ALH's 70th Anniversary Gala
Going Platinum
Honorary Chair: Council Member David W. Robinson
Co-Chairs: Duyen Huynh & Marc Nguyen, & Kristen Perrin
HONORING
2018 Texas Artist of the Year: Francesca Fuchs
2018 Lifetime Achievement Award in the Visual Arts: George Smith
2018 Texas Patron of the Year: Jereann Chaney
On October 12, 2018, Art League Houston (ALH) hosted its 70th Anniversary Gala: Going Platinum. The event co-chaired by Duyen and Marc Nguyen, Kristen Perrin, and Honorary Chair, David W. Robinson, included an auction featuring artwork by over seventy emerging and established, local and national artists. This year’s Gala was a lively affair that marked Art League Houston’s 70th anniversary and celebrated the accomplishments of Francesca Fuchs, George Smith and Jereann Chaney. The event raised a record amount of more than $200,000 that will ensure the continued excellence of our exhibition and public art programs and provide critical funding for our community engagement programs - Healing Art, ArtBound! and the Summer High School Studio Art Intensive.
Highlights of the evening included a welcome speech by Gala Emcee's Lisa E. Harris and Emily Peacock, the awards ceremony with introductions by Michelle White, Senior Curator, The Menil Collection, Ryan N. Dennis, Curator & Programs Director, Project Row Houses, Julie Kinzelman, Principal, Kinzelman Art Consulting, and Kyle Young, Co-Principal, Ty-art, and deeply moving and personal acceptance speeches by the night’s honorees Francesca Fuchs, Kaneem Smith (on behalf of George Smith) and Jereann Chaney, as well as the physical awards, which were designed by Brad Tucker, Kaneem Smith and Tara Conley.
The silent auction was a success, with co chairs Marc and Duyen Nguyen taking home artwork by Johan Barrios, Tsz Kam, Jeffrey Dell and Bradley Kerl, along with Keith Coffee heading home with artworks by George Smith, Dan Lam and Virgil Grotfeld, Lea Weingarten taking home a print by Francesca Fuchs, Poppi Massey with artworks by Forrest Prince and Selven Jarmon, Leigh and Reggie Smith with artwork by Micheal Bise, Leah Bennett with artworks by Chris Cascio and JooYoung Choi, Ashley Nguyen with artworks by Trenton Doyle Hancock and Kelli Vance, Cynthia Haynie with artworks by Daniel Heimbinder and Melinda Laszczynski, Mary and Marcellus Barone with artworks by David Aylsworth, Iva Kinnaird and Jessica Ninci, Scott Sparvero with artwork by Jesse Lott, Craig Massey with a Dick Wray artwork, Krista and Mike Dumas with a photograph by Hillerbrand + Magsamen, Doug Childers with artworks by Rachel Hecker and Angel Oloshove, Bill Arning with an artwork by Matthew Kelly Debbaudt, Alex Song and Juan Martinez with artworks by Rajab Ali Sayed and Britt Thomas, Robert and Lauri Wray with artwork by Terrell James, Patrick Renner and Emily Peacock, and Dan Havel and Sharon Willcutts with artwork by Gao Hang.
previous art league houston GALAS
ABOUT
In 1983, Art League Houston created the Texas Artist of the Year award as a dynamic annual project documenting Texas art history. Art League Houston was the first organization in the state to develop such an award. To date, thirty-one artists have been honored. Past recipients include Francesca Fuchs, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Terrell James, Amy Blakemore, Havel Ruck Project, Rachel Hecker, Aaron Parazette, Mary McCleary, Joseph Havel, Melissa Miller, Al Souza, The Art Guys, Luis Jiménez, Bert L. Long, Jr., Jesús Moroles, James Surls, and Dr. John Biggers, among others.
In 1989, Art League Houston expanded the award to include patrons with its Texas Patron of the Year award for extraordinary individuals whose efforts have helped advance the work of Texas artists. Past patron honorees include Jereann Chaney, Lynn Goode, Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston (2010-16), Stephanie Smither, Leigh and Reggie Smith, Judy and Scott Nyquist, Victoria and Marshal Lightman, Leslie and Brad Bucher, Anne and James Harithas, Gus Kopriva, Clint Willour, and Lester Marks, among others.
In 2013, Art League Houston celebrated its 65th Anniversary as an arts organization and the 30th Anniversary of its Texas Artist of the Year award. In recognition of this occasion, Art League Houston established the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Visual Arts for artists whose career has spanned more than forty years, and who have made an outstanding contribution to the world of visual art in Texas and beyond. Past patron honorees include George Smith, Jesse Lott, Forrest Prince and Kermit Oliver.