40th anniversary year

Festival shakeup: Kim Stoilis resigns as the Bayou City Art Festival's executivedirector

Kim Stoilis of Bayou City Arts Festival
Photo by Anthony Rathbun
Bayou City Arts Festival

Little more than a month before the Bayou City Art Festival’s 40th anniversary downtown fall fest, the organization’s leader Kim Stoilis is resigning as executive director, CultureMap has learned. Stoilis will leave her post in a matter of weeks.

Art Colony Association Board of Directors president Mike Piana confirmed to CultureMap that Stoilis announced her resignation to the board (Art Colony runs Bayou City Art Festival) last week and that they have begun to make preparations for her departure. Stoilis could not be reached for comment.

“We have started a committee to find the next executive director, but sufficient staff is in place to put together a wonderful festival in October,” Piana said.

Stoilis served as the executive director of Art Colony and the festival for more than four years and Piana said the board was pleased with her tenure and contributions.

Since joining the Art Colony Association, Stoilis helped bring Bayou City Art Festival attendance and revenues to record-high levels. The Texas Festivals and Events Association honored Stoilis with its top award — TFEA/Carson Watt Professional of the Year Award — earlier this year. Piana said he could not comment on what Stoilis' future endeavors will be.

The Bayou City Art Festival Downtown takes place Oct. 8 and 9. Juried by professionals at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the two-day street party features more than 300 artists and draws thousands downtown.

unspecified series568664000

"Here come the grannies!"

Walk through the Magic Door to experience the world of Bluey in Houston

bluey and bingo's bedroom at camp in houston

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

Bluey is coming to the Galleria this February “for real life” through an immersive event that invites visitors to enter the world of the famous Australian Heeler family. This one-of-a-kind experience brings the Heeler home and backyard to life with intricate details that will delight fans of all ages.

Tickets are on sale now for Bluey x CAMP, the inaugural interactive experience of the combination toy store, party venue, and immersive theater space. This is The Family Experience Company’s first CAMP location in Houston, with the business securing a 7,500-square-foot permanent retail space in the Galleria.

Through “The Magic Door,” a pivoting wall, visitors step into seasonally rotating interactive spaces beginning with a 5,000-square-foot lifesize replica of Bluey’s house.

Visitors can play games made popular by the show, such as grannies and keepy uppy, and bust a move when “dance mode” is activated. The kitchen’s fridge is covered in drawings by the Heeler puppies, while the living room TV plays Bluey.

Families can explore both a pillow fort and a cardboard castle — two-story structures complete with slides — before venturing into a playroom stocked with toys and costumes from the show. In the backyard, a recreation of the Heeler’s large tree is surrounded by charming gnomes. A photo opportunity with Bluey and Bingo tops off the visit.

Beyond the world of Bluey, CAMP offers even more for visitors in its Canteen space, with a splatter room, The Schmutz Bar (a slime creation station), a party room, and a playable truck. Customers can also shop for toys, clothing, and accessories.

Houston joins a list of CAMP’s locations in Dallas, Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Installations change seasonally, with other current features including Paw Patrol, The Little Mermaid, and Encanto.

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

bluey galleria-houston camp bluey x camp