LOCAL Houston | The City Guide August 2017 | Page 4

THE OPENING SHOT LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the LOCAL Houston Art Issue! Though we can proudly proclaim that Houston is one of a select number of American cities with resident companies in theater, ballet, symphony and opera, I get more excited about the visual arts (might have something to do with my lack of attention span). You’ll see that reflected in the diverse people and subjects we feature this month – they paint, take photos, sculpt, dye fabrics, create assemblages and, yes, build custom piñatas. You’ll even meet a donut artist. Yes, that’s a thing. The artists covered in the following pages have a variety of viewpoints based on unique geographic backgrounds that stretch from Third Ward to China, and from life experiences that range from the joy and relief of cancer recovery to the excite- ment of working in the Golden Age of Mexican Modernism. It’s a true reflection of Houston in all its energetic, artsy, individualistic glory. Which reminds me: After you read this issue, keep exploring the arts in Houston. Many of our great institutions are free one day a week, so you really don’t have any excuses. And don’t wait until out-of-town company arrives; take a day off and really see what’s going on in the Museum District, one of the largest museum campuses in the country. It includes 18 institutions within walking distance of one another. If you do plan on walking, maybe wait another month or so when it could possibly be cooler out. In the meantime, keep it local. Go on studio tours or venture into your local neigh- borhood gallery – they’re there, wherever you look. Thanks to all who worked on and contributed to this issue. We’ve still got the latest and local-est food, community and fashion/style news (and photos), assembled by our crack team of writers, photographers and stylists. They are all artists, too. See you next month! And thanks for reading. Tim Moloney editor-in-chief BEHIND THE COVER Meet Rocco, our office cat, as envisioned by custom piñata creator Patricia Carrillo and shot by Harry Dearing. The 21“ X 22“ work of art now hangs proudly in our office space. Inside Outside. Tolerance by Jaume Plensa Buffalo Bayou Park Photography by Debra N. Ham 1:03pm, February 6, 2011 4 L O C A L | august 17 august 17 | L O C A L 5