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We are thrilled to announce these extraordinary Texas artists who will exhibit their works in the upcoming True North 2025 exhibition!
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Its 12th installation, a diverse group of sculptures—which vary in medium, theme, size, and color—have been chosen to once again grace the esplanade of Heights Boulevard's esplanade.
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Elizabeth Akamatsu
Olaniyi R. Akindiya AKIRASH
Amanda Barry Jones
Susan Budge
Dave Clark
Tim Glover
Felicia Schneider
Ben Woitena
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We look forward to showing you what these eight gifted artists have in store! Stay tuned for all the latest by following us on Facebook and Instagram!
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Donna Bennett, Dean Ruck, Gus Kopriva
Chris Silkwood and Kelly Simmons
arriving soon...
True North 2025
![Akamatsu's "Pod" [artist rendering]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6247cd_bd809d4e6bf94823b2f0a9830cf46113~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_643,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/6247cd_bd809d4e6bf94823b2f0a9830cf46113~mv2.jpg)
Kolanowski Studio
Elizabeth Akamatsu
NACOGDOCHES TX
"SATY"
Elizabeth Akamatsu’s work is often inspired by the intersection of nature with technology. She says, “My interest in forms found in nature—combined with an awareness that I am dependent on technology—has inspired the creation of this sculpture. Its spherical form, made of two different hexagon shapes, is combined with orange pipe bent to refer to the petals of a flower. This orange pipe is often seen on the side of the road; it is used to protect underground communications wire. ‘SATY’ represents nature’s natural seed dispersement similar to the way the internet spreads information around the world.”
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Akamatsu was born in Yokosuka, Japan, and grew up in California. She earned a BA in painting from California State University, Fullerton, and an MFA from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She ran the sculpture and metals program at Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, and headed the sculpture program at Sam Houston State University, Huntsville. Now living and working in Nacogdoches as a full-time artist, her work has been shown extensively throughout the United States and internationally, including Art League Houston; Baytown Sculpture Trail; Center for Contemporary Arts, Abilene; Centro per l'arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato, Tuscany, Italy; San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum; San Angelo Museum of Fine Art; Site Gallery, The Silos at Sawyer Yards, Houston; and Texas Sculpture Group at Redbud Arts Center, Houston. Akamatsu’s works are in the permanent collections of Eldridge Park, City of Sugar Land; Diamond Hill Community Center, City of Fort Worth; the Bonnie Brae Roundabout, City of Denton; The Waterway, The Woodlands; Art in Public Places, Santa Fe, New Mexico; and True North featured her dreamy cloud sculpture, “Cumulus,” in 2022.
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Elizabeth Akamatsu's "SATY"
Olaniyi R. Akindiya AKIRASH
PFLUGERVILLE TX
"BRIGHT DAYS AHEAD #1"
Taking inspiration from traditional West African textile weaving as a tool of communication and statement, Olaniyi R. Akindiya AKIRASH’s “Bright Days Ahead” sculpture series resulted from the artist’s own investigation into homelessness—sitting with individuals on the streets willing to answer his questions about their journeys and their experiences of devastating circumstances and dangerous conditions. AKIRASH says, “You can’t judge a book by its cover. The answers differ from one individual to another—loss of income, debt, natural disaster, illness and injury, and many suffering from mental health issues.” “BRIGHT DAYS AHEAD #1” was created with multitudes of laser cut geometric patterns meant to represent the homeless population in Texas.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, AKIRASH earned a BSC in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, and went on to study Fine and Applied Arts at the Institute of Textile Technology, Arts and Design, Lagos. Now living and creating art in Pflugerville, Texas, AKIRASH has permanent works in the collections of Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility, Austin; Howson Library, Austin; Austin Bergstrom International Airport; Roy Orr Trail, Desoto; and Pflugerville Public Library. His works have been widely exhibited, including ArtPrize, Grand Rapids, Michigan; Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design, Bloomington, Indiana; Kemp Center for the Arts, Wichita Falls; Houston Center for Contemporary Craft; Site Gallery, The Silos at Sawyer Yards, Houston; Redbud Arts Center, Houston; and Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico. AKIRASH has received numerous awards, grants, and fellowships that include Mid-America Arts Alliance (through National Endowment for the Arts); Pollock Krasner Foundation, New York City; Santo Foundation, St. Louis, Missouri; and Commonwealth Connection Award, United Kingdom.
