Since 2004, First Saturday Art Market has provided a reliable art market that specializes in visual and fine arts, featuring numerous artists each month in Houston Heights.
The market operates monthly on the first Saturday of every month from September to May. It takes place at 540 W. 19th St., 11 a.m.—6 p.m. The art market prioritizes original work, making it a great way to support local Houstonians.
Mitch Cohen, the market founder and manager, explained the story behind the market, “I’m an artist. I started it cause at the time I was painting professionally murals and we were trying to paint for ourselves, but it was hard to find places to sell, there were places but it was very competitive and that’s the reason I started the market.”
The outdoor event is free and a great way to spend time engaging with the community through food, art, and live music. The location on 19th Street is within walking distance of dozens of great restaurants.
Cohen discussed what makes the First Saturday Arts Market different from others:
“I invited my artist friends [to help review the artist applications.] We’ve been doing that for about 18 years and immediately turned the market from a kind of craft art show to almost fine art leaning. The biggest difference is that we give constructive feedback. We let [the artists] know what they can do to improve, either to display their artwork or style, which is definitely different and I’ve searched and I can’t find any other venues similar to mine that [offers critique like] that.”
The 22nd anniversary is on March 7 from 11 a.m., 6 p.m. When asked about the upcoming anniversary and plans for the future, Cohen responded, “22 years is pretty wild you know, you see a lot of markets coming and going and it’s just once a month. We enjoy it and I keep the artists happy, as long as people keep buying their artwork, we’ll keep at it.”
The First Saturday Art Market website includes a roster of the month’s artists and what they specialize in. The artistry ranges from blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, paintings, photography, sculpture, vinyl paintings, mixed-media collages, and more.
For more updates, visit firstsaturdayartsmarket.com.
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