Cultural Affairs Office

Press and Communications

Sam Houston Monument, Photographer Shau Lin Hon

September 22, 2021 -- The Houston Arts Foundation and Houston The Mayor will host a press conference unveiling a new branding initiative for the 56-year-old non-profit organization. The event will be held on Wednesday, October 6, at 11:00 am at City Hall in the Legacy Room.

The announcement  will include remarks by The Mayor, Houston Arts Foundation (HAF) Chairman Heidi Vaughan, HAF Board Member and Marketing Chair Chris Hill, HAF Board Member Avisheh Mohsenin, Chair of the Adopt a Monument program, and Theresa Escobedo, Civic Art Manager for the City of Houston in The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

“Great cities have great public art. Public art recognizes the history of the city and the people who created it. It is an important contributor to the aesthetic, cultural, and economic vitality of the city," said The Mayor. "Public art contributes to our quality of life, our identity, and it gives us a sense of belonging in the community. Taking care of our public art allows us to enjoy it for all time."

According to HAF Board Chairman Heidi Vaughan, “The timing was right for launching our new branding for the Foundation, which includes a reimagined logo and an extensively re-designed interactive website. The new marketing materials will support our ongoing work, especially the Adopt-A-Monument program. We have worked very hard to properly position ourselves to be even more effective as society begins returning to a natural pattern and rhythm.”

Of particular importance, the entire rebranding effort was accomplished by veteran creative specialists who have built their award-winning careers working and living in Houston. The work was made possible through the generous efforts of HAF Marketing Chair Chris Hill, founder of Hill Strategic Brand Solutions. This Houston-based branding and marketing firm is renowned for its work with high-profile national and international clients and some of Houston’s finest, including Hines, the Houston Rockets, and The Original Ninfa’s.

The new HAF logo is bold, simple, and forward-focused. The dynamic new HAF website is bright, engaging, and highly interactive. It highlights every work of art in the City of Houston’s Civic Art Collection under the Foundation’s care. It also features comprehensive maps and well-organized information about the non-profit Foundation.

At the core of HAF’s fundraising efforts is its Adopt-A-Monument program, through which funds are raised to provide for care and maintenance of municipally owned artworks available to the Houston public. The program has been restructured so that the focus is on corporate, foundation, and individual funding.

“Houston’s Civic Art Program is entering a new era in commissioning and caring for works of art in our City’s Civic Art Collection, stated Director Necole S. Irvin, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “The Houston Arts Foundation’s rebranding initiative marks a major milestone in the evolution of this work – providing an inspiring platform through which to learn about significant artworks which grace our communities and for outreach to arts patrons whose support enables careful stewardship of some of Houston’s key cultural assets via the Adopt-a-Monument program. We are encouraged by Houston Arts Foundation’s effort to push forward with our work to make Civic Art in Houston available and accessible to every resident and visitor to our city.”