The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) and Deborah Colton Gallery are pleased to present Riding the Tiger: The Art of Bert Long, Jr., an exhibition of the late Houston’s artist work October 24-November 9, 2019. The museum, which dedicated its Bert Long, Jr. Gallery to show emerging local artists five years ago, and the Gallery, which represents the Bert Long, Jr. Estate, began planning this exhibition over a year ago.

HMACC’s opening reception is Thursday, October 24th from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. On Saturday, November 2nd at 4:30 pm, the film BERT will be presented, with a Q & A by John Guess, the Director of the film, afterwards.

It’s been close to six years since Long’s passing, and his departure continues to leave a gap in Houston’s art scene. We still have his art, however, and this new exhibition of his work reminds us of how talented an artist Bert Long, Jr. was and what a major contribution he made to the arts of Houston.

Riding the Tiger results from a Bert Long painting and his memorable comments about the painting as a metaphor on life. “Every day we wake up and we get on this tiger,” according to Long. “It’s on fire. There is no ground below it. The ocean is above it… The tiger has ferocious claws and a mouth full of teeth that will hurt you. Life is not easy. Life will chew you up, claw you up, set you on fire, toss you off a ravine and pound your ass. And what you have to do every day is wake up and say okay, I’m ready to get on that tiger!”

“HMAAC is thrilled to co-curate this exhibition with the Deborah Colton Gallery,” HMAAC CEO, John Guess stated. “We both are keepers of Bert Long’s legacy and it has been so rewarding to work with the HMAAC to allow a greater audience to see Long’s work with fresh eyes.” Deborah Colton added.

Both HMAAC and Deborah Colton Gallery have been involved in preservation of the Bert Long, Jr. legacy. The museum established its Bert Long, Jr. Gallery in 2015, and since has showcased the work of over 20 emerging artists. Deborah Colton Gallery previously showcased Long’s work in the 2014 exhibit Bert: Back and Beyond and a 2017 exhibit, Looking for the Right Time. Additionally, Bert Long’s work has been included in all of Colton’s “Houston Foundations” exhibitions, which emphasize the importance of Houston’s great artists and the major impact they have made on who we are as an art city today. There is no doubt that Bert Long Jr. was one of our most significant contributors through his accomplishments near and far.