Houston Graffiti Scene Loses Arts/Community Activist

by Paula Newton August 20, 2014

EstesJohnathan Estes, founder of Southern Artists Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to help autistic children, which runs Kingspoint Proper, a concert venue and art gallery, was killed on Monday evening.

According to yesterday’s story on Click2Houston.com, in which Estes’ identity had not yet been confirmed, police say they responded to a shooting call around 9:30pm to the parking lot outside Kingspoint Proper. Estes was found with several gunshot wounds and was transported to the hospital, where he later died.

A father of autistic children, Estes created the Southern Artists Foundation in early 2011 to organize local artists to work in the community and help raise awareness about autism. The art space, known as Kingspoint Mullet (a reference to the front gallery space and the back party space: “Business in the front, party in the back”) offers street artists a place to create murals legally.

The Facebook pages of Johnathan Estes and Kingspoint Proper are already overflowing with posts expressing shock, grief, and condolences. A memorial is planned for Friday, 7pm, at Kingspoint Proper (10900 Kingspoint Rd., Suite 5, Houston 77075).

(Photo by Michael Paulsen/Houston Chronicle staff)

3 comments

3 comments

Marie August 21, 2014 - 00:33

The article on Houston Pulse Magazine is not accurate…the person named Carolyn Rose has not worked with Johnathan in 2014 in any events…please take off link from your article. Thank you.

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Mar August 21, 2014 - 01:26

Just spoke with Carolyn Rose who told me that article was from 2013…not 2014…the projects in 2014 are very different and the people who were working with him in 2014 were not the ones mentioned in the 2013 article.

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Paula Newton August 21, 2014 - 08:49

I’m not exactly sure what you mean, but I certainly don’t want to be inaccurate, so I’ve removed the link. Thanks!

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