Photo Experts to Open Up a New Brick-and-Mortar Gallery in 4411 Montrose — Assembly Goes From E-Commerce to In-Person

Adding a New Dimension to Houston's Robust Arts Scene — a PaperCity Exclusive

BY Catherine D. Anspon // 06.03.22

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Ashlyn Davis Burns and Shane Lavalette, founding directors of Assembly (Courtesy Assembly)

Cristina Velásquez 's "Leaf Hats," 2017-2018, possesses a Surreal edge. The Colombian artist is both a photographer and a weaver, creating a subtle body of work that addresses colonialism. Velásquez is Assembly's debut when the gallery opens at 4411 Montrose on Friday, July 15, 2022.

Vasantha Yogananthan's "Howling Winds," from "A Myth of Two Souls," 2019. The French photographer, of half Sri Lankan descent, has been on a seven-year creative odyssey across Indian to interpret the Sanskrit epic, the Ramayana. He makes his American debut this September at Assembly, 4411 Montrose, during FotoFest.

Indian trans artist and activist Poulomi Basu's images advocate for the rights of women. Shown: "Centralia," 2010-2020, featured on the newly launched international photography website, Assembly, now with a permanent gallery location at the 4411 Montrose Gallery Building, Houston.

Japanese-American Fumi Ishino's photograph from "Melon Cream Soda Float," 2014-2018, is available through the newly launched photography platform Assembly — assembly.art — which bills itself as "a gallery, agency, and creative studio." Or stop by Assembly's new Houston gallery, at 4411 Montrose, opening Friday, July 15, 2022.

American artist Alanna Fields brings the Black queer perspective to Assembly. Shown: "As We Were," 2019.

Among the 10 artists represented by Assembly, Bangladeshi photographer Sarker Protick poetically and profoundly explores climate change via his ongoing series on the Ganges River. Shown: "Elegy," 2016.

Colombian photographer and weaver Cristina Velásquez (shown: "Fuerte, obrera y libre," 2018-2019) is the opening act at Assembly.

Ashlyn Davis Burns and Shane Lavalette, founding directors of Assembly (Courtesy Assembly)

Cristina Velásquez 's "Leaf Hats," 2017-2018, possesses a Surreal edge. The Colombian artist is both a photographer and a weaver, creating a subtle body of work that addresses colonialism. Velásquez is Assembly's debut when the gallery opens at 4411 Montrose on Friday, July 15, 2022.

Vasantha Yogananthan's "Howling Winds," from "A Myth of Two Souls," 2019. The French photographer, of half Sri Lankan descent, has been on a seven-year creative odyssey across Indian to interpret the Sanskrit epic, the Ramayana. He makes his American debut this September at Assembly, 4411 Montrose, during FotoFest.

Indian trans artist and activist Poulomi Basu's images advocate for the rights of women. Shown: "Centralia," 2010-2020, featured on the newly launched international photography website, Assembly, now with a permanent gallery location at the 4411 Montrose Gallery Building, Houston.

Japanese-American Fumi Ishino's photograph from "Melon Cream Soda Float," 2014-2018, is available through the newly launched photography platform Assembly — assembly.art — which bills itself as "a gallery, agency, and creative studio." Or stop by Assembly's new Houston gallery, at 4411 Montrose, opening Friday, July 15, 2022.

Among the 10 artists represented by Assembly, Bangladeshi photographer Sarker Protick poetically and profoundly explores climate change via his ongoing series on the Ganges River. Shown: "Elegy," 2016.

Two former nonprofit directors — both with a photo focus — came together during the pandemic to forge a new hybrid model for the art world. Ashlyn Davis Burns (formerly with Houston Center for Photography) and Shane Lavalette (formerly with Light Work in Syracuse, New York) launched Assembly in March of 2021 as PaperCity reported.

Their endeavor innovatively combines an e-commerce platform for its stable of international photographers with an online journal/photo blog, a publishing house for niche artist books and an agency that pairs its talents with projects, commissions and assignments around the globe.

Now Assembly steps up with a brick-and-mortar component, which is set to open in mid July at the 4411 Montrose Gallery Building in the 1,000-square-foot second-floor space formerly occupied by Cindy Lisica Gallery.

Significantly, Assembly joins Foto Relevance in making 4411 Montrose an important photographic destination. It is also the home to respected Houston art dealers Barbara Davis Gallery, Anya Tish Gallery and David Shelton Galley.

Houston-based Ashlyn Davis Burns — former director of Houston Center for Photography — is a co-founder for the newly launched international photography website Assembly. (Photo by Jan Rattia) — Houston-based Ashlyn Davis Burns — former director of Houston Center for Photography — is a co-founder for the newly launched international photography website Assembly, which now has a high-profile Houston Museum District brick-and-mortar. (Photo by Jan Rattia)

“Our vision is to continue bringing cutting edge lens-based work into the broader contemporary art space,” Davis Burns tells PaperCity. “Our roster of mid-career artists are in major institutional collections globally, yet many have never had the opportunity to show their work in the U.S.

“We see our Houston gallery as a meeting place that connects our local and national community to the important work being made by our roster of artists, as well as an innovative project space that intends to blur the line between photography and other contemporary art practices.”

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Co-founding director Lavalette tells PaperCity: “Houston has long been home to leading arts organizations and museums, and we see the launch of the Assembly’s gallery as an important addition to this vibrant landscape of contemporary art.”

Shane Lavalette, an artist and former director of the nonprofit Light Work — based in Syracuse, New York — is a co-founder of Assembly. — Shane Lavalette, an artist and former director of the nonprofit Light Work — previously based in Syracuse, New York — is a co-founder of Assembly. For the brick-and-mortar arrival of Assembly, Lavalette, relocates to Houston.

Assembly will open Friday, July 15 with a VIP reception set for 6 pm to 8 pm, presenting new photographic weavings from Colombian artist Cristina Velasquez. That will be followed by a public opening on Saturday, July 16 from 1 to 4 pm. This photography exhibition will run through August 27.

Later in the fall, Assembly will participate in the FotoFest Biennial, which is set to open Friday, September 9, with the United States debut of Vasantha Yogananthan’s “A Myth of Two Souls,” a multi-year creative odyssey across India to interpret the Sanskrit epic the Ramayana. That art exhibition will run through November 11.