This week offers up many unique creative events, including the first installment of The Big Slide Show at Lawndale Art Center and an immersive multimedia performance at DiverseWorks for the closing of their current group exhibition, into the midst of things.

Thursday, July 20

The Big Show at Lawndale Art Center

The Big Slide Show at Lawndale Art Center

At 6 pm, join Lawndale Art Center (4912 Main) for a series of presentations by more than a dozen artists who are featured in the institution’s annual juried exhibition, The Big Show. Each artist will give a brief, informal presentation about their work, providing additional insight into their creative practices. This will be the first evening of three featuring artist talks, with additional artists presenting on July 27 and August 3.

Friday, July 21

Fazal Sheikh, “Pramila Satar (“Lover”), Vrindavan, India,” 2024

Gallery Tour — Homelands and Histories: Photographs by Fazal Sheikh at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

At 2 pm, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1001 Bissonnet) presents a gallery tour of Homelands and Histories: Photographs by Fazal Sheikh, which celebrates the museum’s major acquisition of 75 photographs spanning the artist’s career. Sheikh has traveled the globe, capturing images of the displaced and marginalized in countries such as Afghanistan, Africa, Brazil, Cuba, India, Israel, Pakistan, and Palestine. The 45-minute tour, which is free with museum admission, explores the exhibition and encourages visitors to experience the artwork together. An additional tour will take place on Saturday at 3 pm.

Saturday, July 22

Words and Art: Writing Workshop at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 1 to 2 pm, join the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (5216 Montrose) for a writing workshop. Using prompts, group discussion, and creativity, patrons can use stories and poems to delve deeply into JooYoung Choi’s works featured in the exhibition A Better Yesterday. The workshop is free and open to all writing levels.

“Public Trust” by Paul Ramírez Jonas at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 1 to 5 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will present “Public Trust,” an interactive artwork by Paul Ramírez Jonas. The piece asks museum visitors to examine the value of a word by declaring a promise, the words of which are recorded in a drawing that is shared with them and posted on a marquee board alongside similar pronouncements made by notable figures from the week’s headline news.

Ai Weiwei, “Colored Vases (detail),” 2024–10

Lecture — WITNESS: Garth Clark’s Journey through the Ceramic Art Revolution at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

From 4 to 5 pm, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will host a special lecture from Gary Clark, co-presented with the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Clark, an influential voice in the field of international ceramics, will offer up a unique multimedia presentation encompassing the seminal revolutionary moments for ceramics since 1970. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Performance — Situation Mixtape at DiverseWorks

At 6 pm, DiverseWorks (3400 Main) will present Situation Mixtape on the final evening of their current group exhibition into the midst of things. Artists Regina Agu, Peter Lucas and Adrienne Perry will present a live collage of words, images, films, sounds and music from a wide variety of sources, shifting the gallery’s atmosphere and interacting with the exhibition’s themes of place, origin and limbo. The performance is free and open to the public.

Screening — The Rocky Horror Picture Show at River Oaks Theatre

At midnight, join the Royal Mystic Order of Chaos at River Oaks Theatre (2009 West Gray) for one of their raucous performances alongside the screening of the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Come in costume and make sure to pick up one of their “Rocky bags,” complete with everything from rubber gloves and toilet paper to party hats and noisemakers. Tickets for the event are $11 and you should probably arrive early to grab a good seat.

This week presents a number of experimental sound performances, opening receptions at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and Jonathan Hopson Gallery, and a screening of international short films at the Aurora Picture Show.

Wednesday, June 14

Screening — Architecture of Family at Aurora Picture Show

At 8 pm, the Aurora Picture Show (2442 Bartlett) presents Architecture of Family, a selection of contemporary international short films that explore the connections and constructs of family and community through memories, spaces and places. Curated by Mary Magasmen, the program includes work by Amy Jenkins, Sasha Waters-Freyer, Lenka Clayton, Thomas Gleeson, Lisset Mendoza, Allison Hunter and more. At 6:30 pm, Urban Harvest will host a potluck dinner in the garden and guests are invited to bring their own meat or veggies for grilling. Admission is $10.

Thursday, June 15

Screening — An Evening of New Films from Israel at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 6:30 to 8 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (5216 Montrose) presents an evening of films by Tel Aviv-based artists, both well known and up-and-coming, curated by CAMH director Bill Arning. Arning will provide introductions to each of the films with stories about meeting each of the chosen filmmakers.

