The Art Colony Association, Inc. (ACA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to producing the Bayou City Art Festivals, recently named Kelly Batterson as the new Executive Director. Batterson is passionate about art and has extensive experience with all aspects of event production and sponsorship development.

Joe Pogge, ACA President of the Board, said: “With Kelly’s experience andcreative approach to event producing, she will bring exciting new elements to the festival. I can’t wait to see her vision come to life and continue to grow Houston’s largest art festival.”

Batterson is the former festival director for the Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival and served as the sponsorship development and coordinator for Bayou City Art Festival in 2017. She has recently worked as an assistant to the co-producer for the “Apollo 11 50th Live” show at Space Center Houston. Batterson has also worked with the Mayor’s Office of Special Events and Spectrum Catering Concessions & Events.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse in La Crosse, WI. In addition to the arts, Batterson supports nonprofits such as the Pink Ribbon Project, American Cancer Society, Kids Meals, and Child Advocates.

Batterson added: “I am excited to be a part of an organization that has a rich history of giving back to the community and producing successful high-quality art festivals. I look forward to growing the Bayou City Art Festivals and reaching new heights as we approach a half-century celebration in 2021.”

ACA has provided a venue for more than 20,000 artists to showcase their work to thousands of art lovers from all over the world at Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park in the spring and Bayou City Art Festival Downtown Houston in the fall. For every festival, a new jury selects participating artists, with some new and some returning, creating a fresh and different festival year after year. Patrons have the opportunity to personally meet the artists, view original works, and purchase world-class art. A percentage of proceeds from the Bayou City Art Festival benefit its local nonprofit partners. Since the founding of the Westheimer Art Festival, now known as Bayou City Art Festival, ACA has raised more than $3.6 million for local nonprofits.

On Friday-Sunday, March 27-29, 2020 ACA will celebrate 49 years of fine art and giving back as it spotlights 300 artists from around the country representing 19 different disciplines at Bayou City Art Festival in Memorial Park. The festival will feature music, food trucks, beverages, live entertainment, a Children’s Creative Zone, and much more.