Welcoming the Art Curious

Inaugural Houston Art Weeks spotlights galleries and mental health

Bisong Art Gallery is participating.

Courtesy of Bisong Art Gallery

Houstonians are about to welcome a brand-new cultural happening with a charitable twist: the very first Houston Art Weeks, running October 10-19.

Created by the StellaNova Foundation, the city’s newest arts-meets-philanthropy event is styled after crowd-pleasers like the Holiday Shopping Card and Houston Restaurant Weeks. The initiative connects locals directly to Houston-based artists, galleries, and studios, encouraging them to connect with the artisans while shopping for a cause.

A portion of Houston Art Weeks' proceeds benefits organizations that use art and music as vital therapies for those navigating mental health challenges.

“This isn’t just about buying art,” says Doug Harris, StellaNova’s executive director. “It’s about removing the stigma around mental health, building awareness, and creating healing connections through creativity, through community.”

The primary beneficiary is The Montrose Center, Houston’s LGBTQ+ social services hub that empowers thousands each year with programs ranging from counseling to youth advocacy. Additional StellaNova Foundation beneficiaries in 2025 include Healthcare for the Homeless–Houston, Guitars 4 Vets, The Purple Heart Project, and AHEPA Service Dogs for Warriors.

Harris believes the timing is crucial: “Mental health issues can challenge a loved one, a coworker, or a neighbor, who may be dealing with depression, addiction, or even domestic violence. Too many suffer in silence. We want Houston Art Weeks to shine a light and offer real support.”

Over the event's ten days, Houstonians can explore galleries like Bisong Art Gallery, Heidi Vaughan Fine Art, Archway Gallery, and peek inside artists’ studios, and discover works from talents including Tra’ Slaughter, Damon Thomas, Ron Gordon, Taft McWhorter, and Phyllis Hand.

“When it comes to acquiring art, some people are afraid they might make a mistake," says Harris. "Instead of enjoying the work, in its moment in time, they think about what their friends might say or resale value. Acquire art because you like it."

The week culminates in a pop-up art exhibition and sale at The Montrose Center on October 18 from 9 am-6 pm, where official partners will showcase works that directly fuel the cause.

For a first-year initiative, the excitement is already building. ““It will take time to grow Houston Art Weeks,” Harris admits, “but the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The artists are rallying, and we think even the ‘art curious’ will come along for the ride.”

By design, Houston Art Weeks celebrates the city’s vibrant visual arts scene while strengthening the safety net for those in need. Art lovers get one-of-a-kind works, local creatives gain exposure, and some of Houston’s most vital nonprofits receive essential funding.

Learn more and find participating galleries, artists, and events at houstonartweeks.org.

houston art weeks galleries artists stellanova foundation the montrose center bisong art gallery promoted

Remembering the Flood

Texan wins Pulitzer Prize for heartbreaking story of Guadalupe flood

Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Aaron Parsley has won a Pulitzer Prize for "Where the River Took Us," published days after the flood.

Many Houstonians know someone who was impacted by the July 4, 2025 flood that killed more than 100 people. But one story cut through the chaos with an emotionally raw, first-person view of what actually happened. Texas Monthly senior editor Aaron Parsley published his survival story in "Where the River Took Us." On Monday, May 4, he has won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.

The prestigious journalism award has 23 winners each spring. For features, the judges chiefly consider "quality of writing, originality and concision."

"Where the River Took Us," brought readers moment-by-moment from Parsley's family house on the Guadalupe River, to family members including Parsley rushing down the river itself, to reunification for most of the family and grief for his 20-month-old nephew, Clay, who drowned.

Parlsey renders each scene with arresting detail, recalling dialog and individual pieces of refuse raging past in the water: branches, furniture, a car with headlights still on. Adding to the immersion were photographs by Jordan Vonderhaar and Parsley's family. Published just days after the flood, the account was one of the first deep looks at what happened for readers who had only seen general news coverage and disorganized posts on social media.

“In a matter of hours, Aaron uncovered the singular experiences of family members wrenched from one another and thrown into a raging flood," said Texas Monthly editor in chief Ross McCammon in a story announcing the Pulitzer award. "He then braided those stories together to convey what a tragedy of this sort actually feels like. This is a deeply reported story of horror, courage, and love, and it is one of the finest magazine stories ever written.”

“I am grateful to my family for trusting me and to everyone at Texas Monthly for offering their support, talent, and meticulous care during the process of writing, reporting, and all that goes into putting this story into the world,” said Parsley. “It means everything to me, and I’m deeply proud to be a part of the Texas Monthly team.”

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