When Bill Davenport presented his sculpture proposal to the TRUE NORTH 2020 committee—a 14” maquette of Big Cabbage (now sitting seven feet tall on the esplanade of Heights Boulevard)—the decision was instantaneous; there would be a giant cabbage in the upcoming exhibition.

Made of layer upon layer of polymer concrete and painted the perfect “cabbage green” with hand-tinted exterior latex paints, Big Cabbage has delighted humans (and some rabbits) of all ages since it was first lowered by crane onto its exhibition site. When asked about the deeper meaning or symbolism behind Big Cabbage, Mr. Davenport explained “It’s a cabbage, but bigger!”

Photo courtesy of Kolanowski Studio

Bill Davenport arrived in Houston in 1990 from Massachusetts—mattress strapped to the top of his truck—as a Fellow with the prestigious MFAH Glassell School of Art CORE Program. He received his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, Sculpture, and an M.F.A. from University of Massachusetts, Sculpture. His quirky sculptural works and hyper-real paintings have been in exhibitions such as Spectaculess, 2001, Munich, Germany, Stealth Fighter Piñata, 2007, Austin (a 22′ piñata for the Arthouse Texas Prize Exhibition), and Giant Yarn Ball, a rolling parade float for the 2015 HEB Thanksgiving Day parade in Houston. Many of us are familiar with the artist’s Heights area sculpture “New Mushroom Forest”—next to the lovely neighborhood garden at Studewood and 14th (moved from its original installation with the 2009 Texas Biennial, Auditorium Shores Park, Austin).

Mr. Davenport’s studio is in Independence Heights, and he is the proprietor of Bill’s Junk on 11th Street—a catch-all shop offering his own pop art creations, secondhand works of art, and wild assortments of quirky knick-knacks and long-forgotten keepsakes. The space is a quasi-art installation in and of itself, and Mr. Davenport frequently organizes solo exhibitions for other artists in its adjoining gallery.

Photo courtesy of Kolanowski Studio

Thank you, Bill, and all the 2020 artists for providing much-appreciated smiles during these disquieting times. All sculptures are for sale and Mr. Davenport’s Big Cabbage sells for $6,500, which includes local delivery of the 5,000 pound sculpture. TRUE NORTH artists have generously agreed to donate 20% of any sales back to the project’s designated fund for future exhibitions. We also thank our community- and arts-minded TRUE NORTH 2020 Underwriters—it cannot happen without their support. Please visit our website for more information on the project and for the names of our wonderful Underwriters.

INSTAGRAM  @truenorthheightsblvd | @billsjunk

FACEBOOK  @TrueNorthHeightsBlvd | @billsjunk

boulevardart@houstonheights.org

Photo courtesy of Kolanowski Studio