Founder of Thousand Cranes Gallery and an origami artist known for folding thousands of paper cranes by hand from reclaimed materials. Raised in East Texas, Becca lives with her husband and their three cats, and is affectionately known as “Aunt BB” to her nieces and nephews. Her work explores grief, legacy, and healing through color, symbolism, and story - each crane a meditation, a memory, and a message. She believes in art as a bridge between people - a quiet force for connection, resilience, and beauty.

Gallery Assistant at Thousand Cranes Gallery and founder of Sunshine Ceramics, Sydney creates pottery and sculpture inspired by the everyday beauty of functional art. Originally from Washington State, she draws her color palette from the natural world. At the gallery, Sydney brings her love of teaching into the space—helping lead workshops, supporting artists, and contributing to the creative energy that makes Thousand Cranes Gallery feel like home.

Born and raised in East Texas, Jeffie Brewer is a sculptor and multidisciplinary artist known for his bold, whimsical forms and deep reverence for play. With a background in drawing, metals, and design, Jeffie’s work bridges fine art and fabrication, often blending bright color with industrial skill. His sculptures have been exhibited internationally, and his creative footprint spans everything from teaching and design to building his own home. Jeffie currently lives and creates in Nacogdoches, Texas, with his wife Angie. See his bright pink flamingo in front of the gallery!

David has been a graphic designer for upwards of 16 years. Being CEO-Design at Silver Grizzly Espresso has given David a passion for being involved in building beauty and community in Longview. He has won his fair share of design competitions & is a wonderful illustrator. Truly an artist, David can take small ideas or inspiration & bring them vibrantly to life creating incredibly impactful graphic design. His pieces at the gallery are a mixture of acrylic, pencil & mixed media.

Born and raised in East Texas, Zahck Israel brings his laid-back, vibrant approach to everything he creates. Whether he’s working on canvas or covering walls with massive murals his art is all about energy, movement and pushing color to the limit. Some pieces are more polished, others intentionally loose, but all of them leave space for the viewer to step in and decide what it means to them. Zahck is the owner of Ollie’s Skate Shop and Solo Sandwich Co, both in downtown Longview, TX.

Tyler is a creative director, photographer, and videographer living in East Texas. He loves finding and telling stories through photos and videos. The person in front of the camera has the ability, even if for a moment, to capture the hearts and minds of people. Tyler loves getting to be apart of that. He’s been lucky enough to work with great brands and non-profits, and has noticed what makes these organizations great are the unique stories of the individuals within them.

A San Diego native who made his way to Texas by way of Hawaii, Zac Woods has spent over 15 years capturing life on the road through the lens of film photography. He finds inspiration in both the grit of the city and the raw beauty of the land - seeking to freeze time in the spaces between architecture, portraiture, and everything in between.

Whether he's documenting the quiet rhythm of Highway 79 or chasing light around Caddo Lake, Zac’s work is a love letter to the moments that might otherwise pass us by. When he's not behind the camera, you'll likely find him pouring natural wines for the neighborhood at Greenside Beverage Co.

Ethan Sanders is a multi disciplinary artist whose story is told through Perfumes, Paintings, Jewelry, Sewing, Photography, and anything else that allows him to bring a story out of the pages and into our tangible world. No matter the medium, the vignettes he creates encourage you to escape into a world of romance, magic, and peace. 

A Longview native, his aesthetic manifests itself in ways that connect him to his ancestors, known and unknown, that would have spent their days finding beauty in the Hollers and Bayous. He aims to create art and fragrances as places for your identity to rest and reform to enter the story on your terms. 

1967 - 2023
Jason Butler was a graphic designer and artist who co-founded Forbes & Butler Visual Communications in Longview, Texas. A UNT graduate, he began his career in Dallas before moving to Longview in 2001. In 2018, inspired by screen printing, he launched Jason Butler Fine Art Screen Print, known for vibrant, hand-pulled prints.

Jason was a passionate community advocate, serving on the Longview Main Street Board and actively participating in local ArtWalks. His legacy lives on through his mural Colorful Lady, installed at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts in his honor.

Hudson is a Longview native who enjoys slow dinners & weekends as well as forest or city walks with his wife Bessie, son Ody, and dog Gary. Art is a stream of consciousness sanctuary for him. Something he turns to for enjoyment regardless of the medium or style.

Him & his wife Bessie own Greenside Beverage Co. & are passionate about supporting small businesses as well as the growth of downtown.

Hank Bryant Staggs is a Marshall, Texas native whose artistic journey began in his mother’s frame shop. After studying in East Texas and spending 12 creative years in Austin, he returned to Longview as a custom framer at Art World. His work blends personal storytelling with influences from nature and urban culture. As a Downtown Longview board member, Hank love to champions local art and community growth.

Emma is an artist and custom framer based in Longview, Texas. She owns and operates Art World Professional Custom Framing. Her love for art began in childhood and led to a lifelong journey blending painting with precision framing.

After surviving two battles with breast cancer, art became a powerful outlet for healing and self-expression through both her framing and artwork.

Lacey Craig is an artist from Longview, Texas, currently living and working in Memphis, Tennessee. She’s obsessed with colors and patterns, and loves finding new ways to bring joy into peoples’ homes through her art. When she’s not painting, she loves playing tennis and loving her neighbors in underserved communities. 

Through layered composition and charged color, Nic Trent reimagines obscure, found imagery as a conduit for emotional and energetic expression. Mixing forms from our collective subconscious with modern elements, Trent constructs visual narratives that bridge memory, emotion, and contemporary culture.

Taylor Hood is an abstract artist based in Dallas, Texas. She is captivated by colors, texture, line, and anything that captures the essence of the little moments in life. Her work draws on these exact things. She also takes a particular amount of inspiration from the Abstract Expressionist. As an abstract painter, her process is intuitive and responsive. She is known for her bold colors, thoughtful compositions, and whimsical details. Each painting has its own unique story to tell. Taylor is also a graphic designer, photographer, and public educator.

Malek Binns is a Texas-based visual artist whose work explores the emotional interior of Black boyhood through storytelling, memory, and cultural symbolism. His paintings weave together moments of softness, survival, and imagination using traditional media to reflect the often unseen emotional journeys of Black boys and men.

His latest collection, Black Boy Joy: The Journey, unfolds in five emotional acts, moving from innocence and escape to silence, healing, and peace. Drawing from personal experiences, Southern rituals, and ancestral energy, Malek’s work reclaims space for vulnerability, pride, and legacy, turning everyday moments into visual testimony.

I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember, exploring any medium I could get my hands on. Aside from a couple of junior college classes, I’m largely self-taught. My techniques have evolved from embracing challenges and building on happy accidents along the way.

Spray paint has been my primary focus for years. I was drawn to it initially because it forced me to let go of perfection and stop obsessing over detail. Ironically, through experimentation, I developed methods that brought that detail back in entirely new ways.

I grew up in Liberty City and spent years in Austin and Dallas, where I had the privilege of connecting with incredible artists, musicians, and creatives across many disciplines. Those experiences shaped how I approach art today.

My creativity isn’t limited to canvas. I’ve always believed art shows up everywhere, including in the kitchen. Creative food has been a long-standing passion of mine, another way to explore and share beauty.

My current style leans toward realism and technique-driven work, but I’m excited about what’s next. Moving forward, I plan to incorporate more storytelling and experiment with mixed media to push the boundaries of perception.