the Art MuseuM of the university of houston

n e W s L i n espring/suMMer 2008

It seems as if only yesterday I was introducing myself and saying hello to my new life in Houston. That was June 2000. In just eight short years, Blaffer Gallery has grown and developed into a major venue for contemporary art. Our focus on the creative process—our core value is to encourage creativity and nurture independent thinking—has given rise to many wonderful exhibitions,

publications, and programs. The state of the museum is strong. Since 2000, Blaffer has presented fifty-two world-class exhibitions, thirty-nine of which were orga-nized in-house, and seven of which traveled to additional venues across the United States. All were accompanied by significant publications, many produced in collabora-tion with internationally renowned publishers. We have become an important partner in the development of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. The budget has more than doubled, and the staff has grown by more than fifty percent. Our mentorship program is a national model, and we have trained countless young museum professionals. The museum set big, audacious goals and met each one. I am enormously proud to have been a part of this productive and dynamic period.

My departure is bittersweet; as I accept a new challenge as Director of The Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, New York, I leave behind a cherished institution and a warm and welcoming community. Blaffer is poised for another great leap, and I am certain that the incoming director will receive the same enthusiastic welcome and support that I have had the privilege to enjoy. The upcom-ing projects for the remainder of this year promise to be provocative, stimulating, and beautiful. Please take the time to visit. And check out our fabulous new website at www.blaffergallery.org!

upcoMing events

Friday, May 96 – 8 p.m.Opening Reception for 2008 houston Area exhibition

Wednesday, May 1412 noonBrown Bag Gallery Tour for charles “teenie” harris: rhapsody in Black and White

Thursday, May 156:30 p.m.hot on h-toWn, the 2008 Blaffer Gallery Gala

Wednesdays, May 21, June 4, July 2, and Thursday, May 2212 noonBrown Bag Gallery Tours for 2008 houston Area exhibition

Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon summer Arts Workshops

Wednesday, July 166 p.m.Contemporary Salon for 2008 houston Area exhibition

Friday, September 126 – 8 p.m. Opening Reception for Damaged romanticism: A Mirror of Modern emotion

fAreWeLL froM the Director

1. Bill Arning, guest panelist at the Artists up close contemporary salon, points to an Ackerman film playing behind him.

2. Blaffer's 35th anniversary celebration draws a crowd.

3. Dr. elizabeth gregory leads the chantal Akerman Brown Bag gallery tour.

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the scene At BLAffer

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4. uh Law students enjoy refreshments and chantal Akerman's films at a student Bar Association mixer.

5. terrie sultan with John Antel at the 35th anniversary celebration.

6. Dr. Bill howze speaks at a Blaffer internship event.

7. young Artist Apprenticeship program (YAAP) participants make their Blaffer debut.

8. the 11th street cleaners perform at the 35th anniversary celebration.

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2008 houston AreA exhiBitionMay 10 – August 2, 2008

This summer, we are pleased to celebrate the houston Area exhibition, a tradition that has been presenting exhibi-tions every four years since the inception of the museum. As the curator, I am very excited about this year’s edition. Not only does it introduce artists who are young or new to the Houston community, but it also offers more seasoned artists the opportunity to develop new work and to be seen in a fresh light. The issues put forth in the works in the exhibition vary, but what connects all of the artists is an active engagement with ideas and concerns that define life in this particular contemporary moment – be it as an individual, a society, or a nation. Held every four years, the houston Area exhibition takes the pulse of contemporary art made in Houston to offer a snapshot of what matters to artists in the here and now.

seth Alverson’s paintings of vacant rooms, open coffins, and funeral parlors serve as metaphors for his disappoint-ment in academia as an institution for the generation of ideas. But the symbolic declaration of academia’s death is also the recognition of its loss. As with any death, those who remain behind are left with a vacuum impossible to

fill. William Betts’s machine-produced paintings of highways, based on sur-veillance imagery, are a matter-of-fact reminder that national security and

individual rights to privacy are becoming increasingly incom-patible in these times of uncertainty. sasha Dela’s objects and installations made of found recyclable materials ad-dress the problematic intersection of politics, ecology, and economics, where we all are the cause of our planet’s de-terioration as well as the ineffective harbinger of a possible solution. Jonathan Durham uses the institutional language of religion in film and sculpture to address the role of spe-cific cultural histories in today’s world and our understand-ing of their legacy. hana hillerova seeks to reconcile inner and outer life in sculptures whose surfaces and structures are open and absorptive to the outside world, but at the same time offer a contained place for quiet contemplation. hedwige Jacobs’s drawings pull the viewer into a world full of lived experiences. Charting life in all its mundane twists and turns, the drawings offer a visual stream of conscious-ness without beginning or end.

