Garden Traces is an exhibition of mixed media, textile, and documentary work by Naomi Kuo. The artworks give glimpses of the artist’s experience living in multigenerational immigrant communities and of the material resonances between various Asian American spaces across the country. The exhibition includes Kuo’s ongoing research about Asian American home gardeners in the Greater Houston area for the Garden Connections project*. Through the work, she hopes to highlight diverse expressions of home, community, and sustainability—and to inspire others to create their own spaces and practices that nurture healthy bonds between people and nature.
The exhibition is presented by the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA), and is also made possible in part* with support from The Idea Fund. The Idea Fund is a re-granting program administered by DiverseWorks, Aurora Picture Show, and Project Row Houses and funded by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
Garden Traces will be on view at the Houston City Hall Rotunda (901 Bagby St), April 17–May 31, 2023. City Hall hours are Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.
The opening reception for the Garden Traces exhibition will be on Wednesday April 19th, 11am-1pm at the Houston City Hall rotunda (901 Bagby St, Houston, TX 77002). Along with a light reception, the event will also double as a Garden Connections Plant Exchange: Visitors are invited to bring their own seeds, plants or other gardening/nature-related goods to swap with others that day in a take-some-leave-some fashion. Art supplies will be available to create nature-inspired art and sustainability advice cards to exchange with others. Free copies of the first "Garden Connections" zine will also be available. This event will be concurrent with the Earth Day HTX Festival in Hermann Square @ City Hall.
To RSVP to the reception and for more information (including parking), go to Eventbrite
Hands organizing garden give-aways. Photo from Garden Connections interview.