John Ross Palmer
John Ross Palmer, born in 1974, is a third generation Houstonian and fifth generation Texan. He is most proud of earning the distinguished Eagle Scout in 1991, and Palmer began painting full-time after the tragic loss of his father in 1998. After first humbly showing his paintings at Houston-area bars and restaurants, his artist career has taken a meteoric rise to international acclaim. Palmer has self-published six books: Deliverance & More than Words (2003), Escapism (2004), Seven Years (2005), Jane & Co. (2010), Faces (2012) and The 52 Project (2015). His critically acclaimed, professionally-published book, The Art of Meaningful Living (2009) with author Christopher Brown, made its debut at the Book Expo America in New York City in May 2009 and was available in bookstores nationwide. Palmer has created dynamic art series all over the globe, including: Barcelona, Florence, Buenos Aires, Skopelos Island (Greece), Vienna, Cape Town, Tokyo, Berlin, Dublin, Jerusalem, São Paulo, Nice, Port of Spain, Havana, Auckland, Bogota and most recently Hoi An (Vietnam). The elite group of patrons that support his international travel, known as The First Class Club, celebrated their 10th Anniversary in 2019. Palmer is the Founder of the Art Movement of Escapism. His Escapist Mentorship Program, founded in 2009, furthers his mission to forever destroy the stereotype of the struggling artist. Annually it has applicants from around the world. He owns the chic and contemporary John Palmer Art Gallery & Studio, a massive compound in the heart of Houston's Historic Heights.
For his dedication to the Space City, the GHCVB selected Palmer as a member of the My Houston Campaign along with notable Houstonians including Beyoncé Knowles, Clay Walker, Hilary Duff and George & Barbara Bush. The artist's online presence is colossal with hundreds of thousands of followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. His artwork is in the private collections of President George H. W. Bush, President George W. Bush, his Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, American filmmaker John Waters, the late, famed comedienne Joan Rivers, Trinidad & Tobago's Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Palmer is a lively lecturer, having made speeches around the USA about his Art Movement of Escapism, including a feature presentation at President Bush 41's 20th Anniversary Points of Light Conference. In 2013, Palmer was honored as one of the few living artists with a page on Wikipedia. That same year Palmer launched the massive Refuse to Struggle Campaign-a groundbreaking endeavor to construct an Escapist Gallery & Studios for the free use of his "Escapist Artists." Palmer raised all building funds in only 46 days through a combination of private donors and a public crowd-funding operation on Indiegogo. The innovative "Chrysalis" training center that includes gallery space, artist studios and a visiting artist residence was completed in 2014. Palmer's commitment to volunteering has been recognized by his receipt of both the League of Women Voter's President's Medal and the Greater Houston Service Award. October 19, 2013 was proclaimed to be John Ross Palmer Day in the City of Houston by Mayor Annise D. Parker. He is known worldwide as the Hardest Working Man in the Art Business . In 2016, Palmer founded and now serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Art Launch that manages and funds his mentorship program. Art Launch has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to improve artist entrepreneurial programs and maintain the Chrysalis. 2018 marked the 20th Anniversary of Palmer's career as a professional artist and the occasion was distinguished by a five-day Retrospective highlighting his service, mentoring and most notable paintings. Joining the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and President Barack Obama, in January of 2019 Palmer laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. That same year, Palmer completed the third and final phase of his legacy series, Satori, by placing all eighteen paintings in private collection prior to the public unveiling.
A.V.M. Hawkins
AVM Hawkins is an American contemporary fine artist of Creole descent, living in Houston, Texas. AVM Hawkins was born in New Orleans, LA as Ashley Vignaud Marshall. AVM was inspired to paint during her 1L year in law school, where she experienced a breakthrough.
AVM decided to channel and release all of her fears, insecurities, self-doubt, stress, and anxiety onto canvas. Due to this experience, AVM discovered how to create art by following her natural instincts, loving herself without conditions, without judgment, and without an attachment to the outcome. AVM practiced law for five years, when she was admitted as a
2018 Fellow in the prestigious John Ross Palmer's Escapism Art Mentorship Program, where AVM created, showed, and sold her art full-time during evenings and weekends, while practicing law. AVM dedicated 2018 to transition into living her life's dream to becoming a successful, professional artist. In July 2019, AVM transitioned from her law practice to becoming a full-time artist. AVM specializes in custom created and large scale abstract paintings, perfect for curating elegant walls with beautiful, awe-inspiring meaningful art. AVM's formal training in Law, provides her a freedom and courage to push boundaries never seen in art. AVM creates without fear and with authentic pure expression exposing the divinity
and infinite possibility in us all.
HUGO PEREZ
Born in 1981, in San Francisco, CA, Hugo Pérez received his BFA in Visual Communication with a concentration on Graphic Design from The Art Institute in 2010. He was Escapist of the Year in John Palmer's Mentorship program in 2016. And won favorite Male artist three years in a row for OutSmart Magazine, 2018-2020. He continues his studies at Art League Houston, is a member of the Visual Arts Alliance, and co-founded Qollective, a queer art collective comprising of 7 artists. Most recently, he was commissioned by the brand lululemon to develop two large murals, in City Centre, and Willowbrook. Pérez lives and works in Houston, TX.
SARAH RIMBOCH
Sarah Rimboch is an American artist living and working in Houston, Texas. Rimboch is best known for her abstract resin paintings, but she is prolific and has the ability to work with a broad range of mediums.
Sarah was born and raised in Huron, Ohio. From 2007-2012, Sarah studied at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. She graduated with a Bachelor's in Arts Education with a focus in Printmaking. In 2013, Sarah moved from Ohio to Houston, Texas. The move and search for employment forced her to take a break from art and focus on her art teaching career. Three years later, although she loved and excelled at her job, she realized that her life lacked inspiration as she had no personal, creative outlet. This self-realization brilliantly coincided with Rimboch stumbling upon the medium of resin. It was kismet.
Rimboch then dedicated two full years to building a substantial body of work. After being inspired and encouraged by an artist friend, she applied and was accepted to exhibit at Houston's First Saturday Arts Market. From the onset she experienced success and it propelled her to seek more experiences to display publicly. Sarah has now regularly shown at art events throughout the Houston area and has an art studio space at Silver Street Studios.
In January of 2020 Sarah was accepted into John Ross Palmer's Escapist Mentorship Program where she learned entrepreneurial skills from the Escapism Founder for an entire year. Sarah ranks this as her most significant art accomplishment to date and knows that it was the actual beginning of her art journey. At the end of the program, Sarah was awarded the "Escapist of the Year," signifying all the hard work and success that she experienced while in the program.
After the mentorship program, Sarah got her very first public art studio at Silver Street Studios. She continued working hard on her art and finally, in spring of 2021, Sarah resigned from her art teaching career. She was finally pursuing her dream of being a full time artist. She hosted her very first solo exhibition in June of 2021 and has continued to make new art opportunities for herself. She continues participates in a variety of art events throughout Houston and in her studio at Silver Street Studios. Most recently she was invited back to the John Ross Palmer Mentorship Program to showcase her work as a returning Escapist artist. Though she has come full circle in her art journey, there is still a long journey ahead of her and she looks forward to every moment of it