Art and Wine Events Featuring Artist Nicola Parente at Nos Caves Vin in Houston Texas

Drinks Media Wire - Art and Wine Events Featuring Artist Nicola Parente at Nos Caves Vin in Houston Texas

SEPTEMBER 16th and 17th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
NCV - NOS CAVES VIN
2501 Wroxton Rd.
Houston, TX 77005

Nos Caves Vin and Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Inc. are pleased to present artists talks with Nicola Parente accompanied by wine tastings on two consecutive evenings,

In conjunction with the exhibit Edge of Awakening – Paintings by Nicola Parente at Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Inc., Nos Caves Vin will host two consecutive evenings of art and wine. The program is the same for both nights. Nicola Parente will discuss his new works and a wine tasting will be led by Brent Sloan, Wine Director at Nos Caves Vin.

“Only that day dawns to which we are awake.”

These words by Henry David Thoreau inspire Nicola Parente’s new body of work - Edge of Awakening. The dynamic series of expressive abstract paintings explores neither awakening or its opposite, but the uncertain worlds between the two where each person must choose among possibilities. Those choices, those points of decision, visited and re-visited, both discover and invent the nature of our lives.

In the paintings comprising the series, Parente embraces negative space to evoke a sense of limitlessness. On a predominantly white ground, lines of black and intermittent color appear and re-appear in ever-changing intervals and variant shades whose only clear boundary is the edge of the medium.

Parente works from his studio in Houston, Texas. Born in Italy, he draws from a rich Italian heritage and a deep well of cross-cultural experiences to bring his art to life. Most recently, Parente’s work was selected for Texas Art 2010 juried exhibition. In 2009, his work was featured in an exhibition, Transparent/Translucent, at the Museum Gallery, University of Texas, in San Antonio.

Nos Caves Vin (NCV) is Houston’s premiere off site wine storage facility. Wine lovers can store their prized collections in a highly secure, climate controlled space and enjoy access to a private lounge and other wine collection services. The décor, featuring American clay, cork, and porcelain tile surfaces combine with the stained concrete floor to create an ambiance that is conducive to conversation and appreciation of fine wines and fine art. NCV prides itself on being active in Houston’s art community and is proud to display a rotating exhibit of fine art.

For more information, please contact Nos Caves Vin 713-524-2554 or Elise Arnoult at Gremillion &Co. Fine Art, Inc. 713-522-2701.

Nicola Parente's "Edge of Awakening" Solo Exhibition, Friday, September 10, 2010 at Gremillion &Co. Fine Art, Houston TX

Gremillion &Co. Fine Art is pleased to present, Edge of Awakening, new paintings by Nicola Parente.

“Only that day dawns to which we are awake.”

These words by Henry David Thoreau inspire Nicola Parente’s new body of work Edge of Awakening. The dynamic series of expressive abstract paintings explores neither awakening nor its opposite, but the uncertain worlds between the two where each person must choose among possibilities. Those choices, those points of decision, visited and re-visited, both discover and invent the nature of our lives.

Opening Reception - Friday September 10, 2010, 6-8PM
2501 Sunset Blvd., Houston, TX
Open to the public. Free event.

Exhibit continues through October 9, 2010
Tuesday – Saturday 10-5PM

A landscape of artistic hearts blooms at River Oaks' Belle Meade

CULTURE MAP HOUSTON - SHELBY'S SOCIAL DIARY
A landscape of artistic hearts blooms at River Oaks' Belle Meade
By Shelby Hodge

As if Cupid had waved his magic wand across the grounds of the new Belle Meade mid-rise on the cusp of River Oaks, nine oversized, very creative hearts rose from the landscape surrounding the sleek swimming pool.

Actually, it was a joint project of the American Heart Association and Grayco Partners, an artistic effort to keep the importance of heart health at the forefront of everyone's thinking. Expect to see the boldly colorful creations sprouting along the Belle Meade perimeter along Westheimer during the month of June.

Contributing their time and talents were "heart deco artists" Quinton Alberto, Kermit Eisenhut, Charlie Ferguson, Richard Fluhr, Travis Hedeman, Loli Fernandez-Andrade, Nicola Parente, Tra Slaughter and Wendy Wagner.

Special friends enjoyed a preview of the heart-scape at a recent cocktail reception. As guests schmoozed around the pool, they noshed on taste treats from Yelapa (ceviche on a spoon, anyone?) and swayed to the sounds of Steel Vibrations, a steel drum band.

Serving as hosts were Susan and Jeff Gray, the honch at Grayco Partners, a national real estate firm based in Houston.

Checking out the artwork were guests including Philamena Baird, Amber Baker, Mary Ann McKeithan, Maggie and John Nicholson, Don Sanders, Susan Sanders, Barbara Duganier, Roz and Alan Pactor andNeil Tosfky.

PaperCity, Hot Wheels by Catherine D. Anspon

PaperCity
Hot Wheels
By Catherine D. Anspon
March 24, 2010

As a harbinger of spring — and the upcoming Art Car Parade — Art Bike rolls, a just debuted presentation of urban non-motorized cycles, ahem, enhanced by hometown talents, including well regarded art car artists like Brian "Visker" Mahanay, and the incomparable Natali LeDuc. McMurtrey Gallery-exhibited painter Sandi Seltzer Bryant and Nicola Parente, who's in the Gremillion stable, also transform two-wheel rides with the goal to raise awareness about MS; the Multiple Sclerosis Society: Lone Star organized this raucous exhibition. "Art Bike 2010," Discovery Green, through April 25.

