And like magic, sculptures appear seemingly overnight along the trails of Heights Boulevard. Starting your tour at the neighborhood’s entrance sign and traveling true north along the esplanade’s winding trails, first up is Cary Reeder’s colorful and multi-dimensional “Treeodesic Dome,” made of galvanized steel and translucent vinyl on vinyl (artist featured below). Danville Chadbourne’s anthropological triptych installation of stoneware and stone, which is based upon his interpretation of cultural artifacts, is showcased in the 600 block. Jamie Spinello’s enchanting stainless steel sculpture “Allochory” (a representation of the triadic seed pod of the red yucca) sits among other existing native Texas species in the beautifully-forested 800 block (thanks to the HHA, Jim Bennett, and his hard-working volunteers). If you’d like to rest a minute now along the tour, William Cannings’ surreal and towering steel and paint sculpture “Stacked Pillows” (bringing to mind glorious slumber) (900 block) is the place. Next up is Bill Peck’s vibrant, thoughtful and multi-detailed steel and paint sculpture “Searching for Balance” (1200 block). Now you’re ready for Anthony Suber’s mind-blowing, mathematically-designed steel and patinaed wood sculpture “Ancestor”—a cardinal bird mask and human form (1300 block). Three blocks along is where you’ll find Julia Ousley’s architectural sculpture “Onward and Upward.” Its tall towers and mini-multitudes of human forms are made of CorTen steel (1600 block).  Last and certainly not least is “We Love Houston” 94-year-old Houston art icon David Adickes’ 2010 painted cast concrete sculpture “Three Colorful Friendly Trees” (just look for the three colorful friendly trees!) in the 1800 block. 

This concludes our virtual tour. For the real deal, we highly recommend hanging a left on 19th Street for world-class food, small batch coffee and ice cream, and one-of-a-kind local shopping in the original Houston Heights business district!

Photo courtesy of Kolanowski Studio 

This month…Cary Reeder and “Treeodesic Dome” 

Miami native and longtime Heightsite Cary Reeder worked for more than a decade as a graphic artist and typesetter, receiving her fine art training at The Glassell School of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Reeder—who teaches at Art League Houston—is a self-described color nerd, and her favorite media are acrylic gouache paint and colorful adhesive vinyl. Her work has been included in numerous local, regional and national juried exhibitions and in solo shows at Mystic Lyon, Galveston Arts Center, Optical Project and Lawndale Art Center. In 2013, she was awarded an Individual Artist Grant from Houston Arts Alliance, was a Hunting Prize Finalist in 2014 and has been featured twice in “New American Paintings.” 

Photo courtesy of Kolanowski Studio

Reeder’s 2021 installation “Treeodesic Dome”—brightly-colored, triangularly hand cut translucent vinyl on vinyl panels attached to a galvanized steel geodesic structure—is inspired by our beautiful tree-filled Heights neighborhood and an ode to the crepe myrtle in particular. Natural daylight casts the sculpture’s colorful shadows upon the interior and surrounding terrain, and the work, which sits in the 400 block, is illuminated at night by solar lighting. Reeder says, “I love this media because it mimics stained glass, interacting with light and creating spontaneous color mixtures. My work offers the viewer a moment into a fragile, jarring, changing and hopeful space filled with color and light.”  Offered for sale at $12,000, Cary will generously donate 20% of the sale price back to the sculpture project.

Stay up with the latest True North happenings by liking us on Facebook (@TrueNorthHeightsBlvd) and following us on Instagram (@truenorthheightsblvd). You may contact our committee at boulevardart@houstonheights.org. Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Cary Reeder