Houston Rodeo Student Art Auction Achieves Record Sales in 2026

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's student art auction at NRG Center on March 12, 2026, achieved unprecedented results. Joshua Washington, a senior from Pasadena Memorial High School, sold his painting 'Between Boots and Moccasins' for $525,000, nearly doubling the previous year's top sale. Mingyi Li, a student at Clements High School, sold her colored pencil drawing 'Head On' for $300,000. Their combined sales of $825,000 significantly exceeded the prior year's top two works total of $476,000. The auction supports scholarships and art education through the HLSR Student Art Program, which invites Greater Houston area students to submit Western-themed artworks. Participants receive a portion of auction proceeds, with Washington earning a $40,000 premium as Grand Reserve Champion and Li receiving $25,000 as Reserve Grand Champion. The program also offers educational opportunities like the Western Art Academy and Glassell School workshops.