A community art project that highlights the City of Galveston and the conservation efforts of Turtle Island Restoration Network to protect endangered sea turtles on the upper Texas coast.
Pointedexter
BRINGING TOGETHER ART, AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY.
TOR-tle
Rovin' Rotarian
Flora theQueenof Sea
Sunny
Scoop Lucky
SELF-GUIDED TOUR SELF-GUIDED TOUR
Scan the QR code to take tour
Coral
#TurtlesAboutTown | @tirn.gulf
LillyTiger
Shelly Sandersun
Waters
Sargasso Susan
JoyRide
Lady Gem’s Tea by the Sea
Timmy
theGuardianof Galaxy Ohana
TigerLilly
The Protector
Shellback
LOVE ON THE ISLAND LOVE ON THE ISLAND
LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER:
As Shakespeare said, "Love is a many splendored thing." Positioned right in the middle of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, we find love and belonging. This tells us that Love is the third most basic human need after food and safety. In fact, the emotional need for connection through friendships, intimacy, and being part of a supportive group is what makes us human.
Our "Love on the Island" issue touches on all aspects of what it means to love and be loved. Love can be complicated for some, and being on an island can add to that complexity. Learning to love yourself is always the first step, but learning to love an islander can prove challenging if you haven’t done the work.
Galveston is a diverse group of community-loving, good time-seeking, active personalities. But island life can be bittersweet when you may have gotten too intimate with a friend of a friend. Here, we explore the pros and cons of living on a small sandbar as it pertains to dating and love. We ask the hard questions so those new to the scene can take an honest look at their options. And we celebrate successes, the stories that remind us life and love are what you make it.
Love is in the air this Spring. We encourage you to pack a picnic, cozy up, and spend some time. Maybe it’s with a friend, a lover, or just a cup of coffee and a Culture Clash Mag. We love you, Galveston.
- Janese Maricelli
Write us an email or shoot us a comment any time online: CultureClashGalveston.com CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com
ON THE COVER: Inspired by the many stories of how Galvestonians found their people, their person, and their circles, Sara Beshai created Love on Galveston Island. Using a “Where’s Waldo” style approach, she packs the scene with minute details from iconic island locations, illustrating how Galveston’s unique backdrop fosters deep, lasting connections (ones that make you never want to leave).
*This magazine is NOT printed on recycled paper or with soy-based inks YET! But we are working on it. Help us get there, advertise or sponsor us! E-mail for more details CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com.
StUDy SeSSiON AT MoD?
Be a Better Human
Before you go auditioning lovers like it’s open mic night, we suggest dating yourself first. Self-love isn’t soft; it’s structural, the steel beams that keep you standing when romance wobbles. And when life throws a folding chair, real friends are the ones who lift you up, dust you off, and hand you another drink.
Photo Courtesy of La Izquierda
FOREVER FRIENDSHIPS: FINDING YOUR PEOPLE
Articles and Photos By Culture Clash Staff
On an island, friendships carry a different kind of weight. They are the people who show up when the weather turns, when plans fall through, and when life feels quieter than expected. Here, friendship often looks like love without the labels. It is shared routines, unspoken understandings, and chosen family that fill the gaps between tides. In a place where single life can feel both freeing and isolating, these connections become anchors. They are what sustain us, celebrate us, and remind us that belonging does not always come from romance, but from the people who choose to stay.
Mardi Gras Made Me Do It!
Janese Maricelli
Anyone who’s met me knows I’m not shy, but anything new can be intimidating. I was very pregnant when I first dipped my toes into the “Galveston Scene.” Bars weren’t exactly an option, which is how most 28-year-olds socialize. It was pre–Mardi Gras season, though, and float-building events were popping up around town. One caught my husband’s eye: the Surfrider Foundation–Galveston Chapter was building a giant wave from single-use plastic to highlight the impact of pollution on our coast.
I love the environment, art, people, and Mardi Gras, but I was still nervous. We showed up to what turned out to be a house party, and I got my first taste of true Galveston hospitality. The people I met that day changed my life; some are still my closest friends.
