Artist Collective / Open MFA is a sponsored project of Fresh Arts
What we do /
Contemporary art discussions and critiques
Gallery and museum visits
Collaborative projects and exhibitions
Open MFA Digital Residency
Current Organizers /
Erica Reed Lee
Hillaree Hamblin
Ryan Hollaway
Amanda Powers
Our Story /
Artists Marion Tu and Amanda Powers met during a 3-month artist residency in Montrose, Houston where they began meeting once a week to discuss their projects. After inviting other artists to join the conversation, the group hosted critiques, conversed about Houston art, and facilitated a Tapping Through the City walk through the streets of Montrose.
Marion Tu, a French-Chinese artist, moved to Houston from London where she was a core member of Alt MFA Alternative Master of Fine Art Course. Amanda Powers had recently returned to Houston from Europe where she studied at a studio-based independent art school. Both artists recognized a need for art community and sought to explore what it could look like in Houston outside of a University setting.
Within a few weeks, Hillaree Hamblin, Ryan Hollaway and John Galindo became integral parts of developing Open MFA. The artists met at various places throughout the city, collaborated on an interdisciplinary project combining sound and visual art, visited local exhibitions, and created the Open MFA Digital Residency.