Awards program encourages creative pursuits and fosters a vibrant artistic community
Images of Between Me and you by Nicki Evans Photo
A muralist, a teaching artist, and two ceramicists were among nine local recipients of the 2025 Jones Artist Award, a distinction that supports emerging artists in the Greater Houston region. The annual program, which has honored 27 artists since it began in 2023, comes with an installation at Houston Endowment’s office, as well as guidance and support to strengthen their creative careers.
Melissa Aytenfisu, Lotus Bermudez, Bradley Kerl, Carolina Otero, Anat Ronen, Margaux Crump, Abbie Preston Edmonson, Jamie Sterling Pitt, and Richard Poe were selected as this year’s recipients.
“The artists selected to receive a 2025 Jones Artist Award bring fresh perspectives and new mediums to the program, enabling us to recognize the breadth and depth of the artistic community in Houston,” said Ann B. Stern, president and CEO of Houston Endowment. “The success of local creators is essential to a strong arts sector which, in turn, brings vibrancy to our region.”
For the third year, Houston Endowment, in collaboration with Weingarten Art Group, invited local artists to submit artwork for the program. This year, artists were asked to work with the theme of rituals. Among the submissions received, nine best captured the theme, illuminating how rituals ground them, connect them to the surrounding community, and remind them of the past. The artists and their work will be showcased in the following three exhibitions:
Between Me and You
Jan. 28 – May 16, 2025
Featuring: Melissa Aytenfisu, Lotus Bermudez, Bradley Kerl, Carolina Otero
Artists explore how daily rituals ground them, sustain them emotionally and spiritually, and strengthen their resilience.
Solo Exhibition
May 27 – Sept. 12, 2025
Featuring: Anat Ronen
Anat will produce a mural on-site inspired by the rituals of taking family photos, revisiting them and the shift from analog to the digital age.
Chasing Light
Sept. 22, 2025 – Jan. 9, 2026
Featuring: Margaux Crump, Abbie Preston Edmonson, Jamie Sterling Pitt, Richard Poe
The exhibition illuminates the transformative potential of creative expression, exploring the profound role of artmaking on emotional processing.
The public is encouraged to visit www.HoustonEndowment.org for more details of the included works.
Houston Endowment has a long-standing commitment to the arts, beginning with its founding by Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones in 1937. The Joneses recognized the significant value arts and culture provided to the community and envisioned the world-class arts that exist in Houston today. Today, the Foundation takes a comprehensive approach and seeks to identify opportunities to support creators and creative organizations.
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Houston Endowment is a private foundation established in 1937 by Jesse H. Jones and his wife, Mary Gibbs Jones, to improve the quality of life for everyone in Greater Houston. Today, it has more than $2 billion in assets and invests about $100 million a year in three priorities: strengthen public education, increase civic engagement, and enhance the region’s arts and parks. Working with fellow Houstonians, the foundation pursues bold goals, builds partnerships, and invests in innovative solutions to create meaningful change and expand opportunity for all.