New Montrose Library to Feature Artwork from Houston Artist «Kill Joy» – Bereavision TV

New Montrose Library to Feature Artwork from Houston Artist «Kill Joy»

HOUSTON – The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs(MOCA) is pleased to announce its commission for artwork from Houston-based, Filipino-American artist “Kill Joy,” who will create a permanent, site-specific artwork for the new Montrose Library.

Entitled Spirit of Montrose, the artist’s commission will result in a mural, sculpture, and light piece inspired by the history of the Montrose neighborhood and will be a central feature of the Houston Public Library’s new Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library in the Montrose Collective.

The new library space, which will replace the existing library location at 4100 Montrose will feature reading areas, technology access, children’s and teen area, and meeting spaces.

“The artwork being the centerpiece of the new Montrose library location highlights the Houston Public Library’s commitment to storytelling in all forms and mediums, as well as the City’s commitment to sharing uplifting experiences through art,” said Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner, “and it’s great to see another dynamic mural be added to the City’s Civic Art Collection.”

Artist «Kill Joy» in front of mural «Mexico» 2021, commissioned by the Rubin Center for the Visual Arts in El Paso, TX

«Libraries are sacred. They are a gathering space that imprints local stories and connects people to global, and even intergalactic worlds,’” says artist KiII Joy, “Libraries are a celebration of community building, and I am very honored to contribute to these time-honored sanctuaries of learning, community, democracy and imagination.»

The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, through Houston Arts Alliance, sought proposals from across the nation for this permanent work of art which will be included in the City’s Civic Art Collection upon its completion in late 2023.

This commission opportunity is made possible through the City of Houston’s Civic Art Program, managed by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, which provides exciting opportunities for Houstonians and visitors to engage with art in public spaces, like Houston Public Library locations. Under contract and in partnership with MOCA, Houston Arts Alliance administers these city-funded public opportunities to acquire and conserve the City of Houston’s public artworks.

Find more information on the artist, the mural concept, and the selection process here.