Texas master James C. Watkins lustrous ceramic vessels featured in solo exhibition
Studio portrait of James C. Watkins. Photo by Bonni Oakes.
HOUSTON, TX
.-Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is presenting a solo exhibition by outstanding Lubbock ceramicist and educator, James C. Watkins, who was recently named a Texas Master by HCCC. Watkins joins an impressive roster of other Texas Master awardeesincluding curator Clint Willour (Houston) and artists Harlan Butt (Denton), Cindy Hickok (Houston), Rachelle Thiewes (El Paso), Piero Fenci (Nacogdoches), and Sandie Zilker (Houston)recognized for their roles as career artists, professionals, or educators who have made a significant impact on the field of craft in Texas.
Clint Willour
Clint Willour, a giant of the Texas art scene, died of cancer on Thursday, February 4, 2021. He was 79.
Throughout his nearly 50-year career, the impact Mr. Willour had on the transformation of Houston into a destination for art cannot be overstated. He arrived in the city in 1970, when its contemporary art scene was fledgling, and his ethos and generosity continued to influence on the city’s museums, nonprofits, and galleries until his death.
Mr. Willour is perhaps best known across Texas for his 25-year stint as curator at the Galveston Arts Center (GAC) a nonprofit, non-collecting art space located in the port city. During his tenure as curator, from 1990 to 2016, he oversaw multiple exhibition spaces in the building and organized the Galveston Art Walk into a successful, regular event. At GAC, Mr. Willour gave many Texas artists their first institutional exhibition opportunities; he would include young artists alongside Texas stalwarts in group shows, and would