Inaugural Civic Arts Talk with Rick Lowe at Civic Arts Church
On July 11, Sweet Water Foundation (SWF) hosted Rick Lowe for the inaugural Civic Arts Talk at Civic Arts Church, marking the launch of a new Sweet Water Communiversity series focused on Civic Arts. This series brings together artists, academics, and community members to share their work through talks, performances, and workshops, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and critical connections at The Commonwealth.
Read on to learn more about the inaugural Civic Arts Talk with Rick Lowe.
Rick Lowe, a social practice artist acclaimed for co-founding Project Row Houses in Houston’s Third Ward, has been connected with SWF since 2018. His contributions to The Commonwealth include helping renovate [Re]Construction House and delivering an Artist Talk at the Gallery at [Re]Construction House in Spring 2020. During the inaugural Civic Arts Talk at Civic Arts Church, Rick shared the critical moment that transformed his journey from studio art to community-based practice: when a young person challenged him to use his work to create tangible change and solutions and not just offer an aesthetic critique of societal conditions. He also reflected on the influence of German artist and teacher Joseph Beuys' concept of "social sculpture," which has shaped the more than three decades of his artistic practice, which uses art, architecture, and design to sculpt communities.
Drawing on the parallels between Project Row Houses and The Commonwealth, Rick and SWF’s Executive Director, Emmanuel Pratt discussed the role of education and generational knowledge-sharing in community work. They highlighted the importance of starting small and using each new technique, design, or practice as a fractal to scale up over time—whether through translating the lessons from growing food in garden beds to the scale of a farm or starting carpentry and design with the build of a single chair. Rick’s experience highlights the complexities of community development, particularly how real estate dynamics can contribute to gentrification, reinforcing the need for vigilance and adaptability in place-based community work.
The event also illuminated the creative strategies necessary to navigate bureaucratic hurdles in community-based projects, illustrated by Rick and SWF’s experiences with municipal zoning, land use, and the categorizations of buildings in both Houston and Chicago. These challenges underscore the gaps between official records and the realities of evolving neighborhoods, emphasizing the importance of being present, responsive, and creative.
The talk concluded with a hands-on workshop reflecting Rick’s practice of playing dominoes at Project Row Houses and later in his studio artwork. Participants used dominoes to reflect on the patterns of life and community, embodying the spirit of civic arts. The evening ended with music by SWF Civic Artist-in-Residence Charles Pryor, leaving attendees inspired by the intersection of art, community, and social practice.
