If you are an art lover, art collector or artist in the greater Houston area then you will undoubtedly have heard of Mitch Cohen. He is the founder of The First Saturday Arts Market in The Houston Heights, an artist himself, and a very active protagonist.
Cohens journey into the art world began in 1983 when he landed a summer job painting billboards, back then, the panels were all hand painted with oil-based paint and later installed on the high-reaching frameworks alongside the many busy freeways in Houston. “It was either boiling hot or freezing cold, and sudden gusts of wind were always an issue” Cohen reminisces, but it was a learning curve and by the time he left, he was a journeyman who could paint absolutely anything and humorously recalls describing himself as a “human copy machine”.
This introduction and accomplished skillset led to a 15-year long career in residential and commercial decorative painting, creating faux finishes, wood grains and marbling effects as well as mural and restoration work. His largest painting to date was an interior wall piece measuring 24’ x 16’, rendered in blazing reds and oranges embellished with gold leaf and with a dazzling white sunset in the center.
It was during a Houston Heights Association meeting in 2003 that he suggested a mini art walk to promote local artists and boost the area as an arts locale. After a successful year, he was offered the use of a parking lot by a local store owner, and the first arts market in Houston was born. Initially launching as “The Yale Street Arts and Flower Market”, consisting of 24 artists, many were those from the art walk, the Houston Art Car scene as well as a couple of musicians who randomly showed up to entertain throughout the day. The monthly market soon grew in popularity with patrons as well as exhibitors, eventually moving to its current location on 540 W. 19th Street. Now “The First Saturday Arts Market” has tripled in size and has a lengthy list of exhibiting artists, musicians and food trucks. The success of this market has generated “The Market on Sawyer Yards” held on Art Alley, and the “Big Art Market”, an indoor curated event with air conditioning, held in August at Silver Street Studios. All three markets have a different vibe, where you can collect art in many different price points and genres.
Mitch Cohen goes the extra mile, not just for his exhibiting artists, but for any artist or collector who signs up for his free newsletters. His website “Art Valet” covers “everything Mitch”, where you can find events and upcoming shows in the Houston area. His “Artists at Large” email newsletter is a must for any artist in the area and includes details of exhibition and festival calls, artist classifieds, workshops and opportunities. He offers many non-profit organizations booth space at his markets, and he has been the initiator of countless fund-raising campaigns for artists who have hit hard times and need a little help. Cohen is also an arts writer for two Heights publications, where he promotes artists, galleries and all things creative.
Cohen was a board member for twice yearly “The Bayou Arts Festival”, held downtown in Houston. As well as being a festival volunteer himself, he previously coordinated groups of volunteers throughout the festival to support the many exhibiting artists. “I enjoy being an artist advocate and communicating with the artists in events where the maker is the seller,” he tells me. Cohen is a long-term volunteer and coordinator for The Bayou Festival Middle School Art Competition, now in its 10th year.
The “Freedom Over Texas” festival previously held on July 4th every year, was also fortunate to have Mitch Cohen and his group of volunteer market artists. As a team, they created large “art walls” for visitors to paint on, different themes over the years have ranged from handprints to stars to spaceships, the kids loved it and so did their parents. The festival has not yet reopened since covid.
It’s surprising to learn that with such a busy agenda, that Cohen still has time to paint himself! Working in both oil paints and acrylics, he creates commissioned portraits of people and pets. “I go between extremely realistic to whimsical” he tells me. He has created a wonderful array of shoe paintings, including the “Chucks” collection, a series of brightly colored tennis shoes matching the personalities of their owners, metaphorical portraits. He works in expressive brush strokes and a vibrancy, which has an energy parallel to his integrity. His self-portrait is a larger than life, joyous, dynamic work painted in a dazzlingly powerful palette, it screams strength, stamina and fun! Cohen paints in a quirky Heights studio with a connecting apartment, often working late into the night he strives “to paint the work he visualizes”.
When asked about what he was grateful for this Thanksgiving Mitch replied, “For all the friends and artists I’ve met on this journey, and them taking me in new directions”, his words to live by are “Be persistently consistent in what you do, don’t quit”.
https://artvalet.com
https://firstsaturdayartsmarket.com
When asked about what he was grateful for this Thanksgiving Mitch replied, “For all the friends and artists I’ve met on this journey, and them taking me in new directions”, his words to live by are “Be persistently consistent in what you do, don’t quit”.