pm-11pm
Houston Center for Photography
1441 W. Alabama, Houston, TX 77006

Based on Mad Libs, your favorite word game, Lens Libs, uses your photographs to “fill in the blanks” of the articles & stories. Not sure how to play?  That’s okay! Join us for the fun anyway!  A complimentary Mad Lib game will be given to the first 50 guests, courtesy of Penguin Group.

SPIN4 Writers

George Alexander
Catherine Anspon
David Crossley
Bill Davenport
John Devine
Christa Forster
Kara Hearn
Kelly Klaasmeyer
Laura Lark
David McClain
Patrick Phipps
Sehba Sarwar
Franklin Sirmans
Dolen Smith
Clint Willour

SPIN4 Host Committee
Next Edition
Sally and Bill Russ
Delise Ward and Craig Lidji
Carolina Weitzman

The Original
George and Donna Alexander
Rob Greenstein
Amy and Joe Grinstein
Nicole Haagenson
Cecily Horton
Bering & James
Annie and Brady Hewitt
Frazier King
Nicole Laurent and Joey Romano
Victoria Ludwin
Libbie Masterson
Paula Murphy
Laura Nolden
Judy Nyquist
Jeff Shell
Lillian and Robert J. Warren

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION!

Lens Libs is a game for friends new and old of DiverseWorks and HCP, the photo-centric, art-centric, and general Houston community. It’s a game for all ages!

TO PLAY:
1.     Buy your advance tickets by visiting HCP’s website here. Advanced tickets are $10. Tickets at the Door are $15 General Admission ($10 DiverseWorks & HCP Members, Students, & Seniors).
2.    Take or find a photograph no larger than 8 ½ x 11 inches of an adjective, noun, verb, exclamation, plural noun, or place. HCP’s Digital Darkroom will be available at no charge for those needing to work on their SPIN4 Photo Submissions. Print your SPIN4 submission photo(s) in the darkroom for a flat fee of $2.50 (8 1/2 x 11″ print or smaller) prior to the event.
3.     Bring your photograph to HCP on Friday, July 25th from 8pm-11pm for an open bar of wine, beer sponsored by Real Ale, music by local DJ and artist Shoe, the chance to chow down on some bar-b-que (not included with admission) and a great time with new friends and old.
4.     When you arrive to HCP, turn in your photograph at check-in. DiverseWorks and HCP staff members and volunteers will be “filling in the blanks” throughout the night. The exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, July 27th.
For more information, click here.

About SPIN
HCP has hosted its annual SPIN “friend-raiser” since 2005 when it partnered with Project Row Houses for an evening of “spinning” slides the old-fashioned way. In 2006, HCP teamed up with Houston. It´s Worth It. for an unforgettable weekend of democratically displayed Houston imagery that answered the question, “What makes Houston worth it? Show Us Why!” This project culminated in the exhibition and book, Houston. It´s Worth It. (2007). Last year, HCP partnered with Aurora Picture Show for Txt Me L8r, a project that exemplified photography´s move into the 21st century with new media and technology. This year´s Lens Libs further reaches into the community, relying on public participation for the success of the exhibition.

June 23-July 26, 2008

Meet & Greet: Thursday, July 10th, 6-8pm

Closing of The Real (Art) World: Saturday, July 26, 2008, 6-8pm

This is the true story of four artists, picked to share a studio, work together and have their creative process documented, to find out what happens when people start making art and start getting real.  For the third consecutive year, DiverseWorks turns over the 3000 sq. foot main gallery to four artists selected to take part in The Real (Art) World Visual Arts Residency Program.  ...

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• Congratulations to this year’s Residents of The Real (Art) World!
• Mark your calendars:

DiverseWorks Visual Arts Residency

June 23-July 26, 2008

Meet & Greet: Thursday, July 10th, 6-8pm

Closing of The Real (Art) World: Saturday, July 26, 2008, 6-8pm

This is the true story of four artists, picked to share a studio, work together and have their creative process documented, to find out what happens when people start making art and start getting real.  For the third consecutive year, DiverseWorks turns over the 3000 sq. foot main gallery to four artists selected to take part in The Real (Art) World Visual Arts Residency Program.  The artists are given a large space for 5 weeks, a stipend, and supplies to create work in a pressure-free environment.

Congratulations to this year’s Residents of The Real (Art) World!