I jumped into a volunteer leadership role, and soon every nonprofit with a pulse reached out. I gravitated toward the arts, sensing our community needed more. That conviction became a commitment to building Galveston’s art, music, and counterculture scene. This magazine is its lovechild, and if you’re reading it, you’re part of it.
11 Occupational Therapy Students
and 1 Designer Walk Into a Bar...
Sara Beshai
Relationships don’t come easy for me. I grew up as someone who tends not be the loudest in the room nor the one with the desire to be. My community shifted drastically as I left college. I quickly learned that people do come and go, but the ones who eventually stay are worth the wait.
My girlfriend, Emma, is studying to become an Occupational Therapist at UTMB, and I moved to Galveston to be closer to her. She joined a friend group of other students in her cohort, and even before I moved to this island, these girls took me in.
As someone in a completely different industry and lifestyle, I didn’t expect to get so close to a collective of future occupational therapists. These 11 girls became the circle of people I had always wanted. They let me be whoever I want to be, and they are my biggest hype girls. I have found my cheerleaders, those who push me to continue to learn and grow.
Friendships Through Activism
Jessica Safavimehr
One of the scariest parts of moving to a new city is the loneliness that settles in during those first weeks, as you navigate the mundane: grocery shopping, setting up bills, finding a car wash, a decent burger, or a dive bar. I’d like to think it gets easier with age, but it doesn’t. When my husband and I moved to the island, we knew no one. I was fortunate to reach out to Culture Clash and connect with Janese, who quickly became a dear friend. Still, I longed to build more community, people I could decompress with, especially in this climate.
That opportunity came through GAIA (Galveston Art in Action). It’s incredible how quickly friendships form when activism is the common thread. The women I met are some of the kindest souls, and together we’ve given back through both friendship and purpose. The world can feel overwhelming, but a genuine connection makes it lighter. I’m grateful for the friendships I’ve found here. Galveston is truly a special place.
DATING IN A SMALL TOWN
Tips From a Licensed Attachment
Therapist Article By Kifferie Corley, M.A., LPC, ADS
Dating in Galveston has a rhythm all its own. Life on the island is intimate by nature—historic neighborhoods, familiar faces at local coffee shops, wave lineups, and social circles that overlap whether you want them to or not. While this closeness can feel warm and grounding, it can also make dating feel exposed, emotionally charged, and at times overwhelming.
Before dating in general, it’s imperative that we each have an understanding of our own attachment style. Attachment style refers to the emotional bonding patterns formed (or not) in early childhood based on the way our caregivers respond to (or neglect) our basic physical and emotional needs.
1 2
Understand Your Attachment Style Before You Date
Attachment styles shape how we experience closeness, distance, and rejection. In a small town like Galveston, these patterns often become more pronounced.
Secure attachment allows for connection with flexibility, boundaries, and self-trust. Avoidantly attached daters may use the town’s interconnectedness as a
reason to keep emotional distance or avoid commitment.
Ambivalently attached daters may feel heightened sensitivity to text delays, social visibility, or perceived judgment from the community. Disorganized attachment can show up as wanting closeness while simultaneously feeling overwhelmed by it.
Slow Down, Small Towns Accelerate Relationships
In Galveston, dating often becomes public quickly. You’re not just “going on a date,” you’re walking the Seawall, running into neighbors, or seeing mutual friends. This visibility can create unspoken pressure to define the relationship before emotional safety has had time to develop.
From an attachment lens, secure bonds form through consistency, not intensity. Younger adults may rush
connections to keep pace with peer expectations. Midlife daters may bond quickly after loss, divorce, or long periods of loneliness. And older adults may feel urgency due to limited dating pools.
Therapist Insight: Chemistry is not the same as emotional safety. Slowing down allows your nervous system to guide decision-making.
3
Boundaries Are Essential
In small communities, boundaries are often mistaken for secrecy or avoidance. In reality, boundaries are a cornerstone of secure attachment. Healthy boundaries might include: limiting how much you share about early dating experiences, clarifying expectations when dating within overlapping social circles, or choosing not to engage in gossip after relationships end.
4 5
Plan for Overlap Instead of Reacting to It
In Galveston, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll run into an ex or someone connected to them. These encounters can trigger attachment wounds related to abandonment, comparison, or rejection. Rather than seeing this as a failure, view it as an opportunity for regulation and repair.
