Memorial Park Installs The FENCE

The FENCE is displayed on an 850-foot mesh banner and highlights work from 41 talented photographers. (Photo: Abby Cohan)

Abby Cohan, a senior at The Emery/Weiner School, interned with The Buzz during the school's Senior Internship Week, and checked out The FENCE.

Visitors to Memorial Park see runners, joggers, golfers, tennis players, families with young children, families walking dogs, and, these days, 850 feet of incredible photography. The FENCE, a vibrant, multicolored art piece adds to the largest urban park in Texas.  

(From left) Emery seniors Nathan Lederman and Abby Cohan enjoyed their visit to The FENCE. (Photo: Nathan Lederman) 

Displayed on an 850-foot mesh banner, The FENCE highlights work from 41 talented photographers around the planet. The art display is comprised of categories such as Home, Streets, People, Creatures, Nature, Play and Food. The FENCE will be open through this May, and I would highly recommend taking the time to view this unique exhibit, particularly if you’re already enjoying Memorial Park.  

Gregg Segal’s project Daily Bread showcases simple meals that can be prepared at home. (Photo: Abby Cohan) 

Some of the artists sampled throughout The Fence are: Gregg Segal, Jean-Michel Regoin, Beth Galton, Shinya Masuda, Dave Jordano and Riccardo Colleli. Legendary photographer Gregg Segal presents his famous project, Daily Bread, which acts as an incentive for change and to connect to a growing community that learns and encourages one another to live a healthy lifestyle. New York-based photographer Beth Galton features her project Cut Food Series, which concentrates on food items familiar to our daily lives.

Abby Cohan enjoys “sampling” a tasty donut at The FENCE. (Photo: Nathan Lederman)

 

The United Photo Industries, a New York-based organization that grows access to the art of photography, initially presented The FENCE in Brooklyn Bridge Park in 2012. The FENCE, the largest public photo exhibition in North America, is constantly flourishing. This exhibit currently reaches more than four million visitors annually through exhibitions in Brooklyn, Boston, Atlanta, Houston, Santa Fe, Durham, Denver and Calgary. Houston is the most recently installed FENCE.

In the third weekend of March 2018, Memorial Park Conservancy and the Houston Center for Photography installed The Fence on Memorial Drive between East Memorial Loop Rd. and Crestwood, on the southern boundary of the future Eastern Glades. The FENCE has been in Houston twice before. In 2016, The FENCE was exhibited at the 3500-3700 blocks of Main Street. The following year, The FENCE was presented at 2323 Allen Parkway.

This exhibition is an enjoyable and convenient spot for runners and joggers to see on a quick break during their exercise around the park. The FENCE adds a crafty taste to Memorial Park, which is sure to bring even more visitors to the park.

Amateur photographers: Enter the 2018 Buzz Photo Contest here, sponsored by Houston Camera Exchange. Deadline: May 15, 2018, 11:59 p.m.