Andy Janacua proposes a “new colonial theory.” In revisit-ing, redefining, and recontextualizing monuments and sym-bols of modernity, he seeks to question and broaden our common notions and understandings of history. nicholas Kersulis’s painted discs and stones confound the defini-tions of painting and sculpture, raising questions about rep-resentation while seeking truth in both nature and culture.

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Above: Seth Alverson Death and Life in the Alps, 2007 Oil on canvas 60 x 84 in. Courtesy the artist

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Top, left: Hedwige Jacobs Crying Colors, 2007 Pencil and marker on paper 19 x 24 in. Courtesy the artist

Bottom, left: Gabriela Trzebinski Bigfoot, 2007 Oil on canvas 30 x 30 in. Courtesy the artist

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Top, right: Jonathan Durham Twas in the Moon of Wintertime, 2008 Stills from single channel video Courtesy the artist

Bottom, right: William Betts I-10 and Resler, El Paso, Texas, June 8, 2007 7:00am, 2008 Acrylic on canvas 54 X 72 in. Courtesy the artist

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Top: Hana Hillerova Untitled, 2008 Wood, spray paint 60 x 60 x 60 in. each Courtesy the artist

Above, left: Jonathan C. Leach Reconstruction, 2007 Acrylic on canvas 47 x 46 in. Courtesy the artist

Above, right: Audry Worster Metropolis, 2008 Oil on canvas 72 x 60 in. Courtesy the artist

Right: Nicholas Kersulis Rocks, 2008 22 rocks with synthetic polymer gesso displayed on studio table Dimensions variable Courtesy the artist

Top: Andres Janacua Untitled, 2006 C-print 24 x 28 in. Courtesy the artist

Bottom: Julie Spielman The Galveston Plan, 2008 (detail) Transparencies on slide table Dimensions variable Courtesy the artist

Mindy Kober’s series of gouaches translates the symbolic imagery representing each of the fifty states on the backs of American quarters into luscious compositions spiked with her own witty and subversive political commentary. Jonathan Leach’s paintings of cityscapes are deeply influ-enced by the different dynamics of the places he has inhab-ited. In his serial portrait of Houston, he charts the unique energy of this city as a vibrant and complex metropolis.

In creating the appearance of having employed children to build a wall in the gallery space, Lynne Mccabe’s project questions legitimate boundaries and current modes of community-oriented practices. Ariane roesch examines the quality of communication in the digital age. Her work depicts as circuit drawings the exchange of information in the workplace among connected yet ultimately isolated indi-viduals. Julie spielman’s practice investigates the construc-tion of personal histories and references their relationships within or outside people’s original cultural contexts. Born in Kenya to a Polish father and an English mother, gabriela trzebinski has been engaged with issues of culture, race, and gender since early childhood. In paintings of death, mutilation, sex, and political injustice, she lays bare the harsh realities of her multicultural experience on the African continent. Jeff Williams draws our attention to the pollution and contamination that is now an integral part of the fabric of daily life. In exposing the rotten foundations of our existence, he encourages a more responsible stance toward the environment and our treatment of it. Audry Worster creates fantastical landscapes and cityscapes, whose combination of biomorphic and crystalline shapes seems to be drawn from the heavens as well as the earth to create a bridge between the terrestrial and the celestial.

We hope that you are as excited about this exhibition as we are, and that we can count on you to support the artists in this community and celebrate their presence among us. To-gether we can make our 35th anniversary exhibition season a resounding success.

