Despite
the cool and overcast weather a gracious crowd of Port
of Houston Authority personnel, dignitaries, public officials
and business leaders convened under the Sam Houston Pavilion Monday
November 15, 2004, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Port
of Houston. Covered by royal blue drapes, a six part mosaic mural
project documenting the growth and expansion of the port, awaited
unveiling by the artists and students that have spent the past
four months producing the monumental work of art.
Executive
Director of the Museum of Cultural Arts Houston, Reginald
Adams suggests that the murals are symbolic of the mosaic
of people that have made the Port of Houston the sixth
largest port in the world and one of the greatest economic
stimulants to our city.
In
November 2003, Adams was approached by Port of Houston Community
Relations Manager, Grace Moolchan, to propose
an art project for the Port's visitor's center. After several
rounds of preliminary planning meetings MOCAH created a series
of designs that were accepted and approved by the port commissioners.
After the project was approved by the Port of Houston Authority
the artists spent the following four months producing handmade
ceramic tiles along with commercial tiles that make up the imagery
for the six brilliantly colored mosaic murals.
Lead
by artist, Prince Maduekwe, the six murals, each
measuring 10 feet by 18 feet, were produced by six teens from
the Fifth Ward WorkSource program and over 30
youth from the Holthouse Boys & Girls Club,
located in the Second Ward.
Several
of the young artists were on site the day of the dedication to
assist in the unveiling. Turrord Williams, a
17 year old WorkSource teen offered his thoughts on the completed
murals, "When we started this project I never thought we
could do something this big and even now that it's up on the walls
I still can't believe we did this."
"We
hope that these murals will be around for another 90 years to
help tell the story about how important the Port of Houston is
to our city, our region and the country," said Adams.
"This
is just one more example as to how artists, businesses and community
groups can collaborate successfully," said co-founder of
MOCAH Rhonda Radford Adams.
The
Museum of Cultural Arts Houston (MOCAH) is funded in
part by grants from the City of Houston through the Cultural
Arts Council of Houston/Harris County.
LOCATION:
7300 Clinton Drive, Gate 8, Sam Houston Pavilion Visitor’s
Center
DIRECTIONS:
Leave East Loop 610 at Clinton Drive (exit 28). Proceed
west on Clinton, past McCarty, to Gate 8. Enter Gate 8 and stay
to the right. Security personnel and signs will direct you to
the Sam Houston Pavilion.
PROJECT
WEB SITE: http://www.mocah.org/newsite/poh/index.htm
CONTACT:
Call 713.864.2780 or send email to reginald@mocah.org
MOCAH
uses art & creativity as tools for social and community development.
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