By Laura Coburn The Art Affair @ Winter Street Studios Thursday, June 13, 2013 from 6 PM to 11 PM (CDT) The Houston Art Affair will take place on Thursday, June 13th at Winter Street Studios.  The event will provide complimentary wine and cocktails, as well as live music performances. All proceeds from the Art Affair will benefit Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts Houston (MECA).  MECA describes itself as a “community-based nonprofit organization committed to the healthy development of underserved youth and adults through arts and cultural programming, academic excellence, support services and community building.” MECA was founded ... Read More »

  The Menil Collection is now exhibiting a comprehensive collection of American painter Forrest Bess’ artwork. The exhibit is open every day from April 12- August 18 and displays 48 of the artist’s visionary paintings that range from 1946 to 1970. Forrest Bess lived in a fishing camp outside of Bay City, TX for most of his career, earning his living as a fisherman and selling bate. He served in the army for a short period of time, where he suffered from a head injury. After his time serving the US, he lived essentially isolated on a fishing camp only ... Read More »

By Space City Sarah Photo courtesy of Peter Lee Festival art is anything that is built purely for the enjoyment of experiencing it. Ideally, it serves the purpose of enhancing some aspect or area of the festival, but it can also enthrall the viewer to the point where it becomes an attraction in and of itself.  Successful festival art matches the vibe and scale of its surroundings because this is the furthest from a quiet gallery space. This art needs to find attention and purpose in a giant outdoor party. Festival art can take shape in a number of different ... Read More »

By Shelby Hohl The words “concert poster” are fucking magical, often evoking images from artists such as Coop, Jermaine Rogers, Frank Kozik, and Art Chantry. Creating art for a band, show or music festival is a really different experience compared to other types of commissioned work. Artists have to transform their creative vision into a piece of artwork that conveys both their personal style and the aesthetic and sound of the band or event. The ability to meld two such distinct styles into one image is no easy feat and it’s for that exact reason that concert posters resonate so ... Read More »

By Meghan Hendley Photos of Cecelia drawing by Andy McWilliams Photos of artwork courtesy of the artist During a time when our city should have been experiencing the typical heat and humidity of spring, I was grateful for an unexpected cold front and the day it allowed me to spend with Cecelia Johnson.  Cecelia and I have been friends without knowing it for years, running in the same circles and sharing a love for the Houston arts community. Bubbling with joyful banter, wide-eyed and passionate, Cecelia embraced our day together by soaking in the beauty of a clear blue sky ... Read More »

By Michael Pennywark Photo courtesy of the Menil Collection Arshile Gorky L’amour du fusil neuf  (Love of the New Gun), 1944 The Menil Collection, Houston © 2013 The Arshile Gorky Foundation / The Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Photo: Hickey-Robertson, Houston How many surrealists does it take to screw in a light bulb? Two. One to hold the giraffe and another to fill the wheelbarrow with brightly-colored power tools. OK, so surrealist humor might not be my forte but given the state of the world these days, we could all use a momentary distraction. What could be more fitting than ... Read More »

By Meghan Hendley Image courtesy of Micah Simmons Born in Pensacola, Florida, Micah Simmons found art to be an outlet combining form and feeling as a calling in his life. Studying with painters David Swaim and Patrick Palmer, Micah’s work continuously transformed through the use of the human form and color, cuing the imagination to shape a varied opinion of what was on the canvas. There isn’t much in the way of written descriptions of the artist’s work but the dearth of formal information allows the viewer to create a story with their own mind. The use of the mind ... Read More »

A candid editorial on Houston’s art scene over the last decade By Buffalo Sean Ten years ago, I worked in a bookstore and thought I was a graphic designer. Today, I work at a crepe stand and I know I am a cook. In the meantime, there has been a massive amount of artwork coursing through the veins of this town and I was glad I was there to see it. Houston’s art scene has matured and grown over the last decade, eating up local airtime and social media with exhibits, events, a party scene, nationally-recognized artists, and respected alternative ... Read More »

Reinzi– MFAH‘s house museum featuring 18th-century European decorative art, and former dwelling of the late Houstonian philanthropists, Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III – is opening its doors for the community to take a personal look at the family behind the house. From March 3- June 30, Reinz will display The Wedding Dress: an exhibition of the nuptial memories that the Masterson family has made over the past fifty years. In October of 1957 Isla Carroll Cowen, wearing her peau d’ange silk gown, was married to T.R. Reckling at the Reinzi. Since then, three generations of Masterson’s ladies have been married in that same dress, and held ... Read More »

  On February 1st Houston lost one of its revered artists, Bert Long. This Valentines Day admirers of Bert’s work will gather at the Menil to pay homage to the late Houstonian artist who had such an impact in the community.  The Museum of African American Culture, the Houston Cinema Arts Society, and the Menil Collection have come together to  present “Bert”, an hour long documentary exploring the life and work of Bert Long. Long was born in 1940 in Houston. His father died when he was 3-years-old. Bert, being the oldest of four, picked cotton during his summer vacations of ... Read More »