inspirational story

The work of artist Henry Ossawa Tanner is seen in a new light at rare MFAHexhibit

Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Annunciation, 1898, oil on canvas, Philadelphia Museumof Art, Philadelphia, Pa., purchased with the W.P. Wilstach Fund, 1899
Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Fishermen at Sea, c. 1913, oil on canvas, SmithsonianAmerican Art Museum, Washington, D.C., gift of Jesse O. Tanner
Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Resurrection of Lazarus, 1896, oil on canvas, Muséed’Orsay, Paris, France
Photo by Hervé Lewandoswki/© Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource, New York
Henry Ossawa Tanner, A View of Palestine, 1898-1899, oil on canvas, The FrancesLehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y, gift of Mrs. WalterDriscoll (Margaret L. Weyerhaeuser, class of 1923), Mrs. F. Rodman Titcomb(Elizabeth L. Weyerhaeuser, class of 1915) and Mrs. Robert J. Sivertsen (SarahWeyerhaeuser, class of 1930)
Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Henry Ossawa Tanner, A Mosque in Cairo, 1897, oil on canvas, William M. LewisJr. and Carol Sutton Lewis
Photo by Joshua Nefsky
Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Disciples See Christ Walking on the Water, c. 1907, oilon canvas, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, Iowa, Permanent Collections, giftof the Des Moines Association of Fine Arts
Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Henry Ossawa Tanner, Portrait of the Artist’s Mother, 1897, oil on canvas,Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pa., partial gift of Dr. Rae Alexander-Minter andpurchased with the W. P. Wilstach Fund, the George W. Elkins Fund, the Edwardand Althea Budd Fund and with funds contributed by The Dietrich Foundation, 1993
Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, Nina Simone — and don’t forget Henry Ossawa Tanner.

Dancer, writer, singer, and painter, all four were African-American artists who left their homes, that perhaps didn't always feel like home, to seek inspiration and refuge in France.

It’s hard not to see this in a new light, in the midst of an election cycle featuring bumper stickers and T-shirts with the slogan, “Time to Make the White House White Again.”

The exhibition features more than 100 of Tanner’s landscapes, portraits, and paintings of biblical themes.

Tanner may be the least familiar name on this list, but a major traveling retrospective, Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit, is making its final stop at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston from now through Jan. 13, 2013. The exhibition, organized by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and curated by Anna O. Marley, features more than 100 of Tanner’s landscapes, portraits, and paintings of biblical themes.

Tanner is also, no doubt, less familiar than his artistic contemporaries John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler, Tanner’s mentor Thomas Eakins, and others. And yet Tanner is often-described as the most famous African-American artist of his era.

Middle East and portraits

Like Sargent, Tanner shared an interest in the Middle East and traveled there to paint. Like Whistler, Tanner painted portraits, notably a marvelous rendering of his mother in a clear homage to Whistler’s famous "Arrangement in Grey and Black" No. 1 often called Whistler’s Mother.

The difficulty of locating Tanner with respect to a sense of racial and national belonging impacts his visibility.

Tanner is often quoted as having said of Paris, "I am simply M. Tanner, an American artist. Nobody knows or cares what was the complexion of my forebears."

Tanner is often quoted as having said of Paris, "I am simply M. Tanner, an American artist. Nobody knows or cares what was the complexion of my forebears. I live and work there in terms of absolute social equality."

No doubt this is why, as curator Emily Neff put it, "many look to Tanner now as having a prescient post-racial attitude." In an exhibition catalogue essay Olivier Meslay is more cavalier, insisting of Tanner, "Before being black, he was an artist."

Although African-American genre scenes were common in his era, Tanner painted few. "The Banjo Lesson" presents a marvelous frozen moment, a scene of instruction as a young boy stands and leans against the legs of his seated elder who looks on as he cautiously explores the strings. In "The Thankful Poor," a similar pair bow their heads to say grace over a modest meal.

Tanner claimed he was drawn to such scenes "because of a desire to represent the serious, and pathetic side of life" and because "he who has most sympathy with his subjects will obtain the best results" as opposed to the "many artists who have represented Negro life [who] have only seen the comic, the ludicrous side of it, and have lacked sympathy."

Tellingly, Tanner writes in the third person.

Marlay remarked that for Tanner, whose mother was a freed slave, "abolition was built into the fabric of his name. "Ossawa" is a shortened form of abolitionist John Brown's nickname "Osawatomie" Brown, commemorating the Battle of Osawatomie, Kansas, in 1856.

The most famous religious painter

Clearly, Tanner was making a point when, in his signature work, "The Resurrection of Lazarus," he placed an African-American figure prominently amidst the crowd of awed onlookers. The painting is a study of contrast between the viewers of the miracle and the serenity of Christ and the resurrected Lazarus, who wakes gently, as if from a nap. Light returns gradually to the sepia-toned world in which the resurrection has happened, like life returning to a corpse.

Marley rued that this collection "probably won't be together for another 20 years or so" while Tinterow described the exhibition as a chance to "reach out to the African-American community."

