Aubrey Hogan to Be the Featured Artist at This Year’s Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park
The Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park (Festival), which will be held this year from October 9 to 11, is one of the most anticipated art festivals in Houston. Presented by the Art Colony Association, Inc., it is Houston’s largest and oldest art festival. It promises a fun-filled weekend showcasing over 250 artists from around the country, who represent 19 disciplines. Visitors to the Festival are given the unique opportunity of meeting and chatting with the artists and discovering what goes into making their art. As well, visitors will: be treated to live music, enjoy tasty treats from local food trucks, participate in exciting kids areas with interactive crafts, and experience culinary arts demonstrations.
Not only is the Festival a conduit for artists to display their work, and for art lovers to admire and learn about it, it also gives back to the community. A portion of its proceeds is given to the local nonprofits it partners with, resulting in over $4 million being donated to local community outreach groups over the last 54 years.
Each year, the Festival features an outstanding artist for Houstonians to get to know. This year’s featured artist is Aubrey Hogan from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, who embraces the impasto tradition of French Impressionism, a technique that creates a 3D texture by applying thick layers of paint with a brush or palette knife. Working in heavy body acrylic, Hogan creates other worldly paintings where every brushstroke remains visible and texture is never incidental, becoming part of the story itself..
In his work, Hogan, who paints under the name A.D., a family name passed down through generations and carried forward through his work, explores themes of wilderness, wonder, resilience, and the sacredness woven into ordinary life. Figures like wandering astronauts, bison, wildflowers, and open horizons reappear throughout his paintings as symbols of longing, exploration, and hope. His work is exhibited at art fairs across the country and collected by people drawn to art that feels both grounded and transcendent.
Of his artistry, Hogan says, “I create paintings shaped by a deep love of nature, texture, memory, and story . . . Drawing inspiration from landscapes, national parks, folk symbolism, and the American West, I create imagery that lives somewhere between memory and myth . . . At the center of my practice, is the belief that art is a form of sacred storytelling. In a distracted and fragmented world, beauty still has the power to slow us down, reconnect us to ourselves, and remind us of the deeper truths that endure beneath the surface of things. My work seeks to create those moments of pause, inviting people back into a sense of wonder, goodness, and presence.”
The outdoor gallery will take over Memorial Park, come rain or come shine, offering something for everyone. Mark your calendars now, and get your online tickets, to experience the remarkable artwork of not only Aubrey Hogan, but of numerous other notable American artists.
For more information about Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park, please visit www.bayoucityartfestival.com
About Bayou City Art Festival
Since the founding of the Westheimer Art Festival, now known as Bayou City Art Festival, the Art Colony Association, Inc. has raised over $4 million for local nonprofit programs from the proceeds of its festivals. The festivals have provided a venue for over 20,000 artists to showcase their work to thousands of art lovers from all over the world. They are funded in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, corporate sponsorships, private contributions, in-kind support, and volunteer assistance.