Therapist Insight: Boundaries are not walls; they are emotional containers. They protect your nervous system and allow relationships to grow without unnecessary pressure.
Choose Emotional Safety Over Familiar Patterns
Small towns can encourage recycling relationships, returning to what’s familiar because it’s accessible, known, and socially convenient. Attachment theory reminds us that familiar does not always mean secure.
Secure relationships feel calm rather than chaotic, consistent rather than confusing, and respectful rather than consuming.
Therapist Insight: Secure attachment supports growth, not emotional exhaustion. Notice how your body feels when you are with this person and when you are not.
Therapist Insight: Emotional maturity isn’t about avoiding discomfort; it’s about knowing how to soothe yourself when it arises. Having a plan for unexpected encounters reduces reactivity and preserves selfrespect.
While dating in Galveston can feel like living in a fishbowl, it also offers something rare: repeated opportunities to practice self-awareness, set boundaries, and build secure connections within a real community. When approached intentionally, small-town dating can foster depth, accountability, and emotional resilience.
the expert! Book a FREE 15-minute phone consultation with Kifferie.
Voices of the Island
Rule number one of island survival: don’t date where you sleep. When romance goes sideways, there’s no escape route, just shared bars, shared friends, and shared side-eyes. Some say you should keep your love life on the mainland, unless you enjoy reruns starring your ex.
friendly southern conversation with someone. Maybe you know them, maybe you don’t. You talk about life on the island; they do too.
Then you bring up a name, and their eyes grow wide. And it begins: the backstory.
You see, Galveston is a very tightknit city. Most residents have multiple roles, and some roles are only held by one person at a time, meaning lots of community overlap. As a 6th-gen resident with an active family, I see this often. Because of the overlap, the social information network among island girlies especially is second-to-none
opposite Galvestonian coming your way with Tolkien-level lore on why your new acquaintance is either God’s gift or demonspawn - especially if romance is involved.
Jokes aside, this phenomenon is helpful for forming friendships. The way a local talks about others helps you discern the patient and kind from the immature and self-centered. I’ve made meaningful connections and maneuvered through difficult ones in more loving ways because of it.
But would I date here? Heck no.
old beef from my grandmother’s time affects me today.)
I don’t want to be a politician when meeting someone. I want to be a girl. Dating should be fun.
So, my location for dating apps is never closer than Houston. When I tried speed-dating recently, I drove to North Houston. Hopefully, I’ll meet a mainlander who loves Galveston like I do.
But if I ever lose my mind and date someone here (God rest my soul), I know there are girls across the island who will gladly spill the tea on it if he’s worth the risk.
LEAGUE-KEMPNER HOUSE
BISHOP’S PALACE
For 16 years, ShyKatZ has poured heart and soul into feeding the East End with breakfast plates, lunch rushes, punch cards AND prayer requests. WE’VE BEEN THROUGH hard days and good ones. something new is rising right behind the restaurant... And it’s more than an expansion. It’s a thank you.
THIS MIGHT BE YOUR
ShE’S MY CoUSiN..
WhY dOEs ThE wATeR LoOK LIkE ThAT?
I KNoW a SpOT NO OnE’S EVeR HeARd Of GoT aN ExTRa TiCKeT. WaNNa Be My PlUS ONe
F*CK BOI
You love a Long Island Iced Tea, the stronger the better.
You are thirsty for a one-nighter.
A backwards cap makes you melt.
INFLUENCER
You love being on camera.
Repping Galveston is your game.
You are here for a good time.
IBC
F*CK BOiInFLuENcERIsLAnDEr By ChOIcEWeEKeNDeR
You've already dated everyone on the island twice.
You like to travel off island every chance you get.
You hardly recognize their last name.
WEEKENDER
You might have listened to too many Jimmy Buffett songs.
You tell everyone you're on "island time."
What happens on the island stays on the island.
GALVESTON TYPE IF...
StUDy SeSSiON AT MoD?
WaVEs ArE ShOWiNG HEaD HiGH ANd ClEAn LeT's Go
STUDENT
You want to secure that bag.
You give "future trophy spouse" energy.
Scrubs are so hot.
