crafting a new direction

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft names talented Philadelphia arts innovator as new leader

Leila Cartier Houston Center for Contemporary Craft HCCC

Cartier takes over as HCCC's exective director on July 17.

Photo courtesy of Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

Houston's innovative hub of all things contemporary craft and art now has an equally innovative new face. Leila Cartier is Houston Center for Contemporary Craft's (HCCC) new executive director, the organization announced. She will assume her new role on July 17.

Most recently the executive director of CraftNOW Philadelphia, Cartier is credited with deftly leading the nonprofit that unites institutions, scholars, and artists to promote craft making in the city. Heralded for her "deep understanding of and connections in the world of contemporary craft," Cartier directed an annual portfolio of activities, featuring Philadelphia’s most renowned arts institutions. She also formed key partnerships and developed programming focused on economic opportunity through craft.

Her bio lauds her work in fortifying the CraftNOW’s mission, while also substantially expanding its range and positioning it prominently within the city’s and nation’s cultural landscapes.

Prior to her tenure at CraftNOW, Cartier directed exhibitions at the William King Museum of Art in Abingdon, Virginia — her hometown. She earned an MFA in painting and drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and studied Arabic language at Depaul University with a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship.

While pursuing her undergraduate degrees in art and art history from Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia, Cartier spent a year in Rome, Italy with Temple University. A hands-on leader, she also maintains a personal studio practice.

Once she assumes her new role, Cartier will work closely with HCCC's board and staff to launch a new strategic planning process focused on expanding the local and national presence of the organization, per HCCC. She will also lead the development of more educational programs and advance HCCC's highly regarded artist residency program.

HCCC also notes in press materials that Cartier is “profoundly committed” to strengthening community partnerships.

“The HCCC Board and staff are full of talent and radiate enthusiasm for the organization,” Cartier notes in a statement. “I am motivated by their desire to implement new, community-informed projects right away, while simultaneously working on ambitious, transformative goals to attain in the near future. With HCCC’s existing networks and excellent programming, I look forward to broadening our reach as a welcoming, imaginative, civic-minded destination and setting a standard for exceptionalism in contemporary craft.”

The HCCC board also looks forward to Cartier's leadership. “We are thrilled to have Leila as our new executive director, noted Judy Nyquist, HCCC's board president, in a statement. “She brings an entrepreneurial spirit, a deep connection to the field of contemporary craft, and an eagerness to expand our reach. We are confident that she has the experience, expertise, and vision to lead HCCC in realizing its full potential in the years to come.”

Supporters and fans of HCCC can meet Cartier at the organization's annual fundraiser, the Crafting a Legacy Spring Luncheon, where she is sure to receive a warm welcome. Notable Houstonians Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl, Emily Keeton, and Lea Weingarten will chair the event honoring Nyquist.

Tickets for the luncheon, which will be held at River Oaks Country Club (1600 River Oaks Blvd.) are on sale now and can be found here.

REFIGURE THE ALAMO

Awe-inspiring new exhibit debuts at the Alamo with sneak peek

Photo courtesy of the Alamo.

The Mission Gate and Lunette exhibit gives visitors an understanding of the original ground's scale.

Ask first-time visitors about their experience at the Alamo, and you're likely to hear a frequent refrain. Guests accustomed to hearing about the mission's heroic history are surprised that the grounds are so small. But that's slowly changing with ambitious plans to bring the site's original footprint back to life.

Now, visitors will get a sneak peek at the complex's newest structure, the Mission Gate and Lunette exhibit, before it officially opens in 2024. Funded in part by a $3 million donation from the Joan and Herb Kelleher Charitable Foundation, the exhibition gives guests a broader understanding of the Alamo's scale.

The historical recreation was crafted by lauded San Antonio artist Carlos Cortés. A third-generation concrete faux bois artisan, his work is featured throughout the city, most notably on the River Walk, where his fantastical The Grotto greets thousands of Museum Reach visitors each year.

The life-size sculpture stands in for the original main gate of the fort at the southern boundary of the complex. Cannons and placards scattered throughout give crucial context to the structure. Though early renderings show the beams and spiked fence with more verisimilitude, the forms currently stand in ghostly concrete — inviting quiet contemplation.

When the exhibit is finished next year, guests will be more fully immersed in the hallowed grounds, which extend far beyond the walls of the iconic Church and Long Barrack. Coupled with the upcoming Alamo Visitor Center and Museum and the recently debuted Ralston Family Collections Center, it will turn the grounds into one of Texas' most awe-inspiring historical sites.

"We are deeply grateful to the Joan and Herb Kelleher Charitable Foundation for their support of the Alamo and our ongoing efforts to preserve this important piece of Texas history," said Dr. Kate Rogers, Executive Director of the Alamo Trust, Inc., via a release. "Their generosity will allow us to continue to educate and inspire visitors from around the world, ensuring that the legacy of the Alamo lives on for generations to come."

Photo courtesy of the Alamo.

The Mission Gate and Lunette exhibit gives visitors an understanding of the original ground's scale.