"Visual jazz" paintings with a local flavor by artist Sherry Tseng Hill are on display at City Hall this week before installation in the community meeting room at the new Southwest Police Station.
“Our public spaces are made more enjoyable by the addition of public art, and the City’s investment brings lasting benefit to the community,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “The new police station opened its doors in December. But before these community-inspired paintings are installed, stop by City Hall and join us in welcoming Sherry Tseng Hill’s work into the City Art Collection.”
Entitled “Beat Sounds,” the series of paintings is the first public art commission for Houston-based Hill. Described as “visual jazz,” Hill’s art uses a variety of media to create intricate pieces that evoke what it is like to be in a big city.
“Reflecting the multi-layered world we live in, I often layer imagery and pattern, and play with combining opposite expressions,” said Hill. “I constantly explore different techniques and mediums to create textures and see how they can best tell the story or convey the emotions I hope to evoke.”
Hill allows her love for art to transform the way she sees the world. Her exhibit “Houston Remixed - Songs, Dances, and Sentinels of Time” is at Archway Gallery through March 1, 2018.
The selection panel for art at the new police station included representatives from the Houston Police Department, the architecture firm designing Southwest Police Station, the community surrounding the new station, and Houston artists and arts professionals. The selection process and management of the artist’s projects are provided by Houston Arts Alliance, under contract with the city and in conjunction with the City General Services Department.
In 1999, the City of Houston established an ordinance mandating that 1.75% of qualified Capital Improvement Project monies be set aside for civic art. The program is managed by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs.
The paintings may be viewed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this week at City Hall, 901 Bagby St.
For more information about the City’s Cultural Programs go to www.houstontx.gov/culturalaffairs or follow the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs on Facebook @HoustonMOCA.