The Arts at Summer Fest

Distinguishing tastes prevail in cooler climes, but in the thick, humid air of Houston no filter adequately separates the good from the bad, the new from the old, and the kitsch from the art. Fearful of the smell in their armpits and the vines growing in through their windows, arbiters of taste leave the city in droves during the summer, leaving Houston to the rats, the bats and the armadillos. For decades the summer has been a time to celebrate the undercarriage of art in Houston, the rough-and-tumble makers of all things expressionist and unwieldy. We invite you to experience the flavor of the warehouse shows and alleyway installations that mark Houston’s brutal summer in the midst of an all-new phenomenon, an actual summer music festival.

With public and performance art ROAR will work with the environment, the people the park and the heat. Michael Rodriguez seeks to anthropomorphize the world, and here at Summerfest will bring life to the park in his simple, humorous style. Woody Golden’s 24 foot hive will rise out of the crowd, providing a meditative space in the midst of madness. The Performance Art Lab will be out in full force, ambushing unsuspecting passersby with whimsy or terror. Always able to dominate spaces with his scrap and wood sculptures, Patrick Renner will be out with a new installation work specific to Eleanor Tinsley Park. Sisyphean questions about man and technology will not be answered, but thoroughly, exhaustively probed by the collaborative team of Frank Olsen and Johnny DiBlasi. Jonatan Lopez, a summer resident at Project Row Houses, will tear himself away from his site-specific installations to bring his innovative metalwork to the public. Graff king Skeez 181 and his buds will be out enjoying the scenery, painting large works all day. Look to the trees for Daniel Adame, where you may find the artist performing one of his physically exhausting pieces. Nancy Douthey brings her emotional performance art back from the West, where she recently wrapped up a tour of famous Land Art and tourist havens documented on the blog In Search Of the Center. Look for more artists being added in the interim, as we aim to adulterate your concert experience with the weird, wacky and wild art of Houston’s emerging scene.

Daniel Adame

Nancy Douthey

DumpTruck

Woody Golden

Cody Ledvina

Jonatan Lopez

Frank Olson and Johnny DiBlasi

Performance Art Lab

Patrick Renner

Michael Rodriguez

Skeez 181