Big Slide Show at Lawndale Art Center: Aug 8th & 9th

Houston, it's time for the annual "Big Show" at the O'Quinn Gallery of Lawndale Art Center. Tonight and tomorrow night, beginning at 7:00 p.m. - and totally free to the public (the second best four-letter "F" bomb - FREE! We are partial to "Fart", too) the Big Slide Show is taking place. Now, what in the wide world of art-y and cultural-like stuff is this? Well, let us do some 'splaining to you, care of the Lawndale Art Center:

The Big Show is Lawndale Art Center’s annual open-call, juried exhibition. It has been an important venue through which emerging and under-represented Houston area artists gain exposure since the show’s conception in 1984. The Big Show was formerly the East End Show, sponsored by the East End Progress Association, at Lawndale’s original location. The Big Show 2007, curated by Rita Gonzalez, Assistant Curator, Special Exhibitions, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA) drew in over 1145 submissions by 458 area artists living within 100 miles of Houston and the selected exhibition consisted of 116 art works by 86 artists.

Each year Lawndale Art Center invites a different guest juror to select the work and curate the show. Artists living within 100 miles of Houston are invited to bring up to three works of art, not previously shown in Houston, to Lawndale Art Center were the work is juried on-site. Emerging artists selected for The Big Show have received gallery representation and greater exposure for their work as a result. Eileen Maxson, recipient of the Texas Prize in 2005 first exhibited her winning video inThe Big Show 2003. First Prize in the 2003 Big Show went to Robert Pruitt, whose work will be included at the 2006 Whitney Biennial in New York City, NY.

Slide Show Artists by evening of appearance:

Wednesday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m.

John Adelman, Chuy Benitez, Gregory Carter, Mindy Kober, Joan Laughlin, Pattii Montgomery, Rebecca Novak, Rosane, Volchan O'Conor, Ebony Porter and Dustin Ryan Smith, John Slaby, Emily Sloan, Lillian Warren, E June Woest, and Daniel Adame.

Thursday, August 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Andis Applewhite, Heather Bause, Garland Fielder, April Hernandez, Keith J R Hollingsworth, Maria Cristina Jadick, Sharon Joines, Edgar Meza, Linda Peyton Huff, Roberto Jaime Ramirez, Sergio Santos, Carol Ellen Scott, Camargo Valentino, Paul Zeigler, and Constance Braden.

It's Art! It's Free! It's something you really need to check out, you know, provided you are so inclined to the arts and all.

The Big Show
O'Quinn Gallery
Lawndale Art Center
4912 Main Street
Free (there's that word, again!) parking is available on the corner of Rosedale and Travis