Saturday, Apr. 21, 2018 – Saturday, Apr. 21, 2018

02:00 PM – 05:00 PM
US/Central

Until his death on February 1, 2013, Bert Long, Jr. was one of the brightest lights in the Houston arts community. In recognition of his support of local artists, HMAAC has dedicated a gallery in Bert’s name to allow the museum to annually exhibit the work of four artists working in the greater Houston area. By creating this platform, HMAAC will give our community the opportunity to experience the best and most compelling of Houston’s visual artists.

The Bert Long, Jr. Gallery; Year 4 artists have a fantastic legacy to uphold. This visual arts platform has exhibited artists such as Christopher Marion Thomas, Lakita Costner, Mack Bishop, Farrah Smith, Rodney D. Butler, Blake Bean, Christie Leday, Lee Carrier, Elizabeth Montgomery Shelton, Vernon Akili, Romeo Clay Robinson and Hakeem Hassan.

Shawn Artis Statement

ARTis The Imitation of Life is an intimate and artistic glimpse into the window of my life. Being adopted at birth I’ve always had to imitate what I thought the experience of life should be. From the dynamics of family to the daily challenges of being Black in America; every day I found myself formulating equations through the use of art, the observation o television programming, and the implementation of technology. After years of creative experiments I ultimately discovered that art itself is a mirror of society and artists are merely the byproducts of their environments. My mission with this exhibition is to be the artistic mirror that my culture often lacks while simultaneously uplifting our heroes and bringing awareness to the issues that continue to plague our communities.