Floral Fantasies & Art Icons Ignite the H-Town Night — A Dazzling Display of Creativity and Couture Lifts Art League Houston

Three extraordinary women in the arts took center stage at Art League Houston’s 76th Anniversary Gala dubbed Bloom. The event filled Houston’s still relatively new Thompson Hotel with nearly 300 art lovers. Co-chairs John Luu, Sophie Asakura, Peter Eccles, Taylor Amador-Williamson and Jonathan Williamson welcomed attendees to celebrate the Houston art community’s achievements.

Everyone embraced the gala’s Bloom theme, arriving adorned in floral attire and even live plants. The art world’s go-to event designer Rebekah Johnson transformed the ballroom into a visual feast. The towering papier-mâché blossoms that sprang from each table were a highlight, adding whimsy to the minimalist space.

As people settled in, Art League Houston executive director Jennie Ash took the stage. She thanked the crowd for supporting the arts in Houston. ALH board president Katy Schawe followed with a special acknowledgment of the gala co-chairs and top sponsors, including the John P. McGovern Foundation, Marlene Marker and The Marker Group, and Cecily E. Horton.

Schawe also highlighted the more than 30 artists who participated in the silent art auction, which featured works from David Aylsworth, Loc Huynh, Lovie Olivia, Sol Diaz-Peña and Luisa Duarte. 

Honoring Visionaries

Art League Houston curator and exhibitions manager Zhaira Costiniano then introduced Beili Liu, recipient of the ALH Texas Artist of the Year Award. This award celebrates artists whose impact resonates across Texas. China-born and Austin-based Liu is known for her installations and sculpture. She accepted a painting by Tsz Kam as part of her recognition. A past Texas Artist of the Year winner, Vicki Meek, was also in attendance to offer her congratulations.

Next, Kathy Vargas received the Art League Houston Lifetime Achievement Award in Visual Arts. The award honors artists with unwavering dedication to their craft. San Antonio-based Vargas was recognized for her evocative photography and printmaking that captures personal history and the Mexican-American experience. In tribute, she was presented with a drawing of Bob Dylan by 2023 Texas Artist of the Year winner Vincent Valdez. 

Finally, Costiniano presented the ALH Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership to Michelle Barnes. Trailblazing Houston arts leader Barnes has spent decades as an educator, mentor and arts advocate. She is the co-founder and executive director of the Community Artists’ Collective.

Barnes also helped establish one of the first Texas exhibition spaces dedicated to African-American artists. Her award, a handcrafted quilt from Leslie Abrams, was celebrated by past winners Dr. Alvia Wardlaw and Betty Moody.

To close the ceremony, Schawe called for donations to help ALH recover from $20,000 in damages caused by the summer storms that walloped Houston. The derecho and Hurricane Beryl damaged gallery and classroom spaces, prompting Schawe’s appeal to the generous crowd.

The night concluded with dancing to music by Ice House Radio and final bids on silent auction items. Altogether, this celebratory evening raised $211,000. The funds contribute a crucial one-third of ALH’s annual operating budget to sustain its mission of connecting people through contemporary visual art.

PC Seen: Past ALH honorees including Lester Marks and Jereann Chaney; collector Joe Diaz; Gaynell Drexler; Menil Collection’s Sarah Beth Wilson and David Aylsworth; The Transart Foundation’s Surpik Angelini; Duyen and Marc Nguyen; Mary and Marcel Barone; Minnette Boesel; Justice Margaret Poissant; Bridget Bray; Artpace San Antonio’s Riley Robinson; Dr. Sarah Trotty, co-founder of Community Artists’ Collective; Glasstire publisher Brandon Zech and wife Emily Chambers; artists Christopher Blay, Selven O’Keef Jarmon, Margo Sawyer, Christopher Paul, Chandrika Metivier, Janavi Mahimtua Folmsbee, Mitch Pengra, Doug Welsh, Sarah Fisher, Corey De’Juan Sherrard Jr. and Alton DuLaney; O’Kane Gallery director Mark Cervenka; Danielle Burns Wilson, executive director of Project Row Houses; Helene Schlumberger; Sharon Graham of McClain Gallery; Xandra Eden, executive director of DiverseWorks; public art maven Piper Faust; Houston Museum of African American Culture’s John Guess Jr.; Winnell Herron; gallerist Kerry Inman; Necole S. Irvin, director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs; Jessica Phifer; and, in from Dallas, Peter Augustus Owen and Bradford Owen of the Augustus Owen Foundation. 

Additional reporting from Catherine D. Anspon.