Friday, June 16

Edward Eberle, “Cylinder”

Opening Reception — Edward Eberle Retrospective at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

From 5:30 to 8 pm, the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (4848 Main) will host the opening reception for the first career retrospective of work by Pittsburgh-based ceramic artist Edward Eberle. For three decades, Eberle has pushed the limits of porcelain with a prolific body of work, ranging from classically inspired vessels to deconstructed sculptures. Comprised of over 40 works, the show highlights the evolution of Eberle’s forms, from the mid-1980s to present. The exhibition will be on view in the main gallery through September 2.

Opening Reception — Annie Evelyn: Multiple Impressions at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

From 5:30 to 8 pm, the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft will host the opening reception for Multiple Impressions, a solo exhibition of recent work by Annie Evelyn, the furniture maker at HCCC. The installation invites visitors to experience her craftsmanship first hand by taking a seat on her pieces, crafted from alternative materials like aluminum and cement. The exhibition will be on view in the front gallery through September 2.

Performance — gig, draft: A Music Performance by Anisa Boukhlif, David Dove and Gabriel Martinez at the Houston Center for Photography

From 6 to 7:30 pm, the Houston Center for Photography (1441 West Alabama) presents an improvisational music performance in conjunction with the institution’s current exhibition Louviere + Vanessa: Resonantia. Anisa Boukhlif will present field recordings, David Dove will perform on trombone and electronics, and Gabriel Martinez will play on prepared electric bass, objects and electronics, all working together to create a unique, improvised composition.

Performance — Lean, Bleak at Alabama Song

From 8 to 11 pm, Alabama Song (2521 Oakdale) will host another installment of Lean, Bleak, an ongoing experimental music concert series that allows artists to present their work across various practices, including improvisation, noise, poetry, dance and composed song. Performances will include works by Justin Jones/Gabriel Martinez/Ronnie Yates, Parham Daghighi/Joe Wozny, Andrew Durham/Megan Easley, and Ryan Edwards/Ruth Langston/Rebecca Novak. Admission is $5.

Saturday, June 17

Public Trust at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 1 to 5 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will present Public Trust, an interactive artwork by Paul Ramírez Jonas. The piece asks museum visitors to examine the value of a word by declaring a promise, the words of which are recorded in a drawing that is shared with them and posted on a marquee board alongside similar pronouncements made by notable figures from the week’s headline news.

Sunday, June 18

Bradley Kerl, “English Garden,” 2024

Opening Reception — Coyote at Jonathan Hopson Gallery

From 1 to 5 pm, Jonathan Hopson Gallery (904 Marshall) will host the opening reception for the group exhibition Coyote. The exhibition, which features artists who were all either born or living in Texas, presents works that are imbued by the spirit of the state. Artists include Bradley Kerl, Debra Barrera, Julie DeVries, Lauren Moya-Ford, Erin Joyce, and Jessica Ninci. The exhibition will be on view through July 30.

This week presents a diverse selection of arts events, including exhibition openings at Art League Houston, Art Palace and Samara Gallery, a workshop on art collecting, and the opening of two new immersive installations at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Thursday, June 8

Maryam Lavaf, “Untitled.” Courtesy of Samara Gallery

Opening Reception — Ann Marie Vancas: A Treatise on Love and Maryam Lavaf: Whispers at Samara Gallery

From 6 to 8 pm, Samara Gallery (3911 Main) will host the opening reception for two solo exhibitions, A Treatise on Love by Houston-based artist Ann Marie Vancas and Whispers by Iranian artist Maryam Lavaf. Vancas presents a selection of surrealist and abstract works featuring bright colors, images and shapes, while Lavaf’s complex yet subdued abstract works on canvas and ceramics provide an interesting counterbalance. The exhibitions will be on view through July 8.

Workshop — Art Collecting 101 with CAMH’s Young Patrons at Jonathan Hopson Gallery

From 6 to 8 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will present a special introductory workshop on art collecting at Jonathan Hopson Gallery (904 Marshall). Led by Sara Cain and Cali A. Pettigrew, patrons will learn the basics of navigating galleries, artist studios and auction houses, as well as how to strategize purchases and maintain an art collection. Admission is free for CAMH’s Young Patrons members and the general public can purchase tickets for $10 online or $15 at the door.

