REBECCA NOVAK

Rebecca Novak studied sculpture, drawing and painting at the Glassell School of Art, MFAH. Born in Chicago, raised in Miami and Michigan, Rebecca received a Bachelor of Music from DePaul University and a Master of Music from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, where she developed interests in both classical and improvisational music.  Since locating to Houston, Rebecca has been involved in a range of activities as sculptor, installation artist, improvisational musician, and organic gardener. She recently participated as an artist/gardener with GreenHouse Collective, a gardening and permaculture project at Project Row Houses. Her work has been shown at Lawndale Art Center, labotanica, gallery 1724, Houston Community College, El Rincon Social, and the Houston Foundry.

Through a series of interactions with community and place, I will encourage a broad dialogue on the significance of green spaces in the Third Ward, with an emphasis on trees. Activities will include informal interviews and discussion, photography, tree mapping activities, field research and recordings, and guided tours.  An index of green spaces in the Third Ward will be created with images including gardens, trees, abandoned spaces, and park spaces in the Third Ward.  Images will be contributed by the artist and community, and will exist both in physical space and on the web as a database.  Additional data and images will be added to the Great Texas Tree Roundup, where the community will contribute data on trees to a state-wide tree counting effort.

Rebecca Novak

Nurse log near Sauer and Holman