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Annie Damon was born and raised in Houston proper, one of the many bright-eyed, free-spirited little girls who said she was going to ‘be an artist’ when she grew up. She dabbled in all things arts and crafts, but over time her favorite creative outlet came to be quilting, a skill she learned from her mother at age 10 and one that allowed her to engage both her left- and right-brained characteristics; to synthesize her mental creativity with the physicality of creating something with her hands, body and energy; to violently cut things to bits and then carefully sew them back together into better, prettier, more interesting things. What fun!

 

Fast-forward thirty years and Annie is unmoored by a series of lifequakes; and in the blistering heat of July 2021, she and her son moved into a second-story duplex in midtown with a breathtaking view of the Houston skyline that quickly became a source of curiosity, creativity, and inspiration. Annie woke up every morning and drank her coffee on her back porch, studying all of the many angles, shadows, faces and moods of the city of Houston as every weather element imaginable rolled past the skyline. She delighted in the interplay of light, color and texture that shifted endlessly as the fluid energies of the natural world mingled with the rigid structures planted by humankind. 

 

Annie’s intimate observations of downtown were further informed by the realities of working at a day shelter for the homeless during the Covid-19 pandemic. While aware and proud of the importance of her essential work, the impacts to Annie and those she loved were increased risk, fear and isolation; and the emptiness surrounding the small, scared island of her coworkers and those they served was palpable in the unsettling stillness of downtown. It was a dark and desolate space in a city that glittered and gleamed from her porch, and Houston juxtaposed powerful themes for reflection in those unprecedented times.

 

This combination of living with both the sparkly and unsavory bits of our dynamic city led Annie on the creative adventure that brought her here, to Downtown Design, where she cuts apart big things and recreates, reconnects and reunites them into smaller things; and hopefully makes you stop and observe your surroundings with more awareness, affection and delight. Annie’s work draws your attention to the balance, interdependence, and transience of our place in the universe and intertwines those competing/cooperating forces in her skylines, creating art that is beautiful, engaging, and reflective of the deep love she feels for Houston; a love that she hopes you share.