• Maria Guzman
• Tina Kotrla
• Kia Neill
• Eric Zapata

Go to The Real (Art) World Blog to learn more about each artist and their experience as part of the DiverseWorks Visual Arts Residency. Click Here

Mark your calendars:

Meet and Greet The Real (Art) World - Thursday, July 10, 2008 – 6-8pm

As part of this year’s residency, DiverseWorks is excited to partner with Art Lies for a meet and greet to introduce this year’s residents and the latest issue of Art Lies focused on the urban environment. The event is 6 to 8pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Closing of The Real (Art) World - Saturday, July 26, 2008 – 6-8pm

Join us for the closing party of The Real (Art) World Residency this Saturday at DiverseWorks! Come see the completed works ofThe Real (Art) World Residents:  Maria Guzman, Tina Kotrla, Kia Neill, and Eric Zapata. Find out what happened when they started making art and started getting real.

7:00PM- Ann ‘Sole Sister’ Johnson leads an art class using found objects and DiverseWorks screen prints your T-Shirt with its original artwork.

7:30PM- The Wiggins rocks out Anhueser – Busch Stage and audience members are invited to contribute to a collaborative art project.

Fresh Arts Coalition continues its FREE monthly series at Discovery Green, FRESH FRIDAYS, introducing young and old alike to Houston’s unique and thriving arts’ scene.   Friday, June 20, it all gets started at 7:00PM in front of the stage ...

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7pm
Free Admission
Discovery Green Park
1500 McKinney
Anhueser-Busch Stage

7:00PM- Ann ‘Sole Sister’ Johnson leads an art class using found objects and DiverseWorks screen prints your T-Shirt with its original artwork.

7:30PM- The Wiggins rocks out Anhueser – Busch Stage and audience members are invited to contribute to a collaborative art project.

Fresh Arts Coalition continues its FREE monthly series at Discovery Green, FRESH FRIDAYS, introducing young and old alike to Houston’s unique and thriving arts’ scene.   Friday, June 20, it all gets started at 7:00PM in front of the stage as COMMUNITY ARTISTS COLLECTIVE hosts artist ANN ‘SOLE SISTER’ JOHNSON in an art class open to all ages and levels, creating art from found objects.

Ann ‘Sole Sister’ Johnson is an artist who paints portraits with her feet. Primarily a mixed media artist, Sole Sister combines found objects with fundamental art techniques to create socially conscious work. Sole Sister’s desire to approach African American art in a contemporary fashion has led to a style she can truly call her own. Her work is currently on exhibition with Community Artists’ Collective Of Women through June 28 at the Midtown Art Center Tea Room in Houston as well as with Academy of Art University’s 2008 Annual Spring Show in San Francisco.

At 7:30PM THE WIGGINS rock out Anhueser-Busch stage with its lo-fi living ‘music made in a dirty bathtub.’ Having previously played with such notables as Daniel Johnston and at SXSW 2007, The Wiggins’ music has graced scenes of How I Met Your Mother as well as many local stages.

Throughout the art class and performance DIVERSEWORKS helps fuel creative juices with its T-Shirt silk screen printing station featuring original artwork.  Provide a shirt  – they provide the art to commemorate their 25th Anniversary.

While audiences rock out to The Wiggins, they are asked to contribute to a collaborative art work from found objects and Houston’s own found creativity.  Houstonians are encouraged to release their inner rock-artist and be apart of the greater whole.  Fresh Arts hopes to exhibit the piece around the city as a show of what it means to make your own art and be inspired by your surroundings.

FRESH ARTS COALITION,  a collaboration of the most original and thought-provoking arts groups in Houston, includes 25 dance, theatre, literary, musical, visual and cultural arts organizations that have joined together to collectively raise awareness of the size and diversity of the arts in Houston.  FAC markets the importance of the arts to the public and builds audience participation through increased visibility, collaborative efforts and advocacy. For a complete listing of all Fresh Arts Members’ events visit www.fresharts.org.

Visit downtown Houston’s new park , Discovery Green. See, Touch, Hear, Taste and Explore on 12 acres of urban green space featuring green lawns; a one-acre lake; a children’s playground area; interactive water features; a multi-use amphitheater stage and sloping lawn; small and large dog runs; various public art works; and appetizing dining options including signature restaurants from the Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group. Operated through a unique partnership between the non-profit Discovery Green Conservancy and the City of Houston, the park is conveniently located across from the George R. Brown Convention Center and the Hilton Americas Hotel. For more information, visitwww.discoverygreen.com

7:00pm Auction Begins

***WE ARE SOLD OUT OF $250 EXTRA-AWESOME ART CHANCE TICKETS! The EXRA-AWESOME ART CHANCE TICKETS GUARANTEED YOU A SPOT IN THE FIRST TEN INDIVIDUALS SELECTED TO PICK ART***

Christopher Blanke
J. Douglas Parker Host Committee:

Whit Adams
Bill England
Sonny Garza
Ryan Geiger
Cody Ledvina
Alex Martinez
Carla Martinez
Nick ...

