Bayou City Art Festival

The Art Colony Association, Inc. (ACA) will celebrate 45 years of fine art as it spotlights more than 300 artists at the annual Bayou City Art Festival in Downtown Houston, Oct. 8-9. As one of the top 10 outdoor fine art festivals in the U.S., the weekend celebration will provide guests with the opportunity to see and purchase unique, custom art under the Downtown Houston skyline. The festival will benefit 10 local nonprofits and will feature music, food trucks, beverages, entertainment and a Children’s Creative Zone.

Every year, a new jury selects participating artists, some new and some returning. This helps create a fresh and different festival year after year. A percentage of proceeds from the event benefits local arts and nonprofit organizations. Sponsors for the 45th Annual Bayou City Art Festival Downtown include Artshound, the City of Houston, Houston Arts Alliance and Stella Artois.

This year’s featured artist, Dania Olivares, represents the diverse, eclectic community of all participating artists. Ranging from 3-D art to acrylic on canvas, Olivares’ style is unique and colorful. Olivares is a self-taught mixed-media artist, born in McAllen, Texas and raised in the small town of Diaz Ordaz, Mexico. After earning her Bachelor's Degree in Economics from El Tec de Monterrey, Olivares worked as an economist for eight years. Like many artists, Olivares began her career using recycled materials in her paintings, a theme that is consistent in her mixed-media pieces today. This is only Olivares’ second Bayou City Art Festival, but because of her unique style and the diversity in pieces she was chosen as the featured artist for the 45th anniversary festival.