With A New Building And A New Artist Incubator Program, Fort Houston Opens Its Doors For Gallery Show

Fort Houston’s new home is a 23,000 square foot Frankenstein-type building — part historic façade, part warehouse.

It’s tucked away on a side road near the Cumberland River, southeast of downtown.

“It’s a little rough and tumble,” says artistic director Alyssa Beach. “It’s the Fort Houston brand for sure.”

Construction is still ongoing, but Beach doesn’t seem phased. She’s used to it.

“We’ve moved … four times,” Beach says with a laugh.

The artist collective is perhaps best known for its time in Wedgewood-Houston — a neighborhood it helped popularize to the point it could no longer afford to stay there. Now, they’re setting up shop in what they’re calling the Railyard District.

Beach says this was the blank slate they needed to launch an artist incubation program — one of the only ones in the city.

“Not only are we designating the space to create, but also the space to exhibit,” she says. “And that’s kind of bringing our mission full circle.”

The program gives six artists small studio spaces for a year, for free. Ryan Winnen is one of them.

“I haven’t had a space that’s allowed me this much freedom to destroy walls and floors. Sorry, Alyssa!” Winnen says.

Winnen says having a dedicated studio space informed his work. He was able to be messier, less prescriptive. The result is about a dozen mixed medium paintings, which he has stacked against the wall.

Photo by Tyler Kripphaehne

Ryan Winnen in front of one of his paintings.

“This is one of my favorites,” he says, sorting through the canvases. “Like everyone’s favorite dive bar.”

He pulls out one piece that has white tile layered on one side, muddied up with black paint.

It’s an ode to the bathrooms at music venues. He’s a musician too, and being a full-time artist in a rapidly growing city can be tough, he says. And expensive.

“There are also a lot of artists here who are trying to figure out how they’re going to continue to pay rent and if they can continue to make their work here,” Winnen says. “I’d love to see people stay.”

He says spaces like Fort Houston will allow more artists to do just that.

Saturday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. will be Winnen’s first art exhibition, and the first event in Fort Houston’s new home.