Play The Texas Coast September - November | Página 21

A must stop during your fall travels should include a visit to the newly created Five Points
Museum of Contemporary Art in Victoria. Art is an ability to “place” for all to see what is in
the mind of the artist on something. Whether it is depicted on the cave walls of our ancestors,
on canvas, glass, wood or even an automobile, it is the primary characteristic which makes us
human. Visualization is the essence of how we think, and the very thing that makes us unique.
The Museum was named after the five stop signs at the nearby intersection of Houston Highway, North Moody and West North streets with the unique corner building having once served
as a Lincoln and Mercury car dealership. The building and its’ location was a natural fit for museum founder and artist Ann Harithas’ vision who also founded the Art Car Museum in Houston and who has strong ties with the movement. She chose the museum’s location and name to
play on several levels of meaning. She wanted to create an exhibition space at the “Five Points”
intersection for both its literal central location and its symbolic placement at the “Crossroads
of South Texas” and she has accomplished just that! It’s fascinating, intriguing and fun! Like the
art it exhibits and its founder the Five Points Museum of Contemporary Art is one-of-a-kind!
On September 17th, the Museum will celebrate the opening exhibit of “Street Photography
from Victoria and Beyond”, the photographic art of Ernesto Leon with a reception from
5-8pm. Themes such as cultural resistance, anti-globalization, anti-war, anti-imperialism and
anti-racism movements, along with natural environment concerns and discrimination are at
the heart of Ernesto’s works. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Leon studied at the School of Art
and Crafts in Madrid, Spain; the Restoration and Conservation at the National University of
Mexico (UNAM); and studied visual arts at NYU, New York City, NY. With more than 25 years
of experience and many solo shows and group exhibitions, Leon has been invited to numerous
international venues, and his work is part of private and public collections in the United States
as well as abroad. He is involved in community affairs, independent media and non-commercial radio, and has weekly programs on Radio Pacifica and on Houston Media Source TV.
“I am a free and independent communicator, the kind who carries only a small camera. I see
the city as a stage and its people as the actors in search of the soul of those who are concerned
with the people, with their rights and their challenges.” Ernesto Leon
This promises to be a dynamic look through the lens of what goes on in the world around us
and is a must see exhibit for all those interested in not only art but also life. “Street Photography from Victoria and Beyond” will run through December 11, 2016 and if you haven’t yet
been to the new Five Points Museum of Contemporary Art this will be an awesome reception
to attend. And if you’ve never seen an art car up close now’s your chance! The museum will
exhibit several unique pieces of “drivable” art throughout the year!
The wide variety of art Harithas and the Museum will be featuring required a versatile space
and the Museum has a variety of options when it comes to showing art. Recently on display
was the Lost Worlds: New Drawings and Sculpture exhibit by Houston artist Noah Edmundson who is recognized for his detailed drawings, metal work and art car contributions. The
reception in June showcasing his work was amazing. Edmundson is director and curator of
Houston’s Art Car Museum and has been featured numerous times in museums in Texas and
across the United States.
The Museum is located at 1201 N. Moody Street near Harithas’ childhood home and is open
Thursday through Sunday 11am-5pm. Admission is FREE! According to Harithas, free admission is and always will be a fundamental feature to the Museum. “It won’t work unless they
don’t charge admission,” she said. “Because I want to think that everybody can get in and not
have to worry about how much they’re spending to get in.” Thank you Miss Ann!
Ann Harithas was born in Houston, Texas. She received her BA at University of Texas, in Austin, and MFA at Rice University, in Houston. She has had solo exhibitions in Texas and Washington, DC. She has participated in many group exhibitions in the United States, Mexico, Peru,
India, and China. Harithas lives and works in Houston, Texas.
For more information about the Five Points Museum of Contemporary Art visit their website
at fivepointsmuseum.com or call [phone].

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