Claudia Schmuckli, Curator, Blaffer Gallery

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Top: Lynne McCabe Potluck, 2007 Installation view of photographs at Project Row Houses Courtesy the artist

Middle: Jeff Williams Mantel, 2008 Wood, drywall, paint 127 x 109 x 18 in. Courtesy the artist

Bottom: Ariane Roesch Office: Conference 4 [Passions Fly High], 2007 Xerox print on vellum with colored thread 5 x 7 in. Courtesy the artist

This fall, Blaffer Gallery is pleased to present Damaged romanticism: A Mirror of Modern emotion. Featuring fifteen internationally recognized contemporary artists working in painting, sculpture, installations, and photog-raphy-based media, the exhibition explores contemporary art in which the fantasies of classic romanticism have been mitigated by the clarity of pragmatic realism. The artists are linked by their visual representations of how, in the face of the disillusionments and failures of modern life, romanticism has been replaced by a defiant optimism, or “damaged romanticism.” Belonging neither to a style nor to a traditional school, the featured works all embody an outlook frequently forged in heartbreaking disappointment, but never resigned to pain or failure.

Artists in the exhibition include Richard Billingham (Eng-land); Berlinde de Bruykere (Belgium); Edward Burtynsky (Canada); Sophie Calle (France); Petah Coyne (United States); Angelo Filomeno (Italy/United States); Jesper Just (Denmark/United States); Mary McCleary (United States); Florian Maier-Aichen (Germany/United States); Wangechi Mutu (Kenya/United States); Julia Oschatz (Germany); Anneè Olofsson (Sweden); David Schnell (Germany); and Ryan Taber/Cheyenne Weaver (United States).

Suffering, tragedy, and misunderstanding form the soil out of which the works in Damaged romanticism spring, mak-ing a place, as they grow, for hope. This hope has nothing to do with the unattainable platitudes of idealism, but on the contrary is sensible, even pedestrian, in its grounded-ness in the gritty vicissitudes of the real world. Stubborn optimism takes the place of dreamy utopianism in the exhibition. In this sense Damaged romanticism embodies an aftermath aesthetic.

At the heart of these works is the recognition that virgin births are fantasies, that blank slates are not found but ac-tually involve lots of often violent erasing, and that starting

fresh is more like starting over, often with more psychologi-cal baggage than one would choose to begin with. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s claim that American lives have no second acts does not apply to the works in Damaged romanticism, all of which are built on the knowledge that rebirth grows out of the experience of things gone horribly wrong.

Damaged romanticism: A Mirror of Modern emotion was organized for Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston, by Terrie Sultan, Director, The Parrish Art Museum (former Director of Blaffer Gal-lery); David Pagel, Assistant Professor of Art Theory and History at Clare-mont Graduate University; and Colin Gardner, Professor in Critical Theory and Integrative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The exhibition and publication are made possible, in part, by the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, the Cecil Amelia Blaffer von Furstenberg Endowment for Exhibitions and Programs, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, Ellen and Steve Susman, and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany.

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DamageD Romanticism: a miRRoR of moDeRn emotionsepteMBer 13 – noveMBer 15, 2008

Left: Angelo Filomeno Arcanum: Rolling Shit, 2006 Embroidery on silk lame stretched over linen with crystals, citrines and diamonds in 18kt gold setting 21 x 16 in. © Angelo Filomeno

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Top, left Petah Coyne Untitled #1103 (Daphne), 2002–03 Mixed media, 72 x 83 x 86 in. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Lelong, New York © Petah Coyne

Top, right: Florian Maier-Aichen Untitled (Long Beach), 2004 C-print, 71 1/2 x 92 1/2 in. Edition of 6 Courtesy the artist and Blum & Poe, Los Angeles

Bottom, left: Julia Oschatz Untitled (oilland), 2005 Oil and lacquer on canvas, 16 1/2 x 23 5/8 in. Courtesy the artist and Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, New York

Bottom, right: Wangechi Mutu Be quiet, I saved you already, 2006 Mixed media on mylar, 90 1/4 x 51 1/4 in. Susanne Vielmeter Los Angeles Pojects

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ten new paintings by Janaki Lennie instaLLeD on UniveRsity of HHoUston-Downtown campUsJanaki Lennie, a native of Australia now living in Canada, has installed ten new paintings at the recently completed building for the College of Business at the UH-Downtown campus. The commissioned paintings reside in alcoves— an early decision to protect the paintings from passers-by —in the main hall of the first floor. The result is a success-ful and subtle integration of art and architecture.

