Art gallery takes heat

Houston art gallery closes amid accusations from acclaimed artists

The future of a noted Houston art gallery remains bleak as artists line up with allegations of gross mismanagement, long-outstanding payments and missing artwork.

Owned by Thom Andriola, the New Gallery had been a fixture along Colquitt Street's Gallery Row for more than a decade before relocating to Midtown in early 2012. But after nearly two years at a supposedly temporary space on Milam, the gallery has closed its doors following an exhibit of "lost paintings" by noted Houston artist Dorothy Hood.

While Andriola did not respond to numerous requests for comment, Harris County court documents reveal a host of financial troubles for the gallery as disgruntled artists try to recuperate big-ticket artwork claimed to have been sold or misplaced.

"This has been devastating on so many levels," says painter Margaret Munz-Losch, who filed a civil suit against the New Gallery for three unaccounted-for pieces valued at $15,000 each. "Those paintings took many, many months of work and now it's like they never happened."

"This has been devastating on so many levels," says painter Marga ret Munz-Losch.

Munz-Losch, who lives and works in Tennessee, tells CultureMap there were red flags immediately after she joined the gallery in 2008 — late and partial payments, paintings sold below agreed prices and inconsistent record-keeping.

"I kept telling myself I was overreacting," she explains. "But when I heard Thom was moving the gallery to a new location, I started to panic. He had virtually every painting I made in recent years and a few of those pieces were supposed to be in a museum show in Memphis."

Despite repeated requests, Andriola failed to send current photographs of her work, she said. Finally, thanks to family members who drove with a trailer to Houston, Munz-Lotsch eventually recovered 15 of 18 paintings at the gallery. She says the gallery owner had only a vague recollection of who may have purchased the three missing works.

In April 2013, a Harris County judge ordered Andriola to reimburse both Munz-Losch and fellow New Gallery artist Mary Souza (no relation to Houston artist Al Souza), who is owed $25,000 for a pair of similarly misplaced paintings.

Lawyers for the two artists are still attempting to secure payments from the gallery owner. Those close to the case believe a grand jury criminal investigation is underway. Due to the secrecy of the process, however, the district attorney's office could not confirm or deny the investigation for CultureMap.

A legend scorned

While Munz-Losch and Souza are owed tens of thousands of dollars, each artist feels her situation pales in comparison to that of Ronald Davis — an acclaimed California artist whose work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Gallery in London. Davis was also featured in last year's high-profile Pacific Standard Time show organized by the Getty Center.

Via phone from his home near Taos, N.M., 78-year-old Davis tells CultureMap he lost 29 pieces during his five years with the New Gallery, including several from his first burst of notoriety during the late 1960s. He estimates the retail value of the missing work at more than $600,000.

"Art is a spiritual quest and I don't want to think about the money or business . . . But artists have to be very careful."

"Thom was going through a tough divorce and I was sympathetic for a long time," he says. "But after a while I caught him dead out lying. There were so many partial payments and so many 'check is in the mail' kind of excuses . . . I finally had enough."

Unable to get photos of his work from Andriola after numerous requests, Davis dissolved their working relationship in 2011.

Though an important figure in 20th-century American art, Davis says he has struggled financially in recent decades and has been unable to afford legal representation to secure payment from the gallery.

"Art is a spiritual quest and I don't want to think about the money or business . . . But artists have to be very careful. Even when I worked with a big New York gallery owner like Leo Castelli, in the '60s, everything was done with a simple handshake. Ultimately, you have very little legal protection."

Andriola at an exhibit opening in March 2012

New Gallery Facebook

Andriola at an exhibit opening in March 2012

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on the bright side

'First-of-its kind' Houston park reveals 6 murals by local artists

Houston artist Ade Odunfa stands in front of his mural "Salt Marsh" at the Hill at Sims.

Photo by Scott Julian, courtesy of Houston Parks Board

"Birth From the Sea" by Ade Odunfa

One of Houston's most innovative green spaces, the Hill at Sims, is edging toward completion as artists put the finishing touches on a series of six beautiful murals. They should be ready when the park has its grand opening on Saturday, May 23.

The project is being led by Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis and the Houston Parks Board. Located in Sunnyside along Sims Bayou, it combines a flooding retention pond with walkways and other infrastructure to create a unique multi-use community space. Adding a series of environmentally-themed murals highlights the project's dedication to empowering nature around Sunnyside.

“When we bring art, resilience, and opportunity together in one place, we create something that can serve and inspire future generations for decades to come," said Ellis in an emailed statement. "The Hill at Sims is a community-oriented, first-of-its-kind green space in the neighborhood I grew up in. These murals honor Sunnyside, celebrate the natural world, and help turn public space into something people feel proud to protect.”

The murals include “Impression of Nature” by Emily Ding, “Step Into the Wild” by Carlos Alberto, “Birth from the Sea," a reproduction of a John Biggers’ mural by Ade Odunfa, "The Heron and the Fish” by Ana Marietta, “Rêverie” by Amy Sol inspired by Claude Debussy’s 1890 solo piano piece, and “Salt Marsh”, another Biggers reproduction by Bimbo Adenugba.

Houston is a major mural and street art city, with an increasing number of spaces using murals to showcase local talent as well as bring a sense of identity to locations like the Hill at Sims. The green space offers both a massive natural setting in a neighborhood that has traditionally been underserved in park acreage with an elevated point to view the whole city, a rare treat in a place as flat as Houston. Thanks to the Bayou Greenways Project, a 150-mile series of trails that connects parks across Houston, people can walk or bike to the Hills at Sims if they choose to.

"Our goal is for every person who visits this park to feel that Hill at Sims truly represents the Sunnyside community. Public art is a powerful and joyful way to evoke feelings of connection and stewardship in public settings,” said Justin Schultz, President and CEO, Houston Parks Board, in an emailed statement. “Houston Parks Board is proud to support Commissioner Ellis to bring Sunnyside residents a transformative, multi-benefit greenspace that captures the spirit of Houston: turning our climate challenges into vibrant community assets.”

The total cost of Hill at Sims is $28.3 million. Funding comes from Precinct One ($18.8 million), The Brown Foundation ($7.5 million), with an additional $2 million from public federal and state funds secured by State Representative Alma Allen and Congressman Al Green. When complete, it will feature a 1.6 mile basin loop trail, water access pier, a parking lot, a 2,000-square-foot open air pavilion with restrooms, flexible lawn space for active programming, and picnic pavilions.

parks visual-art hills at sims anderson