As MFAH director Gary Tinterow remarked at a press preview for the exhibition, Tanner was perhaps "the most famous religious painter" of his era. "Lazarus" finds good company in his marvelous "The Annunciation." Mary, clothed in simple but richly texture robes and resting on a humble bed in a spare cell, stares into a column of light.

The most potent of Tanner's religious scenes begin to turn away from figures and from the blinding light of the annunciation and toward textured landscapes and cool tones. In "Sodom and Gomorrah," three bundled figures crouch small in the foreground. A white pillar of salt, the remainder of Lot's wife who turned back as she fled, stands behind them. All you can see is a massive cloud of smoke and the textured plains that once surrounded a city.

Texture, abstraction, layered paint, and steely blues take over. In "The Disciples See Christ Walking on the Water," several figures in a boat gaze at a white halo in the distance, but the canvas is dominated by the diamond texture of the water.

Perhaps it was his devotion to biblical scenes that drew him to travel to the Middle East to paint scenes like those that attracted Sargent. In "Palace of Justice, Tangiers," the blue-washed, roughly textured building serves as backdrop for two dark figures, a man leading a woman riding a donkey, as if any location might be the Holy Land if you see it in the right light.

Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit offers rare opportunities. Marley rued that this collection "probably won't be together for another 20 years or so" while Tinterow described the exhibition as a chance to "reach out to the African-American community." Tanner's was, he said, an "inspirational story." It's hard not to wonder just what Tanner might think of that.

unspecified

weekend event planner

These are the top 14 things to do in Houston this Thanksgiving weekend

Photo by Richard Carson

H-E-B hosts the annual Thanksgiving parade downtown.

Considering everything that’s happened this month, some families may experience an awkward Thanksgiving. Others may want a little time together that's separate from the holiday meal.

Either way, this weekend offers plenty of holiday-themed events. There will be two runs on Turkey Day, as well as the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. We also have tree lightings, photo opps with Santa, Nutcracker productions, and even a holiday boat cruise.

Read on for this weekend’s best bets.

Thursday, November 28

Houston Turkey Dash
The Houston Turkey Dash will include a half marathon, 10K, 5K, Family 1K, or Kids K. New this year will be a handcycling option so everyone can participate. Awards will be given to the top 3 male/female runners for half marathon, 10K, and 5K. Age group awards will be given to the 1st place winner for half marathon, 10K, and 5K, broken down by 10-year age groups. All finishers will receive a commemorative Houston Turkey Dash Finisher's Medal. All skill levels are welcome, and proceeds support five local nonprofits. 6:45 am.

Saint Arnold Brewing Company presents The TurkeyDay5k
The TurkeyDay5k, presented by Saint Arnold Brewing Company and supporting CoolxDad, is an inclusive family-friendly event featuring a 5k Turkey Trot, 10k Turkey Trot, and 1-Mile Family Walk. Participants will enjoy giveaways and get a T-shirt and medal, along with other prizes. Make your Turkey Trot experience even more meaningful by participating in the 2024 CoolxDad Color Box Toy Drive. Spread holiday cheer by bringing a toy to drop off and help brighten the season for kids in need. 7:30 am.

75th Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade
Located in the heart of downtown Houston, this event is one of the oldest Thanksgiving Day parades in the country. Each year, several hundred thousand Houstonians line the streets to cheer on participants. The parade will traverse over 20 city blocks and will feature elaborate floats, colorful marching bands, high-flying balloons, and other uniquely Houston entries. Nine-time gold medalist Carl Lewis will lead the parade to honor Houstonians who competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. 9 am.

Friday, November 29

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Notre-Dame Cathedral: An Immersive Experience
At Notre-Dame Cathedral: An Immersive Experience, visitors can step inside a virtual depiction of Paris to experience the entry and interior of the cathedral, as well as the extraordinary effort to restore Notre-Dame after the devastating 2019 fire. In Paris, the iconic Gothic cathedral will reopen to the public on Saturday, December 7. The MFAH is celebrating this historic moment with an immersive experience in the Museum’s spacious Cullinan Hall. Through Sunday, January 5. 11 am.

Buffalo Bayou Partnership presents Holiday Boat Cruise
Buffalo Bayou Partnership will celebrate the season with a festive holiday cruise along Buffalo Bayou. Guests can experience the downtown skyline from the water aboard the holiday-themed pontoon boat, adorned with wintry decorations. As a special treat this year, historic Allen’s Landing will also shine brightly with luminous lights. On the last two weekends, boat tour guests will also experience an up-close view of the new Snow Glow on the Bayou winter installation, organized by Downtown Houston+. Through Sunday, December 29. 11:53 am.

