Top 8 Houston art opening & events in February 2016

art-openings-and-events-houston-february-2016
Thorsten Brinkmann | Photo courtesy of Rice Gallery

See where the city’s art offerings can take you this month with our top picks for openings and events for February 2016.

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Top 8 Art Openings & Events

Enjoy the city’s happenings with our guide to the city’s museum, gallery, and art space offerings this month.

Top 8 February Art Openings & Events in Houston

  • Thorsten Brinkmann Found Object Sculpture Opening at Rice Gallery | Thursday, February 4 to Sunday, May 15 | FREE – Self-proclaimed serial-collector Thorsten Brinkmann has made a career out of being a pack rat. Collecting anything that catches his eye, the artist sifts through the broken and discarded objects that we accumulate daily, but often avoid. Working primarily with objects discovered in Houston, Brinkmann will turn empty space into a home where the discarded is re-imagined when his sculpture exhibition, The Great Cape Rinderhorn opens at Rice University’s art gallery. 5pm to 7pm.
  • At Your Service Opening at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft | Friday, February 5 | FREE – Enjoy an exhibition that shines a light on the objects of daily use that have become indispensable to our day to day lives. See how aside from their efficient use these objects such as plates, utensils, and cups can be viewed as extensions of their owners in this free exhibition in Montrose. 7pm.
  • Conversation with Rothko Chapel Director on The Precarious at Menil Collection | Tuesday, February 9 | FREE – Presented in conjunction with collage-based exhibition The Precarious, Rothko Chapel executive director David Leslie will be sitting down with the exhibition’s curator David Breslin to discuss the the ways in which art reflects and creates communities. Seating is limited for this conversation that will focus on the modern collage tradition exhibition. 7pm to 8pm.
  • Screening of Two Salvador Dali Films at Menil Collection | Friday, February 12 | FREE – Get lost in the world of Dali with this surrealistic screening of his two films, Un Chien Andalou and L’Age D’Or at the Menil Collection. Made in collaboration with spanish filmmaker Luis Bunuel, the two films still manage to raise eyebrows over 90 years after their release. Enjoy an introduction and commentary by Art History Professor, Sandra Zalman of University of Houston in this free viewing co-presented with Aurora Picture Show. Seating is limited inside, but their will be an outdoor screening on the east museum lawn if you miss seats inside. 7:30pm to 9:30pm.
  • William Copley Painting Retrospective at Menil Collection | Friday, February 19 to Sunday, July 24 | FREE – Tracing the arc of American artist William Copley’s career, The World According to CPLY examines the development of his painterly style from the early 1950s to 1990s. Known to be both an insider and outsider, Copley was a self-taught artist that pushed the limits of art-world decorum with his prolific experiments with color, pattern, and humor. Featuring over 100 paintings and works on paper, the exhibition will be the first comprehensive look at the artist’s work in an American museum. 11am to 7pm Wednesday to Sunday.
  • Art Deco Automobile Exhibition at MFAH | Sunday, February 21 to Monday, May 30 – In a time when art and elegance topped efficiency with automakers, Sculpted in Steel celebrates the cars and motorcycles designed in the iconic period between 1929 to 1940. This machine-inspired exhibition will showcase 14 cars and 3 motorcycles alongside images and videos of historical significance that focus on this creative era. The beautiful Art Deco style formed in France in the early 20th century and influenced everything from fashion to the transportation that will be showcased in the industrial exhibit. Entry to this exhibition is included with general admission.
  • Vera Lutter Photography Lecture at MFAH | Tuesday, February 23 – Take in a talk on the monumental photographs of New York-based photographer Vera Lutter in this informative lecture series at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Presented in conjunction with her photo exhibition Inverted Worlds, the talk will cover the eerie parallel universes shown in Lutter’s experimenting with analog negatives. With subjects ranging from post-industrial ruins to picturesque Venetian canals, the talk will touch on the procedure and practices took by Lutter to capture her subjects in the traditional materials of her medium. Entry to this lecture is included with general admission.
  • Red Planet Themed The Interview Opening at CAMH | Saturday, February 27 to Sunday, June 5 | FREE – With the human colonization of Mars expected in the next couple of decades and the discovery of flowing water on its surface, the mystery and mystique of the red planet has only continued to grow in the last couple of years. Drawing upon this fascination, the artist MPA has created a series of topics (which she calls landings) for a solo exhibition based on the cultural imagery of Mars. In The Interview: Red, Red Future visitors will encounter sculptures, photography, and performances that shed light on the invisible forces and power encountered in establishing community on our planetary neighbor. 6:30 to 9pm.
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Cody Swann
Cody Swann is a writer and musician born and raised in Houston. When he isn't recording or touring the country with his band, Wild Moccasins, he can be found covering live music and arts events for 365 Things to Do in Houston.