Art from the Heart for the Heart

My short interview on Fox 26 News. Click here ===> Art from the Heart for the Heart

Art from the Heart for the Heart
Updated: Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 11:55 AM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 11:55 AM CDT

HOUSTON - One 'hearty' art display will feature standing painted heart shapes as interpreted by ten different visual artists.

The artists from the Houston-area are sharing their talents as part of Heart Deco, which benefits the American Heart Association.

The ten hearts will be on display from May 25 through June at The Belle Meade at River Oaks apartment complex and will then be moved thoughout Westheimer Road near the Highland Village shopping district.

Barbara Duganier from the American Heart Association and artists Kermit Eisenhut and Nicola Parente bring several of the hearts to FOX 26 Morning News, with host Jose Grinan, as a preview to the Heart Deco display.

Heart Deco Art Exhibit, Raising Awareness for the American Heart Association

"Urban Heart" by Nicola Parente

Nicola Parente is one of ten artist chosen to participate in this years Heart Deco Project to raise awareness for the American Heart Association. Grayco Partners and The Belle Meade at River Oaks will be presenting artworks by Nicola Parente, Wendy Wagner, Richard Fluhr, Quinton Alberto, Kermit Eisenhut, Loli Fernandez-Andrade Kolber, Charlie Ferguson, Travis Hedemann, Tra Slaughter, and Sarh Golightly. Also made possible by Heart Deco sponsors: Grayco Partners, Brighton, Humana, DHL Global Forwarding, and Tini Mendenhall-Sosa.

Ten Hearts, Ten Artists, One Cause
Opening Reception and Preview - Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Belle Meade at River Oaks, 2929 Westheimer Rd
From 6:00pm to 8:00pm

The Watchful Eye, Writers in the Schools and The Menil Collection

Writers in the Schools and The Menil Collection are proud to present The Watchful Eye, a reading of student poetry and prose in response to exhibitions by Joaquin Torres-Garcia and Maurizio Cattelan. Also featured is student art inspired by these exhibitions, made with the assistance of Houston-based artist Nicola Parente

The experimental collaboration between WITS and The Menil Collection, began in 1990, has blossomed into a nationally- acclaimed, innovative use of art to inspire creative writing.

In addition, poets from Glass Mountain, the undergraduate literary journal for the University of Houston, will read work in response to WITS student pieces. The stories and poems will reflect how writing and art can become a kind of dialogue, interacting with and responding to one another.

WITS and The Menil Collection welcome noted art critic, curator, and lecturer Susie Kalil as the guest speaker for tonight's reading.

Writers in the schools and The Menil Collection would like to thank the following organizations for their support:
The Vale-Asche Foundation, The Simmons Foundation, City of Houston, Texas Commission on the Arts, and HAA Houston Arts Alliance.

Articulation 2010 - A group exhibition by Art Chatter Members - Sat. May 22, 5 to 8 pm

Parente to participate in Articulation 2010, a group exhibition by Art Chatter. Opening reception, Saturday May 22, 5:00 - 8:00 pm with Artists talk beginning at 5:30 pm, Audley Society, 3231 Audley Street (2nd Floor), Houston, TX 77098. This is a one day only event. Participating artists include: Tami Merrick, Donna E Perkins, Lynne Rutzky, Nicola Parente, Carol Mckee, Scott Woodard, Andis Applewhite, Laura Feld, Joe Aker, Raymond Saucillo, and Jeanette Chinelli. Also showing on 1st floor is works by Keith Hollingsworth.

When: Saturday, May 22, 2010
Where: Audley Society, 3231 Audley Street (2nd Floor), Houston, TX 77098
Time: 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Art Chatter is a community of artist that provides its members with a supportive forum for an exchange of ideas, information and critical responses to individual works of art.

Prime Living Magazine - March/April 2010

One of Nicola Parente's paintings seen in the March/April issue of Prime Living Magazine.

Culture Map Houston - March 23, 2010

KICKSTAND KICKSTART
Righteous art bikes run through Discovery Green
By Steven Thomson
Photos by James Black
March 23rd, 2010

Nicole Strine shares a personal connection to multiple sclerosis patients through her work at MRI Technologies. It's natural for this connection to translate into her art.

Strine's "I'm a Princess!" piece for ART BIKE 2010 includes rhinestones, feathers, mirror pieces, silicone, glitter and a tiara because "something sparkling and colorful makes me smile and is quite the opposite of the gray scale imaging I see daily."

Gray is out at Discovery Green for Art Bike 2010. So is anything that looks like an MRI exam or anything else to do with the regular medical intrusions that multiple sclerosis patients have to go through for that matter.

ART BIKE 2010 is an outdoor exhibition of more than 20 artistically reinterpreted bicycles presented by the National MS Society: Lone Star Chapter. It started this week and runs through April 25. A roster of Houston's A-list contemporary artists was drafted to create the exhibit — think Art Car Parade with a righteous reference to the MS 150 bike ride.

The group show gracing the Bill and Andrea White Promenade aims to raise awareness and communicate the Society's theme of "Keep Moving", a motivational message about the importance of multiple sclerosis patients to keep their eyes on the future, in which the as yet incurable diseases may be conquered.

On a heavy note, bike artist Nicola Parente's "Bloom Cell" was inspired by the need for alternative fuel, as well as a reference to the pivotal role stem cell research may play in MS research.

