On February 1, 2017, a group of 26 artists from the Visual Arts Alliance and ClayHouston met together for a joint tour of Box13 Artspace in Houston’s East End. “The Box” as it is affectionately called by resident artists, houses studios for 25 working artists and multiple gallery spaces. The exhibit space is currently showing I [love] america and america [loves] me, an examination of the unfolding volatility of the Trump administration, by New Orleans artist collective The Front. On view through March 4.
Box13 focuses on artists doing experimental work, or work that is outside of the artist’s typical gallery style. It is a space for innovation and breaking boundaries. The residents act as a jury board for incoming exhibitions, hosting multiple shows per year. Usually the exhibitions feature local talent for logistics reasons, but they accept applications from anywhere.
Jessica Kreutter, our tour guide, is a ceramics artist who has been working and teaching in Houston for three years. She works in porcelain hand-building, and often creates site-specific or modular installations. Objects in her work often explore ideas of decay and transformation, featuring remnants or overlaid with found objects. Several of her pieces could be viewed in her studio, recognizable from previous installations. Other artists at The Box had works on paper, collage, fabric crafts, and photography on display in their workspaces.
Box13 Artspace is open Saturdays, 1-5pm, while exhibits are on view, and by appointment.
