Today@Sam Article

LEAP Center To Offer heART Of Huntsville

Sept. 18, 2017
SHSU Media Contact: Lane Fortenberry

Sam Houston State University’s Center for Law, Engagement, And Politics is bringing the heART of Huntsville program to campus and the community for a third consecutive year.

The three-week program, designed to highlight the art and architecture in the community, will be held on the first three Tuesday nights in October from 6 p.m. to approximately 9 p.m. each evening.

“We’ve had extensive university participation the last two years,” said Mike Yawn, director of the LEAP Center. “It’s a great way for people new to the community to learn more about it, and it’s also a fun and informative way for community veterans to connect to each other and to art.”

Each week of the program has a different focus.heART630

The first week (Oct. 3) covers the university’s impressive art collection. Did you know, for example, that the statue of Sam Houston in front of Austin Hall was done by Trace Guthrie, when the sculptor was 24-years old? Or did you know that Jesus Moroles’s “Water Wall,” east of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, was designed as an outdoor classroom?  These are just two of the stories told about the dozens of artworks on display on the campus grounds.

The second week of the program (Oct. 10) highlights the work of Richard Haas, whom The New York Times called “the great architectural muralist of our time.” New York and Philadelphia both feature two of his murals, and St. Louis houses a 110,000-square foot mural. But, Huntsville, however, boasts the 14 of his murals in the downtown area.

The final week of the program (Oct. 17) offers a tour of the city’s outdoor sculptures, culminating with an indoor tour of the Adickes’ Foundation. Most people know Adickes created “Big Sam,” but fewer people have enjoyed an inside peek at his 300 plus paintings in his gallery on University Avenue.

Dinner is provided each week, and local artists or other special guests are often on hand to lead the tours, engage in dinner conversation, or otherwise interact with the art and the community.  The program does involve moderate walking and standing, so participants should be ambulatory. 

Space is limited, and participants should sign up only if they intend to participate all three nights. The cost of the program is $25.

For information on how to register, contact Yawn at mike.yawn@shsu.edu or 936.294.1456.

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