Many of the exhibition's artists were on hand at an unveiling to elucidate their visions. "Lonestar Flyers" was created by GONZO247 of art collective Aersol Warfare in tribute to a grassroots grafitti artists' MS 150 bike riding team. Explains the artist, "I tried to incorporate elements of graffiti into the entire body, from scraping fades, to the paint drips, to cut out pieces of a graffitied wall." GONZO247 hopes to honor his friends and family who suffer from MS through this enigmatic piece.

The exhibit strives to raise awareness of MS — every hour, one person is diagnosed with the unpredictable and often debilitating disease. This collection of compelling bicycles will try to enlighten Discovery Green visitors, and keep us all moving forward.

New photography works by Nicola Parente, on view now at Gremillion & Co Fine Art

During FotoFest 2010, Gremillion & Co. Fine Art will be showing a new series of photographs titled Illuminare by artist Nicola Parente. In the main gallery Gremillion is featuring the works of photographer Jon Edwards, A Way of Being.

Opening Reception, Friday March 19, 6-8pm
Exhibition continues through April 25

Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, 2501 Sunset Blvd., Houston, Texas 77005, Phone 713-522-2701

Local Artists Transform Used Bikes into Art for MS Awareness

Local Artists Transform Used Bikes into Art for MS Awareness

Parente to participate in the Global Fund for Women - fund raising event.

Artist Nicola Parente has donated artwork for this years International Women's Day Celebration benefiting Global Fund For Women. The Global Fund for Women is a nonprofit grantmaking foundation that advances women's human rights worldwide. We are a network of women and men who believe that ensuring women's full equality and participation in society is one of the most effective ways to build a just, peaceful and sustainable world. We raise funds from a variety of sources and make grants to women-led organizations that promote the economic security, health, safety, education and leadership of women and girls.

March 14, 2010 * Bar Boheme * 307 Fairview @ Taft
All proceeds benefit Global Fund for Women * Suggested Donation $25-$50

For additional information visit and sign up today: http://internationalwomensday.camp7.org/

Paper City, Art Notes by Catherine Anspon, February 24, 2010

ART NOTES
The latest news from Houston's art community
By Catherine D. Anspon, February 24, 2010

Persuasive Public Art: Stay tuned next month for a roundup of all the new public art that’s propagating, including Artists Natali Leduc, Sandi Seltzer Bryant, Nicola Parente and John Berry transform bikes to raise funds for MS; see their creations and 20 more works by Houston notables at Discovery Green in “Art Bike 2010,” presented by National Multiple Sclerosis Society: Lone Star (March 22 – April 25).

The guys never looked so pretty as they did at DiverseWorks "deb" party - 2010-Feb-22 - CultureMap Houston

The guys never looked so pretty as they did at DiverseWorks "deb" party - 2010-Feb-22 - CultureMap Houston

Posted using ShareThis

Rblock 77007 Magazine, Winter Street Studios: The "Art" Beat of the City by Jenni Rebecca Stephenson, Winter 2010

Houston based visual artist Nicola Parente recently featured in Rblock 77007 Magazine. The article written by Jenni Rebecca Stephenson focuses on Houstons Washington Art Corridor.

Photo of Nicola Parente in his studio by Steven Fenberg

Artists for Haiti - Thursday February 11th, 6-9 p.m.

Nicola Parente to donate artwork benefiting earthquake victims of Haiti.

Please join us for a one night only silent auction and reception. 100% of the purchase price will be donated to Haitian earthquake victims.



Hopefully you will be moved to make a contribution of your own.

Sales proceeds to benefit your choice of one of the following charities:
Doctors Without Borders
Partners in Health
The Red Cross
The Clinton Bush Fund for Haiti.

Laura Rathe Fine Art, 2707 Colquitt . Houston, Texas 77098
Thursday, February 11, 2010
6-9 p.m.

"In times of disaster we often feel helpless...
But after seeing the images of victims of the Haiti Earthquake...
We are moved to action"

Assistance League of Houston Celebrates Texas Art, Juried Exhibition

One of Nicola Parente's recent works, Illuminare Uno, has been selected in a juried exhibition, Assistance League of Houston Celebrates Texas Art 2010. This years juror, John Zarobell, Assistant Curator of Paintings and Sculpture from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, chose 41 Texas artists from over 300 artworks entered. Mr. Parente was honored to have been selected and to be part of this important exhibition. The exhibition was curated by Sally Sprout. The show is open to the public and can be viewed at Williams Tower Gallery, 2800 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, January 14 to February 26, 2010.

Assistance League of Houston Celebrates Texas Art 2010 marks the 40th year of this annual event. This show is designed to increase exposure of deserving artist, as well as provide financial support through substantial cash awards.

Art 4 Life, Arts for AIDS, fundraiser/art auction

Houston based artist Nicola Parente will be donating one of his painting in a silent auction benefiting AIDS Foundation Houston.
Special thanks to sponsors: ExxonMobil, Neiman Marcus, Armandos, Cuervo Silver and Crate Works.

Saturday, January 30th, 2010
New World Museum
5230 Center St., Houston, TX 77007
7:00pm - 8:00pm VIP Reception
8:00pm - 11:00pm Art Auction & Dance

"The Mushroom, of Course!", 002houston Magazine, January 2010

"The Mushroom, of Course!", 002houston Magazine, January 2010

Natural Recyclers is the Art League's latest exhibit (which also happens to be the League's first Patio installation since opening in 2008) and features an earth media installation by Nicola Parente and Divya Murthy.

