ArtValet

There was coffee and donuts, big, intimidating, expensive looking cameras, people holding tape recorders, conducting interviews and just a short distance away, an enormous wooden ramp leading to a small wood framed house with various sized holes cut throughout and painted a bright turquoise on the inside rim of the holes.  I was at my first ever media day for a public art installation. Even after five years of writing Art Valet, weekly no less, I still don’t know what to make of this whole writing thing. Don’t tell my publisher that! This was one invitation I had to follow up on, this was, after all, a Havel Ruck Project.  Havel Ruck Project is the collaboration of Dan Havel and Dean Ruck, the same Havel and Ruck that turn houses inside out, and many other inverted … [Read more...] about Art Valet: Public Art now on View Downtown

Independence Day is an awesome holiday for artwork and even though it has passed, red, white and blue will certainly be a theme at First Saturday Arts Market this Saturday.  In addition to patriotism, there are many landmarks that can pull the heartstrings of art patrons as well. Landmarks in Houston can probably be counted off on your hands they are so rare, but artist Jim Koehn captures the nostalgia perfectly in his detailed watercolors. Koehn has earned a living through his art his entire adult life and been involved in a wide variety of creative ventures aside from his ongoing painting. From fabricating studio sets for many of the local Houston TV Stations, an even wider variety of events, as well as painting backdrops, murals, and custom signs.  Like many … [Read more...] about Art Valet: Artist Captures History and Landmarks of Houston

Writing about art and events in this column, promoting them constantly through email and social media, I am often presumed to be a man about town with little to no sleep. While that is partially true on occasion, I think I met the guy that truly lives that lifestyle and his name is Chris Minamyer. Minamyer is an artist (CM & Art), and partner with Texas Music & Art, an event company with Harley Meyer and The Wine, No Whine Show with host Joe Orsak. The talk show guests are invited to discuss everything we shouldn’t: politics, religion, nothing volatile, in a civil manner while drinking wine. The show is broadcast live from their Facebook page, @winenowhine.  Before this whirlwind of art activities, Minamyer worked 12 years as an emergency management/ prevention … [Read more...] about Art Valet: Artist and Independence Day

What’s going on? Everything, of course, this is Houston! I was looking around to see what fun events are happening and I am not disappointed, here are my weekend picks close to town. The 40th Annual Pride Parade hosted by Pride Houston is this Saturday and with over 700,000 attendance last year, there’s a good chance you knew this already. Officially called Houston LGBT+ Pride 2018, the annual event takes place downtown at City Hall from Noon - 11 p.m. Get details at PrideHouston.org and get there early - this event is amazing. Poetry seems to keep popping up on my radar, I even attended a poetry club event and read my own poem last weekend. I liked it, and thank goodness the club did too! Saturday evening at Brasil Houston, 2604 Dunlavy St., you can test the poetry waters at a free … [Read more...] about Art Valet: Houston comes alive with Pride and poetry

In my February 10 column I introduced you to the non-profit Art Launch, managed by artist John Ross Palmer and husband Ryan Lindsay. A fabulous photo of the three of the four Escapist Mentorship Program’s 2018 artists ran with my column.  Today I get to introduce you to the fourth artist, Nabarupa Bhattacharjee, who recently joined the other “Escapists” from her home in India. A little refresher about the program first. Since 2014, the Escapist Artists each receive use of a personal state-of-the-art studio and gallery space in the heart of the Historic Houston Heights known as the Chrysalis. The Escapist Mentorship Program has always been entirely free for the accepted Escapist Artists. Art Launch doesn’t just “teach” artists business skills in a bubble. The Escapist … [Read more...] about Art Valet: 4th Escapist Arrives from India