For Art League Houston’s stunning 77th Anniversary Gala: WOW!, co-chairs Mitra Murthy and Seven Sisters gallery’s Erin Dorn welcomed nearly 400 Houston art lovers to the Thompson Hotel.
On this evening, the nonprofit honored its Texas Artist of the Year Dario Robleto and Texas Patron of the Year Leah Bennett. Robleto’s exhibition “If You Remember, I’ll Remember” was recently on view at Art League Houston and exemplified the San Antonio-born artist’s transdisciplinary practice. Bennett has been a longtime philanthropist and supporter of the arts, focusing on uplifting the voices of women and underrepresented communities.
At the cocktail reception, supporters sipped, mingled and chatted while taking in the stunning display of silent auction artwork. Artists featured in the auction included Janet Alling, Glass Cypress, Margarita Cabrera, Paola de la Calle, Jamal Cyrus, Joey Fauerso, Candace Hicks, Qiqing Lin, Kingsley Onyeiwu, Robert Pruitt, Alexis Pye, Daniel Rios Rodriguez, Eli Ruhala, Marisol Valencia, Jasmine Zelay and Ping Zheng. Honoree Robleto was also in the mix.
The gala’s theme was inspired by the mysterious “Wow!” signal, a powerful radio signal detected by Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope in August of 1977, speculated at the time to be a sign of extraterrestrial intelligence. To that effect, supporters donned retro-futuristic and space-themed outfits. Design and print sponsor Field of Study took cues from The Voyager Golden Record to design the event branding, and the floral centerpieces by Crafted Posy evoked outer space aesthetics.
“This evening celebrates the extraordinary ways artists and patrons shape how we see, feel, and understand the world,” Art League Houston executive director Jennie Ash said in her opening remarks. “Dario Robleto and Leah Bennett embody the values at the heart of Art League Houston — curiosity, generosity and a deep commitment to the cultural life of our community.”
During the awards ceremony, Art League Houston curator and exhibition manager Zhaira Costiniano presented the honorees with specially commissioned works of art. Robleto’s prize came from ceramicist KOMIE, and Bennett received an award created by artist Jamie Sterling Pitt.
The gala closed out with a lively celebration set to music by Flash Gordon Parks. Everyone placed their final bids as the silent auction closed. The evening’s top lots turned out to be Janet Alling’s Giverny 1: Yellow Dahlia, 2017; Margarita Cabrera’s El Flujo de Extracciones (Corriente 54), 2023; Dario Robleto’s Requiem Writer #3, 2001; and Robert A. Pruitt’s Man with Flowers from Another Planet, 2025.
In a word: Wow.
PC Seen: Mary and Bernardino Arocha, Ruth Dreessen and Tom Van Laan, Jereann Chaney, Krista and Mike Dumas, Gaynell Floyd Drexler with daughter Kathryn Elise Drexler, top collector Lester Marks and physician wife Dr. Penelope Marks, Sarah Foltz of Foltz Gallery, Kerry Inman of Inman Gallery (Dario Robleto’s original dealer, whom the artist thanked in his remarks), Stephen Schwarz and Michael Naul, Brad Nagar and Reid Sutton, Texas Southern University’s Dr. Alvia Wardlaw, Ann Dumas, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Per Knutås, Paul Coffey of Glassell School of Art, Mary Hammon Quinn of C2 Art Advisors, Texas Monthly’s Mimi Swartz, artist McKay Otto and Dr. Keith Coffee, artist Tara Conley and Bryan Kewley in sci-fi finery, art historian Jennifer Roberts of Harvard University, Marlene Marker, Rebecca Roe, McClain Gallery’s Hélène Schlumberger, Mary and Marcellus Barone, and Kate Sheerin.
Art League Houston’s 2026 Art Lovers of Houston, co-chaired by Brittany Cox and Liz Klingensmith, takes place Friday, February 6, from 6 pm to 9 pm, at Art League Houston. Learn more here.