BOX 13 ArtSpace’s BOX of Curiosities – Portable Art on Demand (PODA) Project at Discovery Green

Imagine opening a storage unit and discovering a long lost collection that serves as a time capsule of objects and stories. This type of discovery happens daily at museums around the world. For the Portable On Demand Art (PODA) Project at Discovery Green during the AAM Annual Meeting, BOX 13 members, including myself, created a BOX of Curiosities.

Taking the format of a cabinet of curiosities, BOX 13 members Heather Bause, Elaine Bradford, Dennis Harper, Michael Henderson, Kathy Kelley, Emily Link , David McClain, Tudor Mitroi, Dennis Nance, Kia Neill, Mark Ponder, Jenny Schlief, Emily Sloan and Maria Smits created a collection of artifacts referencing both true and imagined references to Houston and Texas history, science, geography, space exploration and beyond. The collection explores the role of museum collections and their influence on artistic practice.  Many visitors might recall other collections loved by Houstonians, including the Menil Collection’s Witness to a Surrealist Vision, Dolan Smith’s former Museum of the Weird, BOX 13 member Elaine Bradford’s Museum of Unnatural History or the Hyde Park Miniature Museum.

As AAM attendees spend the next few days thinking about “The Museum of Tomorrow,” we hope our BOX sparks your curiosity and makes you just a little nostalgic for the days of handmade labels, DIY displays and tall tales. While you are in Houston, we hope you’ll take some time to venture over to our vibrant East End art community working at BOX 13 ArtSpace.  Stop by BOX 13 ArtSpace on Saturday May 21, 2011 from 1-5 PM for the last day of the 2011 Texas Biennial on view in our galleries and to meet the artists behind the BOX.

BOX 13 ArtSpace is an artist run non-profit studio and exhibition space in Houston’s East End located at 6700 Harrisburg Boulevard. Gallery hours are Saturdays, 1-5PM, during exhibitions.

–Dennis Nance – BOX 13 ArtSpace, Vice President; Lawndale Art Center, Exhibitions & Programming Director; AAM 2011 Houston Hospitality & PR/Marketing Subcommittees member

The (Museum) World Comes to Houston

The Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo™ in Houston will mark the second year AAM has made a concerted outreach effort to international museum colleagues, hosting an impressive contingent from China, Latin America and the Middle East. The objective is to share knowledge, learn from our respective experiences and build collegial relationships around the world

“Cultural exchanges have long been a staple of U.S. ties with other nations,” said AAM president Ford W. Bell. “Understanding other cultures is where wisdom comes from, and such understanding is essential to building friendship and inspiring cooperation. Museums play a big part in building that trust”

In Houston, AAM expects a large contingent of attendees from over 40 countries, who will participate in a special Global Views Track of over 24 sessions, some of which will be simultaneously translated into Chinese, Spanish and Arabic, as well as a series of roundtable discussions with colleagues from around the world.  At the 2010 AAM Los Angeles meeting, the roundtables were the forum for genuine pan-Pacific connections, offering frank, open and constructive dialogue.

The international participants will also come together at the Global Views Reception on Sunday, May 22 from 6:30-8 p.m. at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. We urge everyone to register for the reception on the AAM website and join us that evening in welcome our international colleagues to Houston.

International attendees are also invited to stop by the International Lounge, located in the George R.Brown Convention Center, Room 360 D. The lounge is open to attendees from 12-5 pm on Sunday and 8 am-5 pm from Monday thru Wednesday.

The Arabic facet of the Global Views Track is sponsored by The King Abdulaziz Center, an initiative of Saudi Aramco, and Aramco Services Company. Fellowship support for international attendees is provided by The Getty Foundation, Fundación Jumex, Agustin Coppel and the US Embassy, Mexico City.

Can’t make the meeting, but still want a piece of the action? Bring Houston to you!  AAM offers a Virtual Conference with select sessions, including “Museums Go Multilingual: Tools, Tricks and Trends for Presenting Museum Content for Everyone.”

Click here to register!

See you in Houston!
看到你在休斯敦
Nos vemos en Houston!
نراكم في هيوستن

–Dewey Blanton, American Association of Museums