VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

First Saturday Arts Market kicks off the Holiday Season With Local, Regional, Statewide Artists and some Pumpkin Pie and Hot Dogs!  Its time for seasoned Houstonians to don shorts, just in case jackets, bug spray, credit cards and sunscreen for the art, food and music at First Saturday Arts Market in the Heights. Located on the parking lot of Wind Water Gallery and Gen's Antiques at 548 W. 19th Street, the market is open from 11am to 6pm, November 5, for all day holiday shopping.

Open year round and approaching their eighth anniversary, the outdoor art venue located in the Heights, has artists lined up to get in during the holidays. The sold out shows for November 5 and December 3 have a plethora of hand made goods from cement fountains to water color landscapes of the Texas Hill Country in springtime. Artists travel from all over the state to participate in this monthly outdoor art show.

Like Stephanie Shroyer from La Grange, a mosaic artist that now creates garden art out of concrete. David Mercado of Austin is a painter that combines old and new contemporary pieces for his series titled; "Virgen de Guadalupe. The popular Texas landscape can be found in Ralph and Nell Parker's booth of McKinney, Texas. Ralph paints landscapes from his travels, exclusively with gouache, an opaque watercolor, while wife Nell creates miniature framed pieces no larger than 3 inches tall.

More than forty artists will be in attendance at the November 5 show.

Two Heights owned food trucks will satisfy hungry artists and visitors. The all new Porch Swing Desserts, serving delicious southern style desserts and the very popular Good Dog Hot Dog with a wide variety of hot dogs with fresh made slaws, and condiments.

Returning to the Heights for a rare performance, Carrie Ann Buchanan and the Apocolyptics will perform their blend of country, folk and Celtic rhythms. But really, it's rock n'roll, and you'll like it!

For more information and a complete roster of participating artists, visit the market's website, www.FirstSaturdayArtsMarket.com,  or call the market hotline at 713-802-1213.