One-of-a-kind art for a one-of-a-kind campus

To help us celebrate the generous contributions to the Build the Extraordinary Campaign from HSPVA alumni, HSPVA families, and members of the Houston community, acclaimed sculptors Patrick Renner (Visual ’00) and Kelly O’Brien, founders of Flying Carpet Creative, are designing and building two extraordinary art installations for the Kinder HSPVA campus: xylem and lilt.

xylem

Recognizing donations of $10,000+

This organic wall, reminiscent of a horizontal mountain range, will greet guests at the entrance to the school and welcome them into the Denney Theatre. The surface will be comprised of narrow strips of naturally-colored exotic woods, hand-crafted to form a fine veneer. An undulating metal ridge snaking across the curve of the wall embodies the biorhythm of the school’s creative energy.

The xylem is the water-carrying tissue in wood, bringing nutrients upward from the roots to keep the tree healthy and growing – an apt metaphor for our generous donors and for HSPVA as a whole, as the school works to help young artists rise to their potential. The composition of this large sculpture will make rigid material appear to flow across the curved wall of the Commons, turning solid wood into something of a liquid state.

Donors’ names will appear in brushed metal letters crafted to echo the curves of the wall behind them. The metal will contrast strikingly with the fine-furniture finish of the wooden landscape. Donation levels are indicated by font size.

lilt

Recognizing donations of $100-$9,999

Multi-colored wood strips will be woven together to form a cascade of leaf-like shapes suspended over the Commons staircase, inviting patrons up to the second-floor performance venues and art galleries. Near the top of the stairs, the leaves will flow together into a dense ribbon that hits the ceiling before flowing down the length of the second-floor wall. Every wood strip will be painted by HSPVA alumni, current students, families, and friends of HSPVA, making this one-of-a-kind installation a true product of the HSPVA community.

The title “lilt” relates to both the rising and falling of the sculpture itself and the sing-song voices of students spending time in the Commons. This sculpture is visually divided into two lilting phases: above the stairs, the leaf forms can be read as flowing up or cascading down while the woven panel along the second-floor wall has a distinct up-and-down wiggle.

Donors’ names will appear on individual clear plaques, allowing the artwork’s vibrant colors to shine through the array of names. Donation levels are indicated by font size. While all donors can use up to 30 characters, donors at and above the $1,000 level have the additional option of adding an “in memory of” or “in honor of” line of text.

About the Artists

Patrick Renner and Kelly O’Brien are acclaimed sculptors with public art installations in major cities across the country, including Houston. In 2015, they partnered to form Flying Carpet Creative. Patrick graduated from the HSPVA Visual Arts Department in 2000. He is thrilled to give back to a school that means so much to him, having launched his successful career in the arts.

“My experience at HSPVA was incredibly formative, so it’s a thrilling opportunity to contribute something back to this wonderful program, which will continue shaping the creativity of our youth and growing the culture of our great city.”

– Patrick Renner (Visual ’00)