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• Co-Chairs:
• Host Committee:
• Food Provided by:
• Participating Artists:

Wednesday, June 18,2008 6:30pm Auction Preview

7:00pm Auction Begins

***WE ARE SOLD OUT OF $250 EXTRA-AWESOME ART CHANCE TICKETS! The EXRA-AWESOME ART CHANCE TICKETS GUARANTEED YOU A SPOT IN THE FIRST TEN INDIVIDUALS SELECTED TO PICK ART***

Participating Artists:

Please note that tickets to Luck of the Draw 7 will not be available online after 3pm on the day of the event. You may purchase tickets by calling DiverseWorks until 5pm. 713.223.8346. After 5pm, tickets will be available at the door only! Thanks!

photo by George Hixson

Thursday- Saturday, May 29-31, June 5-7, 12-14

8pm

What happens when anarchists and artists become embroiled in a turf war over who owns the streets? And how does society determine the winners and the losers?

When mysterious paint splatterings begin appearing around the city, targeting the work of prominent street artists, an ironic cat-and-mouse game threatens to expose the toxic truth at the heart of today’s graffiti culture. And a vigilante finds redemption and justice, but not the way he expected.

Based on true, recent events, The Splasher is a ...

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photo by George Hixson

Thursday- Saturday, May 29-31, June 5-7, 12-14

8pm

What happens when anarchists and artists become embroiled in a turf war over who owns the streets? And how does society determine the winners and the losers?

When mysterious paint splatterings begin appearing around the city, targeting the work of prominent street artists, an ironic cat-and-mouse game threatens to expose the toxic truth at the heart of today’s graffiti culture. And a vigilante finds redemption and justice, but not the way he expected.

Based on true, recent events, The Splasher is a funny, intriguing and visually dynamic exploration of art, crime and punishment, by Troy Schulze, the award-winning writer/adapter/director of Me-sci-ah, Jerry’s World and Actual Air.

“Based on actual events…”

In late 2006, mysterious paint splatterings began appearing in New York City, targeting the work of well-known graffiti artists. Beloved works by artists like Caledonia Curry (aka Swoon), Shepard Fairey (aka OBEY) and the mysterious, internationally known super-prankster Banksy, works that began as vandalism themselves but wound up attracting a passionate following among art aficionados and attention from NY’s big-money gallery system, were erased in an instant with buckets of paint. The splatterings were accompanied by complicated, deeply felt manifestos proclaiming the damaging effects of art in society, and expressing particular vitriol for graffiti and street art, which the mysterious “Splasher” called “excrement of action.”

Writer/director Troy Schulze said, “The New York Times and New York Magazine dismissed the Splasher’s writings as outdated, as anarchic or Situationist rhetoric, but I found them fascinating. This wasn’t one outlaw artist adding a layer to another’s work; it was pure destruction-a nullification of the entire endeavor.”

“This person was roaming around in the night destroying art-like a philistine Batman-protecting the city against the forces of ‘gentrification’ and ‘bourgeois fads’; The backlash, ironically, elevated the splatterings into works of art themselves.”

“Rebel with a Cause”

Troy Schulze has been acting, directing and making dynamic, visually arresting new work for theatre in Houston since 1994. As a company member with the now-defunct Infernal Bridegroom Productions, he received acclaim for his performances in dozens of plays including Night Just Before the Forests, Uncle Vanya, Rhinoceros, In the Under Thunderloo, Phaedra’s Love, Mud, The Danube, Edmond, Harm’s Way and Cowboy Mouth. And he originated roles in IBP world premiere productions of Hide Town, Meatbar, We Have Some Planes, Fucking A, Last Rites and King Ubu is King. He was the winner of a reader’s poll in The Houston Press, naming him Houston’s best actor. And The Houston Chronicle named him as one of Houston’s “Ultimate People of 2005,” citing his many contributions to theatre in this city under the headline “Rebel with a cause.”

Schulze made his directing debut with a critically acclaimed production of Bernard-Marie Koltès’ Roberto Zucco in 1999 and followed it up with a trifecta of boldly original new works based on found texts, writings and music by Silver Jews frontman David Berman (Actual Air) , cult radio personality Joe Frank (Jerry’s World) and L. Ron Hubbard and Tom Cruise (Me-sci-ah).

Praised as “one of the most profound choreographers of his generation” byThe New York Times, Ronald K. Brown and the award winning Evidence, A Dance Company blend African, modern, ballet, and contemporary dance styles to tell stories of the African Diaspora. In the company’s newest work, One Shot, Brown was inspired by the beauty, sense of community, and legacy captured by the great African-American artist, photographer, and Pittsburgh native, Charles “Teenie” Harris, nicknamed “One Shot.”

Considered one of the largest photographic collections of an urban African-American community, Teenie ...

