AIA Houston will exhibit the work of the chapter's 2012 Artist of the Year, James Surls. Surls grew up in East Texas graduating from Sam Houston State College and Cranbrook Acadamy of Art. He taught at Southern Methodist University in Dallas for 8 years then moved from Dallas to Splendora, Texas, for 20 years where he founded the Lawndale Alternative Arts Space at the University of Houston. At Lawndale, a thriving artist community, Surls continued to teach, encourage and produce a large body of work.

Playing in the forests of East Texas during his youth and recognizing the beauty of nature has been carried through his work. Organic objects and symbols are finely crafted from wood and metal, composed to express shapes of the human form and other forms of life found in nature. His wood, steel and bronze sculptures, drawings and prints, which reflect his unique sensibility to natural forms, are in major art museums and public and private collections throughout the world.

The artist will be at the opening reception to speak about this work and the exhibition.

On view through July 19.