Houston native and cultural strategist Moriah Alise is rewriting the rules of the art world.
With her new initiative, Gloryland, Alise is creating a retreat designed to open doors that have long been shut to emerging artists, collectors and enthusiasts.
Launching September 19-20, Gloryland is a call to reimagine how creatives build sustainable careers. Alise describes it as “the baby of Dear Glory,” her original YouTube platform dedicated to creating access points in a notoriously exclusive industry.
“At the crux of it all, it’s about creating these access points for artists, collectors and art lovers to have the knowledge to build and sustain their careers,” she said. “For collectors to be able to sustain and build their collections and for people who are just interested to find the language that’s not jargon-based, to actually enter and have the confidence to step into this space.”
The art world often feels intimidating and inaccessible. For emerging artists, the path to exhibitions and recognition is filled with obstacles, from learning how to build a resume to understanding how to price and present their work. The challenge is equally daunting for collectors; many don’t know how to approach galleries or begin a collection.
“What’s missing is advice,” Alise said. “There’s almost nowhere to turn for so many different things that you want to learn. This is about creating a space where people can learn, connect with those who can teach them and grow.”
At Gloryland, participants will hear directly from veteran artists, gallerists and collectors who openly share the lessons they wish they’d learned earlier. This includes voices like Guggenheim Fellows and longtime collectors who now champion some of the most celebrated artists in the world. By bringing these perspectives together, Alise hopes attendees leave with what she calls “full-round advice” on how to access, enter and sustain their place in the art ecosystem.
From boardroom to gallery
Before launching Dear Glory and Gloryland, she co-built Buttah Skin, a multimillion-dollar beauty brand carried by Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Ulta. That experience taught her how to scale a vision into a sustainable enterprise, knowledge she now applies to the arts.
“Artists have brands, whether they use that language or not,” she explained. “It doesn’t hurt to think about how you’re going to do it. Building your identity, putting language around who you are as an artist and creating a strategy for reaching your goals, it’s all part of it.”
Her corporate background allows her to help artists blend love for their craft with practical business acumen. The goal, she emphasizes, is not just creative fulfillment but financial independence.
The upcoming Gloryland weekend is the first iteration of what Alise hopes will become an anchor of Houston’s cultural calendar. She envisions it as a space where participants walk away transformed.
“I hope they leave and say, ‘That room changed my life,’” she said. “Sometimes all it takes is one conversation, one sentence, to shift how you approach your career or collection.”
The event will also celebrate Houston’s own talent, including a spotlight on artist Lamont French, who has created new works specifically for Gloryland. For French, a self-taught neo-expressionist painter, collaborating with Alise is both professional and personal. She also manages his career, helping him navigate the business side of art.
“Being a part of anything that Moriah is heading is something I take very seriously,” French said. “Her vision and innovation within the Houston art ecosystem have been amazing.”
French’s art, known for its bold, agitated compositions, tells stories rooted in history, social systems and contemporary culture. Yet even as he’s carved out a unique voice, he’s encountered the same challenges many artists face: staying relevant and accessing resources.
“Gloryland is an avenue where you can obtain resources and communicate with other artists,” he said. “It also opens access beyond Houston, especially with Untitled Art partnering alongside it. It basically gives us access to the world.”
With sold-out passes and an agenda that includes panels on building wealth through art, scaling creative work to mass audiences, and staying true to one’s practice, Gloryland is giving Houston a chance to redefine its role in the city’s art conversation.
“What I don’t want is for people to walk away empty,” Alise said. “I want them to walk away full. That will be everything.”
For more information visit www.moriahalise.com/
