I would like to share news about my current Solo Exhibition entitled “Wetlands”, at The Dishman Art Museum, Lamar University; Beaumont, Texas! The exhibition features 40 works of art in oil painting, watercolor painting and charcoal drawing, encompassing two floors of exhibition space. On view from October 2 – November 13, 2026. www.lamar.edu/dishman
William David Drastata, a proud University of Houston alumnus, celebrates his 90th birthday on September 26, 2026.
Bill grew up on a cotton farm in El Campo, Texas, as one of seven siblings. He has always been especially proud that he was the only one of the seven to leave home for the “big city” to attend the University of Houston, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business.
He attended UH during the mid-1950s through the early 1960s, with four years of U.S. Army service during that period. He later went on to spend his career with NASA at the Johnson Space Center.
Bill often told his family the “big city/college story” for many years. It is one of those family stories that has been told and retold because attending the University of Houston meant so much to him. Even all these years later, he remains incredibly proud to be a Cougar alumnus. Bill has carried his pride in the University of Houston with him for more than seven decades.
Montrey J. Pertile (M.Ed. ’19, Ph.D. ’26) recently served as the lead coordinator for a summer STEM camp through the ACES Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Houston. With support from a talented team of educators and staff, he oversaw program logistics, curriculum development, staff training, and daily operations. The camp introduced students to AI literacy, engineering design, robotics, and 3D printing through engaging, hands-on learning experiences designed to inspire interest in STEM fields and emerging technologies.
Thrilled to share a personal milestone: I wrote, edited, and published Denial Creek, a darkly funny psychological suspense novel in which the discovery of a cryptic 1988 photo in 2001 Harris County, Texas leads an estranged daughter to unravel a toxic family history as she attempts to heal from her own dysfunctional childhood. It’s available on Amazon, and book two in The Twisted Waters Trilogy is forthcoming
Fort Worth Artist Returns Home With Powerful Exhibition
Challenging the Price of Beauty Gallery 440 presents Theoria Ornamentalis, a new solo exhibition by Douglas Cason exploring beauty, identity and cultural expectations.
FORT WORTH, Texas (June 30, 2026) — Gallery 440 will present Theoria Ornamentalis, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Fort Worth-born artist Douglas Cason, opening with a public reception Friday, July 3, from 5 to 8 p.m.
The exhibition marks Cason’s return to Fort Worth, where his artistic journey began, bringing home a powerful new body of work that examines beauty, identity and the cultural expectations placed on women.
Artist, educator, muralist and painter, Cason is known for creating psychologically charged works that draw from Neo-Baroque portraiture, historical painting and contemporary culture. Working through several artistic personas—including Douglas Cason, Zepeda and Reverend Wayne—his practice explores the intersections of beauty, power, perception and the stories people construct about themselves and others.
In Theoria Ornamentalis, Cason uses the visual language of classical portraiture to question the persistent expectation that a woman’s value is measured by her beauty rather than her intellect or voice. Rich with references to mythology and historical painting, the exhibition presents women whose beauty is complicated by resilience, tension and quiet resistance, inviting viewers to reconsider what is being admired—and at whose expense.
“This series examines the persistent expectation that a woman’s value is measured by her beauty rather than her intellect or voice,” Cason said. “These paintings use beauty not as celebration, but as a way of questioning the systems that continue to overlook women’s humanity and contributions. Bringing this exhibition home to Fort Worth is especially meaningful because it’s where I first learned to look at art and at the world around me. In many ways, these paintings are a conversation with the culture that shaped me, and having that conversation here brings the work full circle.”
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Houston, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in painting, Cason has exhibited nationally for more than two decades. His work is included in numerous public and private collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. He currently serves as instructor of visual arts in the College of Creative and Performing Arts at Guilford Technical Community College in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he also creates public murals in collaboration with students.
“Theoria Ornamentalis is exactly the kind of exhibition Gallery 440 strives to present,” said Jennifer Henderson, owner of Gallery 440. “Douglas has created a body of work that is visually stunning while inviting thoughtful conversations about beauty and the stories our culture continues to tell. We’re honored to welcome him home to Fort Worth.”
The exhibition opens Friday, July 3, with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. at Gallery 440, 440 S. Main St., Fort Worth. The reception is free and open to the public. The exhibition will remain on view through Sept. 19.
For more information, visit www.gallery440.com or call 817-335-0100.
About Gallery 440
In operation since 2012, Gallery 440 features modern to contemporary art from local to internationally celebrated artists. With a passion to represent and support talent, Gallery 440 provides consultation and curation opportunities to expand artists’ presence in the local community. All artwork is available for purchase online. The gallery is located at 440 S. Main Street, Fort Worth, TX 76104.
Jim McLean, a proud University of Houston alumnus recently released a new book, The Houston Dynasty: Tales from College Golf’s Greatest Team.
