Glasstire's 25th Anniversary: Revisiting Texas Art's Resilience Through Crises
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Glasstire is exploring its archives under the theme "When the Road Shifts: Creativity in Times of Crisis," which showcases how arts organizations and communities in Texas have navigated adversity. Highlights include Rainey Knudson's 2016 critique of "The Collections," curated by Andrée Bober, and Henry G. Sanchez's 2020 analysis of funding for the arts during the pandemic. The archive reflects on the repercussions of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 on the Rockport Center for the Arts, the flooding of the Galveston Arts Center due to Hurricane Ike in 2008, and Fresh Arts' call for hurricane debris art. Recent flooding incidents in 2025, 2022, and 2016 also impacted the Dallas Museum of Art. Censorship challenges featured works being confiscated and exhibitions canceled, alongside artists opting out of a Smithsonian symposium.
Key facts
- Glasstire celebrates 25 years with monthly thematic content from its archives.
- The theme for August 2026 is 'When the Road Shifts: Creativity in Times of Crisis'.
- Glasstire has published over 18,600 articles in 25 years.
- Rainey Knudson's 2016 article reviews 'The Collections', a University of Texas Press book edited by Andrée Bober.
- Henry G. Sanchez researched arts funding in Texas cities during the pandemic in 2020.
- Hurricane Harvey struck Texas in 2017, impacting arts organizations and artists.
- The Rockport Center for the Arts opened a new $12.5 million campus six years after Hurricane Harvey.
- Hurricane Ike flooded the Galveston Arts Center in 2008; it returned home after seven years.
- Fresh Arts hosted an open call for hurricane debris art with a $2,000 prize.
- Recent floods affected the Hill Country, Rio Grande Valley, Dallas, San Antonio, and McAllen.
- Censorship incidents include Sally Mann photos confiscated, Victor Quiñonez's show cancelled, and Sarah Fox's artwork pulled.
- Margarita Cabrera and Nicholas Galanin withdrew from a Smithsonian symposium citing censorship.
- The National Coalition Against Censorship launched a guide for defending artistic freedom in 2026.
- Glasstire's Editor-in-Chief is Christina Rees; Publisher is Brandon Zech (Rainey Knudson is former publisher).
Entities
Artists
- Rainey Knudson
- Andrée Bober
- Henry G. Sanchez
- Christina Rees
- Brandon Zech
- Kent Ullberg
- Luis Purón
- Elena Rodriguez
- Michael Guidry
- Sally Mann
- Victor "MARKA27" Quiñonez
- Sarah Fox
- Margarita Cabrera
- Nicholas Galanin
- Katsushika Hokusai
- Jesus Bautista Moroles
- Mark Lamster
Institutions
- Glasstire
- University of Texas Press
- University of Texas at Austin
- Rockport Center for the Arts
- Galveston Arts Center
- Fresh Arts
- Dallas Museum of Art
- San Antonio Museum of Art
- Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
- University of North Texas
- McNay Art Museum
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- National Coalition Against Censorship
- Creative Waco
- Houston Arts Alliance
- Houston Flood Museum
- Harry Ransom Center
- Texas Fashion Collection
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- Dallas Morning News
Locations
- Texas
- Houston
- Rockport
- Galveston
- Dallas
- San Antonio
- McAllen
- Hill Country
- Rio Grande Valley
- Denton
- Fort Worth
- Waco
- Padre Island
- United States
- Gulf Coast
- Austin