Spring Branch ISD Featured News

You might think Spring Branch ISD has a new kind of superhero when passing by the Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum (AYAM) in the next few weeks.

Perched atop a steel armature, almost 15 feet off the ground, is a red-bearded, paint splattered, modern-day hero at work. Like other heroes in SBISD, he’s an educator and a staunch supporter of the community.

Meet Sculptor Patrick Renner. Renner, dodging the threat of rain, focuses on finishing the armature of a new permanent sculpture at AYAM. It’s his first museum installation and a part of the museum’s new HEArt Exhibit opening this month. 

Renner’s a big deal, just like his sculpture. As an established figure in the Houston art scene, his work has been part of the Houston downtown skyline and its soul during recent years. He is also a veteran educator with 10 years of experience in the classroom. This combination of creative and committed community champion is what attracted him to AYAM and the HEArt Exhibit.

HEArt will showcase more than 30 artists and include a wide range of media, all up for auction and bid. Funds raised will support the art museum and arts education in Spring Branch.

As curator Leann Newton said about the upcoming event, “There is a variety of media…something for every collector.” 

Renner’s work and painting collaboration will kick off a month of HEArt activity at the museum. The painting party is this coming Saturday, Oct. 6, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the museum. 

The party, an AYAM First Saturday event, promises to be a fun and momentous experience. Renner and AYAM have invited community members to participate and paint wooden pieces that will be installed on the façade of his design. In Renner’s words, “It’s a parallel to the diversity of the community and the energy of the people of Houston, all coming together in a moment.”

That moment will be captured when the wooden pieces are installed on the work. The design, Rest, was created by Renner, as a response to and a reflection on the museum’s robust collection of African and Asian artwork. Building on iconography found in both traditions, his design brings a bit of the museum to the outdoors. 

The design also finds a powerful companion to the museum’s existing mural, a work previously completed by Daniel Anguila, another well-known Houston artist. 

Anguila’s work has greeted museum visitor’s during recent years with a robust cloak of color and two-dimensional design. 

“It does make reference to those things. But, it’s also uniquely its own. There’s a conversation there,” said Renner, about how his new work will interplay with the surrounding space and the museum’s existing personality.  “It’s a conversation between the two,” said Renner. 

As the crane powers down and Renner looks up at the steel structure in place, he is silent for a moment. One imagines the transformation to come, once the next phase of his design is complete. “I hope that it does cause people to pause,” said Renner. “I want them to experience the museum in a little bit different way.”

That experience will begin on Saturday when community members line up to put paint and fingerprints on Rest. For more information about the event, visit the AYAM website.

HEArt Calendar of Events @AYAM

• HEArt First Saturday at AYAM: Oct. 6, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Free event open to the public 901 Yorkchester Dr, Houston, TX 77079
• HEArt Exhibit SBISD Night: Oct. 19 Entry with an Employee ID, Guests are asked to give a $5 donation. 
• HEArt Exhibit Opening: Oct. 20, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $25. Advance purchase $20.
• Exhibit Hours: Oct. 22 – Nov. 3 Mon. thru Thurs. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and Sat. 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. with a $5 donation.
• Exhibit bidding will go live on Oct. 20 at 5:00 p.m. for VIP guests. All other attendees will begin bidding at 6:00 p.m. The bidding has a “Buy it Now” price but bids will continue until Nov. 3. 
• Regular museum hours are Tues. thru Thurs., 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or by appointment. 

Be sure to hashtag your social media using the tag #ayamheart.

AYAM Website

Submitted by Melissa Wiland, SBISD Communications, melissa.wiland@springbranchisd.com.