Exhibit Melds Sport and Art

"The Art of the Cue - Richard Black"

March 19-June 5, 2005

Reception and Gallery Talk: 7pm, Friday, March 18

Free and Open to the Public

Beaumont, Texas-When some people think of billiards, many things come to mind: smoky pool halls, the clack of the cue ball striking the rack. Very few would think of museums, let alone the Smithsonian Institution. But the Smithsonian has in its collection o­ne of the many pool cues of artist Richard Black.

The Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) is pleased to present “The Art of Cue-Richard Black”, o­n view March 19 through June 5, 2005. This exhibition is comprised of over 30 intricate, hand crafted cue sticks made by Black, a master craftsman from Humble, Texas. Although Black is well known in the pool cue world, this is his first solo art museum exhibition. Black's art form is surprising to the unsuspecting museum visitor because his cues magically elevate the level of a common everyday object to highly individualized and creative, yet functional, work of art.

Each billiard cue chronicles the artist's life experiences in some capacity, making his work highly versatile. Black is keenly observant and has the rare gift of  "idea to object" transformation. o­ne pool cue is inspired by the pattern o­n a paper Chinese restaurant placemat, another by koi fish circling in a pond, and still another had its design inspired by a piece of rare wood. The "idea to object" transformation combined with his technical virtuosity and versatility makes Black's craftsmanship unparalleled. Not o­nly are Black's ideas wide-ranging, his choice of materials is also diverse-exotic hardwoods, ivory, Mother of Pearl, precious metals and the occasional precious stone adorn each cue-in addition, every cue is properly weighted for play and fully intended for everyday use. 

Black seems compelled to create his unique art.

"Pearls are created," George Fels of Billiard Digest Magazine said of Black's cues, "only because the oyster has no other way to relieve an itch."

Black has been making pool cues for over 30 years. After 17 years in the financial and corporate worlds, he abandoned his office job for his woodworking workshop. He has no studio assistants; he prefers to work alone except for the serene presence of his business manager and aesthetics critic, Ardis, his wife of 37 years. His cues grace many private collections as well as The National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution.

Black will deliver an artist's gallery tour o­n Friday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m. followed immediately by an opening reception at AMSET. Funding for this exhibition has generously been provided by Adam Custom Cues, Japan, the Academy of American Cue Art and Wallace L. Luthy.

For more information o­n this exhibition, call 409-832-3432 or log o­n to http://www.amset.org/mediaArea.cfm to download press releases and images. For more information o­n Richard Black, log o­n to www.blackcues.com.

Art Museum of Southeast Texas * 500 Main Street * PO Box 3703 * Beaumont, TX 77704

Ph. 409*832*3432    Fax 409*832*8508 

www.amset.org    e-mail   info@amset.org  

Visit InsidePOOL for the latest about Richard Black Custom Cues.