Joel Bartsch is the president and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Texas, where he has led institutional strategy, programming, and growth after more than three decades of involvement with the organization. Beginning his career in the museum field as a staff member and security guard at HMNS, Joel Bartsch went on to hold curatorial and leadership roles at institutions in California and Hawaii before returning to Houston. Since becoming CEO in 2004, he has overseen program restructuring, financial performance, and exhibition development. His leadership connects directly to major cultural initiatives such as bringing Aka Chen’s titanium artwork to the United States, supporting the museum’s role in presenting internationally significant exhibitions that blend art, science, and cultural exploration.
Bringing Aka Chen’s Titanium Art to U.S. Audiences Through HMNS
Established in 1909, the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) has evolved considerably over more than a century of service. HMNS has acquired numerous major collections and expanded its array of permanent exhibitions and venues. The museum also provides patrons with a series of visiting exhibits, such as The Eternal Garden: Titanium Art by Aka Chen.
Born in 1965, Aka Chen is a renowned Taiwanese sculpture artist and jewelry designer known for using titanium to create vibrant, intricately crafted sculptures evocative of Chinese philosophy and various brush painting styles. Aka Chen’s work, which HMNS describes as “poetry in titanium,” also explores gardening themes and motifs. His selection of titanium as a primary material is unique on its own, but becomes all the more compelling as the artist develops incredibly ethereal and profoundly beautiful sculptures with the metal.
The Eternal Garden: Titanium Art by Aka Chen debuted at HMNS in May 2025 and marked the American debut of a solo Aka Chen exhibition. The collaboration between HMNS and Bowers Museum provided museum goers with a unique opportunity to experience the artist’s groundbreaking work in the contemporary sculpture space. The exhibition featured 20 unique sculptures, each delicately fashioned with jewelry, paint mediums, and metal to create otherworldly titanium trees alive with assorted gemstones representing different kinds of wildlife.
As always, the pieces in Aka Chen’s Eternal Garden exhibition ranged considerably in scope, from intimate, vase-sized creations to expansive, multi-paneled displays measuring up to 30 feet in width. The titanium sculptures not only speak to the artist’s innovative imagination, but his ability to deftly manipulate the resilient material; titanium is exceptionally hard and has a melting point of 3,034 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a challenging artistic material.
Aka Chen began including titanium jewelry in his art in 1994, and The Eternal Garden represents the culmination of more than three decades of the medium he created and continues to redefine. His process involves sculpting pieces at extremely high temperatures underwater via a collection of precision medical tools. The sculpted pieces then undergo an anodization process, which provides the titanium with a distinct iridescent shimmer. Finally, Aka Chen selects and introduces numerous gemstones, with a goal of bringing out the natural beauty of the metal.
Despite the complex process and expensive materials used, Aka Chen’s work evokes a serene calm and the deep mysteries and pleasures of the natural world. Viewers can revel in the opulence of the sculptures while at the same time following the artist through his introspective ruminations on philosophy, nature, and the self.
Joel Bartsch, the president and chief executive officer at HMNS, expressed the organization’s excitement over the opportunity to bring Aka Chen’s artistry to the United States for the first time in a solo exhibit. “This exhibition promises to be a truly transformative experience,” said Bartsch, “showcasing a mesmerizing intersection of artistic vision and scientific ingenuity.”
In addition to the 20 pieces on display, The Eternal Garden: Titanium Art by Aka Chen provides guests with insights into the deep-rooted themes of Chinese philosophy that informed each creation, particularly aesthetic principles that help guide the artist’s effortless integration of natural elements. At the core of the exhibit, Aka Chen explores the garden as an important Chinese symbol for a pathway to self-discovery.
About Joel Bartsch
Joel Bartsch is the president and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, a role he has held since 2004. He previously served as curator and director of earth sciences and has held leadership positions at the California State Mining and Mineral Museum and the Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hawaii. Bartsch holds a master of arts from Rice University and a bachelor of arts from Concordia University, and has also served as chairman of the Houston Museum District Association.