MEET THE UH ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE

Three pioneers of interdisciplinary will showcase their globally acclaimed work at the University of Houston's Blaffer Art Museum. Sponsored by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, the show features new and existing work from Shaun Leonardo, Marisa Morán Jahn and Brandon Balengée, who are this year’s CWMCA artists-in-residence.

The exhibition runs Saturday, April 17 – Sunday, April 25 and admission is free to the public. Artist-in-residence programs give creatives the opportunity to live and work outside of their typical environments, explore new locations, different cultures and experiment with innovative materials.

“The overarching concept of the exhibition is sustainability and the way these artists contribute to the idea, whether its environmentally, socially or economically,” said Melissa Noble, interim managing director, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.

"These artists are pivotal to UH students and the intersection of art and social justice as well as art and health care."
Melissa Noble, interim managing director, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts

Shaun Leonardo, whose work has been featured at the Guggenheim Museum, the High Line in New York City and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, combines performance and participation to navigate societal expectations for Black and Brown men. His piece “Your First Interaction with Law Enforcement,” to be exhibited inside the museum as well as on the exterior wall of the UH Fine Arts Building, invites visitors to submit memories of their interactions with law enforcement. Testimonies are anonymous. The presentation of Leonardo’s work is tied to the University of Houston’s and the McGovern College’s commitment to bring meaningful change to race relations and to facilitate a wider understanding of racism, its systemic roots and how to address these issues in a substantive manner.

Marisa Morán Jahn, artist, filmmaker and creative technologist, turns to the model of healing at the intersection of art, architecture and social practice. “Stories of Solidarity” explores the model of Carehaus, a care-based co-housing Jahn developed with architect Rafi Segal in Baltimore, Maryland, that balances the needs and desires of both caregivers and care receivers, reduces social isolation and dignifies aging. The exhibition’s main feature is a colorful installation that reflects the interior of the Carehaus Baltimore in the Blaffer gallery space.

Brandon Ballengée is an artist, biologist and environmentalist who merges art, urbanism and ecology into a continued study of the social structures and societal habits of animals and insects. Through a combination of what he calls “Eco-Actions,” open labs and an artistic examination of our treatment of nature, Ballengée presents “VII,” a new photographic series that explores Houston’s urban species and the stories they tell about environmental virtue. These works also relate to the COVID-19 pandemic and overall human health. Ballengée will display a sculpture he created at UH as well, as part of his ongoing series called “Love Motels for Insects.” This work centers upon a monarch made out of aluminum with ultraviolet lights on the inside, intended to attract insects and people who enjoy watching them. The monarch is symbolic as it is a migratory species that travels in great numbers through Houston but is close to becoming an endangered species.

Shaun Leonardo, an artist-in-residence at UH, is showcasing his work "Your First Interaction with Law Enforcement" at Blaffer Art Museum. Photo credit: Argenis Apolinario, 2021

Marisa Morán Jahn, an artist-in-residence at UH, is showcasing her work "Stories of Solidarity" at Blaffer Art Museum. Photo credit: Jill Greenberg, 2020

Brandon Ballengée is working in the Keeland Design Lab at University of Houston, February 2021. He is an artist-in-residence who is showcasing his work "VII," a photography series and a sculpture of a monarch for his series "Love Motels for Insects" at Blaffer Art Museum.

“My hope is through this sculpture and related environmental outreach programming we can inspire the conservation of this amazing butterfly.”

-Brandon Balengée, artist-in-residence at UH

photo of Ballengee light sculpture- blue butterfly

The latest Balengee sculpture created at UH is part of his series “Love Motels for Insects.”

Carehaus Baltimore by Marisa Morán Jahn

The United States’ first care-based co-housing building, Carehaus provides quality care and homes for older and disabled adults, and quality jobs and homes for caregivers and their families. The first location in central Baltimore features 20 units, housing 12 older adults and disabled people, four caregivers with their families, a site manager, and a team of experts in nutrition, fitness, art and wellness.

Integrating art into Carehaus activates cultural heritages, improves cognitive health and fosters a unique sense of place. Inspired by Clarisse Castor, a Haitian-American working mother whose generosity anchored her community, one floor of Carehaus Baltimore’s wallpaper features motifs of a tulip (symbol of love) and lioness (symbol of family cohesion). Distinct patterns enable wayfinding for the memory-impaired; blue-toned hues optimize lip reading for the visually impaired.

Your First Interaction with Law Enforcement by Shaun Leonardo

Leonardo's participatory piece, "Your First Interaction with Law Enforcement," can be seen on the exterior wall of the UH Fine Arts Building and inside Blaffer Art Museum.

This artwork expands in emotional value and complexity each time another person contributes their personal experience to it. Your testimony may be direct or indirect, public or private, experienced from near or far.

Testimony #1: Interactions with Police - Shaun Leonardo workshop and performance, 1 hour at The Nathan Cummings Foundation for No Longer Empty: Hold These Truths, 12/16/17. Photo credit: Whitney Browne

"I Can't Breathe" Shaun Leonardo workshop & performance, 30 min. at VOLTA NYC, New York, NY, 3/4/16. Photo credit: David Willems Photography 

“In the tumultuous time of the here and now, as we search for new systems of orientation and sustainability, the Blaffer is presenting a reflection, and extension, of the generative work conducted by this amazing trio of artists.”
Steven Matijcio, Jane Dale Owen Director & Chief Curator, Blaffer Art Museum and interim artistic director, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.

In addition to the Blaffer exhibition, this powerful caliber of artists will engage with UH students, faculty and staff through a combination of virtual lectures, in-person workshops, as well as participate in off-campus collaborations with community organizations. Please check the Blaffer Art Museum website for museum hours, a list of programs and other activities. The University requires guests to follow its COVID-19 guidelines and protocols while on campus.