The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, April 7 & 8

PUBLISHED: 29 March 2018

The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, presented by The Woodlands Arts Council the weekend of April 7 and 8, is the ideal place to discover your inner artist! From children's hands-on art activities at ARTopoly, to the Early Inspiration Gallery, Painting on PODS® and the Community Art Project, there are many opportunities to express yourself creatively and be part of the arts community of The Woodlands.

"Many people are not aware that our juried art show featuring the original work of over 200 artists is also a chance for festival-goers to discover their own artistic talents," said Deb Spiess, President of The Woodlands Arts Council. "While browsing for art to add to your collection, you can add your personal touch to our Paint on PODS® project, watch your children make marionette puppets and KOI fish at ARTopoly, and bang a drum with Dan Egger-Belandria, also known as Dan the Drummer."

ARTopoly, presented by The Woodlands Children's Museum, is a community inspired area of the festival featuring various local non-profits, including My Person Foundation, Desire to Inspire, Children's Safe Harbor, Youth for Human Rights, Glade Cultural Center and Stage Right. Children will have fun getting their faces painted, and creating Matisse collages, puppets and KOI fish made from recycled toilet paper tubes, watermelon paper plate fans and mini rainbow garlands, a collaborative art piece inspired by the vivid landscapes of Featured Artist Erin Hanson. Children can make their own originals to take home, or they can visit the Early Inspiration Gallery, where the future of art begins! For only $5, children ages 4-13 have the opportunity to start their own art collections by selecting from the array of artwork donated by other local student and teacher artists.

The artistic energy of ARTopoly continues to deliver community interaction with students from The Woodlands High School Art Department under the guidance of Jen Lucas, crafting this years Community Art Project, a living sculpture installation using community donated high quality fabrics and clothing. After the Festival, the clothing will be presented to Jack and Jill, an African-American based organization whose members are mothers who have a desire to build better futures for those of African-American descent, while emphasizing the importance of family values.

PODS® Houston and Because Art Matters, the year-round community and educational outreach program of The Woodlands Arts Council, have teamed up with the talented artists from Woodlands Art League (WAL) to design a whimsical and interactive mural being painted on a PODS® container. This is the seventh year PODS® Houston, a moving and storage company, has provided a different type of canvas for this unique portable art concept. Festival-goers can grab a brush and join WAL members in turning the container into a colorful garden fence abloom with native Texas wildflowers and wildlife.

Don't miss this fun-filled weekend dedicated to the arts in our community! Tickets and more information are available online at thewoodlandsartscouncil.org. Weekend passes are $15 online, or $17 at the gate. Seniors may purchase discounted tickets, and children 12 and under are admitted free.