A rendering of the new lobby of the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. Image courtesy of Visit Houston, via Hyperallergic

Matthew Lennon, director of Civic Art and Design (CAD) for the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA), has resigned his position following uproar in the Houston arts community over the abrupt dismissal last week of artist Ed Wilson from a public art commission for the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB). Wilson, a Houston native, had been selected in late October from a shortlist of seven proposals by a committee consisting of three Houston art professionals, the HAA manager in charge of the project, and a GRB representative, to produce a large-scale sculpture for the GRB in downtown Houston. The intent was to have the work installed by November 2015 in order to be ready for the 2017 Superbowl.

Sculptor Ed Wilson. Photo by Steve Campbell, courtesy of The Houston Chronicle

Wilson was in the midst of negotiations for his proposal, which the artist described as “a monumental hanging sculpture, a stainless steel mobile of about 60 by 30 feet,” when he was made aware that his commission had been rescinded, saying, “I was stunned. This really is a big deal for me.” Wilson was told the reason behind his dismissal was that “the Civic Art Committee had decided something was wrong with the process, and they withdrew my commission. It seemed very irregular and very political.”

After the dismissal became public, the HAA, downgrading the dismissal to a delay, issued a statement noting, “It is unfortunate that artist Ed Wilson received a premature communication regarding the status of his proposal in the review process.” The HAA went on to state that the GRB project “is currently on schedule, with an anticipated installation of the artwork by November 2015.”

Matthew Lennon, former Director of Civic Art and Design for Houston Arts Alliance. Photo courtesy of Houston Arts Alliance

Lennon explained the reasoning for his resignation to Glasstire.com, stating, “Simply put: I resigned because of the actions taken against [Wilson], the lack of respect for local professionals, and the civic art team. Of Wilson’s dismissal, Lennon elaborated, “Ed Wilson, and other artists, followed the procedures provided. A professional panel with stakeholder representation was formed. Ed was selected unanimously by a blind vote. Derailing that process is naïve and insults everyone engaged. Depriving Ed Wilson of his commission is unethical.”

Lennon, a vocal proponent of the local and independent artist communities in Houston, lays the blame for the debacle squarely on the HAA’s Civic Art Committee (CAC), saying that the decision reached in their most recent meeting was “disingenuous.” He publicly derided the HAA’s operational procedures and treatment of local artists in an open letter following his resignation, saying, “ . . . to denigrate local art professionals and belittle local talent—no matter how cleverly masked—is not the job of the CAC. They were not formed to select or reject artists or to decide who or what is ‘Blue Chip’ . . . No Civic Art Committee changes policies during an active contract. It’s unprofessional.”

This is notably not the first time the HAA has been criticized for its lack of transparency regarding projects funded by public money. In 2008, reporter Wayne Dolcefino decried the HAA for not being upfront about their monetary policies. He specifically cited the organization’s possession of $10.4 million in public funds intended for art; despite only having two projects completed that year, and no upcoming commissions on public record.

Sara Kellner, a local art consultant, has since been tapped to serve as the HAA’s interim Director of Civic Art & Design.