Art Party — Lawndale Art Center Looks to Add to its Legacy of Great Bashes

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BY Crystal Correa // 05.04.21

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Gracie Cavnar rocks a fascinator at Lawndale Hair Ball 1996. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Lester Marks brought Egyptian vibes to Lawndale Hair Ball in 1997. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Become a piece of art, like the examples shown here of Emily Peacock's show at the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Antonius-Tín Bui plays in the realms of hand-cut paper, community engagement, performance, and soft sculpture to visualize hybrid identities and histories that confront the unsettling present. Bui's "Shrapnel No. 5," 2020. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Emily Peacock is a Houston-based artist whose work explores her familial and personal experiences. Peacock's "His Meyer Soap Collection," 2016. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

English artist Francesca Fuchs makes paintings that consider closely the overlooked intimacies that shape our lives, giving careful attention to family relationships, objects of the everyday, quiet moments, and what art offers when it enters our personal spaces. Fuch's "Green Crystal," 2018. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Holly Veselka is a conceptual artist who focuses on project-based, research-oriented sculptures, archives, and installations that examine humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Veselka's "Baby's Breath," 2021. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Houstonian Jamal Cyrus received his BFA from the University of Houston in 2004 and his MFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. Cyrus' "Wax on Canvas," 2016. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Joseph Havel lives and works in Houston and currently serves as director of the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Havel's "First Flower San Francisco with Parrot Wood," 2019. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Marcelyn McNeil has an BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art (Portland, Oregon) and an MFA from University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work has been shown widely across the United States. McNeil's "Paint It Black," 2020. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Dallasite Michael Bise's graphite drawings combine autobiographical narrative with labor-intensive attention to detail. Bise's "Constructivist Girl," 2018. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Houston artist and writer Regina Agu's work focuses on the complex relationships between the landscape and communities of color. Agu's "What Remains 04," 2015/2021. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Houstonian interdisciplinary artist Robert Hodge is no stranger to PaperCity and was just part of "Collect it for the Culture III." Hodge's "Stereo," 2019. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Tierney Malone uses African-American history and pop culture to create mixed-media works that challenge contemporary culture and politics. Malone's "The Little Girl in the Lion's Den," 2020. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Venezuelan-born Houston artist Gerardo Rosales' "Going into Troubled Waters," 2021. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Watercolor artist Jennifer May Reiland from New York City creates a personal pantheon of secular and religious saints and martyrs. Reiland's "Empress Carlota Remembers her Domains in Mexico," 2020. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Installation in the works at Lawndale Art Center. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Sneak peek of the art installation at Lawndale Art Center, in preparation for Partie de la Tête. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Gracie Cavnar rocks a fascinator at Lawndale Hair Ball 1996. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Antonius-Tín Bui plays in the realms of hand-cut paper, community engagement, performance, and soft sculpture to visualize hybrid identities and histories that confront the unsettling present. Bui's "Shrapnel No. 5," 2020. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

English artist Francesca Fuchs makes paintings that consider closely the overlooked intimacies that shape our lives, giving careful attention to family relationships, objects of the everyday, quiet moments, and what art offers when it enters our personal spaces. Fuch's "Green Crystal," 2018. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Holly Veselka is a conceptual artist who focuses on project-based, research-oriented sculptures, archives, and installations that examine humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Veselka's "Baby's Breath," 2021. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Joseph Havel lives and works in Houston and currently serves as director of the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Havel's "First Flower San Francisco with Parrot Wood," 2019. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Marcelyn McNeil has an BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art (Portland, Oregon) and an MFA from University of Illinois at Chicago. Her work has been shown widely across the United States. McNeil's "Paint It Black," 2020. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Tierney Malone uses African-American history and pop culture to create mixed-media works that challenge contemporary culture and politics. Malone's "The Little Girl in the Lion's Den," 2020. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

Watercolor artist Jennifer May Reiland from New York City creates a personal pantheon of secular and religious saints and martyrs. Reiland's "Empress Carlota Remembers her Domains in Mexico," 2020. Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.

What: Houston’s Lawndale Art Center’s Partie de la Tête

When: This Thursday, May 6, from 6:30 to 10 pm

Where: Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main Street

April showers bring May flowers, and Lawndale Art Center is now also bringing the Partie De La Tête, a benefit for its exhibitions and artist studio program. Don your best spring floral updo or chapeau, and get ready to dance around the maypole in support of the arts.

Installation is in the works at Lawndale Art Center. — Installation in the works at Lawndale Art Center. *Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.*

Lawndale has long been an important part of the Houston arts community, launching the Art Car Parade movement and staging infamous wigged-out galas such as the Lawndale Hair Ball. The nonprofit art center has become a renowned place to experience art and serves as an incubator for artists to thrive. This night celebrates those achievements and provides a way for Houstonians to continue their support of this local art unifier.

Blast from the past and mind blowing hair. Hair Ball co-founders Victoria and Marshal Lightman, 1997 — Here’s a blast from the past — and mind-blowing ‘dos: Hair Ball co-founders Victoria and Marshal Lightman, 1997. *Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.*

The evening includes cocktails, dinner from A Fare Extraordinaire and studio visits with artists Jacquelyne Boe and Dsvid Janesko, Gerardo Rosales and Holly Veselka.

Gift Guide

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For a $250 donation, art backers can win a number of impressive prizes, including a party portrait by Emily Peacock; artworks by Artist Studio Program participants Jacquelyne Boe + David Janesko, Gerardo Rosales and Holly Veselka; and use of Lawndale’s garden and galleries for their own future fête.

Become a piece of art like the example shown here of Emily Peacock's show at the Art Museum of South Texas. — Become a piece of art, like the examples shown here of Emily Peacock’s show at the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi. *Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.*

Also on the bill is a live performance of Chirality III, choreographed by Jacquelyne Boe and David Janesko. During the silent auction, there will be entertainment from Dart Collective. Seeing vintage Lawndale archives spanning 40-plus years, including organization’s paper, photo and video archives, all creatively compiled into videos by the talented Paradox duo, Peter Lucas and Camilo Gonzalez, might be an even bigger thrill.

This watercolor artist from New York City creates a personal pantheon of secular and religious saints and martyrs. Jennifer may Reiland's "Empress Carlota Remembers her Domains in Mexico," 2020. — Watercolor artist Jennifer May Reiland from New York City creates a personal pantheon of secular and religious saints and martyrs. Reiland’s “Empress Carlota Remembers her Domains in Mexico,” 2020. *Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.*

Silent Auction Artists

Regina Agu, Michael Bise, Antonius-Tín Bui, Jamal Cyrus, Francesca Fuchs, Joe Havel, Robert Hodge, Tierney Malone, Marcelyn McNeil, Emily Peacock, Jennifer May Reiland, Gerardo Rosales, Holly Veselka, and more.

Venezuelan born Houstonian artist Gerardo Flores' "Going into Troubled Waters," 2021 — Venezuelan-born Houston artist Gerardo Rosales’ “Going into Troubled Waters,” 2021. *Courtesy Lawndale Art Center.*

Ticket Info

General tickets are $500; tables are $1,000 to $5,000 and can be purchased here. A sneak preview of the art available for purchase (valued at $1,000 to $6,000) and pre-event bidding are already active and can be found here. You can also see the Paradox vintage videos here, here, here, and here.

Upcoming Lawndale Art Center shows include “The Big Show” and Emily Peacock.