BOI
If you have to cross the causeway, you aren't interested.
You get cranky around July 4th. You have beef with the City Marshall.
SURFER
Early mornings are your jam.
You don't mind sand in your crack. You are California sober.
LOCAL ARTIST
You aren't afraid to tell others how you feel.
You are a free spirit.
You love an open mic night.
SMALLISLAND
LLAMS DNALSI
AS TOLD TO US
BY ALICE GREEN, ALEE GROCE AND LARRY NASH
On an island where everyone knows your face, your business, and your bar order, dating is rarely private and never simple. In Galveston, exes, crushes, and bartenders often share the same tight social orbit, turning romance into a public act shaped by gossip, timing, and community memory.
The following are candid reflections told by local singles. Here they unpack what it really means to flirt, fall, and stay single in a place where connection is visible, independence is judged, and love often feels like a high-stakes small-town sport.
HOW DOES DATING CHANGE WHEN YOUR EX, YOUR CRUSH, AND YOUR BARTENDER ALL RUN IN THE SAME CIRCLES?
Dating in Galveston calls for awareness. I don’t mask my feelings well, and in a small town, people notice everything, from who you flirt with to who you leave with. A single night with an out-oftowner once reshaped how others treated me, only for him to disappear. Moments like that travel fast and shift perceptions overnight. Because gossip can spark backlash, many locals keep new relationships quiet until they are solid. Even then, attractive people often face rumors regardless of their behavior. Handsome men, especially, can trigger jealousy simply by having female friends, while women’s friendships with men draw less scrutiny.
Well, seeing as how both my most recent exes ARE bartenders, it is not uncommon for me to be in a bar with all of the above also present! Dating on the island is already like fishing in a small pond, but it gets even smaller if you run in service industry circles. Thankfully, I’ve only really had amicable breakups since moving here, so as long as you’re prepared to transition into friendship almost immediately after breaking up, everything can be smooth sailing. Otherwise, your only option may be to quarantine yourself for a while.
I haven’t had much of that so far. I have tons of respect for the person I am with. I'm a happy guy, and enjoy bringing a smile to everyone’s face. I like to dance, sing songs, and play drinking games. Some people are more jealous than others and are far too deep in their feelings for me. If the person I am dating gets caught up in the web of hearsay, there is not much I can do about that. I just continue to be myself and know that is all I can do.
DO YOU FEEL PRESSURE TO SETTLE—OR LEAVE—BECAUSE OF GALVESTON’S LIMITED DATING POOL AND POPULATION SKEW?
The pressure to lower my standards feels normal. Here, I can overlook things like income or looks if the essentials align. Dating locally means not being overly selective. Leaving isn’t an option for me, though many I know prefer dating outside town to avoid local drama.
Sometimes. Though I have a rather anxious and avoidant attachment style, so I prefer my partners live elsewhere because otherwise we’d be spending way too much time together for my comfort! I can’t seem to go anywhere here without running into people I know.
You can find a date anywhere if you have the right perspective. Your dating pool is as large as you want it to be. I like to see myself as a shark in a tank full of goldfish and beta, big fish, little pond. I am happy to remain here, remain confident, and remain stealthy.
IS DATING IN GALVESTON MORE ABOUT TIMING THAN COMPATIBILITY?
I don’t think dating in Galveston is different in this area than anywhere else. I think what is a bigger factor is capacity. Do the fellow single people in Galveston even have the CAPACITY to take on a relationship? A lot of times, the answer is no. They might be single, they might also have great chemistry with you, but their capacity is gone.
I love this question. I think both have to be working in your favor, but timing has definitely been a significant factor for me in the past. With one of my more recent exes, it was kind of a waiting game because we had a casual on again off again type of thing that essentially revolved around waiting for them to be single.
Timing for sure! It is all about the adventure and taking a chance on something new.
WHAT DOES “BEING SINGLE” REALLY LOOK LIKE ON AN ISLAND WHERE INDEPENDENCE IS VISIBLE—AND OFTEN JUDGED?
Being single here is normal, even common. What gets judged is how openly you flirt or how many people you date. Openness can be mistaken for recklessness instead of hopefulness. Because gossip lingers, many avoid romantic risks altogether. Fear governs curiosity, so romance moves slowly, carefully, always mindful of community fallout.