Olaniyi R. Akindiya AKIRASH's "BRIGHT DAYS AHEAD #1"
Amanda Barry Jones
HOUSTON TX
"Nature Reclaims: Wood Pile"
Amanda Barry Jones says, “The 2024 storms—the May derecho and Hurricane Beryl—left profound marks on our communities, especially hard-hit Garden Oaks where I live and the Greater Heights where I once lived. Uprooting ancient oaks and pines—which served as namesakes and guardians of our neighborhoods—the storms left landscapes littered with massive piles of wood and debris.” At first glance, “Wood Pile” is reminiscent of these storms’ destructive aftermaths, however, a closer inspection reveals the magical transformation taking place within the unearthed root ball and nooks and crannies of the tree’s broken stump. Here, Barry Jones has crafted insects, birds, and mammals, giving new life to the planet through the decaying wood; turning a symbol of destruction into a celebration of nature’s resilience and the beauty hidden within the chaos.
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Barry Jones is a multi-disciplinary artist with a foundation in ceramics and nearly 20 years’ experience working with clay. She received a BFA in Ceramics from Lamar University, Beaumont, where she was born, and a full scholarship to the graduate program at Houston Christian University earning an MFA in sculpture and ceramics. A co-founder of the Empty Bowls of Southeast Texas project, Barry Jones runs the Art Department and Art Gallery at Galveston College and lives and works as a professional artist in Houston. Her work has been exhibited widely, including shows at The Art Studio, Inc., Beaumont; Dishman Art Museum, Beaumont; Galveston College Fine Arts Gallery; Iron Gate Studios, Beaumont; Redbud Arts Center, Houston; Rockport Center for the Arts; ClayHouston, Site Gallery, The Silos at Sawyer Yards; and Williams Tower Gallery, Houston.
Amanda Barry Jones "Nature Reclaims: Wood Pile"
Susan Budge
PATTISON TX
"Cosmic Kachinas"
The Native American aesthetic that surrounded Susan Budge in her formative years reveals itself in her work to varying degrees. She says, “My creative process is spontaneous and the influences I draw from are not always intentional but rather guided by my subconscious. According to the Natural History Museum of Utah, Kachina figures represent the spiritual beings who help Pueblo culture survive. They are used to provide guidance as spirits or personification of elements in the real world. ‘Koyemsi,’ also known as the ‘Mudhead,’ is the holy clown of the Kachinas. They may engage in games with the children during breaks in dance. ‘Koshare’ represents spirits in ceremonies invoking rain and fertility, often seen with a watermelon, as glutinous, and acting out as an unacceptable trickster to remind the community of acceptable and harmonious standards of behavior. I hope these ‘Cosmic Kachinas’ help people connect to the spiritual and physical worlds with an understanding of the importance of every culture and all life. May they remind us to respect even that which we may not understand.”
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Budge works in clay and bronze sculpture with influences from Biomorphism and Surrealism. She holds a BFA from Texas Tech University, Lubbock; an MA from University of Houston-Clear Lake, and an MFA from The University of Texas at San Antonio. With a long career in arts education, including San Jacinto College, Angelo State College, and The Glassell School of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Budge has served on the board of Texas Sculpture Group since 2014. Her works have been in hundreds of exhibitions, including solo shows at Art League Houston; Dock Space, San Antonio; Galeria Ortiz Contemporary, San Antonio; Heidi Vaughn Fine Art, Houston; Redbud Arts Center, Houston; and The Nave Museum, Victoria. Budge’s sculptures are in the permanent collections of Art Museum of South Texas, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi; Clara M. Lovett Art Museum, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff; Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, Missouri; Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts; Honolulu Museum of Art; New Orleans Museum of Art; San Antonio Museum of Art; San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts; and Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.
Susan Budge's "Cosmic Kachinas"
Dave Clark
TOMBALL TX
"P.O.D.S."
Dave Clark says, “Life is unpredictable, fascinating, and chaotic—all ideas reflected in my work. Approaching life with a touch of sarcasm and humor allows me to engage with these realities and keep a somewhat level head. All my work is a record of my own personal perceptions translated into objects and images. My sculpture often reflects those experiences through forms from a dreamlike dystopian world. The viewer is invited to experience the narrative of each piece, which is intended to pose questions rather than provide answers—encouraging viewers to decipher the story or try to make sense of the object for themselves. Though the works often reflect a sarcastic darkness, they are not intended to present a fatalistic view. Instead, they are meant to express life’s complexities, challenge our societal priorities, and consider potential outcomes. Within each sculpture lies a hidden hope often representing our resilience.”
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Upon earning his BFA from Oklahoma State University, Clark returned to his home base in Southern California to carve out a career as an artist in the entertainment field. After 20 years in that industry, he moved to Texas in 2010 to teach and spend more time creating his own works. Drawing from his experiences as a fine artist and his work in the entertainment complex, Clark creates unusual combinations of landscapes as though cobbled together in the aftermath of destruction—suggestive of dystopian objects and surreal story settings. With shows throughout the country, he recently received awards from the 20th Annual Sculpture Garden Exhibition, Houston Visual Arts Alliance 40th Juried Membership Exhibition, Redbud Arts Center; International Sculpture Center, Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award, Hamilton, New Jersey; San Angelo State University Graduate, Ceramic Juried Exhibition; Texas National Competition and Exhibition, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches; and The Kemp Center for the Arts, Arts Council Wichita Falls.
