UH Hosting Public Art Day on Campus April 16

Free Festival to Feature Public Art Tours, Art Making Activities, Live Entertainment

The Cougar community is familiar with the University of Houston’s beautiful Public Art Collection. Paintings, sculptures, installations and other works can be found at all corners of the campus. This weekend, Houstonians are invited to explore these works and enjoy live entertainment during the university’s first annual Public Art Day.

This free festival runs noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 16, in the Wilhelmina Grove (Entrance 16 off Cullen Blvd. in front of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts) and at the neighboring Blaffer Art Museum.

Patrons can tour the university’s Public Art Collection and participate in art making activities. Entertainment will be provided by students from UH’s dance program and other artists.

“This is an excellent opportunity to inform the Houston community about the breadth of the work on campus,” said Michael Guidry, curator of the UH Public Art Collection. “Many people might not realize that the university hosts such a robust collection. We’re eager to spotlight these works that enhance the landscapes of both our campus and the city.”

Recently, the collection acquired “The Snake is Out,” on loan from The Menil Collection, by noted minimalist Tony Smith. Other highlights include “A Moment in Time” (hanging glass beads in the Wortham Theatre) by Alyson Shotz, “Collegium” (a steel sculpture) by William King and the “Blue Trees,” (a steel and bronze installation) by Jim Love.

More than 500 works comprise the collection and are located throughout the campus, as well as UH System institutions (UH-Clear Lake, UH-Downtown, UH-Victoria and UH-Sugar Land). UH’s Public Art Collection recently was cited as one of the reasons UH was ranked among the most beautiful campuses in the country. Tours during Public Day will cover a portion of the art on the UH campus.

To RSVP or for event details, visit the Public Art Day’s event page or call 713-743-9521.

(Photo credit: Tony Smith, The Snake Is Out, 1962. Painted steel, 180 x 288 x 216 in. (457.2 x 731.5 x 548.6 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston. © Tony Smith Estate / Artists Right Society (ARS), New York. Photo by Adam Baker)