It has never really been an issue for me, but I am naturally very comfortable doing things on my own. I take myself out to dinner, go to bars alone, and even occasionally go to movies alone. Then again, I also have no shortage of friends and acquaintances, so I get together with them if I’m ever feeling lonely. I think it comes down to learning how to fulfill yourself.
I feel comfortable being single or dating.
I am into enjoying life to the fullest, which means meeting new people and trying new experiences. I enjoy the hunt of single life, looking for the next adventure, and not being tied to the drama of relationships. Single life on the island looks full of promise and exciting. Either way, Galveston is a great place to meet people and be social.
LLAM DNALSI
WHAT’S HARDER ON THE ISLAND: STAYING SINGLE OR DATING PUBLICLY?
Dating publicly is harder than staying single. Singleness is controlled; public dating invites risk, scrutiny, and fallout if things unravel. On the island, many choose voluntary celibacy instead. One friend swears it gets easier after years. Harsh, maybe, but for some, opting out feels safer than navigating romance under a spotlight.
Eh, I actually think the hardest thing is keeping a secret crush a legit secret. The minute you confess to one person, it’s just a matter of time before all your neighbors and their friends find out. I prefer staying single, but that’s got more to do with a lack of interest than a lack of desire. Plus, I’m a notorious flirt.
Life is only as hard as you make it. If you are having fun and enjoying life, neither staying single or dating should be a challenge. When I am in a committed relationship, and things are working out, nothing is better. But I guess the same could be said about the single life.
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Scan the QR code to join today. Culture doesn’t survive on its own — people keep it alive.
Finding Love
A Personal Recount of the Love Found in Galveston
Sasha and Sean
Sean and I actually met for the very first time on the penguin exhibit at Moody Gardens Aquarium, while we were both wearing very notflattering, bright yellow, waterproof overalls and big blue scrubbing gloves. It was February 2013 - about 6 months after I had moved to Galveston from Rhode Island for a job as a penguin and seal biologist. Penguins were Sean’s favorite animal throughout his entire childhood, so when he found himself not at all enjoying his post-college internship in the field he planned to have as a career, he decided to volunteer at the aquarium while he took some time to figure things out.
One Tuesday, I was helping my coworker with the scheduled feeding session, and spotted a new volunteer. I introduced myself and taught him how we usually went about feeding all the different species. Sean didn't talk much the first few weeks, but he was a hard worker and seemed really interested. I'm not the shy one, so I just filled the silence by recommending my favorite animal training books and past training experiences. After working together two days a week for two months, I realized my face hurt after each of those days from smiling and laughing so much.
I invited him out to watch a gig I had with my little acoustic duo, so he stayed in town after his volunteer shift to see me play ukulele and sing into an old dorm room lamp that served as a makeshift mic stand. A week later, our friend groups got together for ArtWalk, and he and I were inseparable on the dance floor at Bucks, in a happy, free wine-induced haze, dancing til the lights came on. Fast-forward seven years, and Sean was proposing among the infamous wildflowers in our backyard, at a makeshift campsite he'd set up because it was May 2020, and COVID had foiled his plan to propose on a hike in Big Bend. One year later, we retold our love story at our wedding in front of a Bolivar beach house, with our former Moody Gardens bosses and coworkers in the crowd, recalling how they knew we were head over heels before we did.
We’ve been living our best island life together for 13 years now.
On the Island
Photos and Articles by Contributors
Clint and Marta
We met in 2017 during a volunteer clean-up on Galveston Island after Hurricane Harvey through our church. Even though we both grew up on the island, where it feels like everyone has crossed paths at some point, we had never met. Our first date came a few weeks later at Premiere Cinema, followed by tacos from a local taco truck, which quickly became “our thing.” We were both a little unsure at first, but after a second date, we became inseparable.
"...We're building a life rooted in love, laughter, and the island that brought us together.."
I married my best friend in 2019, the one person I can always be completely myself with. Life on the island has been the backdrop for so many of our moments together, from long beach walks and dolphin tours to go-kart date nights (where I usually win). Through every season, he has been my biggest supporter, encouraging my creativity, supporting my health journey, and cheering me on the entire way.
