Sold Out Show!
Merideth Melville, WIFT/H Vice President, recently had a retrospective of the film she produced, Suits: The Clothes Make the Man with The Art Guys (Jack Massing & Michael Galbreth). It was a sold-out show at The River Oaks Movie Theatre.
The Art Guys are considered a “Houston treasure” and collaborated for 35 years. This road trip documentary showcases them traveling across the US in their guise as “human billboards”. They sold advertising to 56 local and national companies whose logos were sewn on custom suits designed by Todd Oldham. Their overcoats and ties were designed by Houstonian, Selven O’Keef Jarmon. Then Mike & Jack travelled across the country wearing those suits for one year.
The documentary took over a year to shoot and edit. The actual suits are now part of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston collection. The journey is also immortalized in a book, where there’s a photo of Merideth (with Mike & Jack as her “bridesmaids”) renewing her wedding vows by an Elvis minister when they were shooting in Las Vegas.
She says, “The 76-minute documentary is filled with thoughtful discussion about art and commerce, juxtaposed with hilarious reactions by people from around the country who weren’t quite sure what the heck they were witnessing,”
Congrats to Merideth for the inspiring, oft-times daft documentary on Houston’s most popular conceptual artists!
Member’s Promo Film a Success!
The screening for the 54-minute promotional film for the docuseries, “The Change Unleasing the Wild Woman,” was a huge success for WIFT/H member, Linda Gibbs. The event, recently held at The McGovern Theater in The Health Museum Houston, received great reviews from the mostly female audience.
The series advocates for holistic and evidence-based treatment options for women experiencing peri and post menopausal symptoms, emphasizing mental, physical and spiritual wellness.
The Q&A panel discussion post screening was led by Linda Gibbs, producer of the series through her company, Gibbs Media Group and included a nutritionist and two OB/GYN physicians.
Best of luck on this important docuseries, Linda!
TV Legend & WIFT/H Supporter to Retire
After 43 years in the newsroom and on-the-air, Houston’s Melanie Lawson has announced she will retire from ABC13. The Chronicle’s Joy Sewing broke the news exclusively that Lawson plans to leave her anchor post January 31, 2026.
A profoundly respected journalist, Melanie has been a member of the WIFT/Houston chapter and helped support past events. Most memorably, she was a moderator of our “Reel Stars of Texas” awards at The Hobby Center which recognized Houston natives, Chandra Wilson and Isaiah Washington of Grey’s Anatomy fame.
We’re thankful for her support of women over the years and especially her integrity and professionalism. We’re sure many retrospectives will surface until her merited retirement when she signs off in January.
