In conjunction with the exhibition Collection Close-Up: Of Heaven and Earth, artist Joseph Havel and curator Paul R. Davis explore the art and science of birds. Havel’s recent work with his sculpting partner, an African Grey parrot named Hannah, is the catalyst for a conversation about artistic creativity and collaboration, the symbolism of avian imagery in the Menil’s exhibition, and the essential role birds play in the planet’s ecology.
About the Artist:
Joseph Havel is Director of the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. He earned his MFA at Pennsylvania State University. Havel is the recipient of several artist awards and residencies, including the 2019 Brown Foundation Artist Residency at the Dora Maar House, Menerbes, France; the 2013 Texas Visual Artist, The Texas Commission for the Arts and Texas State Legislature; the 2010 Texas Artist of the Year, Art League of Houston. Havel’s Parrot Architecture exhibition at the Hiram Butler Gallery in September 2019 featured a new series of sculptures on which he collaborated with Hannah.
This program is free and open to the public; seating is available on a first-come first-serve basis. Further information regarding accessibility and parking can be found here.
