This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.
The first Anti-Trump Art Show in Texas was inaugurated, appropriately enough, on April Fool’s Day.
With 70 exhibits, the show boasts some of Texas’ finest protest-art. And the turnout for the opening night was a welcome sight in this red state. Houstonians poured into world-renowned civil rights attorney Randall Kallinen’s gallery to shock and be shocked. The Kallinen Contemporary sits on the East Side, on the banks of Buffalo Bayou, surrounded by the petrochemical-industrial complex that made Houston the “Energy Capital” of the World.
Advertisement
I asked Randall what motivated Trump! The Art Show. (Note Kallinen's Super Collider in the background above).
“We tried to do something the art establishment in Houston wasn’t willing to do,” he explains. “The show was curated by John Paul Hartman and myself, and we wanted to do something the traditional galleries are too scared to do - tell the truth. We are now living in a time where we have possibly the worst administration this country has ever seen.”
A civil rights attorney by day, Kallinen got his law degree at the University of Houston in 1993. But his passion for art found an expression - first, in his colorful action art splatter-style of painting, and then in the gallery itself - a converted industrial building that serves as the world’s only combination law-office-art-gallery. Kallinen credits his friends John Hartman, Angel Quesada, Solomon Kane, Lester Marks, and the late Bert L. Long Jr., for helping him see the light of art. Quesada (pictured in the cowboy hat, at the very top of this article) and Hartman were the driving forces behind the actual design, layout and installation of the show.
Advertisement
As I walk around the show, I am surprised by the cheerfulness of both the gallery visitors and the artists themselves (Art is group therapy in the Age of Trump). The art work is entertaining, but there’s a message behind every work.
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.