Surreal H-Town

The Orange Show’s Dalidada bash paints Houston with whimsy

In a city where the peculiar is celebrated and the quirky is just another Tuesday, The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art’s 43rd-anniversary party was the talk of the town — or should we say, the dreamscape? Dubbed “Dalidada: A Surrealicious Soiree,” the event transformed an ordinary eve into a whimsical experience.

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Jaqueline Levine, Michael Mandola, Scott Yoder, and Jonathan Beitler with Bob and Lane Schultz.

Co-chairs Dr. Terri Alani and Laura Stehr Peters must have had access to a portal into another dimension. The moment one stepped into the venue, patrons were enveloped by oversized eyeballs, dripping timepieces, and surreal scenes straight out of a Salvador Dalí fever dream. Local artists and community members crafted hand-made décor that blurred the lines between reality and imagination. Artist T. Lavois Thiebaud orchestrated an immersive performance that transported everyone into a dreamy landscape inspired by the mischievous mind of Orange Show founder Jeff McKissack.

The organizers took a moment to spotlight some real-life visionaries who've been sprinkling a little extra magic around the city. Art teacher Becky Mustachio was honored for inspiring thousands of young Picassos with her dedication to fostering creativity. The artist collective Moon Papas Art also took a bow, recognized for adding a new dimension to Houston's alternative art scene. Then there were patrons Barbara and Marks Hinton, whose unwavering support and volunteerism have been the wind beneath the wings of many an artistic endeavor in the city.

The silent auction had bidders tempted with works by local luminaries like James Surls and Libbie Masterson, and global artists such as Paul Kremer and Mark Seliger. The pièce de résistance? A custom grill encrusted with diamonds, courtesy of Prince Jewelers. Also up for grabs was a rare vintage Rolex and an Orange Show-themed gold and diamond ring by Peter Martino.

The gathering raised $700,000 for year-round arts and educational programming thanks to 500 art aficionados decked out in costumes who entered a world where fantasy met philanthropy.

Among the lovers of all things creative were Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, Bruce Eames, Karen Oshman Lubetkin, Don Mafrige Jr., Katherine and Chris Gillman, Julia and Thomas Pascal, Will Robinson, Franny Koelsch-Jeffries and John Jeffries, Doug Lawing and Guy Hagstette, Melissa and Paul Dobrowski, Allie and Jay Fields, Fredricka Brecht, Jackie and Bass Wallace, Jereann Chaney, Debbie and Hance Myers, Desrye Morgan, Valerie and Lance Rosmarin, Amy and Jean Frizzell, Hesse McGraw, and Marilyn Oshman.

Wildcatters Unite

Museum gala raises $1.3 million with an assist from Billy Bob Thornton

Photo by Dave Rossman

John Bryan, Mary Jon Bryan, Billy Bob Thornton, and J.P. Bryan.

The Bryan Museum tapped into its roots and raised a glass — and more than $1.3 million — during its 10th Anniversary Gala, a high-octane homage to Texas’ oil legends that glittered as bright as a gusher at sunrise. Held April 12 on the storied grounds of the Galveston landmark, the Wildcatters Gala toasted five titans of the Lone Star oil legacy in a night that mixed boomtown nostalgia, couture curation, and a live-wire performance by Billy Bob Thornton and his band, The Boxmasters.

More than 500 guests turned out for the celebration, chaired by Dancie and Jim Ware and Renee and Scott Rice, honoring Ernie H. Cockrell, Mary Ralph Lowe, Trevor Rees-Jones, and the families of Eddy C. Scurlock and R.E. “Bob” Smith.

Guests were welcomed by a cinematic Boomtown façade and ushered into the rollicking Spindletop Saloon, where bartenders in oil-rush garb served “The Rob Roy” with a wink. The saloon spilled into interactive history vignettes—one channeling the early 1900s with the Scurlock and Cockrell legacies, another styled as a 1980s oil tycoon’s den complete with vintage tech and nods to the Astrodome. The immersive experience felt part museum, part Mad Men, part Texas-sized fever dream.

And speaking of curation. Inside, guests previewed Kermit Oliver & Hermès: Storytelling on Silk & Canvas, the acclaimed exhibit blending high art and haute couture. Native Texan Kermit Oliver, the first American to design for the French fashion house, was feted through rare Hermès scarves and original works, reminding partygoers that Texas culture isn’t just oil and cattle, but silk and symbolism, too.

J.P. Bryan, museum founder, took center stage for a poignant tribute to the honorees.

“This year we chose to honor, not just a single gifted individual, but an entire industry of exceptional people who succeeded in making Texas the largest oil producer in the United States,” he said. Each honoree received The Bryan Museum History Medal of Honor, embedded with a 1500s-era silver coin and set in a five-point star, one point for each honoree, all stars in their own right.

The night ended on a high note — literally — with Billy BobThornton and The Boxmasters igniting the tent with a raucous set that left boots tapping and bourbon glasses clinking.

The $1.3 million raised marks a new fundraising record on Galveston Island, benefiting the museum’s exhibitions, education initiatives, and outreach programs.

Among those in the crowd were Christy and Webb Jennings, Mary B. Jennings, Lila Jennings, Gary Petersen, Susan and Bill Sealy, Ellye Anderson and Carter Ware, Eddy and Harrison Blanton, Diana and Scott Anderson, Brady Caruth, Lisa and Michael O’Leary, Kirby and Scott McCool, Lindsay and Rand Holstead, Courtney Hopson, Shelly Mulanax, Mayes Middleton, Jochen Reiser and Gerri Popov, Terry and Tom Smith, Diane and Fred Burns, Victor and Janice Pierson, Kelley Sullivan Georgiades and George Georgiades, Jolyn and Russell Scheirman, Sarah and Todd Sullivan, and Alicia Brian.

Photo by Dave Rossman

John Bryan, Mary Jon Bryan, Billy Bob Thornton, and J.P. Bryan.

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