As the year comes to a close, we reflect on the artists and arts professionals we’ve lost in 2024. This year we said goodbye to innovative people who helped shape the art scenes in Houston, Fort Worth, South Texas, the Panhandle, and beyond. From gallerists like Anya Tish and David Berman to artists and educators like Derek Boshier, Floyd Newsum, and Terri Thornton, we honor the lives and legacies of the people who have shaped Texas art.
January
Danny Kerschen
Danny Kerschen, 1977 — 2024
Danny Kerschen, a Houston-raised artist and art organizer who contributed to the city’s alternative art scene, died on January 25, 2024. Mr. Kerschen helped to shape Houston’s alternative art scene. Along with Mike Holcombe and Mr. Kerschen’s brother, Travis, he was a co-founder of the Bill Hicks Resurrection Laboratory, an artist-run social center and performance venue that was open from 2003 to 2006.
May
Benjamin Johnson Fortson, Jr. Image courtesy of the Kimbell Art Museum.
Ben Fortson, 1932 — 2024
Benjamin Johnson Fortson, Jr., a businessman and philanthropist who helped found the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, died Sunday, May 19, 2024. Mr. Fortson married Kay Kimbell Carter in 1957. She was the only child of Dr. Coleman Carter and his wife Mattie, and was the niece of Kay Kimbell, an entrepreneur and art patron. Because Mr. Kimbell and his wife Velma did not have children, Mr. and Mrs. Fortson became responsible for bringing her uncle’s vision of a first-class museum to life.
June
Anya Tish
Anya Tish, 1950 — 2024
Anya Tish, founder of the Houston-based Anya Tish Gallery, died on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in her hometown of Kraków, Poland. Adela Andea told Glasstire, “Anya Tish was an inspirational figure that kept all of us strong and together. She created an art family. Her gallery wasn’t just a space for art — it was a sanctuary where creativity thrived.”
Michael Tracy, 1943 — 2024
Michael Tracy, impassioned maximalist of the Texas-Mexico borderlands, remembered by a generation of artists across the Americas, died peacefully at his studio compound in San Ygnacio, Texas, on June 15, 2024.
August
Floyd Newsum. Image courtesy of Janice Bond
Floyd Newsum, 1950 — 2024
Floyd Newsum, an artist, professor, and co-founder of Project Row Houses in Houston, died on Wednesday, August 14, 2024. Mr. Newsum spoke of himself as an “artist social servant.” In his fifty-year career as an artist and educator, Mr. Newsum touched countless lives, including community members, students, artists, arts professionals, and more. While his legacy is felt strongly in Houston, it echoes beyond the city.
September
Derek Boshier. Photo by Marissa Roth
Derek Boshier, 1937 – 2024
Derek Boshier, the British Pop artist and former University of Houston professor, died on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at the age of 87. Perhaps best known outside of the artworld for his artistic contributions to David Bowie’s Lodger and Let’s Dance album covers, Mr. Boshier was a prominent figure in the British Pop art movement and spent over a decade teaching at UH.
James Magee
James Magee, 1945 — 2024
James Magee, an artist known for his large-scale El Paso-based installation The Hill, died on September 14 at the age of 79. Artistically, Mr. Magee also created works as Annabel Livermore and Horace Mayfield. Beyond his visual art, he was a poet, writer, and performance artist.
David Berman, 2014
David Berman, 1946 – 2024
David Berman, a filmmaker, gallerist, and philanthropist, died Monday, September 16, 2024, in Austin. Mr. Berman directed independent feature films, documentaries, corporate and public service projects for arts and nonprofit organizations, as well as commercials for regional and national brands. In 2000, he opened dberman Gallery in Austin, and exhibited artists such as Ellen Berman, Malcolm Bucknall, Faith Gay, George Krause, Catherine Lee, Lauren Levy, and Beverly Penn.
October
Arthur Turner
Arthur Turner, 1940 — 2024
Arthur Turner, a notable Houston-based abstract watercolorist and educator, died Friday, October 18, 2024. During his 50-year tenure at the Glassell School, Mr. Turner was beloved and mentored many artists. Aside from his career as an educator, Mr. Turner was a prolific artist whose work has been exhibited widely in Houston and across the U.S.
November
Matt Sacks. Photo: Paul Leicht
Matthew J. Sacks, 1952 — 2024
Matt Sacks, the enigmatic artist, gallerist, and community builder based in Fort Worth, died on Sunday, November 17, 2024. Best known for his house gallery turned nonprofit, The Grackle Art Gallery, Mr. Sacks played an integral role in supporting the artistic community in Fort Worth.
Patty Rae Wellborn
Patty Rae Wellborn, 1954 — 2024
Patty Rae Wellborn, an Abilene-based self-taught artist and educator, died Tuesday, November 19, 2024. Ms. Wellborn maintained a studio space for over 30 years at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Abilene. During her three decades at the organization, she served as Artist Member President three times and helped launch CCA’s educational outreach programs.
December
Terri Thornton
Terri Thornton, 1958 — 2024
Terri Thornton, an artist and the former Curator of Education at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, died on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. She may be best known for her work programming the Tuesday Evenings at the Modern lecture series, but truly shaped the educational offerings for people of all ages at the museum. In her 66 years, Ms. Thornton impacted and shaped the lives of many.