Mike Beradino, “Wireframe Skull.” Courtesy of Art Palace

Opening Reception — Mike Beradino: Break at Art Palace

From 6 to 8 pm, Art Palace (3913 Main) will host the opening reception for Break, a solo exhibition from Houston-based artist Mike Beradino. The artist presents 3D printed objects and custom laser cut panels to explore the relationship between the intangible virtual object and its real world simulation, challenging viewers to experience and analyze objects as illusions of reality. The exhibition will be on view through July 15.

Walkthrough — Temporary Havens with Guest Curator Dean Daderko at Lawndale Art Center

Starting at 6:30 pm, Lawndale Art Center (4912 Main) presents a discussion and walkthrough with Dean Daderko, curator at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the guest curator for Lawndale’s exhibition Temporary Havens, which presents work from the residents of Round 11 of Lawndale’s Artist Studio Program. Daderko, along with residents Melinda Laszczynski, Randi Long and Sarah Welch, will discuss and guide patrons through the exhibition.

Friday, June 9

Walkthrough — Art at Noon with Ryan Dennis at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Starting at noon, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (5216 Montrose) presents a walkthrough with Ryan Dennis, the Public Art Director and Curator at Project Row Houses, as she discusses the work of artist Paul Ramírez Jonas and his current exhibition Atlas, Plural, Monumental. Dennis’ work focuses on African American contemporary art with a specific focus on socially engaged practices, site-specific projects, and public interventions. A light lunch will be provided following the walkthrough.

Shane Allbritton and Peter Bernick-Allbritton, “Lilypads In Hong Kong.” Courtesy of Art League Houston

Opening Reception — Shane Allbritton and Peter Bernick-Allbritton: Suspended Memory at Art League Houston

From 6 to 9 pm, Art League Houston (1953 Montrose) presents the opening reception for Shane Allbritton and Peter Bernick-Allbritton’s exhibition Suspended Memory. The exhibition includes a series of installations that explore the ephemeral nature of memory and the artists’ fascination with the ways that memories are formed, stored and retrieved as encoded fragments. Inspired by personal experiences and inaccessible memories, the artists present visual poetry with fragmented imagery representative of the coding process. The exhibition will be on view through July 22.

Opening Reception — Edward Kelley: Speak of the Devil at Art League Houston

From 6 to 9 pm, Art League Houston presents the opening reception for Speak of the Devil, a solo exhibition by Iowa-based artist Edward Kelley. The exhibition features an interactive installation of over 250 surveillance cameras installed throughout the gallery, addressing the invasive nature of CCTV surveillance and its acceptance in our everyday lives. One-third of the cameras will be motion activated, responding to patrons movements, and others will capture surveillance-style photographs. Viewers are invited to either destroy the photo using a paper shredder, install it on the walls of the gallery, or take it away with them. The exhibition will be on view through July 22.

Opening Reception — Benjamin Terry: Thingness at Art League Houston

From 6 to 9 pm, Art League Houston presents the opening reception for Thingness, a solo exhibition by Dallas-based artist and curator Benjamin Terry. The exhibition features an installation of wall and floor-based paintings and sculptural works that showcase a highly developed sense of form, color, line and texture combined with a playful aesthetic, exploring the artist’s fascination with the boundaries between memory, imagination and reality. The exhibition will be on view through July 22.

Sunday, June 11

Pipilotti Rist, “Pixel Forest.” Courtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, and Hauser & Wirth

Opening — Pipilotti Rist: Pixel Forest and Worry Will Vanish at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

On Sunday, join The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1001 Bissonnet) for the opening of two immersive installations by Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist. The artist, known for working at the forefront of video and digital imagery, presents Pixel Forest, which consists of thousands of hanging LED lights, each controlled by a video signal so that the lights are constantly changing. Worry Will Vanish presents a panoramic video projection that charts a dreamlike journey through the natural landscape, the human body and the heavens. The installations will be on view through September 17.

This week brings in an extraordinary mix of creative events, including two performances presented by Nameless Sound, outdoor screenings of two of Sun Ra’s classic films, and a community discussion about artists’ roles and gentrification at Alabama Song.

