THE WOODLANDS, TX – (March 24, 2009) – The Woodlands Development Company (TWDC) recently presented a $20,000 sponsorship donation to The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, a juried fine arts festival featuring over 200 national and regional artists in a wide variety of mediums, now in its fourth year. Artists’ works are displayed along the 1.4-mile The Woodlands Waterway® that winds through The Woodlands Town Center. The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival is produced by The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council, a 501 C-3 organization.

The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival will take place Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5, 2009. Festival hours are 10 am – 8 pm Saturday and 10 am – 6 pm Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults, and children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. Free on-site parking is available in any of the color-coded lots on the southwest side of the festival site.
In addition to hundreds of works of art, the festival includes interactive art activities for children in Town Green Park, student art exhibitions, live entertainment on two stages, dining selections at the Palette Café, and a Floating Art Parade on Saturday morning.

Proceeds from the festival benefit local arts-related organizations that are charity partners with the festival. Charity partners for 2008-09 are The Pavilion Partners, Town Center Theatre and The Woodlands Art League. In addition, high school juniors and seniors have the opportunity to win scholarships by participating in the Student Art Competition. In 2008, $20,000 in art scholarships was awarded.

For more information about The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, visit www.woodlandsartsfestival.com.

Pictured from left to right are: Susan Vreeland-Wendt, Director of Marketing for TWDC and a member of The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival Advisory Committee; Tim Welbes, Co-President of TWDC; Brenda Gottlieb, Festival Director; Joe Michels, President of The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council; Alex Sutton, Co-President of TWDC; and Debra Staley, Director of Public Affairs for TWDC.