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GONZO247

Graffiti Artist Graffiti artist GONZO247 started imparting his spray paint-based street art on the Houston scene more than 25 years ago. Since then, the self-taught artist has owned and operated Aerosol Warfare Gallery/Studio, established a Houston Wall Of Fame (the city's first art production of its kind), worked with top brands like Red Bull, Converse, Scion and Hennessy on urban-inspired advertising campaigns, and produced videos documenting street art. In addition to his mural, studio and…

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Janet Hobby

Partner, MKG Art Management It was marriage that brought Janet Hobby to Houston. Here the Fort Worth-native and University of Texas graduate quickly fell in love with a city that embraced her. Entrepreneurial minded, she launched the video fashion website Virtual Runway and sold it to a Los Angeles company in 2003. Hobby and her husband began collecting art early in their marriage and that prompted her to focus on the arts in her nonprofit work with organizations such as the Menil and theHobby…

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Mari Carmen Ramirez

Director, International Center for the Arts of the Americas at MFAH Time magazine has called her one of the most influential Hispanics in America. To be certain, Mari Carmen Ramirez is setting the tone for how the world sees Latin American art. Ramirez began her rise in Puerto Rico where she served as director of the Museum of Anthropology, History and Art at the University of Puerto Rico. After that she spent 12 years in Austin establishing the Latin American program at the Blanton Art Museum…

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Toby Kamps

Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Menil Collection In recent years, Toby Kamps has curated one of the most acclaimed exhibitions in Houston. The Old, Weird America , a 2008 Contemporary Arts Museum show he organized, won a national award for thematic presentation from the U.S. chapter of the International Association of Art Critics while several other exhibitions he's curated have gone on to other museums and won critical praise. Kamps earned a master's degree in art history from Williams…

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Trenton Doyle Hancock

Artist Contemporary artist Trenton Doyle Hancock plays it cool in his thrift store fashion and vibrant, oversized glasses, but the rising star creative continues to earn serious respect in the national arts arena. From his studio, based in Houston's Acres Homes neighborhood, Hancock turns out a mix of prints, drawings and collaged felt paintings that tell stories of a fantastical nature. His work has been featured in PBS' Art:21 - Art in the Twenty-First Century, Philadelphia's Institute of…

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Valerie Cassel Oliver

Senior Curator, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston As a child growing up in Houston, Valerie Cassel Oliver immersed herself in places like the Museum of Fine Arts and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. The bohemian streets of Montrose were her playground-the sort of place one could go to be exposed to different people and experiences. After college, Cassel Oliver went to work with the National Endowment for the Arts and later the Art Institute of Chicago before returning to Houston and joining…

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Lucinda Loya

Interior Designer Trendsetting interior designer Lucinda Loya brings eclectic, high-end style to her Houston-based firm, Lucinda Loya Interiors. From Los Angeles to Houston to Manhattan, the Art Institute grad is known for her residential and commercial work that's been touted in national magazines and, recently, on an episode of HGTV's Selling New York. In addition to her professional acumen, Loya is also known for her forward-thinking fashion sense and philanthropic efforts in Houston. In…

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Chloe Dao

Fashion designer, owner of Dao Chloe Dao boutique After an eight-year stint in New York, where she earned a pattern-making degree from FIT, fashion designer Chloe Dao returned to her Houston hometown in 2000 to open her boutique, DAO Chloe DAO (formerly Lot 8). The store showcases Dao's feminine and flattering designs, as well as limited-edition pieces and a bridal collection. In the years since returning to her hometown, she's taken top honors on Season 2 of Project Runway, designed travel…

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Mickey Rosmarin

Founder, Tootsies He's discovered and cultivated cutting edge design talent and been at the forefront of the local fashion scene for more than three decades. But don't think for a second Mickey Rosmarin is ready to take it easy. The vibrant and charismatic patron saint of Houston haute couture made waves not long ago with the relocation and expansion of his flagship boutique Tootsies at West Ave. What started in the early 1970s with a small Westheimer-set shop selling vintage clothes has evolved…

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Houston in 24 Hours: Sharon from L.A.

With so many ways to enjoy Houston, it can be difficult to figure out how to make the most of your time in the city. Today, we're sharing how Sharon from Los Angeles spent her time seeing some of Houston's best. Who is Sharon? She's a total foodie, loves travel, has a penchant for taking Instragam-worthy photos. Also, she was the winner of our L.A to H-Town sweepstakes (sidenote: her response to our congratulatory e-mail was "ARE YOU SERIOUS???"). FIRST THINGS FIRST We obviously have a huge BBQ…

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