The book is a behind-the-scenes look at the University of Houston’s legendary men’s golf program during its dominant run from 1968 to 1973 under Coach Dave Williams. Jim shares firsthand stories of the intense competition within the team—where dozens of elite players competed for just a handful of spots—along with insights into college life, NCAA rivalries, and the players who went on to become professional champions. It’s a compelling and entertaining look at what made Houston one of the greatest programs in college golf history.
ATLANTA, GA — FOX SOUL is expanding the national conversation around wealth, ownership, and economic empowerment with the launch of What Is Rich Live, a weekly live-streamed preshow hosted by acclaimed entrepreneurs Jerome D. Love and Rushion McDonald.
Streaming live every Saturday at 5:00 p.m. EST (4:00 p.m. CST / 2:00 p.m. PST), What Is Rich Live broadcasts across FOX SOUL’s YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook platforms, as well as Rushion McDonald’s personal Instagram and Facebook channels, reaching a combined audience of more than 2 million followers nationwide.
The live preshow serves as a dynamic lead-in to the groundbreaking FOX SOUL docuseries What Is Rich, offering audiences real-time conversations, expert insights, and actionable strategies focused on entrepreneurship, business success, financial growth, and economic mobility.
Christian Bancroft’s debut book of poetry, A Ghost Has No Fantasies, will be published by Unbound Edition Press. The poems in this collection derive from found texts regarding the persecution of queer men and women before, during, and after the Holocaust. The title is scheduled for publication on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, 2026.
Through haunting poetry and prose, A Ghost Has No Fantasies illuminates the forgotten voices of LGBTQ+ people who suffered under Nazi persecution. Drawing from archival documents, survivor testimonies, and Gestapo files, Bancroft weaves together the intimate stories of those imprisoned under Paragraph 175 and beyond — gay men, lesbians, and transgender people whose experiences have long remained in the shadows of Holocaust memory. At a time when LGBTQ+ rights remain under threat globally, this collection serves as both memorial and warning — a testament to the resilience of human love against the machinery of hate-fueled erasure.
Christian Bancroft earned his Ph.D. from the University of Houston and is the recipient of a Michener Fellowship. He is also the author of Queering Modernist Translation: The Poetics of Race, Gender, and Queerness (2020) and the co-editor of the 2018 Unsung Masters Series volume, Adelaide Crapsey: The Life & Work of an American Master.
Kevin Prufer, the celebrated poet, novelist, and critic, has said of the book, “Christian Bancroft has produced a kaleidoscopic work of docupoetics, vast in its scope and historical vision, one that draws our attention at last to the intimate voices of individuals otherwise lost in a time that would obliterate them. Brilliant, inventive, and deeply moving.”
Peter Campion, executive editor at Unbound Edition Press, acquired A Ghost Has No Fantasies for the house, and is editing the work with Bancroft. He writes: “Christian Bancroft’s A Ghost Has No Fantasies treats the horror of genocide with the enduring resources of imagination, compassion, and intense verbal skill. Here is a book of tremendous ethical conviction and aesthetic originality.”
Patrick Davis, publisher and editor in chief at Unbound Edition Press, said, “Christian’s book is among the rarest of things: poetry that resurrects, honors, and heals people lost to the deepest of tragedies. There is no book like this one, and we are beyond privileged to publish it.”
Rushion McDonald directed and is the executive producer of nine episodes of the ‘What is Rich?” docuseries being featured on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in January 2026. If you’re an entrepreneur, small business owner, a dreamer, or someone striving for more, then watch the docuseries “What is Rich?” Learn that wealth isn’t just about dollars; it’s about impact, legacy, and following your purpose. Texas Black Expo founder Jerome D. Love is the host. Rushion and Love co-created the “What is Rich?” docuseries. It’s a powerful blueprint for real-life success. Jerome travels the country and interviews entrepreneurs, athletes, influencers, and financial leaders who have turned ambition into success. “What is Rich?” premieres January 12, 2026, and will be streaming on YouTube for free or go to www.whatisrichdoc.com. Rushion will be announcing a large media distribution partnership in the coming weeks. Keep winning!
Dallas College presents Belongings, a solo exhibition by Houston-based artist David Delgado. Bringing together paintings and sculptural works, the exhibition explores how nostalgia, scarcity, and value intersect in contemporary culture.
The series grew out of Delgado’s habit of browsing eBay, where he became fascinated by overlooked objects that some discard, but others collect. Through painting and form, he reimagines these items to examine the tension between personal attachment and market value, inviting viewers to reconsider how worth, desire, and cultural meaning are constructed.
Delgado earned a BFA in Studio Art (sculpture) from the University of Houston and has worked as an illustrator and in his family’s bronze foundry. He now teaches K–6 students through arts education organizations such as MECA.