Glasstire Online Texas Art Magazine Glasstire Counts down the top five art events in Texas this week.

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Top Five: Aug. 12, 2021
by Glasstire August 12, 2021 Glasstire counts down the top five art events in Texas this week. For last week’s picks, please go here.

Maria Cristina Jadick, Extreme Water Mystery Sand
1. The State of Sculpture: 10th Anniversary All-Member Exhibition of the Texas Sculpture Group
July 15 – September 12, 2021
San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts From SAMFA: “The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is pleased to host this special tenth-anniversary celebration of the Texas Sculpture Group. Originally planned for 2020 and postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we now present works by over ninety different artists from all over Texas, and some living outside the state who have Texas ties. From traditional to cutting edge, small-scale to monumental, this all-member exhibition fills our expansive galleries (and the rooftop terrace), offering insight into the range of material, aesthetic, and conceptual possibilities that define contemporary sculpture.” Alexis Pye, Man with Sheep, aka the Baptist, 2021. Oil, oil pastel, oil stick on canvas.
Charis Ammon, Lake, 2019. Oil on canvas. 2.a. Alexis Pye: The Real and the Fantastic / The Irrational Joys of the Axis
July 10 – August 21, 2021
Inman Gallery (Houston) 2.b. Charis Ammon: Stay
July 10 – August 21, 2021
Inman Gallery (Houston) Via Inman Gallery: “Although these are two separate exhibitions, common threads can be found between the artists’ works, notably in the dual presence and absence of the human figure, as well as in the viewer’s relationship to their works. Pye’s paintings feature portraits of Black men situated within a garden or foliage setting; her work, as she states, is meant to evoke ‘playfulness, wonder and blackness, as well as the joys amidst adversity.’ Meanwhile, Ammon’s paintings explore how surfaces tell human stories. She captures the passage of time and our presence in it, even though the spaces are void of figures. Humanity is instead present as a vestige in Ammon’s paintings of public, man-made spaces.”
3. Holding Space
July 31 – August 22, 2021
500X (Dallas) From 500X: “500X is proud to announce Holding Space, an inaugural juried exhibition for all artists over the age of 18 living in Texas that identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The 2021 juror is Daisha Board, curator, consultant, and founder of Black Sheep Art Culture. “The gallery is open 12-5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays by appointment for regular hours (excluding special events). “ABOUT THE JUROR: BLACK SHEEP ART CULTURE INC. courageously bridges the gap between traditional and non-traditional art spaces by making art accessible to the communities they serve. By promoting emerging and established BIPOC artists found locally, domestically, and internationally, Black Sheep Art Culture Inc. is able to create the much-deserved space BIPOC continues to strive for.” Image via ICOSA 4. Existential Evocations
August 14 – September 4, 2021
Clamp Light Artist Studios & Gallery (San Antonio) Reception: August 14, 2021 | 6–10 pm From Clamp Light Artist Studios: “Clamp Light Artist Studios & Gallery is proud to present Existential Evocations, a group exhibition organized by San Antonio-based independent curator Erin K. Murphy. “Existential Evocations is the continuation of an art exchange between ICOSA collective of Austin and Clamp Light. Existential Evocations features a range of works by nineteen ICOSA artists: Leon Alessi, Amy Bench, Darcie Book, Shawn Camp, Veronica Ceci, Jonas Criscoe, Erin Cunningham, Brooke Gassiot, Mai Gutierrez, Sarah Hirneisen, Amanda Linn McInerney, Matt Rebholz, Tammie Rubin, Jana Swec, Michael Villarreal, Lana Waldrep-Appl, Alyssa Taylor Wendt, Jenn Wilson, and Suzanne Wyss. The exhibition brings together a selection of work in drawing, sculpture, photography, along with textiles, focusing on ideas of isolation, the banal, the surreal, and the extraordinary.” Cheyenne Nevins, Untitled Space Opera. Photo credit: Gustavo Solorzano. 5. Annex Energy: University of Houston Grad and Undergrad Sculpture Exhibit
SITE Gallery (Houston)
May 1 – August 19, 2021
Closing: August 14, 2021 | 3–9 pm From SITE Gallery: “SITE Gallery Houston at Sawyer Yards is pleased to present Annex Energy by the University of Houston School of Art Sculpture Graduates and Undergraduates. “For the past three semesters, UH sculpture artists have been forced to work in virtual isolation. Yet they have persevered through a difficult year of cancelled exhibitions, limited studio access and online-only classes. Despite the lack of real-world interactions, the sculpture artists have survived by sharing their creative energy and supporting each other through the bonds of a common pursuit. That is, pursuing artwork that excels despite and because of the struggles of the times–be it Covid, societal expectations, economic hardships, and beyond. The SITE Gallery Houston exhibition will provide a window into the COVID experience. The beehive cluster of circular rooms–each uniquely transformed–will together convey the energy and vitality of the Sculpture Program. “Artists include: Jen Barker, Daniel Calderon, Noelle Dunahoe, Marley Foster, Nicolas Herrera, Randi Long, Jacinta Majithia, Blaize Marshall, Cat Martinez, Michelle Matthews, Tiffany Nesbit, Cheyenne Nevins, Katie Patzke, Brenna Rogers, Gustavo Solorzano, Stevie Spurgin, William VB, Jimena Vilchis, Michelle Vo, Debbie Vu, Marie Williams and Erick Zambrano.”