Sunray Cat (for UCC Austin) (2024)
A Public Art Installation by Billy Joe Miller
Unveiling on Saturday March 23rd, 5:00-7:00 pm
AUSTIN, TX– This March, Billy Joe Miller and University Christian Church (UCC) will unveil a new semi-permanent outdoor artwork consisting of a sculptural installation and an original landscape design. Miller’s sculpture is an abstract deconstructed arch fabricated from powder-coated aluminum, created in response to the themes of sanctuary and transformation. His landscape design features native plants. Located on church grounds in front of the mid-century limestone building, the work is intended as a gesture of welcoming and a peaceful garden oasis. Its dimensions are 5’1” x 10’ x 13”.
The installation responds to the surrounding architecture, art inspired by the Christian tradition, and the use of light and color in contemporary art. Developed through a process that included creative community development exercises led by Miller with the UCC congregation, this artwork reflects UCC’s identity as “Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.”
The final work joins in conversation with nearby artworks The Color Inside by James Turrell and Austin by Ellsworth Kelly, major influences on Miller, which use light and color to construct “sanctuaries,” or spaces of rest and contemplation.
In a time of social division, the sculpture’s reflective surface is animated by the movement of visitors from the Austin, Texas community, and the site's daily weather conditions. Visual elements of design, color, and shape combine in this work to create a multiplicity of readings. It seeks to ask: How can we heal divides and provide shelter, sanctuary, and hope? Can we invent new ways to make and expand symbols that signal our desire to truly welcome all? As a work of public art, this installation offers a chance for shared experiences and public discourse.
Audiences can view the sculpture outdoors at any time at 2007 University Ave, Austin, TX 78705. Visitors are asked to remain off the landscaping.
Billy Joe Miller was selected by the UCC church members who served on the Endowment for Creative Ministry Program Committee. Find out more about the commissioning process here.
Artist Bio
Billy Joe Miller (he/him) is a queer, self-taught, interdisciplinary artist who creates sculptures, installations, and public art in response to the natural world. The themes of belonging, shelter, and sanctuary are integral to his work. As a hospice nursing assistant for many years, Miller accompanied people through the process of dying. His experiences in healthcare-related sites, as well as his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2010, have inspired his desire to create accessible public art for parks, community centers, civic spaces, and healthcare-related sites. Originally from San Diego, California, Miller now lives in the East Mountains of Albuquerque, New Mexico. In addition to his studio practice, Miller creates collaborative community-based projects and produces public art. His work has been supported by New Mexico Arts, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Meow Wolf, Bridge Projects, Tides Institute and Museum of Art, the Speranza Foundation, City of Palm Desert, City of Brian Head and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Sunray Cat (for UCC Austin) is made possible by the generous support of UCC’s Endowment for Creative Ministry. The Endowment for Creative Ministry was established in 1981 "in order to enhance, encourage, and develop a more creative ministry to all those persons who may come within its influence." Over the years, it has funded a variety of efforts, including a guest lecture program and the commissioning of a choral work by celebrated composer Bob Chilcott.