Natural Recyclers is a long term project continuing to grow and evolve. Using mainly recyclable and renewable resources, Parente and Murthy created a site-specific installation consisting of three giant mushrooms whose bases are fabricated from rebar, soil and moss. The mushroom caps and stems are planted with Texas native and non-native, edible and herb plants. The use of the mushroom reflects the important role the fungi play in the ecosystem through its use of decomposing materials as its source of nourishment.

KUHF NPR, Writers in the Schools, "Young Students Get Inspired by Art" by Wendy Siegle

Elementary students from a few Houston area schools have been given a unique opportunity to connect with art. From the KUHF NewsLab, Wendy Siegle reports on a new project aimed at inspiring students to get creative and start writing.

"What kind of art did he make? What kind of materials did he use? Well, we’re going into the galleries and we’re going to find out."

Houston-based art critic Susie Kalil is touring an art exhibition at The Menil Collection with second and third graders from Edgewood Elementary.

"Now what kind of mask would this be? Look there’s—he drilled a hole again, what would that hole be?"
Kids: "A door? An eye?"
Kalil: "An eye, it would be a single eye."

Kalil and the students are part of a project launched by non-profit organization, Writers in the Schools. For this, the organization teamed up with the Menil Collection to give students a hands-on approach to thinking about art and how it relates to them. The goal is to actively engage young students with the artwork in order to stimulate their creative imaginations. Jack McBride is the organization’s program manager.

"Most of these kids probably never have the opportunity to go to an art museum. The Menil collection is a free museum, open to the public, but these kids don’t necessarily have access to it. And so, this is a great chance to bring lots and lots of kids to a space they’ve never seen before and to be among these wonderful pieces of art."

As Kalil guides the students through the Joaquin Torres-Garcia exhibition titled, Constructing Abstraction with Wood, she explains each piece and asks the students questions. She says she’s enthusiastic to be a part of the project.

"Rather than spend more time preaching to the converted through high end art magazines, I really wanted to help children learn how to enter a work of art."

She says the Torres-Garcia exhibition, which is full of shapes, symbols and wooden figures, is perfect for sparking interest in young students.

"All the children immediately lock into the symbols. And all of them are raising their hands to name the symbols and also just, it becomes like a domino effect about what each symbol means to them."

After the tour, the students take about ten minutes to write a story based on symbols they connected with from the exhibition. Cassidy Sapon chooses the heart. She’s the first to read her story to the rest of the group.

"Two people loved each other they talked to each other. They got married, they bought a house…"

For phase two of the project, Houston artist Nicola Parente will visit the schools to help the students create abstract wood pieces using inspiration from their own writing. The Writers in the Schools program has been around for twenty-six years and provides creative writing workshops for students throughout the. Robin Reagler is the Executive Director of Writers in the School. She’s been with the organization for twelve years and says the program is invaluable asset to the community.

"I can remember when I was a child. I didn’t have ways to express myself, and I think the joy of being a part of this organization is that thousands of kids get to sit down and write and draw and paint and tell their story."

After visiting the Menil Collection, the students at Edgewood Elementary will have even more to add to their story.

From the KUHF NewsLab, I’m Wendy Siegle.

To Listen click HERE.

“Will Work For Trash, Local Artists Bring Attention to Houston’s Trashy Ways”, by Mona Metzger, Houston Green Scene, December 2009

Will Work For Trash
Local Artists Bring Attention to Houston's Trashy Ways
By Mona Metzger
December 2009

Inspired by a 2008 New York Times article that ranked Houston as the worst recycler among the nation's 30 largest cities, two Houston artists, Nicola Parente and Divya Murthy are on a mission to increase awareness about Houston's trash so they created art from it. Wasted Resolved and Natural Recyclers were created with the intent to make the viewer more aware of our city's waste consumption and to create a dialogue with the audience that focuses attention on the importance of reducing waste.

Natural Recyclers consists of three giant mushrooms, whose bases are fabricated from rebar, soil and moss. The mushroom caps and stems are planted with Texas native and non-native, edible and herb plants. The use of the mushroom reflects the important role the fungi play in the ecosystem through its use of decomposing materials as its source of nourishment. Parente and Murthy feel the mushroom and its symbiotic relationship with the root structures of plants is the ideal symbolic gesture to promote environmental consciousness within our community.

Wasted Resolve demonstrates the need for increased efforts to recycle synthetic and non-biodegradable material and reduce levels of local waste production and is a visual categorized summary of un-recycled waste created from debris collected during a week long period from an eight-block area surrounding Art League Houston. The numbers on the wall compare Houston's recycling efforts to other major US cities and the "trash graph" is composed of discarded items collected in just one week from the neighborhood surrounding Art League Houston. Both serve as a small reminder that the responsibility to clean up lies with the individual and our individual communities.

When: Wasted Resolve: through December, 2009
Wasted resolve
Location: Art League of Houston
Cost: Free
For more about Abstract / Contemporary Artist: Nicola Parente
Web: http://www.nicolaparente.com
Blog: http://www.nparente.blogspot.com/
Studio: 713.922.6327
email: nicola@nicolaparente.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nic

Meghan Hendley, KUHF, National Public Radio, Front Row (audio interview with Artists Nicola Parente and Divya Murthy), December 7, 2009

KUHF's Meghan Hendley speaks to artists Nicola Parente and Divya Murphy about their outdoor and indoor installations Natural Recyclers and Wasted Resolve currently on display at Art League Houston.

