Artadia, a non-profit grantmaking organization and nationwide community of visual artists, curators, and patrons, is thrilled to announce the 2025 Houston Artadia Awardees: Virginia L. Montgomery, Lovie Olivia, and Gerardo Rosales, the 2025 Bank of America Houston Artadia Awardee. 

The 2025 Houston Artadia Awards application was open to visual artists working in any visual media, at any stage in their career, who have been living and working within Harris County for the last two consecutive years at minimum. We received 149 applications, with 60% of the applicants identifying as African, African American or Black, Multiracial, Arab, Arab American, Asian or Asian American, Latina/e/o/x, Middle Eastern, or North African; 48% as women, gender nonconforming, or nonbinary; and 52% as emerging artists. 

The Awards decision was reached after an extensive two-tiered jurying process. This year’s finalists for the Awards included Anthony Almendárez, Sebastien Boncy, and JR Roykovich, selected by Round 1 jurors Brandee Caoba, Curator, SITE Santa Fe; Frauke Josenhans, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Dora Maar Cultural Center; and Eric Schnell, Artist / Co-founder, Galveston Artist Residency.

All six finalists held virtual studio visits with Round 2 jurors Frauke Josenhans, Deputy Director and Chief Curator, Dora Maar Cultural Center, and Pia Singh, Independent Curator.

“In a time of political and social uncertainty, supporting artists, thinkers, and new ideas feels more vital than ever,” shared Round 1 juror Brandee Caoba. “The submissions for this year’s Artadia Awards revealed an extraordinary depth of talent across Houston’s diverse creative community, making the selection process both challenging and deeply inspiring. I’m grateful for Artadia’s commitment not only to providing financial support, but also to fostering the connections and visibility that allow artistic practices to grow and flourish.”

Frauke Josenhans, who served as the local juror for both rounds, reflected on Houston’s artistic landscape. “This year’s Houston Artadia Awards selection spotlights the multi-layered creative fabric of Houston through the variety of artists at different stages in their career, and the wide range of their practices, encompassing painting, photography, printmaking, installation art, video, sound, and performance. It was eye-opening to go through the numerous applications with my fellow jurors and to have candid conversations about the finalists and how each of them reflects the energy of Houston’s artistic landscape.”

Read the full press release here.