<< Chapter < Page Chapter >> Page >
Interview with Gertrude Levy Barnstone, conducted by Sarah C. Reynolds

“draw a circle.”

I was about seven when my mother took me over to the Museum of Fine Arts and talked to Mr. Chillman,

James C. Chillman, Jr., was the founding director of the MFAH, serving from shortly before the William Ward Watkin building opened in 1924 until 1953 and again as interim director between 1959 and 1961.
and he said, “Draw a circle.” And I drew a circle…so he put me in the class. It wasn’t a children’s class. It was an adult class that did oil paintings and nudes and all kinds of good stuff. It was very exciting and alive. A new teacher, Bob Joy, moved down from Pennsylvania to Houston with his family. That was during the depression, and it was all pretty vital and it was very exciting for me. It became my life.

Sun catchers

by Gertrude Barnstone. Installed at U.S. Green Stamp building on Holcomb, 1951. Courtesy of the artist.

In the fifties

When I think of the 50s, I think of a fabulous sense of wonderful things happening, wonderful in terms of energy and hopefulness. The war was over…and so many people were moving here. Howard,

Howard Barnstone graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture in 1948 and moved to Houston that same year. He married Gertrude Levy in 1955; they divorced in 1969. Barnstone practiced and taught architecture in Houston until his death in 1987.
who became my husband, moved to Houston in ’48. The Shamrock was built then, and everything just boomed and exploded…everything was possible and there was so much energy and a positive sense in the air. It was terrific! I was volunteering—a lot of us were doing things. In fact, that’s how Howard and I first got together, because he was a newcomer in Houston, and got involved at CAA. That was, of course, the scene of so much happening—CAA became a good enterprise for the de Menils.
Parisian John de Menil married Dominique Schlumberger in 1931. The de Menils arrived in Houston in 1942 and became US citizens in 1962. Together they amassed one of the largest and most wide-ranging art collections in the United States.
Houston was their—what’s the term?—tabula rasa. There was just this incredible attitude of, wow—let’s go. And to have that with first class art, not pretenders, not second class, but really top notch stuff…their activities and involvement were fabulous.

I had gotten married and was having babies, so I had a studio at home. We turned one room in an apartment, and then a house, into a studio. I was doing a lot of painting and then some sculpture. I had several shows, two or three one person shows…and I remember being thrilled at one of them that Jim Sweeney showed up with Alexander Calder,

Alexander Calder, 1898-1976. American abstract kinetic artist best known for creating mobiles and stabile sculpture.
and that was great fun. He was pretty “in his cups,” but it was a delight.

Gertrude Barnstone, Mexico 1959. Courtesy of the artist.

The burlap group

The burlap group was a lot of Houston artists—not me—who wanted to make the Contemporary Arts Museum, and any art group with a lot of art activity in Houston, exhibit Houston artists. Well, the de Menils wanted—they brought the Van Gogh show—they wanted to do other things that were right up there. But these people objected strongly; they said there should be opportunity for them. They needed venues to show their work and develop. As far as I was concerned, I wasn’t going to learn anything looking at my work, and I knew most of their work from art school. I wanted to see things I wouldn’t otherwise see in Houston, because that’s the only way I was going to be an artist. I don’t know if it was a metaphor for other things, but the idea was that they would, if they could, hang burlap on the walls and hang their art on the burlap.

Questions & Answers

how does Neisseria cause meningitis
Nyibol Reply
what is microbiologist
Muhammad Reply
what is errata
Muhammad
is the branch of biology that deals with the study of microorganisms.
Ntefuni Reply
What is microbiology
Mercy Reply
studies of microbes
Louisiaste
when we takee the specimen which lumbar,spin,
Ziyad Reply
How bacteria create energy to survive?
Muhamad Reply
Bacteria doesn't produce energy they are dependent upon their substrate in case of lack of nutrients they are able to make spores which helps them to sustain in harsh environments
_Adnan
But not all bacteria make spores, l mean Eukaryotic cells have Mitochondria which acts as powerhouse for them, since bacteria don't have it, what is the substitution for it?
Muhamad
they make spores
Louisiaste
what is sporadic nd endemic, epidemic
Aminu Reply
the significance of food webs for disease transmission
Abreham
food webs brings about an infection as an individual depends on number of diseased foods or carriers dully.
Mark
explain assimilatory nitrate reduction
Esinniobiwa Reply
Assimilatory nitrate reduction is a process that occurs in some microorganisms, such as bacteria and archaea, in which nitrate (NO3-) is reduced to nitrite (NO2-), and then further reduced to ammonia (NH3).
Elkana
This process is called assimilatory nitrate reduction because the nitrogen that is produced is incorporated in the cells of microorganisms where it can be used in the synthesis of amino acids and other nitrogen products
Elkana
Examples of thermophilic organisms
Shu Reply
Give Examples of thermophilic organisms
Shu
advantages of normal Flora to the host
Micheal Reply
Prevent foreign microbes to the host
Abubakar
they provide healthier benefits to their hosts
ayesha
They are friends to host only when Host immune system is strong and become enemies when the host immune system is weakened . very bad relationship!
Mark
what is cell
faisal Reply
cell is the smallest unit of life
Fauziya
cell is the smallest unit of life
Akanni
ok
Innocent
cell is the structural and functional unit of life
Hasan
is the fundamental units of Life
Musa
what are emergency diseases
Micheal Reply
There are nothing like emergency disease but there are some common medical emergency which can occur simultaneously like Bleeding,heart attack,Breathing difficulties,severe pain heart stock.Hope you will get my point .Have a nice day ❣️
_Adnan
define infection ,prevention and control
Innocent
I think infection prevention and control is the avoidance of all things we do that gives out break of infections and promotion of health practices that promote life
Lubega
Heyy Lubega hussein where are u from?
_Adnan
en français
Adama
which site have a normal flora
ESTHER Reply
Many sites of the body have it Skin Nasal cavity Oral cavity Gastro intestinal tract
Safaa
skin
Asiina
skin,Oral,Nasal,GIt
Sadik
How can Commensal can Bacteria change into pathogen?
Sadik
How can Commensal Bacteria change into pathogen?
Sadik
all
Tesfaye
by fussion
Asiina
what are the advantages of normal Flora to the host
Micheal
what are the ways of control and prevention of nosocomial infection in the hospital
Micheal
what is inflammation
Shelly Reply
part of a tissue or an organ being wounded or bruised.
Wilfred
what term is used to name and classify microorganisms?
Micheal Reply
Binomial nomenclature
adeolu
Got questions? Join the online conversation and get instant answers!
Jobilize.com Reply

Get Jobilize Job Search Mobile App in your pocket Now!

Get it on Google Play Download on the App Store Now




Source:  OpenStax, Houston reflections: art in the city, 1950s, 60s and 70s. OpenStax CNX. May 06, 2008 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10526/1.2
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

Notification Switch

Would you like to follow the 'Houston reflections: art in the city, 1950s, 60s and 70s' conversation and receive update notifications?

Ask