In Houston, Jack A. Massing has spent decades reimagining what art can be, transforming everyday objects and spaces into moments of humor, reflection, and surprise. Born in Buffalo, New York and raised in the Town of Tonawanda, Massing discovered early the thrill of creative experimentation during summers at ArtPark in Lewiston. After a brief time in New York City, he joined his family in Houston in 1981 and studied at The Glassell School of Art before earning a BFA from the University of Houston in 1984. It was there that he met Michael Galbreth, and together they launched a collaboration that would span more than three decades as The Art Guys.
From the start, The Art Guys embraced irreverence and experimentation. Their performances and interventions appeared in unexpected spaces—grocery stores, airports, sports arenas—challenging where and how art could exist. Everyday objects—pencils, toothbrushes, baseball bats, car lot flags—became instruments for engagement, while in 2016, they provocatively announced, “The Art Guys are not artists,” a playful yet pointed reflection on their practice.
With more than 200 exhibitions in the U.S., Europe, and China, their work has appeared in museums and galleries from the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston to the Tacoma Art Museum. Public commissions and lectures at institutions including Harvard and UCLA brought their ideas into civic and educational life. Described by the New York Times as “a cross between Dada and David Letterman, John Cage and the Smothers Brothers,” The Art Guys blend humor, intellect, and the everyday, inviting audiences into a spirited conversation about art, society, and the porous boundary between life and imagination.
Massing spoke to Whitewall about the subtle wonders of Houston that continue to inspire his art.
Jack, “A.I.” photo by Fleabilly.
Courtesy of Jack Massing.
WHITEWALL: Best spot to find inspiration in Houston?
JACK MASSING: The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center.
WW: Best off-the-beaten-path to see art in Houston?
JM: The Orange Center for Visionary Art.
WW: Best-kept secret in Houston?
JM: Jandek.
Jass Massing’s Houston Treasures:
1. The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center
Courtesy of The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center.
The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is a 155-acre non-profit urban nature sanctuary located just miles from Downtown Houston on the western edge of Memorial Park. Established in 1967, the Arboretum was one of the first nature education facilities for children in the state of Texas, and it continues to provide nature education for more than 10,000 children annually and reach over 600,000 visitors each year. Visitors can enjoy 5 miles of nature trails, winding through native prairie, savanna, wetland, woodland, and riparian habitats. – The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center
2. The Orange Center for Visionary Art
Courtesy of The Orange Show.
In 1980, Houston arts patron and business leader Marilyn Oshman formed a non-profit foundation to preserve the then fragile and deteriorating Orange Show Monument. She reached out to 21 well-known members of the community representing a diverse cross-section of Houston – Dominique de Menil, Nina Cullinan, members of ZZ Top, and others – to assist in the purchase and restoration of the site. In 1982, the Orange Show Monument opened back up to the public and the newly hired staff began to integrate the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art into Houston’s cultural life through a wide variety of programs. – The Orange Center for Visionary Art
3. Jandek
Courtesy of Jandek.
Jandek is the musical project of Sterling Smith (born October 26, 1945), a Houston, Texas-based American lo-fi folk singer. Since 1978, Jandek has independently released over 120 albums while granting an interview extremely rarely and providing no biographical information, releasing on a self-made label, “Corwood Industries”. Jandek often plays an idiosyncratic and frequently atonal form of folk and blues music, frequently using an open and unconventional chord structure. AllMusic has described Jandek as “the most enigmatic figure in American music.” – Jandek
