Deborah Colton Gallery will present Collective Solid, an exhibition that features work from seven Houston-based artists as their burgeoning creative practices overlap and diverge. The exhibition evaluates the influence of shared creative space on artistic dialogue and output as well as the significance of community to an artists' practice and is inspired by the synergistic potential for mutual benefit through collaborative effort. Collective Solid marks the first curatorial project conceived by Theresa Escobedo for the Deborah Colton Gallery exhibition space.

Each artist blurs the lines between their medium of choice and alternative applications and we see amongst this group overlapping and combined expressions, of painting and sculpture or photography and painting for example, as well as an openness to influence among each other and an enthusiasm for collaborative work. Common threads this panel of artists share in artistic execution are rooted in material exploration and experimentation, considered use of color, and in applied layering techniques, to name a few. A significant common denominator among this group of artists can also be found in the studio space that hosts, or has hosted in the past, their respective artistic practices - these artists work among a tightly-knit group of resident artists in one of the most dynamic artists' space in Houston - El Rincón Social. This studio space and collective, housed in a warehouse in the city's East End Cultural District - the newest cultural district in Houston - was founded in 2006 with the intent to support critical dialogue and artistic practice and with the understanding that combined creative effort can positively impact and shape a community. ERS, as it is familiarly known, sees in its artists and artistic products a standout dedication to process and to material exploration, unmatched elsewhere in the city.

The exhibition opens July 18 with a reception for the artists and will be complemented by an artist panel discussion on July 19. The exhibit will be on display through August 22.