As one can imagine, the large state of Texas encompasses many unique cultural areas from the metropolises of Houston and Dallas, to the historical rich cities of San Antonio and Fredericksburg. Austin, the state capital, has a lively music scene and attracts creative thinkers from all walks of life. Such a diverse state offers quite the array of galleries, museums and events that are sure to enliven art collectors who are inspired by the American art genre.
Beginning in Houston, the most populated city in Texas, visitors will find 19 different museum options to choose from in the museum district, including history and science centers. Our many art enthusiasts will be happy to find such places as the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and Museum of Fine Arts Houston, each boasting rotating exhibitions and robust permanent collections. For a Houston art event, make sure to check out Texas Contemporary, a contemporary fine art and design fair, now in its ninth year. From October 14 through 17, the fair is hosted at the George R. Brown Convention Center, and will bring top galleries and designers from the region. 
Dallas Skyline. Courtesy Visit Dallas.
Heading to the eccentric city of Austin, there’s a cornucopia of creativity involving the performing arts, visual arts, music and places such as the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera and Ballet Austin. Events such as the East and West Austin Studio Tours, organized and produced by Big Medium, gives the public a unique opportunity to meet local artists as part of a self-guided tour of artist studios. Austin also offers fine art festivals such as Art City Austin and Pecan Street Festival, which considered to be the oldest and largest art festival in central Texas.
Another popular creative hub is the Dallas Arts District, in the city of Dallas. It’s considered the largest urban arts districts in the nation and spans 19 blocks. Located here is one of the largest art museums in the country, the Dallas Museum of Art, which contains over 24,000 pieces and includes a significant collection of modern and contemporary art. Additional highlights of the district are the Signature Block Party Series and the Dallas Art Fair, which moves from its usual April date to November 11 to 14 at the Fashion Industry Gallery. The fair draws attention to modern and contemporary art from national and international galleries.
In this section you will find additional information on Houston-based artist Nancy Balmert, who is known for her large floral paintings, and Art Gallery Prudencia, a San Antonio gallery that displays a variety of media in contemporary and traditional works.
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Art Gallery Prudencia
2518 N. Main Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78212
(210) 422-8681
prudence@prudenciagallery.com
www.prudenciagallery.com
Art Gallery Prudencia recently celebrated its third anniversary in San Antonio, Texas, and is home to a wide range of artworks in various media: acrylic, ceramic, oil, pastel, sculpture, watercolor and even collage. Visitors will find distinctive and imaginative artwork that includes both contemporary and traditional creations. 
Art Gallery Prudencia, Good Morning Terlingua, watercolor, 10 x 14", by Margie Hildreth
“The gallery has a growing list of artists who show their work with us, and most of them are from right here in Texas,” says gallery owner Prudence Lucas. “We focus our collection of art on emerging, midcareer and established artists with a distinct personal approach to their work. We also host at least a half-dozen shows a year featuring different artists whom we are very proud to represent. Featured at the gallery are works by artists such as Guy Blair, Joanna Burch, Cliff Cavin, Finis Collins and Kim Collins, to name a few.”
Art Gallery Prudencia, Texas Tin Roof, oil, 12 x 12", by Lon Brauer
Art Gallery Prudencia, Santa Elena Canyon, watercolor, 24 x 12", by Richie Vios
For the month of April, the gallery will be hosting the exhibition Rattlesnake Gang at Big Bend National Park, featuring gallery artist Margie Hildreth, along with Lon Brauer, Tom Brown, Tim Oliver, Richard Sneary, R. Gregory Summers, Richie Vios and Jeff Williams. Named for the reptile found commonly in that area, the group loosely began in 2015 when Sneary visited the park with members of the Outdoor Painters Society. Although he has gone back every year since, he considers the trip in February 2017, which included Oliver and Summers, the real genesis of the gang. Not all members make it on every trip, but every February some collection of the group is braving the elements and finding new ways to be inspired by the Big Bend. The opening reception will be Saturday, April 10, from 2 to 4 p.m.
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Nancy Balmert
www.nancybalmert.com
“Instead of wine and roses, the last year has been the days of masks, distance and quarantine,” says Texas artist Nancy Balmert. “Normally, travel provides the photo-ops to create new subjects for my paintings. Of late, I’ve been going through the tens of thousands of my pictures stored on several external hard drives.”
Nancy Balmert, Lily Pons Roses, oil on canvas, 20 x 16"
The good news is that there are plenty of flower pictures for Balmert to paint. Even better news, the pictures bring back wonderful memories of the trips she’s taken over the last two decades. Her most recent painting is of roses she took a couple summers ago when she was in Victoria, British Columbia, on a beautiful summer day.
Nancy Balmert, Melody Gypsy Dahlia, oil on canvas, 28 x 28"
“Morning is the best time of day to take a photo that can serve as subject of a painting; the shadows provide a better contrast and the morning light seems to amplify the flower’s color,” Balmert says. “The lighting of the flower is essential to making the flower looking real and ‘reading right.’”
Nancy Balmert, Collarette Dahlia, oil on canvas, 20 x 30"
As to what kind of flowers she likes to paint, Balmert finds there are so many varieties to choose. For instance, dahlias come in all kinds of types and colors, and irises offer an interesting range of colors. People associate hibiscus with the tropics but recently Balmert found one on the Notre Dame campus. “Zinnias, calendulas, camellias—I have yet to find a flower I wouldn’t want to paint,” she adds. “A floral painting brings the outside into the house.”
Balmert takes great pleasure in painting the details, stating, “The capturing of the fine details of a flower takes time and patience, but those details make all the difference in making me feel like I can smell the flowers.” —
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