Art League Of Houston

THE MISSION OF ART LEAGUE HOUSTON IS TO CONNECT THE COMMUNITY THROUGH DIVERSE, DYNAMIC, AND CREATIVE EXPERIENCES THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO SEE, MAKE, AND TALK ABOUT CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ART.

EXHIBITION PROGRAMALH'S EXHIBITION PROGRAM FEATURES AN EXHIBITION, PUBLIC ART, AND ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM. ALH PRESENTS EXHIBITIONS IN 4 ON-SITE GALLERIES BY LOCAL, REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS BOTH EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED THAT CROSS INTO PUBLIC AND SOCIAL SPHERES, INCORPORATE IDEAS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND CONNECT TO CURRENT TRENDS AND DIALOGUES IN CONTEMPORARY ART. TO ENSURE STRONG ARTISTIC QUALITY AND PROJECTS THAT REFLECT HOUSTON'S RICH CROSS SECTION OF CULTURES, EXHIBITS ARE CAREFULLY SELECTED USING A COMBINATION OF: 1) OPEN CALL IN AN EFFORT TO BE DEMOCRATIC; 2) ARTIST ADVISORY BOARD INPUT TO ENSURE ALH IS REFLECTIVE AND RELEVANT; AND 3) FOCUSED CURATORIAL VISION TO FOSTER A THOUGHTFUL AND CRITICAL EXPLORATION OF CURRENT ISSUES. ALH'S PUBLIC ART PROGRAM IS A COMMUNITY DRIVEN, TEMPORARY PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION PROJECT DESIGNED TO MAKE ARTWORK ACCESSIBLE TO NON-TRADITIONAL ART AUDIENCES WHILE CREATING NEW MODELS FOR INCLUDING THE LARGER COMMUNITY IN THE ART-MAKING PROCESS. ALH RECENTLY ANNOUNCED INSTA11ATIONS, A CITY WIDE PUBLIC ART INITIATIVE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS FEATURING 11 ARTIST PROJECTS CHALLENGING TRADITIONAL NOTIONS OF PUBLIC ART IN INNOVATIVE, PLAYFUL AND CRITICAL WAYS ACROSS EACH OF HOUSTON'S 11 CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS. THE PROJECT EMBRACES ALH'S CORE VALUES OF INCLUSIVITY, CREATIVITY AND LEARNING BY A) SUPPORTING LOCAL ARTISTS/PROJECTS WHO ARE CULTURALLY DIVERSE AND REFLECTIVE OF THE EVOLVING COMMUNITY IN HOUSTON, B) PLATFORMING PROJECTS THAT CHALLENGE TRADITIONAL NOTIONS OF PUBLIC ART IN BOTH PLAYFUL AND CRITICAL WAYS, AND C) PROVIDING SUPPORT AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO ARTISTS FROM CONCEPT THROUGH FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION. SINCE 1983, ALH'S ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM HONORS ARTISTS WHOSE WORK HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT AND POSITIVE IMPACT ON CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ART IN TEXAS. THE AWARDS WERE ESTABLISHED AS A PROJECT DOCUMENTING CONTEMPORARY TEXAS ART HISTORY AND SERVE TO EDUCATE THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF OFTEN UNDER-RECOGNIZED ARTISTS. THE HONOREES ARE FEATURED IN SOLO EXHIBITIONS IN THE FALL, AND ALH PRODUCES AN EXHIBITION CATALOG.

