Meow Wolf Houston: Radio Tave

Art teacher Dan Havel practices what he preaches. Throughout his time at St. John’s School, he has held himself to the same standards as his students. 

“I always tell my students that I'm a practicing artist, and I think it's important for me to practice my craft because then I am dealing with the same problems that I'm giving my students. They have to come up with an idea, they have to develop it, they have to finish it,” Havel said. “I feel more comfortable knowing that I'm dealing with the same problems that I'm giving them, and that we're all in this together.”

Local artist duo Dean Ruck (left) and Dan Havel have worked together to create immersive installations for almost 30 years.

His most recent project is a commission from the immersive art group Meow Wolf, whose Houston location officially opened to the public on Thursday, Oct. 31. The collective has locations in cities including Santa Fe and Las Vegas, each with their own unique theme. They feature a maze of rooms connected by secret passageways, including through washing machines and refrigerators, and are famous for their interactivity - unlike most art museums, nothing is off limits. Visitors are encouraged to engage with the exhibits through all five senses. The Houston location, set in an alternative radio station stuck in a parallel universe, focuses on sound and features universal headphone jacks for visitors to plug into.

Visitors to Meow Wolf: Radio Tave step into an immersive parallel universe featuring interactive elements and performance artists. (Photo: Arturo Olmos, courtesy of Meow Wolf)

To make their installations representative of each city’s art scene, Meow Wolf works with local groups to identify artists they think would be a good match for the project. The group contacted Havel and his longtime creative partner, Dean Ruck, with an offer last year. The pair have collaborated on several immersive works, including a series of which feature condemned houses transformed into walkable tunnels, illusions, and even a camera obscura. After they were approached, Havel and Ruck created the concept of the station’s mechanical room, using hundreds of feet of metal ductwork and screens featuring natural phenomena to create a combination representing Houston’s extreme weather and industrial strength.

Havel recognizes the importance of creating responsibly and prioritizes using unconventional and sustainable materials in his work. Much of his art is influenced by his environmental consciousness.

Another angle of Ruck and Havel's ductwork maze.

“We're repurposers and recyclers. Our sculptures tend to use either the material that's on site or material that normally isn't used in art,” Havel said. “I'm concerned about actually living in Houston for the future, because it's gonna be interesting down here. I think a big part of [the installation] is this idea that we're a big part of the mechanics of nature down here.”

Creating Meow Wolf Houston: Radio Tave was no small feat - construction required over 100 artists from Santa Fe and Houston. Havel recommends setting aside at least three hours for a visit to allow enough time to explore each of the installation’s hidden worlds. Tickets are available for purchase now on Meow Wolf’s website.