Houstonia Magazine // Gwendolyn Knapp // 08.26.19: DANGLING FROM CEILINGS. CHILLING IN COURTYARDS. Inside. Outside. Everywhere. That’s where you’ll find the numerous works belonging to Public Art of the University of Houston System. But although it’s one of the oldest initiatives of its kind among American universities, dating back to 1969, and includes nearly 700 works over five campuses, many Houstonians have no idea that this world-class collection—funded through 1 percent of the system’s building budget, plus lots of fundraising and gifts—is out there.
This month the program commemorates its 50th anniversary with an al fresco celebration, a book launch (On Site: 50 years of Public Art of the University of Houston System, Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers), and tons of tours through the main campus, as well as those in Downtown, Clear Lake, Sugar Land, and Victoria. There’s no better time to plan a visit than now, says director and chief curator María Gaztambide. “We’re at a point where we have a truly critical mass of works.” Adds her fellow curator Michael Guidry, “The collection really is an interesting timeline of the development of public art in America.”