Shelby's Social Diary

Party atmosphere clashes with stark photographs at FotoFest opener

Opening night party-goers gather in the FotoFest gallery space.
Photo by Tony Bullard
Photo by Tony Bullard
Photo by Tony Bullard
Photo by Tony Bullard
Photo by Tony Bullard
Photo by Tony Bullard
Photo by Tony Bullard

Although I aced photography in journalism school, I clearly failed art photography 101 at the FotoFest 2010 Biennial opening night party on Friday.

I just couldn't get into a party mood surrounded by the angst-driven, dark and brooding photography of the Whatever was Splendid exhibition that fills FotoFest headquarters for the run of the six-week festival. So, you would say, my tastes are pedestrian, uneducated and naive. So, I would say, try kicking up your heels while viewing bombed out vehicles in Iraq or a series of dreary interiors from foreclosed-upon homes or rejoicing in the image of a damaged cyclone fence or a smashed car windshield. And I won't even go into the sad, sad portraits of the New Orleans nudes.

So back we went to the VIP party tent where City Kitchen provided culinary escape from the harsh realities of Whatever was Splendid. And out to the taco trucks for escapism via earthy edible delights. Open bars throughout FotoFest's intriguing warehouse home also offered liquid relief from any unsettling images.

The party, with attendance approaching 3,000, served to officially launch FotoFest, the largest citywide celebration of photography in the country. The tariff for the massive event was absorbed by the foundations and civic institutions that support FotoFest year-round.

The prestigious festival attracts photography-world forces from across the country and around the globe. Joining the Friday night event were representatives from Le Figaro, Art in America, Magnum Photos and European Photography magazine. Also represented were the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Carnegie Museum of Art, Ransom Center in Austin, the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth and Mois de la Photo (a Montreal, Canada, festival).

Houston notables in the mix included Mayor Annise Parker, Houston Arts Alliance CEO Jonathon Glus, new University of Houston-Downtown president William Flores, Continental Airlines' Amy Shaughnessy, publicist Alton LaDay and, of course, FotoFest chairman and co-founder Fred Baldwin and Fotofest artistic director and co-founder Wendy Watriss.

At just the very right moment, as the crowd reached critical proportions the alt-country band, The Gourds, whipped into action stirring a dancy frenzy amid the artistic crowd. The party rocked.

As for my experience, I'm off and running to more FotoFest events because, with six weeks of offerings to go, even an unsophisticated photography buff like myself can find plenty that appeals.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”