Click Here to listen.

Featured on Channel 39 KIAH-TV, Houston TX - November 24, 2009

Going Green with Yolanda Green
“Natural Recyclers” and “Wasted Resolve” Art Exhibitions
Featuring two installations by Divya Murthy and Nicola Parente

Houston, Texas – Art League Houston announced the opening of "Natural Recyclers," which features an earth media installation by Divya Murthy and Nicola Parente, created for the Art League patio, and its accompanying installation. "Wasted Resolve," takes place in the ALH project gallery, Nov. 13 through Dec. 3. "Natural Recyclers" is a long-term project, and the first installation to take place in the Art League Patio since it opened to the public in 2008.

"Natural Recyclers" opened in conjunction with "Obsession of the Essential," which features the mixed media works of Brent Kollock, in Art League Houston's Main Gallery.

Using mainly recyclable and renewable resources, Parente and Murthy have created a site specific installation for the Art League Patio, consisting of three giant mushrooms, whose bases are fabricated from rebar, soil and moss. The mushroom caps and stems are planted with Texas native and non-native, edible and herb plants. The use of the mushroom reflects the important role the fungi play in the ecosystem through its use of decomposing materials as its source of nourishment. Parente and Murthy feel that the mushroom and its symbiotic relationship with the root structures of plants is the ideal symbolic gesture to promote environmental consciousness within our community.

"Wasted Resolve," an installation created by Parente and Murthy for the front gallery, is inspired by a 2008 New York Times article that ranked Houston as the worst recycler among the nation's 30 largest cities. "Wasted Resolve" is a visual categorized summary of un-recycled waste created from debris collected during a week-long period from an eight-block area surrounding Art League Houston. The intent of "Wasted Resolve" is to make the viewer more aware of our city's waste consumption and to create a dialogue with the audience that focuses attention on the importance of reducing waste.

About the Artists
In 2000, Divya Murthy graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.F.A. in Photography and Digital Media from the University of Houston, with a Minor in Art History. In 2006 she received an M.F.A. in Studio Art from the School of The Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University in Boston. Her photographs, videos, and installations have been exhibited throughout the United States at venues that include the Galveston Arts Center, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Baltimore Contemporary Museum, and the Blaffer Museum at the University of Houston. Her awards include a 2006 Yousuf Karsh Prize in Photography, First Place from the School of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, a Carol Crow Memorial Fellowship from the Houston Center for Photography, and a 2005 AIGA World Studio Foundation Grant.

Born in Mola di Bari, Italy in 1966, Nicola Parente currently lives and works in Houston. He has a B.A. from Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Earlier this year, Parente's work was exhibited in Transparent/Translucent, curated by Wade Wilson at the Museum Gallery, University of Texas, San Antonio. In 2008 he collaborated with the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater in designing and creating the set for the world premier production of Terminus, a dance inspired by Parente's paintings. The artist's work is represented by Gremillion & Co., Fine Art, and can be found in public and private collections in the United States, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Ethiopia.

About Art League Houston
Art League Houston is one of Houston's longest operating non-profit visual arts organizations and was the first alternative art space in Texas. Founded in 1948 and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1953, Art League Houston (ALH) was created to promote the public appreciation of and interest in the visual arts. During the past 61 years, ALH has provided over 760 exhibitions to the Houston community, showcased the work of nearly 22,200 artists, and instructed over 35,000 students through the Art League School and Outreach Program.


Photo: Mushrooms Installation, Photograph from Art League Houston
Copyright © 2009, KIAH-TV

Houston artists go green in a big way - 2009-Nov-19 - CultureMap Houston

Houston artists go green in a big way
News-Nancy Wozny-columnist
By Nancy Wozny
November 19, 2009

Making art out of plants holds a certain excitement for any green-leaning girl, so I just had to pop over to the Art League of Houston to see what Divya Murthy and Nicola Parente were up to with their living sculptures.

Parente and Murthy were off getting supplies, so I visited with Linda Phenix, former choreographer and now Art League's development director. During her dance-making years, Phenix, and her dance partner, Chris Lidvall, investigated Germany's deep ecology movement to create Green Pieces way back in 1991. Vintage dance fans remember that quirky Coke can dress and the bubble wrap bride.

“That Coke can dress was fabulous, but dangerous,” recalls Phenix, who looks pleased to see Parente and Murthy taking up the cause.

I finally found Murthy and Parente unloading their art supplies for Natural Recyclers and Wasted Resolve, which in this case consisted of a 20 bags of dirt. The eco art team was finishing a set of giant mushroom sculptures that will soon be covered with native, non-native and edible plants. The stems will be covered with a moss milkshake (beer, sugar and moss in a blender).

“I like working with living media,” says Murthy. Both hark from farming families, Parente in Mola di Bari, Italy and Murthy in Bangalore, India.

Natural Recyclers will be up for eight months, possibly longer, and will go through its own evolution.

“If the plants die, they die,” Murthy insists. “That's the life cycle. ”

For Wasted Resolve, the gallery part of the show, they collected trash from an eight block radius around the Art League. “We are going to clean it up before we put it on the walls,” Parente promises.

Motivated by a New York Times article citing Houston as the one of the worst recycling cities in the United States, the trash transforms into a graph on the gallery's walls. “It's concept and craft,” says Murthy.

Both hope visitors leave the exhibit armed with more facts and become motivated to improve Houston's sorry recycling reputation.

