LOCAL Houston | The City Guide JANUARY 2016 | Page 20

ART

THE WORK OF DAVID ADICKES
If you’ve lived in Houston for any amount of time, it’s likely you’ve seen the
work of DAVID ADICKES, one of Houston’s most well-known and established
artists. Among Adickes varied work, you can count the Sam Houston statue
off of TX-75 near Huntsville, the presidential heads around town and the
highly publicized and recent “We Love Houston” sign located off of I-10.
From Mayor Annise Parker’s re-election campaign launch to national car
commercials, the sign has become a popular tourist attraction in the Houston
area. Some of his personal favorites include the cello statue (Virtuoso) downtown, The Beatles figures and a Charlie Chaplin statue, all pieces he’s built
over his career. Most recently, he’s found a home for his recognizable ART
piece in the Summer and Winter Street Studios area, right by Sawyer
Street. “I did this piece to create an iconic entrance to the area,” says
David, as he talks about the upcoming 32 acres of artist studios and brewery
planned for development.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE ENDLESSLY BUSY ARTIST? A 100-foot tall astronaut slated to be adjacent to I-45 at the NASA bypass loop in Webster. If
you want to catch his art, you can set an appointment to visit The Adickes
Foundation, an 80,000sf museum dedicated to his work. The renovated
museum was formerly Adickes high school, slated for demolition and saved
by the artist himself. With over 350 original pieces, it’s become a collection
that will expand as David continues to leave his mark on Houston art.

www.facebook.com/DAVID-ADICKES
By Adam Bergen
Photography by Max Burkhalter

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L O C A L

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