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8pm
Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater

Praised as “one of the most profound choreographers of his generation” byThe New York Times, Ronald K. Brown and the award winning Evidence, A Dance Company blend African, modern, ballet, and contemporary dance styles to tell stories of the African Diaspora. In the company’s newest work, One Shot, Brown was inspired by the beauty, sense of community, and legacy captured by the great African-American artist, photographer, and Pittsburgh native, Charles “Teenie” Harris, nicknamed “One Shot.”

Considered one of the largest photographic collections of an urban African-American community, Teenie captured the spirit of African-American life in Pittsburgh from 1936-1975. His work ranged from photos of everyday people in the city to photos of soldiers, jazz legends, baseball teams, and pivotal events in the city’s civil rights movement. Brown comments, “Teenie’s images inspired me to discover the story inside and behind the photos.” One Shot delves into the essence of family, hope, dignity, and celebration at the heart of Teenie’s art in seven sections: “First Glance,” “Bellows,” “Free Spirits,” “The Meeting Room,” “Faith & Decadence,” “Poinciana,” and “The Crossroads.” A seamless fusion of traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word, One Shot is both a profound reflection of African-American history and universal in theme and resonance. SanDiego.com said of the work, “expressive and intensely focused, the dancers conveyed a sense of the divine and mutual respect.”One Shot premiered at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut on September 14, 2007.

As part of a city-wide collaboration, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts at the University of Houston, DiverseWorks, Society for the Performing Arts, Blaffer Gallery and Project Row Houses have planned a series of programs celebrating Brown’s tribute to Charles “Teenie” Harris. Please join us for the following:

Charles “Teenie” Harris: Rhapsody in Black & White
An exhibition of Harris’s photography (May 10-August 2)

Exhibition Preview and Reception with Curators’ Talk:
6 pm, Friday, April 25, 2008
Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston
Harris’s photographs, taken during his 40 year career at the Pittsburgh Courier, are considered unsurpassed in their evocation of Black urban American cultural life in the mid-20th century.Co-curators Ronald K. Brown and Deborah Willis, New York University Professor of Photography and Imaging and an expert on African-American photography, will lead a roundtable discussion on April 25, followed by an opening celebration. For more information: 713.743.9521, www.blaffergallery.org

IW Marks Dance Master Class taught by Ronald K. Brown
11:30 am-1 pm, Friday, May 9
Jewish Community Center, 5601 S. Braeswood
For reservations: 713.729.3200, ext. 3223

Ronald K.Brown/ Evidence, A Dance Company’s One Shot
8pm, Saturday, May 10
Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater, 501 Texas
Tickets may be purchased through the Society for the Performing Arts website, please click HERE

Opening Reception:  Friday, May 9, 2008 – 6-8pm

A Problem of Courage is an installation of video and other works by Kara Hearn that takes a look at the way travesties large and small, imagined and real, mediated and lived hang about. She builds intimate and absurd narratives to animate the ways that fear, regret, grief, horror, and humiliation play themselves out before and after the fact, shifting in and out of consciousness, repeating endlessly, and being re-made along the way. This exhibit will be on view in DiverseWorks Project Space ...

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Opening Reception:  Friday, May 9, 2008 – 6-8pm

A Problem of Courage is an installation of video and other works by Kara Hearn that takes a look at the way travesties large and small, imagined and real, mediated and lived hang about. She builds intimate and absurd narratives to animate the ways that fear, regret, grief, horror, and humiliation play themselves out before and after the fact, shifting in and out of consciousness, repeating endlessly, and being re-made along the way. This exhibit will be on view in DiverseWorks Project Space from May 9, 2008 – June 14, 2008 with an opening reception on Friday, May 9, 2008 from 6 – 8pm. Also, opening at DiverseWorks that evening will be Stephen Vitiello’s Four Color Sound. Both receptions are free and open to the public.

About Kara Hearn

Kara Hearn is an interdisciplinary video artist. She makes quiet and absurd work about the way tragedies reside in the head; the way heroisms play out in the mind’s eye, the inside place where stories get conjured, dreamed, remembered. Dithering between melodrama and deadpan, her videos end up degrading mainstream cinema by being too sincere, too simple, telling too many stories with very little stuff. Hearn’s work has been screened and exhibited nationally and internationally at such venues as White Columns, The Luckman Gallery, Pacific Film Archive, New Langton Arts, Southern Exposure, the Walker Art Center, Dallas Video Festival, Women in the Directors Chair International Film and Video Festival, and the Festival Tous Courts International Festival of Cinema. She recently received an MFA from the University of California at Berkeley and is currently a Core Fellow at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

For more information on Kara Hearn, click HERE!

Above image is a still from Kara Hearn’s One Thing After Another (2007)