Parente and Murthy have been on an eco art streak for a while, but after attending the Systems of Sustainability: Art, Innovation, Action (SOS) conference held at University of Houston, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts last spring, their ideas began to solidify.

“SOS pushed us to take our ideas seriously,” says Murthy.

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center director Karen Farber is pleased that local artists are running with the SOS ball. “We managed to inspire a dialogue, which has gone on long after the event and exceeded my expectations,” she says. “When we started talking about sustainability, we were making a commitment. We opened up the conversation, and it would be irresponsible of us as an institute to abandon the cause. ”

Farber also sees Karyn Olivier's Inbound, featuring billboards showing what we would see if they weren't there, as tied to her mission. Olivier's work invites questions of what we accept in our visual environment.

Farber continues on the green mission with the recent launch of "Live is Living" at Discovery Green. It entails a two-year residency of spoken word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph, culminating in a performance work, red, black and GREEN, a blues.

Discovery Green's programming director Susanne Theis has been championing green art since Dan Phillips created the Recycled Gazebo with found objects, giving new life to materials the rest of us discard. And did you know the park's panels generate between nine and 25% of the power consumed and the remainder is from 100% renewable sources?

“We recycle, and provide the public with opportunities to bring their recycling here on Saturdays,” Theis says.

Houston's greenest choreographer, Travesty director Karen Stokes, chose the sustainable park last season to show off her own designed for the great outdoors dance, Green. Following in Phenix's footsteps, Stokes has taken up the green mantle once again in her recent show, The Recycle Club, a combination concert, party and educational event. Stokes' approach encompasses recycling at every level, from the costumes to the dancers (old timers Farrell Dyde and Roberta Stokes). She even used her old choreography for the show.

Why make up new stuff when you have perfectly good old stuff?

Parente to Participate in this Years Art on the Avenue on November 14, 2009

Two of Nicola Parente's painting will be auctioned off in this years Art on the Avenue. Avenue CDC mission is to improve the Washington Avenue and Near Northside community by developing affordable housing and increasing economic opportunities, while preserving our area's cultural, economic, and historic diversity.

Location:
Winter Street Studios
2101 Winter Street
Houston, TX 77007 6 p.m - 10 p.m.

n.p. news brief November 2009

Natural Recyclers, By Nicola Parente and Divya Murthy,
Art League Houston Patio
Photo by Aaron Courtland, www.aaroncourtland.com

Please join me this Friday, November 13, 2009, 6 to 9PM at Art League Houston for the opening reception of two site specific sculpture and installations, Natural Recyclers (outdoor patio space) and Wasted Resolve (front gallery). Feel free to invite others who may be interested. Have a wonderful week and hope to see you there!!!

Project details...
What: Natural Recyclers and Wasted Resolve, two site specific projects by Nicola Parente and Divya Murthy
When: Friday, November 13, 2009
Where: Art League Houston, 1953 Montrose Blvd. Houston, TX 77006
Time: 6-9 PM (Artist Talk at 6:30)

Natural Recyclers... using mainly recyclable and renewable resources, Parente and Murthy have created a site specific installation for the Art League Patio, consisting of three giant mushrooms, fabricated from rebar, soil, moss, herbs, Texas native and non native plants. Runs through 2010.

Wasted Resolve... an installation created by Murthy and Parente for the Front Gallery, is inspired by a 2008 New York Times article that ranked Houston as the worst recycler among the nation's 30 largest cities. Wasted Resolve is a visual categorized summary of un-recycled waste created from debris collected during a week long period from an eight-block area surrounding Art League Houston. Runs through December 31, 2009.

PS: I have created an artist page on Facebook, please become a fan so that I can keep you posted on future projects. Thank you!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicola-Parente/59709524186

Natural Recyclers and Wasted Resolve Featuring installations by Nicola Parente and Divya Murthy

Art League Houston is pleased to announce the opening of Natural Recyclers, which features an earth media installation by Nicola Parente and Divya Murthy, created for the Art League patio, and its accompanying installation, Wasted Resolve, which takes place in the ALH project gallery, November 13 through December 31, 2009. Natural Recyclers, is a long-term project, and the first installation to take place in the Art League Patio since it opened to the public in 2008.

The opening reception for Natural Recyclers and Wasted Resolve is Friday, November 13, 2009, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., with an artist talk at 6:45 p.m.

Run date: November 13, 2009 - December 31, 2009
Art League Houston Sculpture Garden
Opening reception November 13, 2009 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Nicola Parente, one of three featured artist at Italian Style Expo - September 25 to 27

ART - FASHION SHOWS - DANCE - OPERA - MUSIC - FENCING - COOKING CLASSES - WINE TASTING - LANGUAGE CLASSES -

When: Friday, Sept. 25th to Sunday, Sept. 27th, 2009
Where: George R. Brown Convention Center, HALL B

Hours:
Fri 2:30pm - 9:00pm
Sat 11:00am - 9:00pm
Sun 11:00am - 6:00pm

Italian Style Expo is America’s largest "Made in Italy" expo that is held annually in Chicago, due to its great success, it is proudly expanding to Houston for the first time this year. Italian Style Expo is an exhibit for the public to see the excellence of high-quality fashion apparel and luxury design, taste Italy’s world-renowned cuisine & wine, and plan their next Italian vacation with our tourism experts, all while enjoying the cultural entertainment!

This festival showcases the best of Italy in the areas of food, wine, tourism, design, fashion, art & entertainment. Over 100 companies from Italy and the U.S. exhibiting.

