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Katy Heritage Park displays local art in new Fine Arts Center
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By Luciano Battistini
Times Staff Reporter
The Katy Heritage Society and ARTreach celebrated the grand opening of the Katy Heritage Fine Arts Center at the Katy Heritage Park on Saturday.
“The center will be open the first Saturday of every month and will sell a range of unique items created by craftsmen and fine artists in the community,” Katy Heritage Society president Linda Mikeska said.
“It’s a great opportunity for Katy residents to get to know the local culture and help further enrich the community at the same time.”
The center featured artwork by local and professional artists and a gift shop containing whimsical and eclectic art pieces for sale.
From noon to 5 p.m., the new art center showcased artifacts made from ceramic, knitted objects and paintings, stamps and pictures.
“We have a few local artists here with us today who are displaying their different types of local art,” said Terri Bieber, executive director of Katy ARTreach.
“The artists will usually be here to talk to the public about their art and help reach them in a very personal way.”
The KHFAC portrayed the artifacts, which were grouped by style, in a couple of rooms at the Stockdick Home, 5990 George Bush Drive at Katy Heritage Park.
ARTreach selected local work that represents a historical array of functional art items. These included wheel thrown pottery, milk pitchers, flour bowls, drinking cups and decanters by Marissa Vitola and Sony Hartley, with custom 1830’s dinnerware by Stacy Baer.
“I usually work with pottery,” said Sony Hartley, who also teaches art at Exley Elementary.
“The way I do it is I heat the ceramic object up to about 3,000 degrees, and I take it out, and I use horse hair to make designs on it. So I only have like a two-minute window to make the designs.”
Also on display were handmade soaps by Michelle Hurd and hand-knitted cotton and wool scarves, jackets and mittens by artist Maxine Rothman.
Tourists were not only able to see the artifacts being displayed that afternoon but also talk to the artists, as most were present during the entire exhibition.
Rothman demonstrated knitting techniques and provided free lessons to visitors.
“Most of what I do is just knit something and explain my techniques as people watch,” Rothman said.
Other artists seem to prefer this medium to explain their work.
“It’s neat being able to display my items in this fashion,” contemporary artist Elizabeth Bailey said. “My type of art is the kind that needs certain explanation to understand how I made it.”
Bailey uses stamps that print public domain images to which she adds settings and backgrounds to create a work of art that is both contemporary yet contains borrowed images from the past. Bailey was also the artist of the month.
ARTreach and the Katy Heritage Society have formed this partnership to promote the cultural arts in Katy.
The Katy Heritage Arts Center will host monthly demonstrations, display fine art and sell creative gifts. Sale proceeds will benefit ARTreach and Katy Heritage Society programs.
“I think this a good opportunity for us long-time residents to appreciate what some of our local artists have to show,” Katy resident Austin Isbell said.
The ARTreach/Katy Heritage Society partnership has combined the KHS mission to protect and preserve the historic resources of the Katy area, with the vision of ARTreach – to unite and empower communities to succeed through cultural awareness and the arts.
On the first Saturday of each month, the center will offer art demonstrations and historical theater and music presentations through ARTreach’s partnerships with the Houston Theater District and Young Audiences.
“The center will be open the first Saturday of every month and will sell a range of unique items created by craftsmen and fine artists in the community,” Katy Heritage Society president Linda Mikeska said.
“It’s a great opportunity for Katy residents to get to know the local culture and help further enrich the community at the same time.”
The center featured artwork by local and professional artists and a gift shop containing whimsical and eclectic art pieces for sale.
From noon to 5 p.m., the new art center showcased artifacts made from ceramic, knitted objects and paintings, stamps and pictures.
“We have a few local artists here with us today who are displaying their different types of local art,” said Terri Bieber, executive director of Katy ARTreach.
“The artists will usually be here to talk to the public about their art and help reach them in a very personal way.”
The KHFAC portrayed the artifacts, which were grouped by style, in a couple of rooms at the Stockdick Home, 5990 George Bush Drive at Katy Heritage Park.
ARTreach selected local work that represents a historical array of functional art items. These included wheel thrown pottery, milk pitchers, flour bowls, drinking cups and decanters by Marissa Vitola and Sony Hartley, with custom 1830’s dinnerware by Stacy Baer.
“I usually work with pottery,” said Sony Hartley, who also teaches art at Exley Elementary.
“The way I do it is I heat the ceramic object up to about 3,000 degrees, and I take it out, and I use horse hair to make designs on it. So I only have like a two-minute window to make the designs.”
Also on display were handmade soaps by Michelle Hurd and hand-knitted cotton and wool scarves, jackets and mittens by artist Maxine Rothman.
Tourists were not only able to see the artifacts being displayed that afternoon but also talk to the artists, as most were present during the entire exhibition.
Rothman demonstrated knitting techniques and provided free lessons to visitors.
“Most of what I do is just knit something and explain my techniques as people watch,” Rothman said.
Other artists seem to prefer this medium to explain their work.
“It’s neat being able to display my items in this fashion,” contemporary artist Elizabeth Bailey said. “My type of art is the kind that needs certain explanation to understand how I made it.”
Bailey uses stamps that print public domain images to which she adds settings and backgrounds to create a work of art that is both contemporary yet contains borrowed images from the past. Bailey was also the artist of the month.
ARTreach and the Katy Heritage Society have formed this partnership to promote the cultural arts in Katy.
The Katy Heritage Arts Center will host monthly demonstrations, display fine art and sell creative gifts. Sale proceeds will benefit ARTreach and Katy Heritage Society programs.
“I think this a good opportunity for us long-time residents to appreciate what some of our local artists have to show,” Katy resident Austin Isbell said.
The ARTreach/Katy Heritage Society partnership has combined the KHS mission to protect and preserve the historic resources of the Katy area, with the vision of ARTreach – to unite and empower communities to succeed through cultural awareness and the arts.
On the first Saturday of each month, the center will offer art demonstrations and historical theater and music presentations through ARTreach’s partnerships with the Houston Theater District and Young Audiences.
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