Art Museum of Southeast Texas

Art Museum of Southeast Texas
500 Main Street
Beaumont , TX 77701
United States
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NOW ON VIEW

Felix "Fox" Harris Gallery

From: 
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Until: 
Tuesday, January 1, 2030

A major collection within the AMSET permanent collection is that of the larger than life totem-like sculptures of Felix “Fox” Harris.

For over 20 years, Harris crafted his sculptures of recycled materials and displayed them in his yard, creating a forest-like environment. Harris was inspired to make art by a vision from God telling him to set aside his old life and make a new one. God told him to “make somethin’ out of nothin,’” he said. Harris took this to mean that not only should he reform his ways, but that he should literally take found objects and give them new life. In time, Harris constructed a forest of totems, some as tall as 15 feet, made from scrap metal, old toys, street markers and other discarded objects.

These significant pieces of folk art were donated to AMSET after Harris’ death in the mid 1980s and have had a tumultuous history at the museum, through numerous installation locations, de-installations due to threats of inclement weather and subsequent long-term storage. Finally in August 2007, AMSET unveiled Somethin' Out of Nothin': The Works of Felix "Fox Hafoxcolor.jpgrris, a semi-permanent gallery and glorious new resting place for the Beaumont treasures.

PAST EVENTS

Collecting a Master: Carlomagno Pedro Martinez from the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art

From: 
Sunday, September 4, 2022
Until: 
Sunday, March 12, 2023

From Here to the Afterlife: Works from the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art

From: 
Saturday, October 2, 2021
Until: 
Sunday, December 5, 2021

Collecting a Master: Carlomagno Pedro Martínez in the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art

From: 
Saturday, October 9, 2021
Until: 
Thursday, March 11, 2021

Textiles from the John Gaston Fairey Collection of Mexican Folk Art

From: 
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Until: 
Sunday, November 25, 2018

This fall we will feature a stunning exhibition of contemporary and historic Mexican textiles from AMSET’s permanent collection of Mexican Folk Art, gifted by John Gaston Fairey in memory of his parents, Philip and Isabel Fairey. Most of the work is from Oaxaca and from families of artists and artisans. There are many works by unknown artists, and numerous pieces acquired after multiple visits to an artist’s home in remote and hard to find sites. The textiles on view example the vibrant colors and exceptional prowess of Mexican artists working in this field, creating stunning costumes, clothing, blankets, and decorative table covers, as well as woven baskets from native plant fibers. While many of these objects serve a practical function, their aesthetic significance is evidenced in the hand sewn details, indigenous dyes from snails and native plants, and ornate patterns, which set these objects as significant examples of the arts of Mexico and symbols of cultural pride.