Well known for her paintings of urban environments, Lennie depicted in her early works modern-day concrete freeways plowing through tranquil, picturesque eighteenth-century landscapes, a social commentary on humanity’s encroachment on nature. Since 2000, she has taken a new approach, focusing on natural and fabricated objects viewed against the backdrop of a vast, empty sky. She paints with a certain blur, and murky greens and browns illuminate the scene as if sunlight or moonlight were being filtered through layers of pollution. At the edges of the paintings, the viewer sees tree limbs, buildings, or oil refineries amid the haze. In Untitled, from the Provisional Space–Hous-ton series (2007), streetlights shine in the sky, their misty distortion almost reminiscent of UFOs in a science fiction film, familiar im-agery to those who reside in smog-filled cit-ies like Houston. Clear and smoky, dark and light, vast and detailed— her work depends on a balance of these opposites.

Lennie’s paintings are neither nostalgic nor critical of industry in opposition to nature. Rather they are intended as resting points for the eyes and mind in a world full of noise and clutter, perhaps an escape for the citydweller who never leaves town, but who wants to feel a stronger connection to the earth and cosmos. They are observations and possibilities for solace in an urban environment.

Janaki Lennie currently lives in St. Johns, Newfoundland. She received her M.F.A. in painting from the University of Houston in 1999. The UH-Downtown College of Business building is located on Main Street at Shea Street just north of I-10, adjacent to FotoFest and DiverseWorks. You can see more of Lennie’s work at www.janakilennie.com and at Finesilver Gallery, Houston, and Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas.

speciAL feAture

Janaki Lennie Installation view of Provisional Space–Houston series, 2007

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Janaki Lennie Untitled, from the Provisional Space–Houston series, 2007 20 x 16 inches Oil on linen

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young tALent shines At BLAfferThe spring 2008 session of the Young Artist Apprenticeship Program was one of the best to date with ten students from four HISD schools complet-ing the six-week course. Austin High School, Chavez High School, Eastwood Academy, and Milby High School were each represented by some of the bright-est young artists in the area. Guided by artist mentors Gwen Thomp-son and David Waddell, the class produced an exhibition entitled phases in time that impressed peers and audiences alike. Schol-arships were awarded to Adolfo Lara and Priscilla Ordaz, thanks to The Martha Meier Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund.

noW Just A cLicK AWAyFor both group tours and individual visitors, learning more about Blaffer exhibitions has never been easier. Whether you’d like to tour the current art on display or walk through the public art collection that fills the campus, scheduling a free, docent-led tour can be done online at our newly

redesigned website, www.blaffergallery.org. Visitors coming to Blaffer also have the option of taking a free cell phone tour. Simply call 713.481.2811 and follow the prompts. Whether you are coming to the museum in a group or on your own, we encourage you to take advantage of the many ways to learn more about the exhibitions.

A seAson of stArsThe slate of speakers for the winter season was impressive as experts from around the country visited Blaffer. The Artists Up Close roundtable, co-hosted by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, included acclaimed guests Bill Arning,

Curator, MIT List Visual Arts Center; Dr. Margarita De La Vega Hurtado, retired professor and film scholar, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and Marian Luntz, Curator of Film, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The Brown Bag Gallery Tour was led by Director of the Women’s Study Program and au-thor Dr. Elizabeth Gregory. Many thanks to all our speakers and guests for joining us.

Design stuDents coMpete for MAsters thesis exhiBition proJect

Over twenty Graphic Communications stu-dents from the Junior Graphic Communication Major class taught by Cheryl Beckett of Minor Design competed this winter to be chosen by the Blaffer staff as the designer for the

2008 school of Art Masters thesis exhibition publications and entrance wall. We were impressed by each student’s appealing design, hard work, and dedication. Though it was a tough decision to pick one student, Don Suttajit was selected as this year’s winner. Many thanks to Don and his

Visitors at the Artists Up Close Contempo-rary Salon, co-hosted by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.

Top: YAAP student Adolfo Lara (center) with Blaffer Educa-tion staff, Katy Lopez (left) and Katherine Veneman (right).

Bottom: YAAP instructors David Waddell (left) and Gwen Thompson (right) with Gustavo Galaviz (center, left) and Priscilla Ordaz (center, right).

Don Suttajit

great work, and we are pleased to be the first in his port-folio documenting what should prove to be an illustrious career for this emerging young designer.

cALL to stuDents: BLAffer stuDent AssociAtion seeKs MeMBersIf you are energetic about art in any way, we invite you to join the Blaffer Student Association. This organization, which brings together students from all academic disciplines, hosts three to four events per year and is a great way to get involved in the University of Houston community and to build your resume at the same time. For more information, contact Association President Laura McGrath at blaffersa@uh.edu.

