Houston’s Outer Space Party Tests the Limits of Fundraising for Sculpture Month

When Art Appears in Unexpected Places

By Luany Van-Dunem Maiato // Dec 23, 2019

Photography Sage Hansen

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Felipe Medellin, Antarctica Black, Chelsea Sallans (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Margaret Smithers-Crump, Margaux Crump (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Chair Catherine D. Anspon, Ute Eisele (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Edwardo Portillo, chair Jane Eifler, Meg Poissant, Loli Fernández-Andrade Kolber (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Patrick Turk, Jessica Kreutter (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Claire Cusack, Kathy Frietsch (Photo by Sage Hansen)

David Feinstein & chair Orna Feinstein (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Barbara Davis, Loli Fernández-Andrade Kolber (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Antarctica Black, Kelly Simmons, Chris Silkwood (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Volker & Ute Eisele (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Caroline Graham, Diane Gregory, Jeanne Haner, Florent Porcher, Chelsea Sallans (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Edwardo Portillo, Barbara Davis (Photo by Sage Hansen)

Antarctica Black, Lina Dib, Volker Eisele, Florent Porcher (Photo by Sage Hansen)

What: Lift Off: Outta Space fundraiser for Sculpture Month Houston

Where: SITE Gallery at Sawyer Yards

PC Moment: The raucous first fundraiser benefiting Sculpture Month Houston was an irreverent and fun-filled night inspired by everything outer space, extraterrestrial, Space City, retro green men-inspired costumes and more.

Chairs PaperCity Arts Editor Catherine D. Anspon, gallerist Deborah Colton, painter, drawer, and collagist Jane Eifler, artist and print-maker Orna Feinstein, and collector, patron, and Art Man Lester Marks hosted the bash at the cool confines SITE Gallery, at the feet of the iconic Silos at Sawyer Yards.

Guests were encouraged to dress according to theme – Outta Space, borrowing its title and influence from the concurrent show at SITE – while enjoying an evening of enthusiastic dancing (with live music courtesy Tin Night, consisting of a trio of out-of-this-world artists Joe Havel, Steve Murphy and Bob Russell), light snacks and live and silent art auctions.

The successful first-ever Sculpture Month Houston fundraiser (all live auction pieces were auctioned off) came to life due to a dedicated group of volunteers and an all-star team of chairs.

Top lots in the auctions featured names such as James Surls, Sharon Kopriva, Sharon Engelstein and Felipe Lopez. The live auction was co-chaired by SMH organizers and curators Antarctica Black and Volker Eisele, Ken General and Anspon.

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Sculpture Month Houston aims to create a platform where new and established sculptors can showcase alongside each other, creating a dialogue on a citywide, public scale and highlighting sculpture as a featured medium in Houston. Eisele and Black curate shows in venues such as the 1940s Air Terminal Museum at Hobby Airport and unexpected spaces (including City Hall) alike.

PC Seen: Sculptor Dylan Conner, gallerist Barbara Davis, costume designer Claire Cusack, collector Brad Blume, Meg Poissant, Florent Porcher, and artists Lina Dib, Edwardo Portillo, Loli Fernández-Andrade Kolber, and Patrick Turk.