THE ART LEAGUE SCHOOLTHE ART LEAGUE SCHOOL IS DEDICATED TO CREATING A SUPPORTIVE, ACCESSIBLE, AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY WHERE ALL LEARNERS CAN EXCHANGE AND DISCOVER NEW SKILLS AND IDEAS THROUGH THE ART-MAKING PROCESS LEADING TO PERSONAL AND ARTISTIC GROWTH, MEANING-MAKING, AND A LIFELONG RELATIONSHIP WITH CREATIVITY. THE ART LEAGUE SCHOOL PROVIDES LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN ARTS EDUCATION FOR ADULTS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND LEVELS OF ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE. FOUNDED IN 1968, THE ART LEAGUE SCHOOL OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS AND CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO OVER 1,200 STUDENTS ANNUALLY THROUGH STUDIO ART CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS. LED BY PROFESSIONAL ARTIST INSTRUCTORS, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS TAKE PLACE ONLINE AS WELL AS IN THREE FULLY EQUIPPED STUDIO SPACES WHERE STUDENTS WORK IN PAINTING, DRAWING, CERAMICS, WATERCOLOR, PRINTMAKING, MIXED MEDIA, AND JEWELRY. TO ENSURE INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION AND TO ACCOMMODATE VARYING SKILL LEVELS, COURSES ARE MAINTAINED WITH A LIMITED NUMBER OF STUDENTS. STUDENTS ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO EXHIBITIONS, LECTURES, PUBLIC PROGRAMS, AND ARTIST TALKS OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO FURTHER THEIR TRAINING AS ARTISTS. IN MAY 2022, ALH ESTABLISHED FLEXIBLE ACCESS, A PROGRAM OF PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COMMUNITY-BASED ART COURSES FOR STUDENTS 17 AND UP. THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO RE-IMAGINE THE ROLE OF AN ART LEAGUE SCHOOL TO FOSTER RADICAL IMAGINATION, REDUCE ECONOMIC BARRIERS TO ART EDUCATION AND IMPACT POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH THE ARTS.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ALH'S COMMUNITY PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE HEALING ARTS, ARTBOUND!, SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL STUDIO ART INTENSIVE, AND CREATIVE AGING. ESTABLISHED IN 1990, THE HEALING ART PROGRAM PROVIDES HIGH-QUALITY ART INSTRUCTION IN A VARIETY OF MEDIA TO ADULTS 17 AND OLDER IN THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN A FUN, SUPPORTIVE, COMMUNITY-MINDED ENVIRONMENT THAT ALSO FOSTERS ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT. THE PROGRAM EMPHASIZES COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY-BUILDING THROUGH ARTIST-LED PROJECTS. IN 2008, ALH EXPANDED ITS OUTREACH WITH ARTBOUND!, IS A CURRICULUM-BASED, IN-SCHOOL INTEGRATIVE ARTS PROGRAM AT H.I.S.D. TITLE-1 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITH LITTLE OR NO VISUAL ARTS INSTRUCTION. CLASSROOM TEACHERS PARTICIPATE IN THE PLANNING PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT THE RESIDENCIES SUPPORT AND ENHANCE THEIR CLASSROOM CURRICULUM. EACH RESIDENCY HAS AN ART LEAGUE HOUSTON TEACHING ARTIST VISITING A SCHOOL EIGHT TO TEN TIMES DURING A SEMESTER, WORKING WITH THREE CLASSROOMS PER VISIT. IN 2014, ALH LAUNCHED ITS SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL STUDIO ART INTENSIVE, AN 100% SCHOLARSHIP-BASED THREE-MONTH SUMMER PROGRAM OFFERING A RIGOROUS, IN-DEPTH STUDIO ART EXPERIENCE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AGES 14-17. LED BY ESTABLISHED LOCAL AND NATIONAL ARTISTS AND EDUCATORS, PROJECTS WILL GO BEYOND TECHNIQUES TRADITIONALLY TAUGHT IN HIGH SCHOOL ART CLASSES, TEACHING STUDENTS PRACTICAL SKILLS NECESSARY TO DEVELOP AS ARTISTS. IN FALL OF 2019, ART LEAGUE HOUSTON LAUNCHED A NEW CATALYZING CREATIVE AGING PILOT PROGRAM IN THE FIFTH WARD, HOUSTON. THE PROGRAM FEATURES 12 WEEKS OF SEQUENTIAL ART WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON CAPTURING 5TH WARD - PAST, PRESENT, & FUTURES THROUGH SKETCHING AND PLEIN AIR PAINTING. THE PROGRAM SERVES 12 OLDER ADULTS AT THE J W PEAVY SENIOR CENTER AND WILL CULMINATE IN AN EXHIBITION WITHIN THE 5TH WARD COMMUNITY.