Sculpture on Display in the District

Sculpture is an art form that dates back to the Stone Age, around 230,000 BC. Through the ages, three-dimensional art has been used to depict deities and important characters. Iconic sculptures depict key historic events all over the world.

In our backyard, the Houston Museum District boasts an abundance of sculpture. It’s highly accessible, since admission to several museums is either free or minimal.

Here are some of the museums with sculpture on display:

Asia Society Texas Center: Korean artist Lee Ufan’s “Relatum — signal,” his first commissioned piece for a public institution in the United States, inaugurates Asia Society Texas Center’s Allen Sculpture Garden. The large stone placed in juxtaposition to a slab of steel creates a conversation between the two — and with the surrounding environment. The artist jokingly described the single upturned edge of the steel slab as the latter’s “wink” at the stone.

Asia Society is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays and major holidays.  Asia Society members and children ages 5 and under are free. Admission for non-members is only $5.

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston: Two exhibits at the museum feature thought-provoking sculpture. Head to the Zilkha Gallery where, through June 9, you can view “Perspectives 181: Human Nature,” a group exhibition featuring work by Houston area teen artists presented by the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s Teen Council. This show gathers young artists’ interpretations of what it means to be human or inhuman in various media.

Next, visit the Brown Foundation Gallery for “Parallel Practices: Joan Jonas & Gina Pane” through June 30. This exhibit draws upon both artists’ contributions to the world of performance art, while celebrating their multidisciplinary approaches and expert use of sculpture, installation, photography, drawing and video. Although they were creating art 3,600 miles apart in New York and Paris, these artists display definite similarities in their work. “Parallel Practices” celebrates these mutual attributes along with complementary ones.

The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston also has one sculpure in its permanent collection.  The 50-foot palm tree bursting out of a steel pyramid, “Manila Palm: An Oasis Secret,” was created by artist Mel Chin as an homage to the palm, a tree he admitted to never having liked.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The facility is closed on Mondays. Admission is always free.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: An oasis of art and nature, the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden showcases masterpieces by Louise Bourgeois, Dan Graham, Henri Matisse, Auguste Rodin, and David Smith. This garden was created by sculptor Isamu Noguchi, who wanted to build a modern approach to the traditional idea of a garden—framed by concrete walls ranging in height, the works of sculpture are complemented by native trees, bamboo, and flowering crepe myrtle. The sculpture garden is open daily, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Rothko Chapel: The famed Broken Obelisk sculpture from Barnett Newman stands on the Rothko Chapel’s plaza as a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Houston’s humidity was unkind to the obelisk, leading to extensive renovation in 2004-2006. The Broken Obelisk is always on view and free to the public.

Houston Museum of Natural Science: The exquisite manipulation of quartz, rock crystal and agate gemstones takes center stage at HMNS with “Gemstone Carvings: The Masterworks of Harold Van Pelt.” Each piece represents hundreds of hours of work. Marvel at the facets and textures, and paper-thin materials adorned with gold and semi-precious stones. This exhibition is included in admission to the Museum’s permanent exhibition halls.

Also at the museum, aficionados of ancient sculpture will enjoy the May debut of the Hall of Ancient Egypt. This permanent collection features impressive sculpture. Check out the giant sundial outside of the museum as well, which doubles as a popular spot for wedding vows.

HMNS is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Sunday. Members are free; admission for non-members is $15 for adults and $10 for children, students and seniors. Admission is free to all from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursdays.

Lawndale Art Center: On view May 10 to June 15 is “DOMOKOS / FUTURE BLONDES 0.0.0.0.,” featuring new works on aluminum, installations, disposable/free items, video manipulations and sound. “I’ll Send The Message Along The Wires” explores Americana through installations, sculptures, videos, and sound pieces. “Halls without walls,room to feel in.  The door awaits, your return within.” is an organic form installation elevating the mundane to the sublime. An opening reception is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on  May 10. Lawndale Art Center is  open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday, from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and closed Sunday. Admission is free.

Rice University Gallery: Soo Sunny Park’s installation “Unwoven Light” transforms the gallery into a glistening world of light, shadow and radiant color. Nearly 40 suspended elements create an organic, abstract form which invites the visitor into personal observation. The experience changes with the time of day and natural light. The exhibit will be on display through Aug. 30. Rice Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, closed weekends and university holidays.  Admission is free.

Soo Sunny Park, Unwoven Light, 2013 Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas
Photo: Nash Baker © nashbaker.com

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft: From May 31 through Sept. 8, the “Tool at Hand” traveling exhibit in the Large Gallery brings together the work of 16 contemporary U.S. and U.K. artists who were challenged to make a work of art with a singular tool. Organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum in collaboration with the Chipstone Foundation, the exhibit reveals how paint, metal, wood, glass, fiber and clay are transformed by an ancient or high-tech tool into fascinating (and often witty) works of art.   

In the Small Gallery, “Ctrl + P” delves into the implications of technology on the creation of sculptural and functional objects, featuring work by artists using open-source programs and 3D printers in exciting new ways. The key concept is ‘creative commons,’ or online resources for individuals to share designs – resulting in decentralized labor and communal authorship. Enjoy 3D art from jewelry to ceramics to constellations mapping unknown data.

An opening reception takes place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on May 31. HCCC is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday, from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, and closed Mondays. Admission is free.

The Menil Collection: “Byzantine Things in the World,” running May 3 to Aug. 18, features works that date from 1700 BCE to the present, with a particular focus on the Menil’s extensive collection of Byzantine art (4th to 15th centuries CE). The exhibition gathers more than 70 exceptional objects, demonstrating how art was experienced in late antiquity. Be sure to explore the permanent collection, which  features sculpture extensively.

On the Menil Campus, there are several outdoor sculptures including “The Elevens Are Up,” “Wall” and “New Piece” by Tony Smith, “Bygones” by Mark di Suvero, “Jack” by Jim Love and “Charmstone” by Michael Heizer. Heizer also created three “negative spaces” in the museum’s front lawn: “Isolated Mass/Circumflex,” “Dissipate” and “Rift.” The Menil Collection is open 11 am. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday, and closed on Monday and Tuesday. Admission is free.

Holocaust Museum Houston: The permanent and special exhibitions at the museum provide critical documentation of Holocaust history as told through personal stories and artifacts. Head to the exhibit “Bearing Witness: A Community Remembersand” to view a World War II rescue boat used by Danish Christians who risked their lives to save more than 7,200 Jews from Nazi execution. Fishing boats like this one were pressed into service as neighbors would gather their precious cargo under the cover of darkness, transporting them to safety in Sweden. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday though Friday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Open until 8 p.m. the first Thursday of each month. Admission is free.