What is the Point of ArtHouston?

ArtHouston is a big event happening this Saturday. Here is a description from the ArtHouston website (with commentary by yours truly):

The  Summer  Event  of  ArtHouston  2010,  encompassing  exhibitions  at  more than  30  galleries,  will  open  Saturday,  July 10.  A day  long  event,  it  is  expected  to  be  the  busiest  day  of  the  year  with  many  galleries  holding  evening  receptions. 

(You might ask--what kind of party animal iron-man can hit 30 openings? I can't and I am really good at it. That's why it's nice if galleries have their openings on different nights. Thank God "The Big Show" is opening Friday.)

A  wide  range  of  work  will  be  on  display, from  realist  to  abstract  paintings,  sculpture  to  mixed  media  constructions,  drawings  and  works  on  paper,  collage  and  photography.  The  featured  artists  will  be  both  emerging  regional talents  and  established  artists  from  around  the  world.

(In any group of 30 galleries at any time during the year, this description holds, which makes one wonder what distinguishes this day from any other day.)

Participating  galleries  include  those  along  Colquitt, in  the  Museum District,  the Heights  and  other  areas.  The galleries  of  ArtHouston  invite you  to  their  opening  activities  and  to  exhibitions  continuing  through  the  month.  The ArtHouston July Exhibition guide, available mid-June, will provide opening times for each gallery. 

The  ArtHouston  Summer  event  is  free  and  open  to  the  public.

(In my personal experience, art galleries, being commercial enterprises, are always free and almost always open to the public--although a small number require appointments.)

ArtHouston also provides to the public a year long Houston Gallery Guide, giving you access to find exactly what you are looking for.  Brochures may be picked up at all participating galleries beginning in mid-June.   For  more  information  on  this  event or  to  receive  a  copy  of  the  brochure  please  call  Mariah Rockefeller  at  713.522.9116

(This sounds handy!)


I'm sure it will be just fine. I object to so many shows opening at once because it makes it hard for me to see them all. Having a bunch of galleries open on the same night is actually inconvenient. But mainly, I just don't see the point. There is no unifying theme or event (unlike, say, FotoFest or the Artcrawl). But maybe I'm just a big spoilsport. I'll definitely be present at at least some of the openings Friday. See you there!