The Exhibition
About SITE
The Washington Avenue Arts District curated an art exhibition transforming the honeycombed footprint of thirty-four renovated grain silos into site-specific contemporary installation. Jurors Bill Arning, Director of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and by Jillian Conrad, professor of sculpture at the University of Houston selected thirty Houston-based artists to be a part of this project.
The goal of SITE is to create an environment which promotes experimentation and fosters excellence in creative thinking. The architecture of the silos has framed the creative process and forced each artist to think about their work in relation to a unique space, resulting in new and truly site-specific artistic outcomes. Successful proposals were those that best responded to and transformed a single silo space, ultimately resulting in an exhibition that fully immerses viewers in 27 unique experiences. With SITE, the act of creation, as well as the act of viewing, is directly tied to the overwhelming sense of place that the silos provide. The silos evoke a strong sense of discovery and exploration.
SITE was developed by Arts District Director, Susannah Mitchell and Artist, Trey Duvall. Susannah has a background in both gallery management and non-profits / fundraising, and immediately saw the power of such a unique setting as an exhibition space. Trey is a practicing artist based in Houston, and has contributed at every level of ideation and planning, including the key thinking behind the site-specific and installation focus of this inaugural exhibition. Through this work, and because of his dedication to the District initiatives, he has been invited to join the Arts District organization in the role of Program Manager.
SITE was made possible through an HAA Project Grant combined with a successful fundraising drive, marking the first ever fundraiser by this budding organization. The exhibition and opening events are being produced through remarkable volunteerism, space donation, as well as many generous sponsors, donors and in-kind supporters.