Commissioned by Public Art UHS and dedicated in 2010, “The Statue of Four Lies” was created by Michael Galbreth and Jack Massing — UH alumni who collaborated as The Art Guys for more than three decades. Public Art UHS will open the time capsule embedded in the limestone wall on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026.
It’s been 16 years since Houston-based artistic team The Art Guys added “The Statue of Four Lies,” a public landmark, to the University of Houston campus. On Saturday, Sept. 26, Public Art of the University of Houston System (Public Art UHS) will reveal the time capsule hidden within the iconic sculpture to the community.
Commissioned by Public Art UHS and dedicated in 2010, “The Statue of Four Lies” was created by Michael Galbreth, who died in 2019, and Jack Massing — UH alumni who collaborated as The Art Guys for more than three decades. Upon its creation, the artists stipulated that the time capsule, embedded in the limestone wall, should remain sealed until Sept. 26, 2026.
Taking place at Lynn Eusan Park from 10 a.m. to noon, the event will feature live music, cupcakes, a petting zoo and unexpected surprises leading up to the opening of the capsule — all inspired by the artwork’s distinctive humor and theatricality.
The capsule's opening represents the culmination of a 16-year artistic gesture centered on humor, deception, institutional history and the passage of time. The sculpture bears the Latin inscription “Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur” — “the world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived.”
Even the date selected for the capsule's opening participates in the work's play with fact and fiction: Sept. 26, 2026, is presented by the artwork as the 100th anniversary of UH’s founding.
It isn't. The University of Houston was founded in 1927.
That discrepancy is one of the many riddles embedded in a work whose title promises four lies but leaves viewers to decide what those lies are, and whether even that promise is itself a lie.
“In 2010, I had the pleasure of working closely with The Art Guys on this commission,” said Mike Guidry, curator of art collection at Public Art UHS. “I am thrilled to celebrate once again and open the time capsule. I’ve been wondering about it for 16 years.”
Massing offered a characteristically enigmatic preview of what awaits: “We are headed toward a ‘Foolish Future Estate.’”
Even the date selected for the capsule's opening participates in the work's play with fact and fiction.
Digging Deeper
The sculpture takes inspiration from Harvard University's well-known “Statue of Three Lies,” a monument to John Harvard whose inscription contains three historical inaccuracies. The Art Guys playfully expanded the premise, creating a work that promises four lies while refusing to identify them for the viewer.
Rather than creating a conventional commemorative monument, The Art Guys conceived “The Statue of Four Lies” as a “performance sculpture”: an artwork activated over time through the actions, curiosity and interpretations of its audience.
Cast in bronze yet intentionally anti-monumental in spirit, the sculpture depicts the artists in theatrical poses within a stage-like environment. Inscriptions, architectural features and enigmatic details throughout the work encourage viewers to observe, question and speculate.
Over the past 16 years, generations of UH students have continued that performance, interacting with the figures, decorating them and incorporating the sculpture into campus life and traditions.
Located in Lynn Eusan Park, the sculpture has been incorporated into campus life and traditions throughout the years.
Looking Ahead
The celebration begins the day prior, with a panel discussion on Friday, Sept. 25, from 6 to 7 p.m. at UH’s Hilton Hotel. It will explore the history, meaning and enduring relevance of “The Statue of Four Lies,” as well as the broader artistic practice and legacy of The Art Guys, who collaborated from 1983 through 2016.
Together, the two-day program celebrates two of the School of Art's most accomplished alumni while inviting visitors to experience the Public Art UHS Collection as an outdoor museum open to everyone.
The Art Guys archive is housed in UH Libraries Special Collections and documents their prolific collaborative career. The archive includes the Codex associated with “The Statue of Four Lies,” an integral companion to the public artwork containing additional clues, mysteries and meanings connected to the sculpture.
Event Details
“The Statue of Four Lies” Panel Discussion
- When: Friday, Sept. 25 | 6-7 p.m.
- Where: UH Hilton Hotel, Waldorf-Astoria E Room, 4450 University Drive, Houston
- Cost: Free and open to the public, but guests are asked to RSVP at this link.
“The Statue of Four Lies” Time Capsule Opening
- When: Saturday, Sept. 26 | 10 a.m.-noon
- Where: UH’s Lynn Eusan Park, 4800 Calhoun Road, Houston
- Cost: Free and open to the public