Improv Houston presents Godfrey
While he’s more known these days for doing a killer Steve Harvey impression, Chicago comedian Godfrey has been killing it as a standup for decades now. Godfrey has been seen on stages from New York and Los Angeles to Dubai. Along with his own one-hour special on Comedy Central, Godfrey has onscreen credits which include Zoolander, 30 Rock, Soul Plane, and the TruTV series Upload, where he starred alongside Shaquille O'Neal. 7:30 & 9:45 pm (7 & 9:30 pm Saturday: 7:30 pm Sunday).

Usher in concert
It can’t be denied that Usher has been having a great run as a live performer. You never know who’s gonna show up and join him on-stage: Gary Clark, Jr., Tyrese, Kevin Hart – they’ve all popped up on his latest tour for a surprise guest shot. But the R&B great gives audiences the same interactive love that made his Vegas residency a must-see show, especially when he hits the crowd carrying a bowl full of cherries. Usher will do Friday and Saturday-night shows in support of his new album, Coming Home. 8 pm.

Saturday, November 30

CityCentre presents Holiday in the Plaza
Visit and take photos with Santa and two of his reindeer during Holiday in the Plaza, presented by Sewell Cadillac. Dance to holiday classics with performances by the Houston Show Choir at noon, 2:30, and 4 pm. When Santa is not behind his sleigh, he drives a Cadillac. Help CityCentre spread joy to others and fill Santa’s Cadillac with new, unwrapped toys to be donated in exchange for a complimentary picture with Santa. Guests are encouraged to arrive early as line times may vary for photos with Santa. 11 am.

Houston Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Although it’s not the only Nutcracker game popping off this weekend, Houston Ballet will once again present Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker, a holiday tradition. After the annual Stahlbaum Christmas party, audiences will embark on a journey through the dazzling Land of Snow to the radiant and jubilant Kingdom of Sweets alongside Clara, Drosselmeyer, and the Prince. They will reunite with the Sugar Plum Fairy amidst the clouds, where true magic unfolds. Through Sunday, December 29. 2 & 7:30 pm (1 & 6:30 pm Sunday).

The Post Oak Hotel presents Christmas Tree Lighting and Holiday Chalet
Kick off the holiday season in the Post Oak Hotel lobby for a spectacular Christmas tree lighting, including festive beverages and an atmosphere designed for the perfect holiday photos with family and friends. Enjoy musical performances and a special guest appearance from the North Pole. You can also discover the perfect snowy chalet at Stella's Wine Bar. Enjoy a cozy s’mores station while sipping on one of many holiday-themed cocktails or glass of wine. Reserve a table here. Through Thursday, December 31. 5 pm.

Houston Symphony presents "Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto"
Massive in scale and visionary in scope, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto redefined what a piano concerto could be, reaching dazzling new heights unsurpassed to this day. Piano powerhouse Yefim Bronfman performs the masterpiece in a program also featuring Schubert’s ever-popular Unfinished Symphony. Escape the Black Friday-weekend stress and share beautiful music with family and friends. 7:30 pm (2 pm Sunday).

Sunday, December 1

Rice Village presents Farmers Market’s Holiday Bash + 4th Anniversary Celebration
At Rice Village Farmers Market's Holiday Bash + 4th Anniversary Celebration, attendees can meet Santa and snap a picture in one of four holiday-themed, Instagrammable spots. They can also enjoy music from Grandma’s Boyfriends Carolers and a DJ, a craft table, face painter, and holiday vendors. You can also donate a toy or make a monetary donation to Toys for Tots. There will be two Marines onsite collecting these donations. And yes, there will be snow. 9 am.

The Pit Room Memorial presents Houston Texas Gameday Watch Party
The Pit Room is getting into the gameday spirit with a Texans vs. Jaguars watch party at its Memorial location. Open to all ages with free entry, this party will feature appearances from Toro, Texans Cheerleaders, Texans Legends, plus festive decor and more. The Pit Room menu includes a variety of gameday classics in addition to their signature barbecue including chicken wings, brisket egg rolls, pulled pork nachos, BBQ burgers, and wood-grilled hot dogs — perfect for enjoying while watching the game on one of the spot’s 27 flat screen televisions. 11 am.

Ensemble Theatre presents Twelve Ways of Christmas
The Twelve Ways of Christmas reminds viewers that, while the season may mean something different from one person to the next, the true message remains the same. With an eclectic blend of colorful jazz, R&B, and gospel, Twelve Ways guides us to the heart of the most memorable holiday experiences. Love prevails throughout this fusion of fun, joy, loneliness, jealousy and grief with twelve “ways,” including Romantic Christmas, Military Christmas, Family Christmas, and True Christmas. Through Sunday, December 22. 3 pm.

Photo by Richard Carson

H-E-B hosts the annual Thanksgiving parade downtown.

event-planner

inspirational story

The work of artist Henry Ossawa Tanner is seen in a new light at rare MFAHexhibit

Broadcaster Frank Billingsley finds second act at Houston radio station

Houston chef with Michelin-star cred opening new Heights restaurant

Houston’s 12 most festive holiday bars serve lots of Christmas cheer

weekend event planner

These are the top 14 things to do in Houston this Thanksgiving weekend