BLAffer Wins goLDWe’re pleased to announce that the exhibition catalogue for Jean Luc Mylayne has won a gold award at this year’s Texas Association of Museums annual conference, which was held in Galveston in March. The book was designed by Jack Woody of Twin Palms Publishers and Jean Luc Mylayne. Plenty of copies still remain, and are available for $65. Call Blaffer’s front desk at 713.743.9521 to order your copy of this award-winning catalogue.

it’s ABout thAt tiMe for hot on h-toWnOn Thursday, May 15, Blaffer Gallery celebrates its 35th Anniversary in style. Individual tickets to the city’s most exciting arts affair are still available at $300/person. New this year: artists in the 2008 houston Area exhibition will be the showcase of the event. The sixteen artists will be seated around the room, and you will have a chance to bid on their artworks in the auction. This is a very HOT opportu-nity to get to know a local, emerging artist.

For those of you who cannot attend, did you know that you can participate in the auction via absentee bidding? For

more information about remaining tickets and absentee bidding, please contact Susan Conaway at 713.743.9537 or seconaway@uh.edu.

coMMunity MeMBers ceLeBrAte BLAffer progrAMsBlaffer Gallery is proud to announce recent generous grants from the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, Ellen and Steve Susman, and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Houston, in support of Damaged romanticism: A Mirror of Modern emotion; and from Jane Blaffer Owen in support of Art Focus, Blaffer’s award-win-ning educational outreach program. We are deeply apprecia-tive and extend our thanks to all for recognizing the impor-tance of exhibitions and programs with a special focus on emerging or under-recognized artists and bodies of work.

spotLight on Donor support of university eDucAtion Jerome and Minnette Robinson’s com-mitment to the museum goes far be-yond supporting its exhibitions – they have extended Blaffer’s educational program Art Focus, which serves as an invaluable resource for university learning and achievement. Initiated to encourage students to integrate

the teaching experience with their overall studies, the Jerome and Minnette Robinson Scholarship Endowment is awarded to one student who shows both academic achieve-ment and exceptional ability as a museum docent. This year’s recipient, Tina MacPherson, is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Communications in the School of Art. She is the third scholarship recipient. For more information or to contribute to the scholarship endowment, please contact Susan Conaway at 713.743.9537 or seconaway@uh.edu.

eDucAtion/DeveLopMent

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Jerome and Minnette Robinson with Katherine Veneman (back, left) and Tina McPherson (back, right).

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BLAffer pArtners

LeaD sponsoRsThe Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts George and Mary Josephine Hamman FoundationHouston Endowment, Inc.

maJoR contRibUtoRsThe City of Houston through the Houston Arts AllianceThe Eleanor and Frank Freed FoundationInstitute of Museum and Library Services

pRogRam paRtneRsThe Barbro Osher Pro Suecia FoundationElizabeth Firestone Graham FoundationJohn P. McGovern FoundationOccidental Energy Marketing, Inc.Jane Blaffer OwenLouisa Stude SarofimDorothy Carsey SumnerEllen and Steve SusmanTexan-French Alliance for the Arts/ Levant FoundationThe Visionary Initiatives Fund Vicky and Don Eastveld, Miranda and Dan Wainberg, Founding MembersJoanne and Derby Wilson

DiRectoR’s coUnciLMarita and Jonathan FairbanksGretchen and Andrew McFarlandLisa and Russell Sherrill DiRectoR’s ciRcLeAndrews Kurth LLPSallie Morian and Michael ClarkJo and Jim Furr/GenslerClaudia and David HatcherJane Dale OwenMinnette and Jerome RobinsonSikkema Jenkins & Co.Texas State BankUnion Pacific Foundation

DiRectoR’s paRtneRsNancy C. AllenBaker Hughes FoundationRaymona and William BomarLinda and Simon EylesMarita and Jonathan FairbanksThe Fifth Floor FoundationJanis and William HopsonAnn JacksonIra JacksonCornelia and Meredith LongNancy and Robert MartinThe Michael & Rebecca Cemo FoundationMeg and Nelson Murray Judy and Scott NyquistRichard Stodder Charitable Foundation

