San Jac spring gallery exhibitions unveil diverse artistic perspectives
This spring, San Jacinto College's galleries showcase three distinctive exhibitions that capture the essence of American life through different artistic lenses. From Carter Hicks' nostalgic roadside photography at Central Campus to the industrial artistry of welding students at North Campus and the provocative explorations of identity by Tay Butler and Brittainy Lauback at South Campus, these exhibitions offer visitors a rich tapestry of visual storytelling and cultural reflection.
"The Long Way Home: Roadside Images of a Lost Americana"
Date:
Thursday, Feb. 6 through Thursday, March 27
Reception:
Tuesday, Feb. 25, from 4 to 7 p.m., with an artist talk at 6 p.m.
Location:
Central Campus Gallery (C21)
8060 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, Texas
Amateur photographer Carter Hicks captures the essence and sometimes irony of the American landscape in vacant roadside buildings, dilapidated signs, and the eclectic nature of everyday working people scattered across the Southeastern United States.
"The Long Way Home: Roadside Images of a Lost Americana" pays homage to the forgotten industry, enterprise, and people of small towns on the periphery of the interstate highway.
Carter Hicks began his love affair with taking pictures as a student photographer for his high school yearbook and later a staff photographer for the student union at Davidson College, where he graduated in 1980 with a degree in physics.
Soon thereafter, he took a job at Compaq as a systems engineering project manager, working firsthand on the early development of personal computers. His relocation to Texas would set in motion annual road trips back to North Carolina, his beloved home state. To make things more interesting, he began to take the "long way home," navigating the backroads through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee.
He was drawn to the vast sea of abandoned buildings, defunct manufacturing sites, and overall ill-repair of many once-thriving small towns and rural areas. The expressway network sparked by Dwight Eisenhower in the mid-1950s had many positive impacts while also compromising the livelihood of smaller towns, many of which were poor and minority communities. These images are a reminder of those forgotten places.
"Reigning Fire No. 2 - An Industrial Art Showcase"
Date:
Thursday, Feb. 13 through Thursday, Mar. 13
Reception: Thursday, Feb. 13, 6 to 8 p.m.
Location:
North Campus Gallery
San Jacinto College North Gallery (C1)
5800 Uvalde Rd, Houston, Texas
Collaborating with the North Gallery, the San Jacinto College North Campus welding program presents a metal art showcase from Thursday, Feb. 13, through Thursday, Mar. 13.
The installment, "Reigning Fire No. 2: An Industrial Art Showcase," features welded sculptures and other designs created by students in the metal sculpture and art metals welding courses.
These courses are designed for artists, hobbyists, and those who think welding is too exclusive for the ordinary person. According to welding instructor Emily Choate, they give everyone a chance to "explore creative possibilities in metal art. "
"We are honored to show these fantastic sculptures at North Gallery," Clark said. "I'm constantly looking for ways to collaborate with other departments on the North Campus, and this show with our welding program is a perfect fit."
"Cheese Grits," featuring Tay Butler and Brittainy Lauback
Date:
Monday, Feb. 3 through Thursday, Mar. 13
Closing Reception: Saturday, March 8, 12 to 3 p.m.
Location:
South Campus Gallery
San Jacinto College South Gallery (S15)
13735 Beamer Rd, Houston, Texas
San Jacinto College South Campus Gallery is proud to present "Cheese Grits," a compelling two-artist exhibition featuring the works of Tay Butler and Brittainy Lauback. Through collage and photography, Butler and Lauback explore themes of identity, memory, and personal history, inviting viewers to engage with layered narratives and intimate portraits.
Tay Butler's multidisciplinary practice focuses on collage as a medium for archiving and recontextualizing black history and culture. Building upon his interest in how the media represents black culture, Butler fuses traditional collage techniques with historical references to create works that both document and reimagine the past. His art invites viewers to examine how pop culture has shaped our historical narrative and power structures, influencing our understanding of the world.
Brittainy Lauback's photography captures the harmony of humor and grief, evoking the complex emotional space where laughter and tears coexist. Her work, influenced by candid encounters and staged interactions, reveals the truth exposed within the fleeting moment. Whether documenting themes like "women who own snakes" or "men who want to meet in hotel rooms," Lauback's images thread together the absurdity and the existential fears life serves us.
