Everyone has an opinion: What is art?

Houston has a rich and diverse international art scene ranging from traditional and classic institutions to underground creative personalities expanding the boundaries of art, aesthetics and discourse.

In the age of concepts where almost anything goes, it may be nearly impossible to have a common language. Passionate discussion over art can make enemies out of friends and friends out of enemies, if only for a little while. It is through the commingling of ideas that Houston emerges as a creative force. And the people behind these ideas are invaluable to our cultural make-up and our growth as a rich and human society.

In their own words, we asked them to share their thoughts. 

"To take passion and turn it into action is art. To abandon your fears and embrace vulnerability is art. To provoke thought and entertain is art. So, maybe it's graffiti or maybe it's watercolor. Maybe it's a protest or maybe a Polaroid. Maybe it's improv or maybe it's opera. Whatever form it takes, art becomes art when you show people who you really are."

- Aimee Woodall
Founder
The Black Sheep Agency

"Art is the fuel that powers creativity and innovation. It can be comprised of any material or action, it can be created, found or emoted. The product of any creative endeavor can become art, provided that it creates an impression on or elicits an emotional response from the viewer. Ironically, if someone were to deride a creative work by saying, "That's not art!", they would cause that work to become art."

- W. Ross Wells
Director/Editor
Zenfilm

"I read once, that civilizations come and go, but art survives. That certainly gives you an appreciation for how powerful art is. And if the arts are accessible to everyone for free, how wonderful is that? For 87 years, Houston has been so fortunate to have Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, where all performances are always free and always have been."

- Lydia Baehr
Lydia Baehr Public Relations

"Art is a meditation on the human condition and, as such, is anything that reveals the listener/viewer to himself."

- Chris Johnson
Host/Producer
KUHF’s "The Afternoon Concert"

"Through Mildred's Umbrella Company, I strive to challenge audiences and theatre artists by digging those dead bodies out of attics, monsters out of basements and deep, dark secrets out of minds and using them to create bold, innovative new theatrical works in the best traditions of the dramatic arts." 

- Jennifer Decker
Artistic Director
Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company
 

"Art is the product of all the revelations, dreams, and audaciousness God has planted in man's soul."

- Jade Simmons
Concert Pianist & Founder
The Impulse Artist Series
 

"Art is the language that explores the realm beyond mere words, our own manifestations of the groanings of the Spirit. My favorite performances and pieces of art are ones that move me with humor, beauty, poignancy or passion."  
 

- Alecia Lawyer 
Executive Director, Founder and Principal Oboist
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra

"Art happens when creativity overcomes reason."

- Dan Workman
President
SugarHill Recording Studios

"Art is creativity that manifests itself into the world. It is the ability to see what is not there, bring it forth and make it real."

- Sophia L. Torres
Co-Artistic Director
Psophonia Dance Company

"On the one hand, anything can be art since anyone can claim to be an artist and say that what they do is art. On the other hand, if no one besides your mother, significant other, or the ghost of Joseph Beuys agrees with you, it may be time to reconsider."

- David H. Lake

Development Officer
University of Houston
 

"I aspire to create work that abandons limitations and reveals possibility. I love the word, "Inspire": to breathe in, infuse with breath, draw forth, bring out.... That's what art can do: Fill us tip-top full with life and spur us on to what is possible - both individually and communally. I hope my work makes the world a better place. A friend once said I was a "Beauty Bringer." Wow. That's the highest compliment."      

- Misha Penton
Mezzo Soprano and Artistic Director
Divergence Vocal Theater

" 'Art' is an activity that uplifts the human spirit, such as painting a picture with paint or words, creating or performing music, setting a beautiful table, and preparing a meal with love."

- Leone Buyse
Joseph and Ida Kirkland Mullen Professor of Flute Chair
Woodwind Department
Rice University/Shepherd School of Music