The River Oaks Country Club played host to a night that married introspection and inspiration as The Jung Center welcomed guests for “An Evening with Clint Smith” on March 18. The intimate affair celebrated the transformative power of art, language, and healing, a signature cocktail of the beloved Houston institution.

Chaired by Heidi and Marcus Smith and Judy and Wayne McConnell, the soirée spotlighted Mathieu JN Baptiste, the Haiti-born, Houston-based artist whose work offers lyrical meditations on the resilience of oppressed populations. Known for painting, drawing, sculpting, and creating large-scale installations, Baptiste’s polymathic artistry has earned him a global audience and a prominent place in The Jung Center’s orbit, where he’s exhibited three times.

The evening marked the presentation of the Carolyn Grant Fay Humanitarian Award to Baptiste, named for the center’s founder. With this tribute, the organization honored his embodiment of the Jungian spirit: Layered, courageous, and rooted in the unconscious drive toward healing.

The keynote came from Clint Smith, the poet, scholar, and New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America. With poetic grace and pointed clarity, Smith reflected on how writing enables him to hold space for contradictions — joy and sorrow, pride and pain — echoing Baptiste’s own multi-textured narratives and The Jung Center’s mission to help people examine the internal landscapes that shape their external lives.

Houston holds a chapter in Smith’s story. He spent his senior year at Awty International after evacuating New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, a stop along the path that eventually led to college and a Ph.D. from Harvard.

Since the pandemic, The Jung Center has tripled its mental wellness and creative programming for adults and children, a demand echoed by communities across Houston, all while celebrating the 50th anniversary of its gallery.

Among those savoring the heartfelt moments were Dr. Crystal Walter, Lynn Baird, Ginger Blanton, Yvonne and Rufus Cormier, Emily Croswell, The Jung Center’s executive director Sean Fitzpatrick, Ann and Kenny Friedman, Melanie Gray and Mark Wawro, Necole Irvin of the Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs, board chair John Price with Leila-Scott Price, gallerist Heidi Vaughan, Anita and Gerald Smith, former First Lady Andrea White, and style maven Vivian Wise.

Photo by Katy Anderson

Wayne and Judy McConnell with Heidi and Marcus Smith.