Photos by Samantha Jane Beatty
Styling by Kate Stukenberg
Grooming by Tonya Riner for Page Parkes Agency
Models Madison Johnston for Wallflower Management and Jake Atterberry for Page Parkes Agency
Photo assistance by John Lewis
Styling assistance by Molly Jodeit
Men’s styling consulting by Cody Sever
and Whitney Wiggins for M Penner
Shot on location at Hotel Alessandra in Downtown
Rachel Gardner with her flower necklaces and, at left, Calla Lilly necklace
Gardner appeared in our 2019 photo essay A Day in the Life of the Arts. The image of Gardner, pregnant and hard at work late at night in her garage studio, surrounded by ghostly papier-mâché sculptures of forest animals and antlered children, encapsulated the subject matter Gardner explores in her art and the real-life demands of maintaining a practice while holding down a teaching job and raising a family.
Gardner began mounting her sculptures to a “wall of life” in her home studio in 2022, including small sculptures of bugs, birds and wildflowers shaped out of polymer clay, baked in the kitchen oven, and then painted and coated with resin. One day, Gardner created a tulip, her favorite flower, and decided she’d like to wear it out in public as a necklace. People were intrigued and asked her about the piece.
“This is only a glimpse of what I’ve got going on in my studio,” says Gardner of that first tulip. “I’ve got hundreds of wildflowers on the wall.” The resulting wearable pieces are organic, painterly, surprisingly sturdy, and a welcome alternative to store-bought manufactured jewelry.
“I’m really enjoying pooling from this wall of life,” says Gardner of what has become a creative wellspring. “My kids have gotten used to seeing birds, bugs and flowers in the oven!”
Gardner and members of Foltz’s staff will be wearing some of her sculptures at this Saturday’s opening. Wisitors will have to opportunity to try them on as well.
Endless Summer runs July 27-Aug 25 and includes works by Mallory Agerton, Saran Alderson, Erika Alonso, Tom Bandage, Lotus Bermudez, Colleen Blackard, DUAL, E. Dan Klepper, Ibsen Espada, J. Antonio Farfan, Brendan Flores, Rachel Gardner, Garrett Griffins, Peter Healy, Otis Huband, Sarah Fisher, Jonathan Paul Jackson, Sirena LaBurn, Melinda Laszczynski, Ambrosia Max, Jacob Melgren, Matt Messinger, Susu Meyer, Kate Mulholland, Charlotte Seifert, Ben Sklar, Robin Utterback and Doug Welsh.
Gardner was featured in CityBook’s “A Day in the Life of the Arts” photo essay in 2019. (photo by Jhane Hoang)
Gardner’s wearable art will be featured in new art show.
Aesha Scott, Jack Vielhauer, Courtney Scott
The dress code was “Nantucket chic with a Texas flair,” and guests sipped sparkling rosé while donning sundresses and linen shirts paired with cowboy hats and boots. As the sun set, DJ Mitch Waring turned on his bubble machine, and the party roared on into the evening. Scott greeted every guest and posed for photos in one of Houston’s more instagrammable spots.
Z on 23 is Houston’s highest open-air rooftop bar, perched atop Le Méridien hotel. Cocktails and bites are on offer daily. "Z on 23 isn't just a rooftop bar,” says Le Méridien Marketing Director Jack Vielhauer. “It's a dynamic meeting spot where creatives, visionaries and innovators come together to inspire and collaborate.
“I'm working to re-envision this rooftop,” he adds, “transforming it into the ultimate hub for creative energy and connection under the stars.”
Alexis Joubert, Gabby Saenz
Hudson Smith, Sarah Smith, Michael Mandola
Tarek El-Bjeirmi
Zach Harrison Alexis Walden, Mackenzie Snuggs
Imani Guillory, Karin Chen, Lisa Gochman
Stacy Snyder, Jack Vielhauer, Pame DeOrbegoso
Anthony Ferrell
Jordan Khalil, Emre Ozsut, Aesha Scott
DJ Mitch Waring
Courtney Peel, Kelsey Rogers
Chris Fox & Matt Parisi