Via Colori® Houston 2022 Announces Featured Artists, Sponsors, and Community Partners For Free Festival April 2 and April 3 at POST HTX

PRESS RELEASE

Via Colori® Houston will be held rain or shine at POST HTX, the recently renovated Barbara Jordan Post Office which is now an outdoor event space in downtown Houston at 401 Franklin Street. This free festival will take place Saturday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center is the new beneficiary of Via Colori® Houston, the beloved chalk art street painting festival which has been a key component of Houston's cultural scene for decades. The 66- year-old Institute presents its inaugural Via Colori® Houston festival featuring professional, novice, and youth artists that will create chalk art inspired by the mission of the Institute – to enhance well-being through connecting with spirituality and health. Live entertainment will be provided throughout the weekend as attendees view over 100 artists creating spontaneous works of chalk art.

Popular Houston radio personality Freddy Cruz will emcee the weekend’s festivities. The POST-HTX Skylawn will feature talks by several artists who will share how they have grown from student and youth artists to full-time, professional artists who are prospering because of their talent.

The full schedule of artist talks, music, and children’s activities will be available soon on the website www.viacolorihouston.org. Via Colori® Houston will feature several categories of veteran, professional, and emerging artists each year. Featured artists for the 2022 festival are:

Sponsors, volunteers, and community partners are helping to make Via Colori® Houston possible by donating time, funds, and resources in support of the Institute’s expansive work in the Greater Houston community through education, research, and direct programs. Underwritten by Texas Children’s Hospital, Via Colori® Houston is also sponsored by Spindletop Community Impact Partners, new and established foundations, and generous individuals. Community partners include, but are not limited to, The Rothko Chapel, The Yoga Institute, Houston Audubon, The Council on Recovery, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and Houston Grand Opera.

The Institute is privileged to renew and reinvent this community event celebrating art, shining a light on the role creativity and connection play in the health and well-being of the human spirit. Spindletop Community Partners is sponsoring Via Bambini, where kids can become artists by creating a chalk art square of their own. Additionally, the children’s creative area is curated with activities for on-site and takeaway crafts and books for children from the Harris County Library. Attendees will enjoy the Storybook Opera “The Armadillo’s Dream,” presented by the Houston Grand Opera, with more experiential art and children’s activities led by Be the Peace, Be the Hope, Crate Houston, and other community partners – all of whom are focused on how art encourages social and emotional development in children.

This free event will help raise awareness and funds to support the Institute and its education, platforms, and programs at the intersection of spirituality and health. This time-honored street painting festival will bring together amateur and professional artists, youth artists, and a creative kid area for children to learn about chalk art and creative play, showcasing the Institute’s spirit and hope for the well-being of all in our community.

For more information, please visit https://www.viacolorihouston.org and follow the event on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @viacolorihouston. To sponsor or purchase an art square, contact us at teamviacolori@ish-tmc.org.

About Via Colori® Houston
Houstonians have enjoyed Via Colori® Houston for over sixteen years. The Institute is pleased to reintroduce a beloved community event and honored to be its new beneficiary. In the past 25 years, more than 50 Via Colori® street painting events have been held in 14 cities in the United States, with over 10,000 artists creating large-scale, chalk art works. In Houston, more than 5,000 volunteers have worked the events and attendance has reached over 500,000 people, drawing artists from around the world.

“Via Colori has enjoyed a long, positive history [in Houston]. I am thrilled about the mission of the Institute and look forward to the Houston community coming together again to create and celebrate art.” Natalie Vuckovic, Former Via Colori® Houston Producer.

About The Institute
The Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center was established in 1955 as the Institute of Religion and is a founding member of the world-renowned Texas Medical Center. For 66 years, the Institute has made a meaningful difference by cultivating heart and humanity in healthcare. Today an interfaith and independent organization, the mission of The Institute for Spirituality and Health is to enhance well-being by exploring the relationship between spirituality and health. The Institute advances this mission by producing educational conferences, conducting research, and developing direct service programs open to all people, guided by the concept that spirituality plays a vital role in health, healing, and well-being.

For more information about The Institute, visit https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org.

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Media Contacts:
Laura Pennino, Senior PR Consultant for The Institute for Spirituality and Health
281 286 9398 office
713 419 1776 mobile
lp@penninoandpartners.com

Leah Adams, Vice President of Engagement
The Institute for Spirituality and Health
832 444 4328 mobile
ladams@ish-tmc.org

ISH Admin