Houston Arts Alliance Blog

I know the blog has been a little silent, but we have been working on lots of great stuff that will be coming your way. One of the exciting things coming up is a new exhibit at the space125gallery called CIVIC DUTY: Building Art, Building Houston, presented by our very own Civic Art + Design department! The exhibit opens Thursday, Jan. 29 and runs till Mar. 6.

More information after the jump.

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Grant Program Announcement

ROUND II of the INDIVIDUAL ARTIST GRANT for 2009

Individual Artist Grant Program offers two types of

Grants for the 2009 Grant Period

1. New Work Fellowships

Includes the Emerging & Established Artist category

2. New Work Artist Project Grant

Read the Guidelines for eligibility and to determine which grant you are eligible for (New Works Fellowship or Artist project). Detailed definitions of each type of grant can be found in the guidelines along with criteria.

Deadlines for the second round of applications:

Online application due by January 30, 2009

Support materials due February 4, 2009

Fellowships and Artist Projects are open to individuals who are residents of the City of Houston for two full-consecutive years at the time of application. Proof of residency required. Please read the Guidelines for more details. Guidelines can be found at http://www.houstonartsalliance.com/guidelines/sub-page/

Application Workshops will be offered free to help applicants with submitting a complete and accurate application.

Individual Artist Grant Program

WORKSHOP DATES AND LOCATIONS

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

eGrant © Application Workshop

12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Held at Heights Neighborhood Library Meeting Room

1302 Heights Blvd. Houston, Texas 77008

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

eGrant © Application Workshop

12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Held at the Looscan Library, Large Conference Room

2510 Willowick. Houston, Texas 77027

Thursday, January 22, 2009

eGrant © Application Workshop

12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Held at the Houston Arts Alliance

3201 Allen Parkway, Suite 250, 77019

Thursday, January 22, 2009

eGrant © Application Workshop

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Held at the Houston Arts Alliance

3201 Allen Parkway, Suite 250, 77019

Saturday, January 24, 2009

eGrant © Application Workshop

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m

Held at the Houston Arts Alliance

3201 Allen Parkway, Suite 250, 77019

New Year’s Town Hall Meeting

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Ensemble Theatre Performance Centre | 3535 Main Street | Houston, Texas, 77002

# 713.527.9330  | www.houstonartsalliance.com

Registration Fee: FREE TO THE PUBLIC.

_____________________________________________________________________

About the Town Hall Meeting:

The Houston Arts Alliance Convenes Meeting To Kick-Off New Year!

The Houston arts community is invited to join the staff of HAA to learn about exciting new programs and services coming in 2009. Come hear about general agency news including guideline updates, Civic Art projects, arts advocacy news and other important HAA announcements.

Who should attend: General public, arts community, current Houston Arts Alliance grantees, as well as those considering applying for grants from HAA

Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009

Time: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Location: Ensemble Theatre Performance Centre - 3535 Main Street, Houston 77002

Registration: http://haatxtownhall2009.eventbrite.com

or click on the RSVP button

For more information regarding the event, please contact:

Richard Graber

Special Projects Manager / Interim Communications Director

Houston Arts Alliance

3201 Allen Parkway, Suite 250 | Houston | TX | 77019

Dir: 713.527.9330 | Fax: 713.620.5120 | Email: richard@haatx.com

Website: www.houstonartsalliance.com

Check out last week’s op-ed piece commenting on Houston’s new public art projects that will be installed in the upcoming year. This is in response to the Houston Chronicle’s original article announcing next year’s new public art installations. Read below or click here for the full article.

You call that art? Sure

Looking forward to a 2009 filled with new public art in Houston — and to a lively discussion of its merits.
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I know everyone is busy with the holidays, so you probably haven’t even started thinking about next year. Nevertheless, start thinking about February 10.

On January 13, the 81st Texas Legislature convenes and on February 10, Texans for the Arts, the statewide arts advocacy organization are planning events for Arts Advocacy Day in Austin. They are encouraging arts organizations, staff, artists and art supporters from across Texas to attend. The main goal is for attendees to meet with their state legislators and advocate behalf of Texans for the Arts, Texas Cultural Trust and Texas Commission on the Arts.  The Houston Arts Alliance is planning of sending a bus group to Austin to attend the day’s events and meet with our state legislators.

The two issues at hand are:

1. Maintain the current Hotel Motel Tax which supports over 200 arts organizations in Houston
2. Seek an increase in state appropriation to the TCA for $1 per capita, which is a $20 million increase.

This is a one-day trip (about 7:00am - 10:00p) and the estimate cost is $90 per person. This includes registration, bus and lunch. We will post more information in the upcoming weeks.

In the meantime, take a look at the December 17 op-ed piece in the Houston Chronicle.

Think about joining HAA at the Capitol in Austin. Let your voice be heard!

For those who haven’t seen the print copy of today’s Houston Chronicle, this was featured on the front page. Read below for the full article or click here for the online version.

Kudos to our Civic Art + Design department!

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Friendly PSA spot…

For those who did know or for those who were wondering, Galveston IS going on with Dickens On The Strand this year. In fact, it’s this weekend (Dec. 6 & 7).  This is the first major event in downtown Galveston since Ike and it’s a good way to help support the community. Go! Grab a bag of roasted chestnuts, take a step back in time and show your support for Galveston.

Read Galveston Historical Society’s press release here.

Run, don’t walk, to the Looscan Neighborhood Library and take a look at Houston’s newest art installation!

Photo by Billy Smith II - Houston Chronicle

Bert Long, 68 year-old artist and native Houstonian from the Fifth Ward, recently installed his mural ART/LIFE at the Looscan Neighborhood Library. A self-taught artist whose pieces are on display in the U.S. and abroad, Burt Long says he learned everything about art from art books in the Downtown Central Library. It’s very fitting that he was commissioned to create the piece for the Looscan Neighboorhood Library.

Make sure you take a look at the Houston Chronicle’s article on the installation and the interview with Bert Long.

Congratulations to Helen Lessick, HAA’s director of civic art & design, and the rest of the civic art & design department on the successful project!

Get your red-hot Art - the HeART of Houston graphics here!

Stick ‘em anywhere - newsletters, websites, blogs, Facebook pages, Flickr -
and get all your friends in on this fantastic art contest!