Remembering You, David Adickes: Art Exhibition to Honor Renowned Artist and Alum

Remembering You, David Adickes: Art Exhibition to Honor Renowned Artist and Alum

An upcoming art exhibition, “Remembering You, David Adickes”, will celebrate the legacy and creative spirit of the late, internationally recognized artist David Adickes. Hosted by the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library, the exhibition invites the community to reflect on Adickes’ artistic journey and enduring influence across generations and disciplines.

Adickes was a visionary whose monumental works left an enduring imprint on Texas and far beyond. A painter and sculptor, he forged an artistic career as bold and distinctive as the works themselves, shaping the landscape of public art with imagination and scale. His influence is inseparable from the places he transformed, and his connection to Huntsville, Texas, runs especially deep.

Born in Huntsville, Adickes earned his undergraduate degree in physics and mathematics from Sam Houston State College (now Sam Houston State University). While a student there, he composed a song titled “Remembering You,” which lends its name to the exhibition.

“His song was performed at the time by a women’s sextet and was quite popular,” Linda Wiley, Adickes's longtime life partner said. 

The summer following graduation, Adickes attended the Kansas City Art Institute, where he discovered art as his true calling. Through the support of the G.I. Bill, Adickes continued his studies in Paris, training under modern master Fernand Léger, before returning to Houston to pursue painting full-time and launch a career that would redefine public art.

In 1983, Adickes received his first commission for a monumental sculpture, “Virtuoso,” located at the Lyric Center in downtown Houston. He later created the iconic 76-foot-tall statue of Sam Houston that stands along Interstate 45 near Huntsville.

The exhibition opens with a public reception on Monday, March 2, from 5 – 6:30 p.m., with brief remarks at 5:30 p.m.

The exhibition will be on display March 3 through May 31 in the Exhibit Gallery at the Katy & E. Don Walker, Sr. Education Center, located at 1402 19th Street in Huntsville. The gallery may be viewed during regular museum operating hours.