Tuesday, May 23

Discussion — Here to There, A Call to Arms at Alabama Song

From 6 to 8 pm, Alabama Song (2521 Oakdale) presents a discussion with Teresa Silva, a writer, curator and the Director of Exhibitions & Residencies at the Chicago Artists Coalition, and Kristin Korolowicz, an independent curator and writer. The event — organized by artists Edra Soto and Gabriel Martinez, residents of the 2:2:2 Exchange initiative co-led by Project Row Houses and Chicago’s Hyde Park Art Center — will present an open discussion with the Houston community to address how artists, both directly and indirectly, impact the communities around them, specifically focusing on the complex politics of gentrification.

Wednesday, May 24

Agnes Martin, “Island No. 1,” 1960. Featured in The Menil Collection exhibition “Between Land and Sea: Artists of the Coenties Slip”

Discussion — Christina Rosenberger on Agnes Martin and Abstraction at The Menil Collection

From 7 to 8 pm, The Menil Collection (1533 Sul Ross) will host a lecture by Christina Rosenberger regarding artist Agnes Martin, the subject of her book Drawing the Line: The Early Work of Agnes Martin. Martin is one of the artists featured in the institution’s current exhibition Between Land and Sea: Artists of the Coenties Slip, which presents a group of creatives living and working during the late ’50s and early ’60s in the old seaport at the lower tip of Manhattan called the Coenties Slip. Rosenberger will examine the path of Martin’s early career, her interactions with artists like Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Indiana and Lenore Tawney, and the creative networks that formed between California, New Mexico and New York during her era.

Performance — Joe McPhee’s Survival Unit III at Studio 101 at Spring Street Studios

From 8 to 10 pm, Nameless Sound will host Survival Unit III, a performance by dynamic horn player Joe McPhee, at Studio 101 at Spring Street Studios (1824 Spring). Hailing from Poughkeepsie, McPhee is known for his use of profoundly experimental approaches in his relation to the radical movements of jazz in the ’60s. Mostly developing his career in Europe from the mid-1970s through the ’80s, this concert will mark 20 years since his inaugural performance in Houston, which was also the first concert presented by Nameless Sound founder David Dove. Tickets are $13 each or $20 for this performance as well as the Pauline Oliveros memorial on Saturday.

Thursday, May 25

Paul Ramírez Jonas, “The Commons,” 2024

Gallery Tour — Atlas, Plural, Monumental with Deborah Fisher at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 6:30 to 7:30 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (5216 Montrose) will host a gallery tour of Paul Ramírez Jonas’ survey exhibition Atlas, Plural, Monumental. Deborah Fisher, an artist, regular collaboraor with Ramírez Jonas and the founding Executive Director of A Blade of Grass, will explore how we “see experiences” in a participatory discussion of socially engaged art.

Discussion — Adela Andea and Pablo Gimenez-Zapiola at the Galveston Arts Center

Starting at 6:30 pm, the Galveston Arts Center (2127 Strand) will host talks with Houston-based artists Adela Andea and Pablo Gimenez-Zapiola as part of their 2024 lecture series. Andea will present Within the medium of light, addressing her use of light as an artistic medium and the influence of the opposing concepts of natural versus artificial. Gimenez-Zapiola’s presentation, My Way of Seeing + Merging the Analog with the Digital, will examine his work and how art can enhance life experiences of the viewer.

Saturday, May 27

HJ Bott, “Big Alamo,” 1978

Last Chance — HJ Bott: Thick and Thin and Back Again at Anya Tish Gallery

Don’t miss your final chance to see Thick and Thin and Back Again, a solo exhibition from Houston-based artist HJ Bott. The exhibition, which celebrates Bott’s 70th year of exhibiting artwork, presents a selection of paintings from the artist’s most highly acclaimed Monochrome Series that began in the 1970s. Known for concocting his own paints to create striking metallic hues in monochromatic works, Bott has been using geometric forms as the basis for exploring adjacent or opposing forces. The gallery will be open from 10:30 am to 5 pm on Saturday.

“Public Trust” at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 1 to 5 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will present “Public Trust,” an interactive artwork by Paul Ramírez Jonas. The piece asks museum visitors to examine the value of a word by declaring a promise, the words of which are recorded in a drawing that is shared with them and posted on a marquee board alongside similar pronouncements made by notable figures from the week’s headline news.

