August 24, 2017 | UHCL Staff
It’s rare for a national artist organizations that was formed during the Great Depression to still be in existence today. The American Abstract Artists is one thriving exception, and the University of Houston-Clear Lake Art Gallery is pleased to host an exhibition of prints by 48 of its members. The exhibition, entitled “75th Anniversary American Abstract Artists Print Portfolio,” opens Aug. 31 with a public preview reception on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 5-7 p.m.
On Monday, Oct. 2, 6 p.m., the community is also invited to an artist's talk with Daniel G. Hill, president of AAA and assistant professor of fine arts at Parsons, The New School.
Founded in 1936, American Abstract Artists has published four print portfolios since its inception. Breaking away from traditional printmaking techniques for its 75th anniversary portfolio in 2012, member artists created digital files with processes such as abstract and documentary photography, scanning of two-dimensional work, digital compositing and image manipulation, and using vector-based software. The resulting 48 prints on view are as varied as they are fresh, conveying each artist’s attentiveness to the possibilities of new technology.
Organized by The Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., the nationally touring exhibition has extensively toured up and down the Eastern Seaboard over the last few years. “I am delighted to bring the 75th Anniversary American Abstract Artists Print Portfolio to Houston,” said UH-Clear Lake Art Gallery director Jeffrey Bowen. “I’m proud to say its presentation here marks the first time the portfolio is being showcased in a university setting west of the Mississippi River,” he added.
Admission to the Aug. 30 preview reception and the Oct. 2 lecture by Hill is free. Refreshments, including libations provided by Saint Arnold Brewing Company, will be served. Complimentary parking is available in the Visitor Lot R or Student Lot D for the duration of the events.
The exhibition closes Oct. 20. For more information about this exhibition and upcoming events at the UHCL Art Gallery, visit www.uhcl.edu/art-gallery.
