The Woodlands Arts Council president James Stilwell passes gavel to Glen Rector

THE WOODLANDS, TX - In an open letter, the president of The Woodlands Arts Council, James Stilwell, announced the passing of the gavel to Glen Rector. Additionally, Stilwell spotlight many of TWAC's successes over the past year:

A letter from TWAC Board President James H. Stilwell:

On this bright summer morning, I find myself seated on the “Discovery” Art Bench, one of five installed last October, looking out at The Woodlands Waterway as I write to you. When my family and I underwrote this bench, we were thankful for this incredible place where we raised our kids and appreciated the art in this community. As we have walked by the bench occasionally, seeing children of all ages “discover” has made us smile and be filled with deep, lingering gratitude.

And I am smiling and filled with gratitude (but a little sad) as I write this. This is my last letter to you as President of The Woodlands Arts Council. I am so proud of what we have accomplished together. Before I pass the gavel, can we reminisce a little?

This year, Cathra-Anne Barker invited us to explore the world of patterns. We began to perceive how The Woodlands Arts Council has established a cycle of giving, creating, celebrating, and giving again. We lived out our patterns this year and even started some exciting new ones! As I envision TWAC’s future, sitting on the “Discovery” bench, I am excited about potential new events that TWAC has in the conceptual and early planning stages.

This year, our first Art Bike Rack was installed. Joining “Tokens of Gratitude” this fall, five more bike racks will be installed along The Woodlands Waterway, in Waterway Square, Hughes Landing, and other prominent locations in The Woodlands. During my Presidency, TWAC’s public art installations have increased by 50% between Art Benches and Art Bike Racks!

Through our Microgrant Program, $50,000 went to work for art in our community. Our Dr. David Gottlieb Education Microgrant and Artist Microgrant programs grew with more applicants, requests for support, and awards in 2022. Projects are still being completed but click this link to explore some impact stories! Art matters and these grants help make art happen!

We hired more support staff and invested in a space big enough to accommodate our future growth! For so long, The Woodlands Arts Council has been a grateful nomad utilizing generously donated spaces, meeting rooms, and storage facilities. We are thrilled about how our new office has become a home. Stay tuned for our grand opening in the fall; we can’t wait to welcome YOU.

The THREE-DAY Arts Festival Returned! We added Friday back to The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival and experienced a record-setting crowd. Our Festival was named the #1 event in The Woodlands and the #1 Fine Art Festival in Texas, resulting in $40,000 in Student Art Scholarships to 16 graduating seniors. We debuted our first Student Art Anthology at the Festival (if you missed it, you can buy a copy at the TWAC offices).

ARTFeel made its Festival debut! Staging two performances at The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, our largest audience was introduced to one of our most exciting year-round programs!

We built financial security and a reserve fund post-COVID. We achieved this goal with two years of phenomenal community support from sponsors, volunteers, the TWAC Board of Directors, Staff, and the weather! This has allowed us to begin our “Discovery” of potential new events and opportunities for the future with a solid foundation to build on.

These accomplishments would not have been possible without your support. I am thankful for Fidelity Investments, Howard Hughes, The Woodlands Compounding Pharmacy, Stella Artois, and Visit The Woodlands, as well as our Executive Director, Jenny Carattini-Wright, fantastic staff, incredible Board of Directors, and hundreds of volunteers. It is an incredible feeling to have had so much support as I have led this organization, and I am confident that you will continue to build up our new (but not so new) leaders going forward.

So … with pride, gratitude, and a good kind of sadness, I will pass the gavel to President Glen Rector, with Vice President Haley Garcia warming up for the next hand-off. Glen and Haley have been a part of TWAC’s leadership team these past two years (and much more) and have been long-time volunteers and supporters with deep involvement in TWAC. With their love for TWAC and capability, working side-by-side with our incredible Executive Director Jenny, super talented staff, and all of you, our future is in great hands. And as your immediate Past President, I’ll be with them and you as we continue to make Art matter together.

Sincerely,

James H. Stilwell,
TWAC Immediate Past President, August 1, 2023