Dave Clark's "P.O.D.S."
Tim Glover
HOUSTON TX
"Margy's Menagerie"
Tim Glover’s dazzling sculpture “Whirlwind” adorned Heights Boulevard’s esplanade for the project’s 2015 exhibition, and this year he present’s the whimsically delightful “Margy’s Menagerie”—titled for his late mother-in-law, Margy Doyle, who, during the work’s early conceptual process, suggested the elephant form. Glover says, “The idea took hold,” and further inspired a carousel of Margy’s favorite fantastical characters to occupy the sculpture’s tubular glass center.
Glover’s artwork has been described as imagist in the tradition of the Hairy Who of 60s Chicago. Grounded in object making, some works reference social, political, environmental, and cultural issues—mixing in a little satire for good measure. With a studio practice in Houston since 1986, Glover also taught and mentored aspiring young artists at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts from 1987 until his recent retirement. During that time he received numerous grants and honors for his professional achievements, including the distinguished Pollack-Krasner Award and the Teacher Recognition Award, Presidential Scholars Program, U.S. Department of Education.
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Glover's sculptural works have been shown in numerous galleries, museums, and municipalities, including Art Car Museum, Houston; Houston Baptist University; Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Lubbock; and Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois. His works are in permanent collections that include the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, University of Houston; Children’s Museum Houston; and sculptures at the City of Houston’s Washington/Westcott roundabout, METRORail at Preston and Main Street Square, and at Buffalo Bayou Park.
Tim Glover's "Margy's Menagerie"
Felicia Schneider
HOUSTON TX
"On Your Mark"
Felicia Schneider had been reading a lot of novels with female archer protagonists, and her sculpture “On Your Mark” was conceptualized as a Houston version of this fantasy-genre character—like our city, she is modern, strong, sometimes dangerous, and presents an image of fine lines and geometry. Schneider says, “There is a reason archery so easily fits into this genre: it is precise and destructive, serves a function, and takes place in the natural world—characteristics which also happen to inspire my art.”
Always passionate about art, culture, and the outdoors—finding the oceans, mountains, forests, deserts, lakes, and rivers to be the truest forms of art—Schneider set out to study in Ghana, farm in Florida and Puerto Rico, travel throughout South America and Mexico, and tour the U.S. by motorcycle. She moved to Houston in 2017 to join the U.S. Geological Survey team, instantly falling in love with the City’s skylines, houses—old and new, brick and corrugated metal—and the geometrical lines of its buildings and roads—all existing in a harsh and beautiful natural environment. Her time with USGS also taught her the craft of welding—opening an exciting new medium and stirring her long-held love for creating art.
Felicia Schneider's "On Your Mark"
Ben Woitena
HOUSTON TX
"Mandatory Dogs"
photo "Houston Chronicle"
Native Texan Ben Woitena received a BFA in sculpture from The University of Texas at Austin and an MFA from University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He has lived in Houston since 1971 and, for 27 years, was head of sculpture at Houston Museum School of Art—now Glassell School of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston—teaching figurative sculpture, life drawing, bronze casting, metal fabrication, and wood- and stone-carving. His large outdoor sculptures have been exhibited extensively around the country and are in the collections of many museums and municipalities, including Amarillo Museum of Art; Texas City; Civic Center Grounds, Abilene; El Paso Museum of Art; “Kerouac Commemorative,” Eastern Canal Park, Lowell, Massachusetts; Memorial Park, Houston; Museum of the Southeast, Beaumont; Old Jail Art Center, Albany; San Antonio Museum of Art; Terminal “E,” George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Tyler Museum of Art; and Vassar Museum, Vasser College, Poughkeepsie, New York.
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Exhibitions of his works have been held at Arts Council of Midland, Midland; Artspace111, Fort Worth; El Paso Museum of Art; Hooks Epstein Gallery, Houston; Meadows Gallery, University of Texas at Tyler; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Salmon Sculpture Garden, Sunken Garden Park, San Angelo; Sculpture Month Houston, Site Gallery, The Silos at Sawyer Yards, Houston; and The Arts Center Texas Gallery, Texas Sculpture Group, College Station.
Woitena’s c. 2020 sculpture “Mandatory Dogs,” depicting a mother dog and her pup, was previously exhibited at Chicago Children’s Museum, along the trails of the Navy Pier.
Ben Woitena's "Mandatory Dogs"
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