As we plan a beach vow renewal for our 10-year anniversary, I’m grateful to do life with my best friend, on the island that somehow knew exactly what it was doing when it brought us together.
FINDING
Angela and Ryan
We met, surfing the west side of Pleasure Pier one morning before work, maybe back in 2013. Sparks weren’t flying initially (at least for me). Little did I know, I was already nicknamed “Brody surfer chick”. He added me on Facebook, and while I moved from the East to the West Coast, back to Houston, and eventually to Galveston, Ryan was making moves in Houston.
Of course, he quickly followed me to the island, but he’ll tell you he was already planning the move. COVID hit hard the weekend he moved, and that experience really solidified our relationship. Almost three years ago, he proposed in the sand on the west side of the pier while walking our dog, Mila. Exactly one year after our engagement, we got married at The San Luis Resort, and now we live just a few
We met six months after I had been in a life-altering car wreck. I had just been released from PT, and I was getting back into dancing. My brother and I went to a show at a dance hall, and towards the end of the night, I realized I had yet to dance. I couldn’t possibly leave without getting at least one dance in, and my brother asked who I would dance with.
I set my eyes on a man across the dance floor. I approached him, and I asked him to dance. We danced three songs in a row, and I was highly impressed! I needed a dance partner the following evening, so I invited him to meet me. He actually showed up, and he hasn’t stopped showing up ever since. We celebrate our 2-year anniversary in April, and he’s been the best partner I could ever ask for. All because I wanted a dance and was brave enough to approach a man that I’d never seen before.
Haley and Ray
It was an early morning in March of 2024 at MarMo Café & Lounge. I had stopped in for coffee and a breakfast taco with a friend, slightly hungover from the night before’s shenanigans, unaware that a quiet moment was about to change everything. Across the room, at the corner of the bar, sat Ray, sipping a double shot of espresso, laptop open, focused yet observant.
I didn’t know it then, but he noticed me. Later, I would learn that he leaned over to Gabe, the bartender, and asked with a smoldering half-smile, “So… who is that?” “That’s Haley,” Gabe said. “She’s a new bartender at Leeland House.”
Raa and Destinee
And after all moments we have shared, still, I remember. FINDING
A couple of weeks passed, and then, just like that, there he was. One ordinary day in mid-April, Ray walked through the glass front doors of Leeland House. During the slower moments of my shift, we talked, and talked some more, about our similarities, our differences, our dreams, and what we hoped our futures might hold. Time slipped away unnoticed until suddenly, he had sat through my entire eight-hour shift without hesitation.
We clicked, effortlessly, unmistakably, in the best way possible. Since then, we’ve become each other’s biggest supporters and loudest fans.
Galveston will forever hold a sacred place in our hearts, not just because it’s where our story began, but because it’s where we found family. Our neighbors aren’t just neighbors; they are brothers and sisters. Galveston gave us a sense of belonging, the kind that makes you brave enough to conquer the world, knowing you’re never doing it alone. Galveston, we love you.
I first saw her in the cafeteria at band camp in 2011. She was visiting her friends. I don’t remember what I was eating. I remember her smile — easy and bright, like it had always been there, quietly drawing me in.
We became friends first. We talked in corners. Shared books and music. Went to the roller rink at night and skated in circles like nothing else mattered. Of all the instruments I could play, the first time she saw me, it was on tuba. She was in color guard. Different worlds but somehow the same rhythm, moving in step with each other.
On October 15, 2012, we started dating. Young and clumsy and full of feeling we barely understood. Loving each other while figuring out who we were, learning together as we went.
Adulthood came. Life carried us forward, mostly together, shaping us without us even noticing. When we chose each other again, it wasn’t nostalgia. It was deliberate. Two grown people seeing the other fully and saying yes anyway.
Coolture: Arts + Music
This issue spotlights shibari artist Straya Sun, celebrating subcultural art that lives outside comfort zones but never outside meaning. We’re also hyping the freshly painted Spring lifeguard towers and the wild lineup of festivals guaranteed to shake the sand loose.