Beverly and Howard RobinsonStephen W. and Marilyn R. Miles FoundationTexas Commission on the ArtsVinson & Elkins LLPNancy and Sidney Williams

visionaRy paRtneRsAnonymous donorChinhui and Eddie AllenEmily Baker and Gerardo AmelioSuzette and Darrell BettsThe Brown FoundationKristen and David BuckMary Kay and Robert Casey, Jr.Michael CaseyCenterPoint EnergyJereann and Robert ChaneyConsulate General of the Federal Republic of GermanyCrescent Real Estate Equities LimitedRania and Jamal DanielSherry and Larry Steven DavisElephantBridge.comKaren and Stephan FarberSharon and David FeltSusan K. Kutzner and James J.Ferguson IIIVictor B. FlattTerrie Sultan and Christopher FrenchLester Marks and Penelope GonzalezGastonia and Gordon GoodmanRyan GordonAnn and Jim HarithasPablo and Maria Cristina HenningDorene and Frank HerzogNancy and Carter HixonDodie and Richard JacksonJoan Blaffer JohnsonJPMorgan Private Client ServicesJoan and Marvin KaplanKaren and Eric Pulaski Philanthropic FundThe Methodist HospitalMitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc.The Mitsui USA FoundationMoody GalleryMorgan StanleyMorgan Dunn O’ConnorJennifer Smith and Peter RagaussLisanne and Jim RogersShirley and Don RoseKaren and Scott RozzellMary Eliza and Park ShaperLeigh and Reggie SmithWilhelmina R. SmithSouthwest Health Group, LLCStanford and Joan Alexander FoundationEmily and Alton SteinerCynthia TolesEllen Weiss, The Weiss Group of Merrill LynchMarcy Taub and Tom WesselIsabel Brown Wilson

foUnDing paRtneRsCarol and A. L. BallardKristy and Andy BecnelBooker-Lowe Gallery and Lowe and Booker Charitable TrustCheryl Verlander and Chuck BrachtKathy and George BrittonBuck Family FoundationJane and Robert CabesAmy Sutton and Gary ChilesSusie and Sanford CrinerDavid Stone Interior DesignPaula and John HansenClare Casademont and Michael MetzCarol and David NeubergerJudy and James NicklosCabrina and Steven OwsleyRiver Oaks Women’s Breakfast ClubJackie and Richard SchmealLane and Bob SchultzRaquel and Andrew SegalLisa and Russell SherrillAnn and Richard VaughanMr. and Mrs. Ronald B. WalkerWilhelmina W. (Beth) Robertson FundNancy and James WillersonE. Wayne Wood

tHe maRtHa meieR memoRiaL scHoLaRsHip enDowment fUnDAndrew T. AntonLavinia and Stephen BoydMary Ann and Robert BrezinaLinda BuchananPeggy and Thomas CaskeyGrayson CecilMichael ChmielSallie Morian and Michael ClarkMabeth and Kenneth ColemanNancy and Bert CorkillJoan K. Bruchas and H. Philip CowdinDean DeVossDianne and Robert EdmonsonJennifer FichterCarol and Dave FlemingMichael FranceCathy Coers and Jay FrankEdward GomulkaCaroline Caskey GoodnerPaul D. GrossbardAmir HalevyWarren HaleyTissy and Rusty HardinHelene and Tod HardingAdana and Chris HaynesMarilyn HermanceBonnie HibbertJulia Jervis and O.L. KirkpatrickBillie KoetterJim KollaerShirley A. KopeckyWilliam LewisLinda and David LynnGundula McCandless

Terry S. MahaffeyMarsha Amdur MalevPat MaloneMarie Mansour-PartridgeMartha Meier Family EstateClark MartinNancy and Robert MartinEmily MillerBetty MoodyNancy and Lucian MorrisonNational School of Public Relations AssociationNolan-Rankin Galleries, Inc.Monica and Mark OathoutMarilyn O’Connor and Don Gill Custom Homes Janet and Tony ParisiAda PerryTerri and David PetersonEarline Jones and Mike PrescottPeggy Vineyard and Jim PruittSally and Norman ReynoldsNorma and Davis RichardsonDavid W. RoarkShirley and Donald RoseBillie and John SchneiderNatalie C. SchwarzCarolyn and Calvin SimpsonMary Ann and Neal SimpsonGina and Kenneth SonesGrayson and John StokesGwyn and Tolis ThanosAnn and David TomatzCorinne and Charles TracyMary Faye and Peter WayLinda J. WebbNancy and Jim WillersonClinton T. WillourDorothy WrightWilliam A. Zugheri

