The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft’s Spring Luncheon at River Oaks Country Club toasted 20 years of cutting edge exhibitions from artists working in today’s important craft media. Artist Catherine Morgan, the inspiration behind HCCC’s founding, was honored at the event along with the organization’s original board of directors. who were tapped as honorary chairs.
By Vivian Phillips and Catherine D. Anspon
The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft’s Spring Luncheon at River Oaks Country Club toasted 20 years of cutting edge exhibitions from artists working in today’s important craft media. Artist Catherine Morgan, the inspiration behind HCCC’s founding, was honored at the event along with the organization’s original board of directors. who were tapped as honorary chairs.
Benefiting one of Houston’s most unique Museum District art spaces, the luncheon began with intros from board president Brad Bucher and the honoree’s life coach Trudi Spring Allison, followed by a heartfelt question and answer session with Houston Center for Contemporary Craft executive director Perry Price and Catherine Morgan.
Another highlight came with the silent auction stocked with collectible craft creations from past and present HCCC artists-in-residence working in ceramics and porcelain, fiber and textiles, metalwork, wood working and jewelry. The handmade glass vases of Eric DePan filled with flowers by folk art florist Hannah Lowery of Edges Wild Studio also found homes.
And this was a banner day for the arts nonprofit spun around all things crafty — education and exhibitions, paired with workshops, activities and hands-on crafting experiences for the community. The crowd of 250 saw green, raising $400,000, making this double-decade celebration one of the Craft Center’s most successful benefits ever.
Social Canvas: Executive director Perry Price; honorary chairs, HCCC’s original board of directors Emelda J. Douglas, Glen Eichelberger, Anne Lamkin Kinder, Mike Morgan, museum founder Sara Morgan, Kathryn Rabinow, Kim Kabler Rootes, and Ann T. Shaw. And don’t forget the inspiring honoree Catherine Morgan, who overcame a childhood organic deficiency and due to talent, intelligence, and perseverance was accepted into the Kansas City Art Institute. Today, Morgan is a working artist adept at a variety of media. She generated rousing applause for her moving remarks about the joy making art has brought to her life.
Among the craft-centric supporters were Bill Morgan; the MFAH’s Gary Tinterow and Christopher Gardner; Community Artists Collective’s Michelle Barnes; John Guess Jr. of Houston Museum of African American Culture; celebrated ceramist Tracye Wear; Judy Nyquist; and Orange Show founder Marilyn Oshman.
More power art people: mega ceramic collectors who showed include Garth Clark and Mark Del Vecchio in from Santa Fe; Julián Zugazagoitia, in from Kansas City, who is the director of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; gallerists Betty Moody, Yvonne Garcia, and Nicole Longnecker; Karina Barbieri, craft master Edward Lane McCartney and David Gooding, Gracie Cavnar, Lynn Baird, Fatimeh Mehdi, Lauren Abbott, Sarah Broussand, textile talent Heather Johnson; and Cathy Brock.