Photos Courtesy of Artist
COOLTURE: STRAYA SUN
FEATURED ARTIST: STRAYA SUN
Straya Sun (they/she) is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner®, yoga teacher, workshop facilitator, and connective rope practitioner based in Galveston, Texas. Her primary focus with clients is supporting nervous system regulation, embodiment, and the integration of past
She is especially passionate about serving members of the spiritual, kink, queer, and neurodivergent communities, while welcoming all clients who feel aligned with her approach. Straya offers virtual sessions as well as in-person work in Galveston, creating spaces that prioritize consent, presence, and deep respect for each individual’s lived experience.
Shibari is a Japanese rope practice with a rich and complex history. The use of rope on the body can be traced back to Japan’s Sengoku period, when hojojutsu—a samurai martial art—was used to restrain prisoners. During the Edo period, these techniques evolved and were later adopted into erotic and artistic contexts within Japan’s pleasure quarters. In modern times, shibari has been embraced globally as a multidimensional practice that can express art, intimacy, sensuality, meditation, and, for some, healing.
Straya’s introduction to shibari came through a weekend workshop focused on releasing control and reconnecting to the body. She says, “Experiencing rope in a platonic, intentional, and deeply caring context was profoundly moving for me. I found myself overwhelmed with emotion, realizing how rarely I had felt held with such reverence and attunement. That experience became a turning point, inspiring me to immerse myself in the practice and eventually share it with my community.”
As her training in somatics and trauma integration deepened, so did the way she approached rope. She notes that not all clients choose to include rope in their sessions, but if they do, she moves slowly and prioritizes nervous system awareness, clear communication, and strong boundaries. Rope is offered with care and intention, with consent and choice always guiding the experience. For many of Straya’s clients, this becomes a way to practice asking for what they want, receiving nurturing platonic touch, and gently releasing patterns of control. Over time, people share that this work helps them feel more connected to their bodies, clearer in their boundaries, and more rooted in self-trust. Learn more at StrayaSun.com
COOLTURE: PULSE CALENDAR
SPRING BREAK IN TECHNICOLOR
GALVESTON ISLAND'S LIFEGUARD TOWERS ARE GETTING A COLORFUL MAKEOVER!
Local artist Gabriel Prusmack (who painted those iconic tower murals you pass on the causeway) selected the new coastal color palette. The Seawall stairwells are getting the same treatment, bringing a much needed pop of color to beach access points.
PULSE
MONTHLY ARTWALK
March 14 & April 11 | 6 PM
Downtown Entertainment District
MARCH - APRIL EVENTS 2026
Enjoy an evening of art, culture, and gallery hopping as local artists showcase their work along The Strand.
Admission: Free
WE ARE GALVESTON SINGER-SONGWRITER COMPETITION
March 26
Hotel Lucine
Join us for a one of a kind community event where Galveston songwriters take the stage to share original music inspired by the island we all love. Multiple songwriters will perform their original work, each offering their own perspective, while the community plays a role in helping choose the song that will move forward.
Admission: Free
THE 4TH ANNUAL HATCHLING HUSTLE
March 28 | 7 AM - 9:30 AM
Babe's Beach
Turtle Island Restoration Network is hosting their 4th annual 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run here on Galveston Island. They will be educating the public about the endangered sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico in the upcoming sea turtle nesting season that occurs all along our Texas Coast.
Admission: Ticket Prices Vary
Show us how you make our color POP! Strut your stuff, take a photo in front of a tower, and tag @visitgalveston.
24TH ANNUAL FEATHERFEST BIRDING & NATURE PHOTO FESTIVAL
April 14 - April 20
Locations Vary
Springtime on Galveston Island beckons as migrating birds arrive, inviting bird watching and photography enthusiasts to explore nature’s wonders!
Admission: Ticket Prices Vary
MAY 1 - MAY 2, 2026
MAY 2 - 3, 2026
The Bayfront Blues & Fine Art Festival is where exceptional juried fine art meets the soulful sound of live blues on the Galveston waterfront.
Join us for an unforgettable celebration of culture, creativity, and coastal charm.
ARTISTS > SCAN THE QR CODE TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.
DEADLINE: MARCH 20 PRESENTED BY
STEP INTO AN ENCHANTING WORLD OF TIMELESS CIRCUS MAGIC
