Houston — March 9, 2026 — A year of creative expansion and organizational growth at Public Art of the University of Houston System and the University of Houston School of Art has strengthened the university’s art ecosystem while advancing opportunities for emerging artists, students, and the campus community.
For Public Art UHS, the past year marked a transformative milestone for Public Art
of the University of Houston System as it entered the Kathrine G. McGovern College
of the Arts at the University of Houston. The transition has strengthened connections
across campus communities while reinforcing the organization’s role as a bridge between
artistic practice, education, and public engagement.
At the same time, the School of Art has entered a period of leadership and programmatic
development following the appointment of Beth Merfish as director. Since assuming
leadership, Merfish has supported initiatives that enhance student preparation for
professional artistic careers and strengthen connections between academic training
and public-facing creative work. The MFA in Visual Arts, the largest in Houston, is
now fully-funded, and students have engaged the broader community through public openings,
participation in art fairs, and open studios with renewed energy.
At the center of this shared momentum is YardWorks, the annual public art program
jointly supported by Public Art UHS and the School of Art. The 2026 YardWorks open
call invites current UH MFA students, alumni, and Houston-based emerging artists to
design temporary, site-specific public artworks that activate the Arts District courtyard
at the Louise J. Moran Fine Arts Courtyard.
Selected commissions will be installed from November 2026 through September 2027,
providing sustained public visibility and professional experience within a real-world
public art setting.
Launched in 2021, YardWorks reflects the shared commitment of both organizations to
mentor emerging artists and prepare them for professional practice. The program is
designed not only as an exhibition platform but also as a learning environment that
demystifies the public art commissioning process.
Participating artists receive guidance throughout every stage of project development,
including informational sessions about the request-for-proposals process, conceptual
feedback, fabrication planning, and installation coordination. Through mentorship
and professional dialogue, artists gain practical knowledge of the technical, contractual,
and collaborative dimensions of public artwork.
“Public art is most powerful when it connects education, creative experimentation,
and community experience,” said Rachel Mohl, Executive Director and Chief Curator
of Public Art UHS. “YardWorks embodies the shared vision of Public Art UHS and the
School of Art to support emerging artists while activating campus spaces for public
conversation.”
The program complements a year marked by expanded student engagement across campus
arts initiatives. The relaunch of The Billboard, a student-centered exhibition platform,
invited campus-wide participation in public art programming. More than 30 student
proposals were submitted, and over 800 community members voted to select Starship
by Ashley Anika Herndon, which now on view through December 2026.
The public art collection was also strengthened through significant gifts, including
works by Dorothy Hood donated through the Kathrine G. McGovern Foundation, Julian
Schnabel’s Portrait of Michael Tracy (1983), two works by Will Boone, Jesús Moroles’
Figure Inner Column (2008), and Judy Chicago’s Earth Birth (1985). These acquisitions
expand public access to major contemporary and modern artworks while reflecting strong
community support for the university’s public art mission.
Educational programming has further grown through a Graduate Student Intensive introducing
participants to public art commissioning, archival research, and project realization.
Student-led initiatives such as Wellness at Folly and the panel discussion City as
Canvas, Art as Archive foster interdisciplinary dialogue and peer-driven engagement.
Together, these programs reflect the shared vision of Public Art UHS and the School
of Art to provide hands-on professional experience, connect the campus with the broader
Houston community, and position the University of Houston as a leader in research-based
art practice.
The 2026 YardWorks call for artists is open now through the month of March. Proposal
information is available at https://publicartuhs.org/yard-works/.