On Saturday, December 7th, from 5-8PM, Five Points Museum of Contemporary Art will host an exhibition by the late artist Jesse Lott drawn from the collection of Ann Harithas. Starting with their meeting in the 1970’s, the two became lifelong friends sharing ideas on aesthetics and the role art can play in society. Included in this exhibition are a number collaborative collages and an Art Car, demonstrating that their relationship bridged the divide between artist and collector.
The exhibit will be on view through April 19, 2025.
Lott began his formal art training from two influential masters of African American Art, Houston’s Dr. John Biggers and Charles White. From the lessons learned from them, Lott developed an aesthetic based on the use of simple materials of paper, discarded wire, metal and wood. He would call his aesthetic “Urban Frontier Art” which ranged from subtle ethereal abstractions to starkly political statements on race and class. This exhibition is unique in that it is the first time decades of the artist’s work will be shown in one setting.
Jesse Lott’s commitment extends beyond the objects he created. He was a co-founder of Houston’s Project Row Houses and an influential teacher. His work is in the collections of several museums and public art. Among his many awards include being named the 2022 Texas State Three-Dimensional Artist.
In his acceptance speech for the Houston Art League’s 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award, Lott said that America was unique in that the first amendment to the Constitution allowed freedom of expression, and that it was a sacred gift for an individual to be able to express themselves. He embraced this ideal through his lifetime of work in teaching and collaborating with friends and patrons, artists and non-artists alike.
This exhibition will be curated by guest curator Irvin Tepper. Tepper is a professor at Pratt Institute in New York, and an artist and photographer whose works have been shown in Victoria at the Nave Museum and at Five Points Museum.