Leadership
Staff
Leslie Ramos serves as Director of Programs and Exhibitions at Alta Arts. She helps guide the planning, coordination, and presentation of exhibitions, programs, and community-focused arts events. Leslie brings a thoughtful and organized approach to supporting artists, engaging audiences, and helping create meaningful cultural experiences through Alta Arts.
Derik J. Mercado
DIRECTOR OF FILM, VIDEO, & VISUAL EVENTS AND CREATIVE TEAM LEADER
Derik J. Mercado, CEO of Pinnacle Pictures, wears several hats at Alta Arts – most notably as chief videographer. He will be coordinating our visual arts events and assisting with social media outreach. Derik brings extensive skills in filmmaking, videography and editing.
Alexander’s handiwork is always on display at Alta Arts. His focus is assisting with exhibition installations and key event coordination. In his spare time, he pursues to expand his acting career which in the past has included an Astros commercial and several stage productions.
Advisory Board
Christopher Gongolas
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Christopher Gongolas – artist, drummer, tribal art collector, inventor/designer, finance geek/tech entrepreneur – has served on numerous art museum boards. Co-founded ARGUS Software in 1984, still the global standard for valuing & structuring > $10 trillion in commercial properties & loans annually. He’s gifted over $12 million to 120 universities worldwide, beginning as a finance guest lecturer at Wharton Business School in 1984. During a 20 year hyatis in Greece & Cyprus, he designed a line of globally patented, mass market, kinetic art & silly consumer products – and is also scaling up his unique monumental kinetic sculptures that inspired these product
Edgar Guajardo
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Edgar Guajardo is a Lighting and Scenic Designer/ Theatrical Producer/ Poet/ Actor/ Painter/ Carpenter originally from Pharr Texas, but has been residing in Houston for 10 plus years. He has a BFA in Theatrical Production with an emphasis in Lighting Design and Scenic Design from the University of Houston.
Catherine D. Anspon
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
For more than 25 years, PaperCity Executive Editor Catherine D. Anspon has covered the growth of Texas as a major state of the arts, including art fairs, artist and collector profiles, gallery and museum exhibitions, and as a member of international press delegations to Moscow and Shanghai.
She’s also served as Houston correspondent for ARTnews, and written for Art & Antiques, Spot, Glasstire, Artdesk, and Cultured. Her interviews have ranged from artists Julian Schnabel, John Currin, Emilia Kabakov, Jammie Holmes, Larry Bell, Carlos Cruz-Diez, The Haas Brothers, Trenton Doyle Hancock, and JooYoung Choi, to gallerist Meredith Long, collectors Lester Marks and Suzanne Deal Booth, and recently, the descendants of artist Tamara de Lempicka, Victoria de Lempicka and Marisa de Lempicka.
With a Master’s in Art History from University of Missouri, and a B.A. in History/Art History from Rice, she is the author of Texas Artists Today; a second volume is forthcoming focused upon Texas contemporary artists, benefiting Art League Houston.
Board of Directors
Michael S. Prentice
CO-FOUNDER & CHAIR
Michael S. Prentice is a renowned sculptor and investor based in Houston whose innovative initiatives to enhance Houston’s Sharpstown neighborhood have received acclaim. His most recent effort, the creation of the Sharpstown Prize for Architecture, resonated with city of Houston officials as well as the art and architecture community. Prentice established his own sculpture atelier in Paris 30 years ago, prior to moving to Houston in 1998. During his residency in France, he received private and public commissions from clients including Takashimaya, Cartier, LaCoste, GlaxoWelcome, City of Paris and more.
Michelle Bouchard
CO-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
C. Michelle Bouchard has created, managed and scaled non-profits and private/public partnerships since 1986, serving 13 years as President of HealthCorps, a national program founded by Dr. Oz. During her tenure, the organization raised over $70mm and impacted 2.5mm students across 17 states. She has received recognition from the TX Legislature; CA Senate, Clinton Global Initiative; NYC Chamber of Commerce; NYC Council; Log Cabin Republicans; the Off‐Off Broadway Review Board and more for her work.
Amy Henry
MEMBER AT LARGE
Amy Henry is an educator and community advocate originally from South Florida. She now lives in Houston with her husband, Parker, and their four-year-old son, Ryder, where they enjoy an active, adventurous life. A cum laude graduate of NC State with a degree in English Education, she later earned her Master’s in TESOL from UNCG, graduating summa cum laude. Amy has spent more than twelve years teaching high school English and ESL, earning Teacher of the Year honors three times, and has also helped adult ESL learners master the English language and adapt to their new country. Bilingual in English and Spanish—and an avid world traveler who brings home far too much local art from every place she visits—she offers rich cross-cultural insight in all her work.
Now preparing to begin her Master of Science in Nonprofit Administration at LSU, Amy is passionate about the intersection of education, culture, and the arts. Amy is excited to support The Alta Arts’ mission by helping create accessible, dynamic programming that enriches the Houston community.
Helen Zou
MEMBER AT LARGE
Helen Zou was born in Shanghai, China, and came to America with her family as a high school student. Helen graduated from Glasgow High School in Delaware, then earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accountancy and Economics from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. In 1998, she moved to Houston to begin her career with a Big 4 accounting firm—and never left. Helen instantly fell in love with Houston’s bright lights, warm weather, and limitless opportunity. This city became her home, and she has never stopped working to make it better for everyone.
Lester Marks
Michael S. Prentice is a renowned sculptor and investor based in Houston whose innovative initiatives to enhance Houston’s Sharpstown neighborhood have received acclaim. His most recent effort, the creation of the Sharpstown Prize for Architecture, resonated with city of Houston officials as well as the art and architecture community. Prentice established his own sculpture atelier in Paris 30 years ago, prior to moving to Houston in 1998. During his residency in France, he received private and public commissions from clients including Takashimaya, Cartier, LaCoste, GlaxoWelcome, City of Paris and more.
Gallery Hours
Gallery closed while we prepare for the next exhibition.
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