A sculpture dedicated to the late Coulson Tough was unveiled Dec. 7 at Coulson Tough Elementary School in The Woodlands.

How it happened

Howard Hughes hosted the unveiling ceremony on Tough's birthday to honor the memory of The Woodlands leader and art advocate. Tough, who died in 2022, was chief architect for The Woodlands Development Co. and an adviser to community founder George Mitchell.

The sculpture, created by Bridgette Mongeon, is a life-sized bronze statue of Tough sitting on a bench with one leg crossed. Laying across his lap is a blueprint depicting many of his accomplishments and major projects, including:

• The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
• The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center
• The Tremont Hotel and San Luis Resort in Galveston
• The Dreamer in The Woodlands

The sculpture is interactive, allowing students to trace the blueprint over a piece of paper with a pencil or crayon. The art installation is located outside the front entrance of Coulson Tough Elementary School, which sits in the Village of Sterling Ridge.

“I want to thank Howard Hughes for this recognition of my father,” said Bruce Tough, who is the son of Coulson Tough. “The naming of Coulson Tough Elementary was my father’s greatest honor. My first viewing of the new sculpture brought such emotion and praise of how much Bridgette captured my father’s spirit, uniqueness, creativity and vision. I know students, alumni and teachers of Coulson Tough Elementary will enjoy and be inspired to celebrate my father’s legacy of community service for many years.”More details

According to a news release Dec. 7, Tough also played a vital role in The Woodlands' art program for three decades. In his lifetime, he:

• Implemented the Art Fund, where art is funded by commercial development in The Woodlands
• Helped create several of the over 90 pieces of outdoor art in the community
• Worked closely with George Mitchell on the initial commercial design and development of The Woodlands
• Was honored as one of the original The Woodlands Hometown Heroes in 1999
• Served on the board of trustees for Conroe ISD

“We are proud to embody Mitchell’s legacy and reflect his commitment to education with a new sculpture of one of his most trusted advisers and past leader of our company, Coulson Tough—a sculpture that adds another inspiring and meaningful piece to our acclaimed collection of public art,” said Jim Carman, president of the Houston region for Howard Hughes. Editor's note: The story was updated to reflect that Tough was involved with some, but not all of the township's sculptures.