Announcements January 29, 2026

Houston Endowment names 2026 Jones Artist Award recipients, exploring hope as “the hardest love we carry”

Poet Jane Hirshfield once wrote, “Hope is the hardest love we carry,” a line that inspired the theme for the 2026 Houston Endowment Jones Artist Awards Program. Created in 2023, the program aims to recognize local artists and reflect the many stories and perspectives of Greater Houston’s residents. More than 100 artists responded to the open call, submitting reflections on what hope means, how it endures, and how it lives within their communities.

“The Jones Artist Awards Program reflects Houston Endowment’s belief that artists play a vital role in helping our region understand itself,” said Ann B. Stern, president and CEO of Houston Endowment. “The 2026 Jones Artists remind us that hope lives in creativity, community, and the courage to imagine what’s possible. By investing in local artists and the stories they carry, we are strengthening Houston’s cultural fabric and supporting a more vibrant, connected region.”

Along with guidance and support to strengthen their creative careers, this year’s selected artists will participate in one of three installations at Houston Endowment’s office.

About the installations

Gallery wall of white frames and a large dark artwork depicting children with appliance-like headgear, three black headphones hanging below.

The Hardest Love We Carry | Jan. 20 to May 15, 2026 | Featuring: Keliy Anderson-Staley, Brian Edwards Jr., Jessica Carolina González, Hillerbrand+Magsamen

Three pale cranes with red crowns wading among tall green reeds, textured layered brushstrokes showing rippled water reflections, feathers.

Unfolding Hope | May 26 to Sept. 18, 2026 | Featuring: Cindee Travis Klement

Five butterfly chrysalises hang from a white thread against a vivid blue background, center one pale green with bold black patterning.

Earth & Ether | Sept. 29, 2026 to Jan. 22, 2027 | Featuring: Ahra Cho, Carole F. Smith, Virginia Lee Montgomery, Katrina Moorhead

About the artists

Middle-aged woman with shoulder-length wavy brown hair, arms crossed, wearing a navy shirt against a blue abstract background.

Keliy Anderson-Staley

"This award made it possible for me to complete a piece that has only been in the conceptual stage for a while. Specifically, it allowed me to work at the scale and with the materials that my idea needed."

Bearded man wearing a beige cap and patchwork suede jacket stands relaxed before a large framed abstract monochrome artwork on wall.

Brian Edwards Jr.

"I was drawn to the Jones Artist Awards because of its care. Artists are really supported here, and they’re championed. There’s a deep respect for the people shaping our cultural landscape and a belief that artists deserve dignity, trust, and real resources. That intentionality stood out to me."

Adult with curly dark hair and bangs in a beige shirt and gold necklace, clasping hands to show floral forearm tattoos against six photos.

Jessica Carolina González

"My practice spans photography, video, performance, and installation. I often begin my projects with what I call 'archives of the bloodline,' which includes oral histories, land practices, body memory, and family heirlooms. I transform these sources through experimental process, integrating them with archival history."

Smiling older woman with white hair in a black blazer and scarf poses with a gray-haired bespectacled man in a vest before framed art.

Hillerbrand + Magsamen

"Programs like this are essential because they address a reality often left unspoken in the arts: sustaining a creative practice over decades is difficult. Just as importantly, programs like this foster community, affirming that artists do not work in isolation and that shared experience and mutual support are vital to a healthy arts ecosystem."

Older woman gardener with glasses and hair in a bun stands holding a green-handled shovel beside a potted shrub sporting small pink flowers.

Cindee Travis Klement

"The Houston art scene is unique. It is fueled by a pioneering spirit rooted in the city’s history of bold exploration, much like the wildcatters who discovered Spindletop. This 'can do' Spirit lives in Houston’s art community. Artists' commitment to exploring new creative territory is supported by a diverse, passionate community that welcomes innovation and collaboration."

Young woman with short black hair and navy sweater sits before a soft green and yellow abstract painting, looking rightward pensively.

Ahra Cho

"When I saw that this year’s theme was Hope, I felt strongly that I wanted to apply. I have always believed that the reason I make work and keep records is ultimately a process of searching for hope scattered throughout our lives like hidden clues. And through my baby, I experienced profound joy and depth of feeling, and I wanted to share that with others."

Person with long blonde hair wearing round glasses, black over-ear headphones and pearl necklace, smiling in a studio with ring lights.

Virginia Lee Montgomery

"A program like this is important as it offers artists unrestricted resources and affirms that artists play a vital role in shaping community wellbeing."

Woman with dark pulled-back hair and soft expression, wearing a pale linen blouse, leaning against a white wall lit by soft window light.

Katrina Moorhead

"For me, hope is not about optimism or reassurance; it is a practice, a decision to hold, examine, and care for what is fragile and unresolved. Hope lies in persistence rather than promise, in tending rather than creating."

Smiling woman in large glasses and a black-and-white striped fuzzy sweater, lilac pants and white boots seated by a colorful vase.

Carole F. Smith

"This recognition makes me feel that the hard work, resilience, and dedication I’ve put in over the past few years has paid off. The award is both an encouragement and a motivation to continue developing my practice."

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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Topic(s):Jones Artist Awards Program