The Best of This Weekend’s Art Fests

chenri_thehighroad
chenri_thehighroad

October is always a colorful month in Houston, as museums hang big shows and new productions take center stage in the Theater District — and, if we’re lucky, the leaves start changing colors, too. But this weekend in H-Town will be especially vibrant, with the arrival of three art festivals.


The Bayou City Art Festival (Oct. 12-13), now in its 48th year, has become a fall tradition. With works by 300 artists spanning 19 disciplines — plus live music and a whopping 16 food trucks — the Downtown event can easily take up a full day. The featured artist is Chicago-based photographer Clifton Henri, whose work illustrates and narrates the African diaspora.

Texas Contemporary (Oct. 10-13), also well established after eight years, returns to the George R. Brown Convention Center, Thursday through Sunday. Programming includes panel discussions about artistic activism and Houston’s development as a capital of postmodernism; 75 artists will exhibit contemporary and modern paintings, drawings, sculptures, mixed-media installations and more.

Meanwhile, newcomer stARTup Art Festival (Oct. 11-13) lands at Downtown’s Hotel Icon, promising to transform guest rooms into exhibition spaces using works by 40-plus independent artists — all of which are for sale. The company has also set up shop in boutique hotels in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

And if weekend plans include hitting up multiple fests, tickets purchased for stARTup are also good for access to Texas Contemporary. Art of the deal, indeed!

AT TOP: The High Road by Clifton Henri at Bayou City Art Festival

Dispatches
‘Culture of Service and Accountability’ Supports Mission of Orion EMS

Gerard O’Brien, President/CEO & Founder, and Sumi Patel, Vice President

HOW DID YOU get where you are today? The EMS industry, quite literally, never stops. Our staff and units are called to serve our community every hour of every day; there are no weekends, holidays, or “days off.” Obviously, the demands of EMS are not for the faint of heart, and we have established a culture of service and accountability that is different than nearly every other organization. Our leadership team sets this culture by exhibiting their passion for this industry daily. Their tireless dedication makes a better experience for our staff when they come to work and for our patients and clients when they call on us to transport their loved ones.

Keep ReadingShow less

David Adickes and Bun B

SOME OF THE CITY'S most influential VIPs gathered at Steak 48 in River Oaks District for the annual toast to CityBook’s “Leaders & Legends,” a recurring franchise for the publication whose past honorees have including a Tony and Grammy winner, a Nobel laureate, a member of Congress, an Olympic medalist, multiple billionaire business moguls, TV stars, artists and scientists of every sort, and the city’s most glamorous and generous socialites.

Keep ReadingShow less
Parties

Houston Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’

FOR THE HOLIDAYS and new year, Houston’s art scene is vibrant and alive. Make note of our hot list!

Keep ReadingShow less
Art + Entertainment