Via Colori Street Painting Artists

A junior at Spring Woods High and an art teacher at Landrum Middle will be featured artists during the upcoming Via Colori Street Painting Festival, which will be conducted Nov. 17-18 on Houston’s streets downtown.

Spring Woods High’s Lorelei Shannon is one of 10 area students whose special artistry has been chooses as among the best emerging high school-age young artists. Her Thanksgiving-related work is part of the festival’s 2012 Apprendista Artist line-up and will be displayed alongside professional artists. Lorelei is taught by Crystal Fiocchi at Spring Woods High.

Lorelei was named a featured festival student artist last year, too, and her street work titled “All Creation Sings” was also displayed. The Via Colori event benefits The Center for Hearing and Speech, a nonprofit agency supported by United Way of Greater Houston that teaches children with hearing loss skills related to listening, speaking and literacy.

In addition, Landrum Middle School art teacher and professional artist Andres Bautista has been named Linn Energy’s Featured Artist at the festival. Andres has been active in the street festival since its initial beginning in 2006. He was named a “fan favorite” in the 2010 and 2011 festivals.

Many Landrum Middle art students also take part in the annual street painting festival. In naming Andres its Featured Artist this year, Linn Energy officials said that the involvement of so many students led Linn to honor the SBISD art teacher. A reception hosted by Linn Energy was held in his honor Oct. 25.

“The mentoring he provides his students reflects his passion for these children, as well as his art. We are honored to have Andres as our featured artist and hope that he will partner with us for many years to come,” Linn Energy’s Kristin Midgett said.

Andres Bautista is also a former SBISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.