"It is not just about art; it's about spirituality." Saman Driver

This statement comes from the heart of Laila Saman Driver, founder and owner of La Maison d'Art. Like her artwork, it is an expression of her feelings, of her dreams, and of her life. To those who know her, it means that this gallery is a place of enrichment where each and every piece of work is the life-blood and soul of the artist who created it, and where each and every guest takes part in the experience of it.

Saman has been an artist her whole life. Her paintings trail behind her like footsteps all around the world. They can be found everywhere she's lived or traveled -from East Asia and Europe to the Middle East and now, the place she calls home, Houston, Texas. Her vision, the artist's eye, gives her a flair for fashion that has led her to consult and work for some of the biggest names in fashion: Gianfranco Ferre, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and many more. In 1987, she also designed and created her own line of clothes and sweaters called the Saman Designer Collection which were sold exclusively out of her boutique in Georgetown, Washington D.C. None of this however has ever quite sated her appetite for expression and philanthropy.

Since childhood Saman has been active in helping the unfortunate. She has helped the handicapped children of Iran, the homeless here in the United States and immigrants from many different cultures looking for a better life. She has contributed to the well-being of those lives she has been fortunate enough to touch, and has passionately dedicated herself to their cause whenever possible. Now Saman aspires to combine these two passions, art and philanthropy, in La Maison d'Art.

Throughout her life she and artists like herself have noted the scarcity of powerful women in the art world. Her aim is to create a haven for women to exhibit their work and a platform from which they can exchange and learn from one another. The gallery houses (ten) resident artists -women whose work are on constant rotation, and as guest and friend you will be witness to the evolution of their style. In addition, every month La Maison d'Art features guest artists, both male and female, adding spice to the mix. In the words of Saman herself: "To be fair, there is no woman without man and no man without woman and to exclude one or the other creates an imbalance that I do not support."

La Maison d'Art will also host silent auctions monthly for various philanthropic organizations like The Scleroderma Foundation, The National Breast Cancer Foundation, HIV/AIDS Advocacy groups and many more. In addition, Saman hopes to offer monthly clinics with the goal of helping to empower every one of all ages, sex, and creed with the tools and creative energy necessary for each person to express and recreate him or herself through art of any medium.