Houston museum founders' grandson ODs

Sad news from the New York Times ArtsBeat Blog. Dash Snow, 27, the great-grandson of Houston arts patrons Jean and Dominique De Menil died of a drug overdose last night in New York City. His death was confirmed to the newspaper by his grandmother, Christophe de Menil, an artist herself and philanthropist who still assists with management of the family's collection in Houston.

Snow was also an artist who worked in several media, from Polaroid photography to video to collage. Much of his work was racy in nature, featuring explicit nudity and drug use. He was also known as a street artist and graffitist.

At the age of 25, he was the subject of an extended article in New York Magazine in which he talked candidly about drugs and his estrangement from his family. At 23, he was referred to as a master by the Wall Street Journal.

Snow (we're wondering if the name is a pun) had apparently recently left rehab. Here's cousin blog Gothamist's obit on the artist.