Bayou Arts City Festival takes over downtown Houston
For its 46th year in a row, the Bayou Arts City Festival took over the streets of downtown Houston this Oct. 14 and 15. The two-day celebration, produced by the Art Colony Association (ACA), featured 300 artists from 19 different disciplines, music, food trucks, a Children’s’ Creative zone and much more.
For more than two decades, the ACA has provided a venue for artists from all around the country to showcase their artwork to thousands of art lovers in the Houston area. Each year, the ACA selects local non-profits that will benefit from a portion of the proceeds. See a full list of the 2017 beneficiaries below:
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Avenue 360
- The Arc of Greater Houston
- A Cause to Give us Paws
- Fresh Arts
- Buffalo Bayou Partnership
- UHCL’s Art Gallery
About 18,000 art lovers join the festivities every year. Attendees from all over the world come out to enjoy live music, art, and a family-oriented environment.
“When families walk in, we don’t want them just to enjoy the art because of the artists. We want them to have a good time and enjoy the festival feeling,” said Bridget Anderson, executive director of the Art Colony Association.
This years’ featured artist was Tony Parana, a local self-taught mixed media artist born in Bahia, located in northeastern Brazil. The city’s rich culture, colorful landscapes, music and traditions is what inspires most of Parana’s work.
“I think my diversity and my background is my work. My art is based on memories and experiences,” Parana said. “I grew up playing on the streets with a group of friends and making my own toys. It’s something you don’t see very often now. What makes me interested in my work is to really show the simplicity of life.”
When chosen as the featured artist, Parana was required to create a piece specifically for this festival. To him, the request was challenging, but he said it helped him grow as an artist.
The piece incorporates Houston’s emblematic high-rise buildings blended with a Favela. It also combines Brazil’s Capoeira and kites with some of Houston landscapes; it includes a group of children playing in the water fountains at Discovery Green.
“This piece means freedom and connects my life in Houston with my roots,” Parana said.
For the past 46 years, the ACA has raised more than $3.5 million for local non-profit through these festivals. Every year they combine the art, fun and entertainment while supporting Houston’s artistic culture.
“Art does not have any boundaries on language or culture. It’s a world language that everybody can appreciate,“ Anderson said. “That’s why it’s important for us to keep doing this for as long as we can.”
