Honoring Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage in Midtown

This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Midtown Houston is proud to unveil a new sign wrap installation at Bagby Park created by Houston artist Lotus Bermudez. Rooted in family history, cultural memory, and personal reflection, the work transforms the iconic Midtown sign into a vibrant public tribute to heritage, perseverance, and the layered experience of being Tex-Asian in Houston.

For Bermudez, this installation is rooted in personal history. A Southeast Texas native and multicultural third-generation Chinese American, she uses her work to open conversations about ancestry, place, and what it means to carry multiple histories at once. Through imagery drawn from her ceramic sculpture practice, the sign wrap celebrates both the craft she has dedicated decades to and the family stories that continue to shape her creative voice.

Art Rooted in Heritage

At the heart of this installation is a simple but powerful idea: honoring the people and stories that came before us while making space for the next generation to grow into their own identity.

Bermudez describes the images in the sign as details pulled from a series of her ceramic sculptures, serving as a catalyst for dialogue and a celebration of her Texas and Cantonese roots. Her work is shaped by growing up along Dickinson Bayou, by Southern ceramic traditions, and by the stories of her hardworking Chinese family. She shares that her

great-grandfather worked as a coolie on two railroads, and that her grandparents owned Jung’s Oriental Food and Gifts, the first Asian grocery and import store in Dallas. Today, as a ceramist, educator, mother, and business owner, she uses her work to express what it means to be Tex-Asian in the 21st century.

What she values most in sharing that work is the chance to help younger generations better understand the paths that were laid before them. That intention gives this installation its depth. It is not just a visual piece. It is a story about memory, gratitude, resilience, and identity made public in the middle of Midtown.

Meet the Artist: Lotus Bermudez

Lotus Bermudez brings both artistic depth and community impact to this installation. She is a ceramist, educator, clay community advocate, and co-owner of Third Coast Clay, a

Houston-based ceramic studio. With three decades of experience in ceramics, Bermudez has built a practice rooted in craftsmanship, storytelling, and cultural connection. She received her Master of Fine Arts in 2004, was mentored by Huey Beckham, and was early influenced by Luis Jimenez.

Her work and leadership have shaped Houston’s arts community in meaningful ways. Bermudez is a 2025 Jones Artist Award recipient from Houston Endowment, a 2026, 2025, and 2023 artist grantee through Houston Arts Alliance and the City of Houston, creator of the World’s Largest Clay Tools sculpture, a board member of the Texas Clay Festival, a former

Artist-in-Residence at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, and a former chair of Empty Bowls Houston. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, museums, and public spaces across Texas and beyond.

What Each Letter Represents

Each letter of MIDTOWN carries a symbol drawn from Bermudez’s life, heritage, and creative practice, turning the full sign into a visual story of family, friendship, tradition, and perseverance.

M features an abstract dragon head with stars, symbolizing good fortune. The dragon carries personal meaning for Bermudez because her grandfather, husband, and nephew were all born in the Year of the Dragon. The stars nod to both the Lone Star State and the phrase “thank your lucky stars,” expressing gratitude for the moments in life that turn out for the better.

I is a column of ladybugs and small flowers, created as a tribute to Bermudez’s dear friend, potter Vorakit Chinookoswong, whose life and artistic journey have deeply influenced her. The letter honors chosen family and the lasting bonds formed through Houston’s ceramics community.

D draws from the patterned top of a mooncake, a reference to the Mid-Autumn Festival that Bermudez’s family continues to celebrate together each year. The letter reflects her commitment to carrying Chinese customs forward and sharing them with her children.

T pays tribute to Houston’s iconic “Be Someone” mural, a familiar city landmark that Bermudez connects to ambition, inspiration, and local identity. For her, it also marks a generational moment, as her oldest son has just begun driving beneath the same message that has motivated Houstonians for years.

O contains a ring of cherry blossoms, symbolizing the fleeting and precious nature of life. Bermudez shares that while previous work of hers explored fear and uncertainty, this body of work celebrates heritage, Texas upbringing, and a more hopeful view of the future.

W is inspired by a stylized abacus, honoring Bermudez’s grandfather, who used one to manage his business finances. As the founder of Third Coast Clay, she reflects on the hard work and perseverance it took for earlier generations of immigrant entrepreneurs to build lives and businesses in Texas.

N features the face of a koi fish, representing perseverance and the strength it takes to overcome hardship. For Bermudez, the koi is a metaphor for the transformational power of endurance, reflecting the many barriers Tex-Asian families have faced and the grit it has taken to push forward.

A Story Shared in Public Space

By bringing this work into public space, Bermudez turns the Midtown sign into more than a landmark. She turns it into an invitation, one that asks viewers to reflect on family history, cultural identity, and the many ways heritage continues to shape the city around us.

This reinforces how public art feels not only beautiful, but lived-in, shared, and connected to the people who pass by it every day. It reminds us that culture is not something distant. It is something carried through families, neighborhoods, traditions, and creative expression.

Visit the Installation at Bagby Park

We invite you to experience this Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month installation at Bagby Park in Midtown. Whether you stop by for a moment of reflection, take in the details of each letter, or spend time with the stories woven throughout the design, this sign wrap offers a meaningful connection to Houston’s creative spirit and multicultural story.

The wrap is now on view at Bagby Park through May 1.

Visit Bagby Park (415 Gray St, Houston, TX 77002) to see it in person.