Zócalo Artist-in-Residence Program
Located on the Beautiful Campus of Zócalo Apartments
Zócalo Artist-in-Residence program is committed to celebrating the creative spirit by incorporating a first-of-its-kind artist-in-residence program in Houston — a key pillar within a vibrant community that highly encourages the interaction between artists and residents.
Zócalo’s Artist-in-Residence program will debut this summer by offering three residences on the beautiful campus of Zócalo Apartments located in the emerging Spring Branch area of Houston, Texas.
Three artists chosen by an expert panel of local curators and a public vote will be granted no-cost housing and exhibition space on campus. A single one year and two six-month residencies will be available each annual cycle.
On a monthly basis, artists will have the opportunity for art shows on the property and participate in public engagement events with Zócalo’s residents and the greater Spring Branch community.
Given the ample size of the Zócalo campus, artists who work in larger, exterior scales will be welcome to push the boundaries of their creativity by creating installations to be displayed on the exterior of buildings or on Zócalo’s large central lawn.
The end of each residency will result in a solo-exhibition featuring works created throughout the residency period. Artists working in all visual mediums are welcome to apply.
Zócalo Artist-in-Residency Periods
January 2020 - December 2020
Year-long residency period
January 2020 - June 2020
Six-month residency period Round 1
July 2020 - December 2020
Six-month residency period Round 2
Meet our Director
Ileana Yordan
As Program Director, Ileana Yordan is responsible for ensuring the ZAIR program is a valuable and engaging experience for everyone involved. She was most recently Gallery Manager at Houston’s Catherine Couturier Gallery and she holds a Masters in Arts Leadership from the University of Houston.
As a partner and Creative Director at the Olaju Art Group, she previously managed and curated exhibitions focused on introducing contemporary West African Art to Texas.
Meet the Judges
Our incredible panel includes five Houston-based curators, artists, and arts professionals representing a diverse range of expertise and leadership within the local arts industry.
Jennie Ash
Jennie Ash joined Art League Houston (ALH) as Visual Arts Director in 2011 and was named Executive Director in March 2018. Over the past seven years, Ms. Ash has overseen a massive reorganization of ALH’s Visual Arts Program into what is now a locally and nationally recognized leader in arts presentation and artist support. Ms. Ash received an MFA from City & Guilds of London Art School and a BFA from the University of the Arts, London. Born in Canada, she lived in Singapore and England, moving to Houston Texas in 2008. She has served on selection panels at Houston Arts Alliance, the Artist Foundation of San Antonio & Fresh Arts.
Lindsay Davis
Lindsay Davis is the co-founder of Davis Cohen Art and a Texas Representative at Bonham's auction house. She has worked privately as an art consultant and appraiser for over a decade, recently managing corporate, private, and public art collections, including working as the City of Sugar Land’s Cultural Arts Manager. Lindsay Davis received her BA in Art History at the University of Texas at Austin and MA in Arts Administration at Columbia University in New York City; as well, she holds a Certificate in Appraisal Studies in Fine and Decorative Art at New York University
GONZO247
Artist, Mario E. Figueroa, Jr., artistically known as GONZO247, was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist with over 25 years of experience in studio art practice, mural painting, private art commissions, and community involvement. GONZO is the founder of Aerosol Warfare Studios, founder and producer of HUE Mural Festival, and founder of The Graffiti and Street Art Museum of Texas. GONZO pioneered graffiti and street art culture as a leader of the alternative art movement in Houston and remains active in the Houston Hip Hop scene through his main activity and artistic expression, graffiti.
Robert Leroy Hodge
Robert Hodge is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice explores themes of memory and commemoration. Born in Houston, Texas and raised in the City’s Third Ward district, the artist studied visual art at the Pratt Institute in New York and the Atlanta College of Art before returning to Houston. Hodge has exhibited his work both nationally and internationally in countries ranging from Kenya to Switzerland. His recent projects include executive producing the album "Two & 1/2 Years: A Visual Celebration to the Spirit of Juneteenth," fulfilling a residency at Artpace in San Antonio and curating the show Collect it for the Culture previously at Houston's The Union.
Dennis Nance
Dennis Nance is an artist and curator from Houston, TX. He was appointed as Curator for the Galveston Arts Center in 2016. From 2007 to 2016, Nance was Exhibitions & Programming Director for Lawndale Art Center in Houston. Nance is a past member of the Artist Advisory Board for DiverseWorks and BOX 13 ArtSpace artist member. Nance is a practicing artist and was awarded an Individual Artist Grant from the Houston Arts Alliance and an Idea Fund Award in 2015. His work has been included in exhibitions at the ICA Boston; the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; The Brandon; BOX13 ArtSpace; and the Menil Collection bookstore. He received his BA from Austin College in Sherman, TX with a concentration in Fine Arts and French.
VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES
Our vision is to imbue Zócalo Apartments with “a sense of place” by creating an environment where art is part of the everyday life of the community.
ZAIR’s mission is to offer a unique and valuable opportunity for emerging and established visual artists to advance their artistic careers while participating in the cultivation of a vibrant and engaging community for Zócalo residents and the greater Spring Branch neighborhood.
At Zócalo We Value:
Community
Creativity
Inclusivity
Excellence
Culture
