Earlier this month, I heard from a neighbor that Mac Whitney had passed away. Why, you may ask, is that relevant? It is because his art is a piece you may walk by when you visit Stude Park.
The 50,000-pound, 50-foot-tall abstract monument titled 'Houston' stands tall on a hill above White Oak Bayou, visible from I-10 toward downtown. The piece was completed and installed in 1982 and was one of the first public artworks commissioned by the City of Houston.
Mac Whitney was born in 1936 in Manhattan, Kansas. He grew up on his parents' farm and learned to weld in High School. He went on to attend the College of Emporia and then studied at the Kansas State Teachers College and Kansas University. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Kansas in 1968.
In 1969, he moved to Texas and became associated with a Dallas group called the Oak Cliff Four. Around 1983 Whitney bought a 22.5-acre property on forested Red Oak Creek in Ovilla, outside of Midlothian, south of Dallas, on the northeast Texas prairie. He built his studio on this property and continued to produce artwork that has been called
"dynamic sculptures and extensive career have become a recognized part of Texas' rich cultural environment. His abstracted raw steel sculptures portray the primary forces of tension and resolution while instilling a sense of monumentality. The freestanding sculptures are both prodigious and lyrical- heavy metal seems effortlessly bent, unfolding toward the sky." – Gallery Sonja Roesch
Mac Whitney's work has been shown nationally and internationally and is part of many public collections, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Fort Worth Museum of Art, the Art Museum of South Texas, the University of North Texas Museum, and the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas. It is worth recognizing, and you can see one of his many pieces when you take your morning or evening walk through Stude Park.
Additional information on Mac Whitney and his art is found at the following links.
Glass Tire - https://glasstire.com/2025/03/13/mac-whitney-1936-2025/
Glass Tire - https://glasstire.com/2025/01/08/mac-whitney-man-of-steel/
Houston Chronicle - https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Paintings-expand-meaning-of-sculptures-by-Whitney-4294878.php#photo-4226173
Gallery Sonja Roesch - https://www.gallerysonjaroesch.com/mac-whitney
Kirk Hopper Fine Art - https://www.kirkhopperfineart.com/whitney.html
Mac Whitney Art - https://macwhitneyart.com/
To find a list of Art in Parks located throughout Houston visit
Houston Parks & Recreation Department Art in Parks - https://www.houstontx.gov/parks/artinparks/pdfs/Houston.pdf
History
Houston is First City to Adopt Children's Bill of Rights in Sports /
The Mayor’s Office of Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence (MOHT&DV) announced the City of Houston's adoption of the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports.
This initiative builds healthy children and communities through sports, by working with local organizations on the positive physical and mental health benefits needed for young people to thrive and learn.
Organizations may be eligible for grant funds to implement new programs and services. See the media release here.
Houston Welcomes 10 New Historic Landmarks /
In advance of Historic Preservation Month in May, Houston welcomed 10 new historic landmarks spanning the city in five different City Council Districts. Houston City Council approved the new landmarks on April 20. There are two landmarks and eight protected landmarks including Third Ward's Eldorado Ballroom built in 1939 and located at 2310 Elgin St. in Council District D.
Learn more about historic landmark designations. View this presentation to see photos of all the new landmarks.
Read this Texas State Historical Association article about the Eldorado's rich history in Houston.