TICKET SALES: $10.00 Presale or $15.00 at the Door (Children 12 and under-Free)To purchase tickets visit ITALIAN STYLE

Art for Arthritis, This Years Featured Artist - Nicola Parente

Houston based visual Artist, Nicola Parente, was selected as this years featured artist by the Arthritis Foundation. The fourth annual "Art for Arthritis" benefit and auction will be held Friday, October 2, 2009 at 7:00 PM at Hotel Inter Continental Houston. For tickets and information contact Sofia Perches at 713.942-9063, sperches@arthritis.org

Paper City - September 2009 - Press

"Viva Italia" by Catherine D. Anspon

Houston Endowment 2008 Annual Report

Article and photo by: Steven Fenberg

The Houston Endowment recently issued their 2008 Annual Report. Visual Artist, Nicola Parente was pictured and interviewed by Steven Fenberg in this years report. The article discusses how DiverseWorks, "helps artists manage and build their creative careers through DW2 workshops that focus on strategic planning, communication skills, fiscal management and marketing". Diane Barber and Sixto Wagan are DW co-executive directors. Read more by clicking on the article.

Houston Modern Luxury Magazine - August 2009

Scene in Houston
(page 98)

Pictured: Aaron Courtland, Sofia van der Dys and Nicola Parente at Nox, Neil Hamil Modeling Agency's "Sexy Summer White Party".

Parallel Universes – The Art of Quantum Physics

Nicola Parente to participate in Parallel Universes - The Art of Quantum Physics.

Parallel Universes showcases a collection of Houston’s best artists, through the exploration of the relationship between art and quantum physics.

Sixty artists collaborated to create an “Exquisite Corpse” integrating their individual art pieces into a whole work of art incorporating their ‘Parallel Universes.’

Sixty artists created sixty universes, while pursuing the connections between art and quantum physics, as reflected in the creation of their art and envisioned as a series of paintings and photography in inter-connecting parallel planes of existence.

The nature of another reality is often mysterious, known only by its effect on our own world as seen through art.

A total of 120 canvases will be exhibited at Winter Street Gallery. The artwork is available for sale, with 75% of the proceeds going to the artist and 25% of the sale proceeds supporting the Spacetaker Artist Resource Center.

Additionally, a set of limited edition prints will be made and sold to benefit the Houston Artist Field Guide, a new online project for Spacetaker.

Artists will also exhibit additional paintings at Winter Street Studios, which are available for sale.

DATE: Saturday, August 15, 2009
TIME: 4:00pm - 10:00pm
4-5 pm Panel Discussion on The Impact of Art & Physics for Artists, Scientists & Collectors.
5-10 pm Opening Artist Reception at Winter Street Gallery & Open Studios .
HOST: Spacetaker & Winter Street Studios (open to the public. Parking is free)
LOCATION: 2101 Winter Street
Winter Street Studios (Panel Discussion & Exhibition 2nd Floor Gallery)
Great Music By Harmonic Tonic 6:30 - 9:30 pm.

UTSA hosts "Transparent/Translucent" art exhibit by Scott Sherer

UTSA hosts "Transparent/Translucent" art exhibit by Scott Sherer

Nicola Parente's first group museum exhibition opens at UTSA Art Gallery in San Antonio Texas on JUNE 3 to JULY 2, 2009

TWO LARGE PAINTINGS BY ARTIST NICOLA PARENTE WERE SELECTED BY CURATOR WADE WILSON AS A PART OF THIS EXHIBITION. PARENTE WILL BE PRESENT ON JULY 3rd FOR THE OPENING RECEPTION. This exhibition is free and open to the public.

San Antonio: Dr. Scott Sherer, director of the University of Texas at San Antonio Art Gallery (Main (1604) Campus) is pleased to announce a special exhibition, Transparent-Translucent, curated by Houston-based, art historianand critic, Wade Wilson. The exhibit opens with a reception for the artists from 6-8 pm, Wednesday, June 3, 2009 and will remain on view through July 2, 2009. Tranparent/Translucent includes works by artists Anila Quayyum Agha, Lucinda Cobley, Michael Crowder, Danielle Frankenthal, Meredith² Butch²Jack, Yoko Motomiya, McKay Otto, NICOLA PARENTE, Gordon Terry and Joan
Winter.

Working from places which reflect both literal and philosophical elements of the transparent and/or translucent, the artists in the exhibit,Transparent-Translucent remind us that things are not always as they appear and we cannot always see through them.² American playwright Lillian Hellman wrote in the Prologue to her memoirs, Pentimento, ³Old paint on canvas, as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent. When that happens, it is possible, in some pictures, to see the original lines: a tree will show through a woman¹s dress, a child makes way for a dog, a large boat is no longer on an open sea. That is called pentimento because the painter ³repented,² changed his mind. Perhaps it would be as well to say that the old conception, replaced by a later choice, is a way of seeing and then seeing again. The paint has aged now and I wanted to see what was there for me once, what is there for me now. The exhibit incites us to look carefully at what it is we are seeing and what we "think" we are seeing. So much of our vision falls between the two. Things which we deem transparent may in fact become more illusory or translucent.

The exhibit focuses on the myriad interpretations of exactly what it means to express a vision which engages either the physical and/or metaphoric aspects of that which is transparent and/or translucent.

Curator Wade Wilson has curated and co-curated more than 200 exhibitions over the past 25 years and has published more than 300 essay s and reviews since 1983. Wilson is president and owner of Wade Wilson Art, a contemporary art gallery in Houston.

