For Immediate Release:

Contact: Debbie McNulty

713.523.9530 or debbie@artleaguehouston.org

Photos and complete biographies available on request

Houston, TX – Art League Houston is pleased to announce the opening of- Early Stuff 1971-79 - an exhibition of work by Al Souza, Texas Artist of the Year 2006. The opening reception will be held on Friday, September 15, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The work of Al Souza presented in Early Stuff 1971-79 is comprised of meticulously created conceptual pieces that represent the initial period of this outstanding artist’s career. The exhibition is presented as part of the Texas Artist of the Year award presented to Al Souza this year.

“By revisiting work that was created over twenty years ago, we appreciate the depth of talent and commitment to a career of art making that is at the heart of the Texas Artist of the Year award.” said Billie Chasen, president of Art League Houston. “Art patrons are always curious to see the early work of established artists and in presenting this exhibition we hope to satisfy some of that curiosity and offer greater insight into the work of Al Souza.”

Over the past thirty years, Al Souza has taught at 11 colleges and universities, including the University of Houston, San Diego State University, Clark University and the Rhode Island School of Design. Al Souza's first one-person exhibition was at the OK Harris Gallery in New York in 1975. Since that time, he has had more than 100 one-person exhibitions in this country and in Europe. Some of the most notable were at the American Cultural Center in Paris, the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, the Frankfurter Kunstverein in Germany, the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, the University Art Museum at Berkeley and the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston. Al Souza has also been included in a number of major group exhibitions including the Whitney Biennial, the Sao Paulo International Biennale, the Venice Biennale and the Edinburgh International Arts Festival. He has also received grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the California Arts Council, the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Al Souza, Texas Artist of the Year

Early Stuff 1971-79

Opening reception, Friday, September 15, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The exhibition will be on view September 15 – October 27, 2006.

On November 18, 2006 Art League Houston will host Off The Wall Ball honoring Al Souza, Texas Artist of the Year and Clint Willour, Texas Patron of the Year. For more information contact Art League Houston.

About Art League Houston

Art League Houston cultivates awareness, appreciation and accessibility of contemporary visual art within the community for its cultural enrichment.

Art League Houston is one of Houston’s longest operating non-profit visual arts organizations and was the first alternative art space in Texas. Founded in 1948 and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1953, Art League Houston was created to promote the public appreciation of and interest in the visual arts. During the past 57 years, Art League of Houston has provided over 750 exhibitions to the Houston community, showcasing the work of nearly 22,000 artists and over 29,000 students have received instruction at the Art League School. Twenty-one outstanding artists have been awarded the Texas Artist of the Year recognition and twice the award has been given to exceptional patrons. Free art classes are offered year round through the HIV+ and Cancer Related Illnesses Healing Art Group, MS Healing Art Group and Physically Challenged Healing Art Group.

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