Alief Swarm
Bennie Flores Ansell

COMPLETION DATE
December 2022

LOCATION
Alief Neighborhood Center 
11903 Bellaire Blvd. 
Houston, Texas 77072

District F

CLIENT
City of Houston

SPONSORING DEPARTMENTS
Houston Public Library, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Houston Health Department 

PROJECT BUDGET
$262,633.00

Image Credit: All images courtesy of the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs; Photographer: Alex Barber; Video Production: Zainob+Matthew Create

Project Description

Suspended from the ceiling space of the East Entrance and atrium, Alief Swarm creates an uplifting experience and provides a transition space to all residents entering the Alief Neighborhood Center. At first, viewers will see pieces suspended from the low ceiling that appear to be birds or butterflies. As they walk into the atrium, the piece expands upwards in the open space, creating a flying migration of what will then be revealed as 1000 laser-cut images of shoes shaped like butterflies floating and flying above. Through its forms, this indoor piece connects to the outside butterfly garden on the grounds of the community center.  

Community involvement and ownership were significant components in the creation of Alief Swarm. The Alief community voted on the shoes in the piece as the top five that represent them: Converse High tops, Nike Air Jordans, Vans, a workman’s boot, and high heels. The residents will see this piece upon entering the building and take ownership, as their input and involvement in the planning are central to the meaning of the work.   

  • HAA oversaw the artist selection, design, fabrication, and installation process for this artwork. Working diligently with sponsoring city departments, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and the selected artists, HAA created and publicized the opportunity, coordinated the panel process, managed artist communications, and monitored on-site installation. Recommendation reports were submitted at the conclusion of Artist Selection and Design phases, and a robust closeout report was provided upon project completion detailing project summary and ongoing maintenance requirements. 

  • The Alief Neighborhood Center combines three City of Houston departments under one roof creating a civic center at the heart of a redeveloped 38-acre active urban sports park. A new paradigm for providing City services, the 70,000 sf 3-story building is the first-of-its-kind, designed to leverage synergies between the Houston Health Department, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and Houston Public Library for the benefit of local residents, with special focus on community engagement, identity, and overall wellbeing. The combined departments commissioned two permanent interior art works and one permanent exterior work for the new facility.

    Dear Alief, on Vimeo

    Video Production by Zinob+Matthew Create

  • This project was funded through Houston’s Civic Art Ordinance, which requires 1.75% of the budget for eligible City-funded construction projects to be spent on integrating artwork and artists' ideas in public spaces and conserving the City of Houston’s Civic Art Collection. The Houston Arts Alliance administers the civic art program for the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. 

  • ARTS REPRESENTATIVES

    Xandra Eden, Executive Director, Diverseworks 

    Divya Murthy, Artist 

    COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE

    Gordon Greenleaf, Artist, Alief Community Member 

    SPONSORING DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES

    Lisa Johnson, Division Manager of Parks Projects, General Service Department 

    John Middleton, Assistant Director of Spaces and Communications, Houston Public Library 

    Valerie Bergeron, Assistant Director, Chief Administrative Officer, Houston Health Department 

Artist Bio

Bennie Flores Ansell is a Houston based visual artist. Flores Ansell was born in Manila, Philippines but spent her formative years in the United States. She has lived in Houston since 1994. She is a Professor in the Art Department of the Houston Community College and previously taught at the High School of Performing and Visual Arts. Her degrees include an M.F.A. in Photography from the University of Houston and a B.A. in Photography from the University of South Florida. She was awarded an American Photography Institute Fellowship at New York University and was an Artist in Residence at the Asia Society Museum in Houston.  

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