Coffee House Removes Mural

Will Montrose coffee house be the same without distinctive mural?

When you own a building and rent out one of the rooms, does your tenant have carte blanche to decorate the space according to personal preference?

That's a question that's come up recently when Inversion Coffee House, which shares a building with its landlord, the Art League Houston, took down a prominent mural window display — a tribute to a 2005 art project by the artist collaborative Havel Ruck that once stood in the same space.

“Inversion is making some great changes — hired new staff, changed the coffee to Greenway — but this (removing the mural) isn’t one,” says Art League Houston director Michael Peranteau.

“The mural was a touchstone for people from around the world. A man came from Japan a month ago to see it," says Art League director Michael Peranteau.

He acknowledges that there's nothing in the lease that prevents the removal, but laments, “The mural was a touchstone for people from around the world. A man came from Japan a month ago to see it.”

Furthermore, Peranteau notes, the timing of the episode occurs just before the Art League’s installation honoring Havel Ruck Projects. The duo is being honored as the 2014 Texas Artists of the Year and an exhibition of their work will open Sept. 19 in the adjoining Art League space.

Because the mural photograph was a large sticker in the window, it couldn't be saved when removed.

Inversion owner Greg Johnson insists he had only good intentions with regards to the change of décor. “I spoke with (Dan) Havel and (Dean) Ruck before the original structure from 2005 was demolished. I suggested doing something to commemorate the project, so I named the place in its honor, hung a photo of the piece on the wall and placed a large mural sticker in the window," he says.

"With David Buehrer (Blacksmith Coffee, Greenway Coffee) now on board as managing partner, we’re transitioning. That includes adding a new artwork display in support of local artists. The mural blocked not only the sunlight, but also the view of the interior. You couldn’t see out (into the parking lot) either, which was a hazard to our employees leaving after closing up for the night. We took it down for the right reasons.”

Even so, for some longtime customers, it won't seem the same without the distinctive mural that explained the coffee shop's name.

The Inversion sticker mural was recently removed from the window of the Montrose coffee shop.

J.E Theirot Flickr

The Inversion sticker mural was recently removed from the window of the Montrose coffee shop.

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the new masters

Provocative, awe-inspiring Kehinde Wiley MFAH showcase remains this season's must-see exhibit

Kehinde Wiley, The Death of Hyacinth (Ndey Buri Mboup), 2022, oil on canvas

Wiley's The Death of Hyacinth (Ndey Buri Mboup), 2022.

Houston art lovers who haven’t yet attended the “Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence” exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston are missing out on a showcase of jaw-dropping art.

The recently opened exhibit is an awe-inspiring collection of paintings and sculptures from the Los Angeles-born, Brooklyn-based artist of color, best known for creating a majestically leafy portrait of former President Barack Obama. Locals will remember that the MFAH was one of the rare museums to showcase the works — starting with a free opening weekend that became a city celebration.

While “An Archaeology of Solace” premiered earlier this year at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the MFAH is actually the first stop on its tour. Located in the Audrey Jones Beck Building, the exhibit is an overwhelming experience of Black power.

And it’s a power shift. While Wiley’s large-scale paintings and sculptures call to mind the heroes, martyrs, and saints of Western European historical art, they are unmistakably Black and brown subjects who suffer under “the specter of police violence and state control over the bodies of young Black and Brown people all over the world,” Wiley notes in an artist statement.

Thus, the rooms are all Black, as the gigantic oil-on-canvas paintings (a couple are practically the size of billboards) of laid-out Black bodies – usually rocking streetwear gear – are brightly spotlighted. Many of these works were inspired by historical pieces, mainly German artist Hans Holbein’s The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb.

The bronze sculptures are equally grand and striking. The most impressive one is the titular statue, a reworking of his 2019 sculpture Rumors of War. While the Rumors sculpture depicts an upright Black rider on a general’s horse, this sculpture features a fallen figure atop a horse.

Both sculptures are based on a monument to Confederate army General James Ewell Brown Stuart, which was removed and placed into storage in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd murder.

This entire exhibit was inspired by the worldwide outrage that transpired after Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. Wiley himself explains the inspiration for the exhibit via the audio guide given to visitors:

The birth of the show starts as the world shuts down. As we see George Floyd slain in the streets of America, I get to work. I start thinking not only about this explosive moment that triggers the whole world into thinking about Black bodies in a different way, But I start thinking about imaging of bodies slain historically.

Fans of the artist can look forward to Kehinde Wiley merch upstairs in the gift shop. An obligatory exhibition catalog is for sale, as well as hoodies, umbrellas, bookbags, playing cards, coloring books, and more. Proceeds will go to the Black Rock Coalition, a New York-based artists’ collective.

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“Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Solace” will be on display at the Audrey Jones Beck Building of the MFAH (5601 Main St.). For exhibition schedule, tickets, and more, visit the MFAH online.

Wiley's The Death of Hyacinth (Ndey Buri Mboup), 2022.