Contest Time

Houston's most striking street photography needs your vote: Decide which picture will reign at Cinema Arts Fest

The Houston Cinema Arts Festival — a five-day, multi-venue movie festival dedicated to celebrating the moving image — not only brings film and art to the forefront, but this year's fest is also helping Houstonians get creative.

The festival is featuring street scenes in an exhibition highlighting adventurous media works and installations by experimental artists called Cinema on the Verge. The theme of this year's exhibition is "Street Scenes," with photographic and video works shown by four noted visual artists. The series begins with the exhibition opening and screening of street photographer Cheryl Dunn's film Everybody Street at The Brandon Gallery on Nov. 12.

To highlight the exhibition, organizers asked Houstonians to participate in a street photography contest on Instagram by tagging photos with #hcafstreet. More than 1,500 images of street scenes, skylines and people were submitted during the 11-day contest, which ended Friday at midnight.

Now CultureMap is giving you the opportunity to decide the People's Choice favorite. The more than 1,500 entries have been narrowed down to nine hand-picked photographs and now you get to vote to determine the ultimate winner.

The winner of the People's Choice contest will receive two weekend passes to the festival and an invitation to the gallery launch on Nov. 12, and the runner-up will receive two one-day screening passes for Nov. 15. Not only that, but the winning People's Choice photos will be displayed at The Brandon alongside other contest winners.

So go ahead, choose your favorite photo and cast your vote now through Monday at 2 p.m. The winners will be revealed late Monday afternoon.

Construction at the Alley Theatre sets the stage for dhin3z's photograph.

dhin3z Instagram

Construction at the Alley Theatre sets the stage for dhin3z's photograph.

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a major award

'Oscars of the internet' recognizes Houston's Meow Wolf with 2 awards

Photo provided by Meow Wolf

Adultiverse at Meow Wolf Houston (2024)

The Houston location of Meow Wolf won two international Webby Awards for Radio Tave, its installation in Fifth Ward. The awards, in the categories Webby Award (Critics' Choice) and the People’s Voice Award for Best Installation or Experience in AI, Immersive & Games, were announced earlier this week.

“To win both a juried Webby and the People’s Voice speaks to the power of what we created in Houston,” said Meow Wolf Houston general manager Aaron Johnson. “Radio Tave is about surprise, immersion, and imagination. We’re proud that our community, our collaborators, and the global digital world have embraced this journey.”

Other winners included Google, Nike, Walter Goggins, Snoop Dogg, and Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett for her use of digital platforms for civic advocacy.

Radio Tave opened last year on Halloween. A highly-enjoyable but somewhat difficult to describe experience, it guides visitors through an East Texas radio station that's been transported to another dimension. Like the rest of Meow Wolf's installations across the country, it's an immersive exhibition that puts the visitor inside a story, from solving a jukebox-based puzzle to dance parties. With music by Houston rapper Fat Tony (among others) and and some adorably creepy animatronics, Radio Tave is an unsettling and surreal adventure designed by more than 50 Texas artists.

The Webby Awards honor excellence in internet culture. Founded in 1996 by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, it is essentially the Oscars of the internet. Meow Wolf's distinctive digital experiences and high internet visibility make them a natural for the "AI, Immersive & Games: Arts, Fashion & Culture" category. Though obviously a real-world attraction, Meow Wolf's robust social media presence brings its work to digital audiences.

Meow Wolf Houston is the fifth location overall and second Texas location. Located in Houston's Fifth Ward, it features dozens of rooms filled with art, sculptures, installation pieces, and more. It quickly established itself as a unique, must-visit part of Houston's art scene and nightlife.

Known for its immersive art and music installations, the company previously won a Webby for the Dallas-Fort Worth location, The Real Unreal, in 2023. New locations in New York City and Los Angeles are scheduled to open in 2026.

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