Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/184605
PAUL HESTER PAUL HESTER Yoshio Taniguchi's Asia Society Texas Center, opening April 2012 The second floor looking toward the Elkins Foundation Water Garden TANIGUCHI Takes Off It's a big architecture month, as Yoshio Taniguchi's first freestanding building in America unveils April 12 through 15. Revel in the quiet, contemplative splendor of the new $48.4 million Asia Society Texas Center, one of the most important art stories from Houston since The Menil Collection opened in 1987. A major destination in the heart of the Houston Museum District, the museum's inaugural show highlights the storied collection of Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Rockefeller 3rd (through September 16, 2012). Stay tuned for our complete coverage coming in May. 1370 Southmore Blvd., 713.496.9901; asiasociety.org/texas. Catherine D. Anspon STONED Celebrated and misunderstood architect Edward Durrell Stone (1902 – 1978) may have designed the Museum of Modern Art in New York, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Embassy In New Delhi, but he was at times revered, misunderstood and largely ignored. His youngest son, Hicks Stone, an architect in New York City, has published Edward Durrell Stone: A Son's Untold Story of a Legendary Architect (Rizzoli, 2011) and will be in town to discuss the book and his father's turbulent life Monday, April 16, 6 pm, at Architecture Center Houston, 315 Capitol, Suite 120. The discussion, reception and book signing are co-hosted by the Houston Public Library and Houston MOD. Free; for more information, call 713.520.0155; aiahouston.org/arch.cfm. Lauren Rottet Windsor Smith Blair Gordon Scott Frances The Village Executive Suites A SUITE Arrangement Jeremy Wells Looking for office space that doesn't include claustrophobic, fabric-covered cubical walls and fluorescent lighting? Jeremy and Jamie Wells, the artists who founded Imago Dei, were searching for just such a space, where they and their colleagues could collaborate in a setting conducive to inspiration for their mural and decorative finish work. That's when Jeremy stumbled onto a 6,500-square-foot commercial property on Robinhood in Rice Village that was large enough for their own endeavor with plenty of space to rent to others seeking a SoHo art-gallery vibe in their workspace, yet all the office amenities required in the 21st century. Named The Village Executive Suites, the offices doubles as gallery, with a changing array of art mounted quarterly. And in place of all that dull white plaster, you'll find the Wells métier on display — the wall finishes are fashioned with American clay, diamond veneer, Venetian plaster, silver leaf and more. Details and floor plans at thevillagesuites.com. 2525 Robinhood, Suite 1100, 281.953.7477. Laurann Claridge A Respected Redux: COURTESY NEW GALLERY / THOM ANDRIOLA NEW GALLERY/THOM ANDRIOLA Thom Andriola, Angela Morra, Thedra Cullar-Ledford with Cullar-Ledford's Five Thousand Trashy Romance Novels, 1997–ongoing, and Cheryl Kelley's Hot Wired, 2007 GET YOUR Chintz On Decorative Center Houston Spring Market, Wednesday, April 18, kicks off with a panel presentation, Design Across Disciplines, moderated by PaperCity's Holly Moore and Laurann Claridge. Panelists include L.A. designer Windsor Smith, Houston-based designer and retailer Blair Gordon, architect Lauren Rottet, as well as NY-based design and cultural photographer Scott Frances. The presentation takes place from 11 am to noon in the ground-floor lobby. From 2 to 3 pm, AD 100 designer Bill Stubbs, host of the TV show Moment of Luxury, presents the afternoon keynote, "More Fun More Business." Open to the public; RSVP to 713.961.9292, ext. 1320; marketing@decorativecenter.com. Throwing Open THEIR CHIC DOORS Mother/daughter team Sissy Fenoglio and Elizabeth Fenoglio Love, creators of the to-the-trade showroom for furnishing and accessories Festoni Home, are going retail. The design duo is officially open to the public Monday through Friday (and by Festoni Home appointment Saturdays). Their collection — which launched in 1994 and opened its North Post Oak Road locale five years ago — started with lighting, then expanded into furnishings, accessories, upholstered sofas and chairs, and contemporary art. With the launch of their retail store, the Fenoglios are stocking alpaca throws from Jonathan Adler, Callista Home pillows, and flat-woven rugs made in India in colorful stripe patterns to mix with their own affordable furnishings. Looking for interior ideas? Be inspired by a half-dozen vignettes showcasing Festoni Home's interior-design capabilities, ranging from a cool black-and-white city space punctuated with sleek chrome pieces to a beach retreat awash in lime green and refreshing sea blues. 1298 N. Post Oak Road, 713.830.1080; festoni.com. Laurann Claridge Now that he's decamped from Colquitt, what about major denizen Thom Andriola, who has been a force in Houston for a quarter century? Set to relocate to the Sicardi Gallery space next to McClain Gallery once their new building on West Alabama completes — ETA this summer; what a hopscotch in our gallery scene — Andriola has taken up residence until then in a historic 1920s-era storefront at Midtown, where he neighbors PG Contemporary and Christy Karll McWhorter's studio, thereby setting up a nice little arts district. Billing his new location as Temporary Contemporary, Andriola is now ensconced in an ample 3,500-square-foot HQ, where monumental works such as Thedra Cullar-Ledford's Five Thousand Trashy Romance Novels, a cheeky marriage of Judd-ian minimalism and a feminist battle cry, can have pride of place. Other best bets, which New Gallery represents, are Lester Marks' futuristic photo abstractions (showing with Michele Wambaugh, through April 13, in a strong FotoFest pairing); Ibsen Espada, an accomplished abstract painter who is in Texas' art historical canon; photo-realist Cheryl Kelley of the souped-up American car canvases; and the always very grand pigment master Earl Staley, who opens April 13 in one of the most anticipated solos this season (through May 26). 3225 Milam Street at Elgin, 713.520.7053; newgalleryhouston.com. Catherine D. Anspon DESIGNBuzz Found a New Home We're mad for Found and the elegantly quirky stock of furnishings and decoratives. Next month, Found owners, Aaron Rambo and Ruth Davis are relocating their home design boutique from their two-story Bartlett Street location to a single-level mid-century building at 3433 West Alabama (former home of Etui). They're readying to pack up an inventory that includes a mélange of 18th- and 19th-century European antiques, vintage pieces, glassware, books and candles. Look for these finds to be reassembled in a contemporary build-out in early May. Laurann Claridge We'll be tooling around town this summer in the new limited-edition Fiat 500 Cabrio by Gucci with the legendary red-and-green stripe across the canvas top (or along the side on the Fiat 500 by Gucci) and on the seats, seatbelts and floor mats, and adorable GGs on the hubcaps and shift knob. The automatic convertible top is a dream and can be partially opened at several points. Available in pearlized black or white, starting at $23,500 (can you believe it?). At the new Helfman Fiat studio, 7720 Katy Freeway next to IKEA; 713.533.6100; helfmanfiat.com.