Bayou City Art Festival
Encyclopedia
The Bayou City Art Festival (formerly the Westheimer Colony Art Festival) is an arts festival
held biannually in Houston
, Texas
(USA
) in Memorial Park
in the spring, and in Downtown Houston in the fall by the Art Colony Association.
Its origin goes all the way back to the spring of 1971 when it was known as the Westheimer Colony Association. A collective effort of Lower Westheimer businesses formed an arts/crafts gathering as part of a beautification of Lower Westheimer where the Westheimer Colony Art Festival was born. A couple of years later in 1973, a collective street fair evolved around the grounds of the art festival which would later become the Westheimer Street Festival
.
At some point in the late 1980s, the Westheimer Colony Art Festival decided to distance itself from the growing street festival until late 1992. This turning point led to the festival held outside the Neartown
in April 1993. Because of the new venue, both the producing entity and ensuing festival changed their names respectively. Since 1995, the Westheimer Colony Association dropped the 'Westheimer' name since the festival was no longer a Neartown tradition, and the name Art Colony Association took its place. To follow the name change of the producing company, the 'Westheimer' name was also dropped from the official title and the current name was used since March 1997.
, a small plaza exists where northbound Spur 527 becomes Brazos Street. Sandwiched between Brazos and Bagby, the plaza is known as the Westheimer Colony Plaza.
To Houstonians, the Bayou City Art Festival, which had its origins as the Westheimer Colony Art Festival, has grown out of its Neartown roots to become a citywide gathering.
When the Westheimer Art Festival was held on a stretch of Calhoun Street (St. Joseph Parkway) between 1993–96, both the spring and fall festivals were located across the present-day METRO Administration Building until the mid-1990s where the streets surrounding Houston City Hall were used for the fall festival dates. Since 2005, Sam Houston Park was used for the fall festivals in response to the reconstruction of Smith Street.
During June 2005 a revival of the former Westheimer Colony Art Festival took place during Gay Pride Weekend 2005 - the revived art gathering was known as the Westheimer Arts Festival (the pluralization of the word came from the informal reference of the Westheimer Colony Art Festival by festivalgoers - this festival has no relationship with the Bayou City Art Festival promoters). This also holds true for the latest incarnation of the former Westheimer Street Festival
initially as WestFest Compressed, which evolved into the Westheimer Block Party.
Arts festival
An arts festival is a festival that focuses on the visual arts in all its forms, but which may also focus on or include other arts.Arts festivals in the visual arts are exhibitions and are not to be confused with the commercial art fair. Artists participate in the most important of such festival...
held biannually in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) in Memorial Park
Memorial Park, Houston, Texas
Memorial Park, a municipal park in Houston, Texas, is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Opened in 1924, the park covers approximately inside the 610 Loop, across from the neighborhood of Memorial. Memorial Drive runs through the park, heading east to downtown Houston and west to...
in the spring, and in Downtown Houston in the fall by the Art Colony Association.
Its origin goes all the way back to the spring of 1971 when it was known as the Westheimer Colony Association. A collective effort of Lower Westheimer businesses formed an arts/crafts gathering as part of a beautification of Lower Westheimer where the Westheimer Colony Art Festival was born. A couple of years later in 1973, a collective street fair evolved around the grounds of the art festival which would later become the Westheimer Street Festival
Westheimer Street Festival
The Westheimer Street Festival was a community street fair held bi-annually in Houston, Texas, United States from approximately 1971 to 2004.-Community context:...
.
At some point in the late 1980s, the Westheimer Colony Art Festival decided to distance itself from the growing street festival until late 1992. This turning point led to the festival held outside the Neartown
Neartown Houston
Neartown is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States and is one of the city's major cultural areas. Neartown is roughly bounded by U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, Bagby Street on the east, and Shepherd Drive to the west...
in April 1993. Because of the new venue, both the producing entity and ensuing festival changed their names respectively. Since 1995, the Westheimer Colony Association dropped the 'Westheimer' name since the festival was no longer a Neartown tradition, and the name Art Colony Association took its place. To follow the name change of the producing company, the 'Westheimer' name was also dropped from the official title and the current name was used since March 1997.
Trivia
The crossroads where Westheimer becomes Elgin in Midtown HoustonMidtown, Houston, Texas
Midtown is a district southwest of Downtown Houston, bordered by Neartown and U.S. Highway 59.-History:Around 1906 what is now Midtown was divided between the Third Ward and Fourth Ward. Before the 1950s what is now Midtown was a popular residential district. Increasingly, commercial development...
, a small plaza exists where northbound Spur 527 becomes Brazos Street. Sandwiched between Brazos and Bagby, the plaza is known as the Westheimer Colony Plaza.
To Houstonians, the Bayou City Art Festival, which had its origins as the Westheimer Colony Art Festival, has grown out of its Neartown roots to become a citywide gathering.
When the Westheimer Art Festival was held on a stretch of Calhoun Street (St. Joseph Parkway) between 1993–96, both the spring and fall festivals were located across the present-day METRO Administration Building until the mid-1990s where the streets surrounding Houston City Hall were used for the fall festival dates. Since 2005, Sam Houston Park was used for the fall festivals in response to the reconstruction of Smith Street.
During June 2005 a revival of the former Westheimer Colony Art Festival took place during Gay Pride Weekend 2005 - the revived art gathering was known as the Westheimer Arts Festival (the pluralization of the word came from the informal reference of the Westheimer Colony Art Festival by festivalgoers - this festival has no relationship with the Bayou City Art Festival promoters). This also holds true for the latest incarnation of the former Westheimer Street Festival
Westheimer Street Festival
The Westheimer Street Festival was a community street fair held bi-annually in Houston, Texas, United States from approximately 1971 to 2004.-Community context:...
initially as WestFest Compressed, which evolved into the Westheimer Block Party.