W H E N: The exhibition will run from June 3-July 2, 2009.

The gallery hours are Monday-Thursday, 11-2, and by appointment. The
exhibition is free and open to the public.

OPENING RECEPTION: Wednesday, June 3, 6:00-8:00 pm. UTSA Art Gallery, Main
Campus. Free parking is available in Lot 8 during the opening reception.

W H E R E: UTSA Art Gallery, Arts Building, UTSA Main Campus, One UTSA Circle,
San Antonio, TX 78249

DIRECTIONS: The UTSA Art Gallery is located in the Arts Building on UTSA¹s
Main (1604) campus. From I-10, take Exit #557 to UTSA Blvd. At the second traffic light, turn right onto James Bauerle Blvd. Turn left onto O'Neil Ford Ave., and then make an immediate right into Lot 8. The Arts Building will be on your right at the top of the walkway to the center of campus.

Parente presenting in Spacetakers SPEAKeasy, Wednesday May 20, 6:30PM - 9:30PM

Tonight's Artist SPEAKeasy, featuring three fantastic local artists: filmmaker/animator Sharad Patel, musician/audio engineer Cesar Inserny, and fabulous painter Nicola Parente! Join us this evening for casual conversation, cocktails, and nosh!

Every third Wednesday of the month at the Artist SPEAKeasy, Spacetaker hosts two to three artists from varying disciplines (visual, performing, literary, etc.) to present, in an informal atmosphere, creative dialogs/talks/presentations about their work followed by a question and answer session where the audience can glean further insight into the artist, the artist's aesthetic and creative process. The evening is designed not only to bring together artists and those who appreciate the arts, but also to introduce local artists to each other to encourage conversation and cross-disciplinary collaboration between artists and their chosen media.

Presenting artists this month are painter Nicola Parente, video producer/animator Sharad Kant Patel, and musician/audio engineer Cesar Inserny!

Nicola Parente:
Nicola Parente creates expressive abstract paintings from his studio in Houston, Texas. Born in Italy, he draws from his rich Italian heritage and a deep well of cross-cultural experiences to bring his art to life. Working in a variety of media, he engages the viewer in dialogues of human encounter within the urban environment. Inspired by changes in metropolitan communities, his art defines the intersections of daily urban life and timeless multi-cultural celebration. His paintings capture the fluidity and static elements of the urban matrix, referencing the architectonic images, reflections, and rhythms of its landscape. Mr. Parente competed his undergraduate studies at Kings College and his masters from the University of St. Thomas. Recently, Parente collaborated with Dominic Walsh Dance Theater in designing and creating the set for the World Premier Production of Terminus. He is represented in Houston by Gremillion &Co. Fine Art, which featured his new work at a solo exhibition in July 2008. This June/July, Parente will take part in a group exhibition entitled Transparent/Translucent at the University of Texas Art Gallery Museum in San Antonio (curated by Wade Wilson). His works can be seen in public and private collections in the US, Italy, UK, Germany, and Spain.

Sharad Kant Patel:
Sharad Kant Patel has enjoyed a career as a creative director, video producer, animator, and writer at companies like Sybilmedia, AXBG, and Hexagroup in Houston Texas. Many of his animations and designs are on permanent display at the Houston Museum of Science. As a teenager, he attended the Glassell Junior School of Art for six consecutive years, by earning annual scholarships on the basis of his
portfolio of drawings and paintings. He went on to graduate from the University of Texas at Austin and with two BS degrees in Radio-TV-Film and Advertising. He began making videos and short films as a child and continues to produce such works both commercially and as personal projects of artistic expression. His short films have screened and been awarded at Aurora Picture Show, SXSW, WorldFest Houston, and the Beverly Hills HiDef Film Festival. He is currently in post production on his first feature length film entitled “Christian Roane."

Cesar Inserny:
Cesar Inserny is an Audio Engineer, Sound Designer, Musician, and a self-proclaimed Music Producer with expertise in film and television post-production audio, music production, and composition. Cesar sings and plays guitar for his band, The Watermarks, and collaboratively writes, records, mixes, produces, and masters all the band's music in his studio. He works as a freelancer under his company's name, Watermark Audio, with high profile clients such as MTV, Good Magazine, and The Fashion Network.

Mayfair Art Tour

Painting by Houston based artist Nicola Parente, will be featured at the Mayfair Art Tour, 5400 Hidalgo (Unit 5409A) in the heart of the Galleria area. This event is on Wednesday, April 29, from 5 to 8 PM and is open to the public.

Houston Chronicle - Gloss Magazine - April 2009

Thank you Shelby Hodge, Houston Chronicle Society Columnist, for including me in this months issue!

Houston Press - Coverage of Open Studios

Photo by Bill Olive

ICA - OPEN STUDIO THIS SATURDAY APRIL 4th, 2-9 PM

Join me this Saturday, April 4th, 2-9, for the 4th Annual Inner Corridor Art - Open Studios Tour. This is the largest gathering of artists in Houston's Washington / Houston Avenue corridor.

My studio is located at Winter Street Studios, studio 15, 2nd floor. Hope to see you there!

Facebook Artist Page - Become a fan!

Nicola Parente's Facebook Artist Page includes an online portfolio of his art works. If your a Facebook member, become a fan and stay up to date to future exhibitions, press, and activities.

Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nicola-Parente/59709524186?ref=mf