in-kinDArmando’sMary and Bernard Arocha BasiquesBergner and Johnson DesignYvonne and William BettsBright Star Productions, Inc.City KitchenCrescent Real Estate Equities, Inc.Da Camera of HoustonElephantBridge.comLinda and Simon EylesGenslerJane LauMasterson DesignMinor Design GroupPiedritas DesignVeronica ReedCarolyn RoseSaint Arnold Brewing CompanySalon StefanoSavage DesignShadeTEBO DesignTootsie’sJoanne and Derby WilsonAnn and David Tomatz

Corinne and Charles TracyMary Faye and Peter WayLinda J. WebbNancy and Jim WillersonClinton T. WillourWilliam A. Zugheri

Recent gifts Recent Gifts (As of April 4, 2008)Claire and Doug AnkenmanKerry Inman and Denby AubleBelinda BennettFrank BentonEric BjorkCatherine BlackMike BloomElizabeth and Norman BockVirginia and William CamfieldHelen and Jeremy DavisStewart Norman DavisDalton DehartStephen DerryLynn DetrickRoger EichhornChristine Bruni FondrenGainer, Donnelly & Desroches, L.C.Galveston Arts Center, Inc.Eleanor and Dan GilbaneWayne GilbertJulie GreenwoodMary and George HawkinsHeimbinder Family FoundationKim and Mike HowardThomas Hughen, Jr.Fredericka HunterJerry and Nanette Finger FoundationChelby KingLee and Riki KobayashiSharon LedererMatilda B. MelnickHelen MintzMarilyn OshmanAngi and Jack PattonBunny and Perry RadoffMary Ann and Carlos RyersonSafeway, Inc.Brian ShawJeanne and Steve SimsWilliam F. SternMarylou SwiftRenee G. WallaceDavid Ashley WhiteClinton T. WillourXiaojing YuanPaul Zider

All efforts are made to be accurate; if you identify incorrect information, please contact the Office of External Affairs at 713.743.9537.

Exclusive benefits for $10,000+ Program Partners, $25,000+ Major Contributors, and $50,000+ Lead Sponsors are available. Please call 713.743.9537.

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visiting artists and curators• Recognition on the museum’s entry wall

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at Blaffer Gallery• Dinner with the Director for two

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LocationBlaffer Gallery is located in the Fine Arts Building on the University of Houston’s central campus, Entrance 16 off Cullen Boulevard, near the intersection of Cullen and Elgin.

DirectionsFrom Downtown and points North:

Take I-45 South toward Galveston. Exit #44C Cullen Boulevard. Turn right onto Cullen. Pass through the light at Elgin. Turn left into Entrance 16.

From points South:

Take I-45 North towards Downtown. Exit #44A Elgin-Lockwood⁄Cullen Boulevard and continue on feeder road. Turn left onto Cullen Boulevard. Turn left into Entrance 16.

ParkingReserved parking for museum visitors is along the front of parking lot 16B directly across from the Fine Arts Building. Visitors parking in the reserved area should check in at the museum’s front desk.

HoursOpen Tuesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed on Sundays, Mondays, and University holidays.

All exhibitions and related programs are free and open to the public.

The museum is ADA compliant.

for information call 713.743.9530 or visit us online at www.blaffergallery.org

Non-Profit Org.U.S.PostagePAIDHouston, TXPermit No. 5910

2008 Houston area exhibition May 10 – August 2, 2008

Damaged Romanticism: a mirror of modern emotion September 13 – November 15, 2008

young artist apprenticeship program exhibition October 24 – November 15, 2008

2008 school of art annual student exhibition December 6 – December 20, 2008

texas oil: Landscape of an industry January 17 – March 29, 2009

electric mud January 17 – March 29, 2009

sasHa DeLaBlack Water, Then and Now, 2006Log, bottles, photos, water, and ink36 x 18 x 18 in.Courtesy the artist

minDy kobeRFlorida, 2007Gouache on paper44 1/2 x 34 in.Courtesy the artist

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