I am in Houston. It is the third week (out of four!) of portfolio reviews in the International Meeting Place. There are shows all over the city. YIKES.

Over the next few days I will be driving throughout the city, seeing as many shows I can while still attempting to look at work at the Meeting Place. I am not an “official” reviewer this time around at the Meeting Place, but do a tremendous amount of “over the shoulder” work…that is to say I stand behind folks who are showing their portfolios to others, looking and listening, and if interested arrange to talk to the artist more after they are done with their presentation. This allows me the freedom of dipping in and out of only those sessions that interest me as well as giving me the opportunity to see so much more work than if I were on the official “20-minute treadmill.” (Thank you, Fred, Wendy, and Martha) Occasionally, I will catch up with an artist whose work I have reviewed in the past which lends a “homecoming” atmosphere to the process.

On a different track, and one that hold particular appeal to me as an EX-museum curator, are the opportunities to take in the exhibitions that have been mounted as the adhesive to bond the festival together. Like any set of festival exhibitions, the tend to address broad issues or open-ended themes…and like any set of festival exhibitions they purport to be very current. I saw three shows yesterday and will take in that many again today. I will be posting my thoughts about them here as the week goes on and after I have had a chance to think about what I have seen.

Stay tuned….