Closing Reception — United By Hand at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

From 3 to 5 pm, the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (4848 Main) will host the closing reception for United By Hand, an exhibition featuring works from Drew Cameron, Alicia Dietz, and Ehren Tool. The Memorial Day weekend event invites the public to reflect upon those who have fallen in service, and features readings from Dietz as well as poet and Vietnam War veteran David Brown. There will also be a ceremonial folding of Cameron’s “9.5 x 5: Houston Flag” and a giveaway of Tool’s unique cups.

Pauline Oliveros

Performance — Pauline Oliveros Celebration with Joe McPhee and the Nameless Sound Ensembles at MECA

From 8 to 10 pm, Nameless Sound will host a celebration and memorial for native Houstonian and distinguished composer and musician Pauline Oliveros, who passed away on November 24, 2024. The event, hosted at MECA (1900 Kane), will feature “Deep Listening Space Time Continuum,” written and performed by Joe McPhee, as well as a variety of scores from Oliveros herself, performed by the Nameless Sound Ensembles. Participating musicians include David Dove, Tom Carter, Ryan Edwards, Sonia Flores, Lisa Harris, Jason Jackson, Justin Jones, Rose Lange, Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud, Rebecca Novak, Alauna Rubin, Jawwaad Taylor, and Joe Wozny. Tickets are $13 each.

Sunday, May 28

Sun Ra

Screening — Sun Ra Sunday at Lil’ Danny Speedo’s Go Fly a Kite Lounge

From 8 until around 11 pm, join Lil’ Danny Speedo’s Go Fly a Kite Lounge (823 Dumble) for outdoor screenings of two classic Sun Ra films in honor of his belated birthday on May 22 (the event was postponed a week due to inclement weather conditions). Films include A Joyful Noise (1980) and Space is the Place (1974).

This week brings in a diverse selection of arts events, including opening receptions at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and BOX 13 ArtSpace and the Extremely Shorts Film Festival at Aurora Picture Show.

Thursday, May 18

Gissette Padilla, “No Tenemos Nada,” 2024

Opening Reception — A living, breathing brand at Rudolph Blume Fine Art | Artscan Gallery

From 6 to 8 pm, Rudolph Blume Fine Art | Artscan Gallery (1836 Richmond) will host the opening reception for the group exhibition A living, breathing brand. The exhibition, which features work by Pat Barry, Megan Harrison, Hillerbrand+Magasmen, Brendan O’Connell, Gissette Padilla, Brandon Ray, and Richard T Scott, explores the dynamics of branding and pop art, capturing the essence of our national fascination with products and promotion. The exhibition will be on view through June 10.

In the Studio: Craft in Postwar America, 1950-1970 at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

On Thursday, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1001 Bissonnet) opens In the Studio: Craft in Postwar America, 1950-1970, an exhibition of nearly 40 objects made of clay, wood, fiber and metal. Working during a time that inspired a high degree of experimentation, artists began focusing increasingly on manual craftsmanship rather than industry, resulting in the birth of a new field of studio craft that embraced sculptural form as well as function. Providing a snapshot of American craft, the objects are made by masters who established new aesthetics and methods in their respective mediums. The exhibition will be on view in the Caroline Weiss Law Building through October 8.

Friday, May 19

The Martini: A Montrose Art Party at Art League Houston

From 6 to 9 pm, join Art League Houston (1953 Montrose) for The Martini: A Montrose Art Party, an event supporting the Healing Arts Program, which provides weekly art classes to adults living with chronic illnesses and physical disabilities, including HIV/AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia. The retro-inspired event, which serves as the opening of an exhibition of artwork by the Healing Art artists, will feature music by Flash Fordon Parks, light bites and a cash bar with beer from Saint Arnold Brewing Company and martinis from Deep Eddy. Admission is free and the exhibition will be on view in the main gallery through May 27.

Jack Early, “Magical Surprises” (detail), 2024

Opening Reception — A Better Yesterday at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 6:30 to 9 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (5216 Montrose) will present the opening reception for the three-person exhibition A Better Yesterday. Based on the concept that individuals must radically accept past traumas as part of the life experience and build from such, JooYoung Choi, Jack Early and Lily van der Stokker present musings on alternative narratives of their pasts. Choi creates an imaginary universe that draws upon childhood experiences, Early presents a multimedia installation focusing on his family, and van der Stokker’s large-scale paintings play on fond rememberances of a melancholic past. The exhibition, presented in the museum’s Zilkha Gallery, will be on view through September 3 and features a discussion with Choi and Early along with CAMH director and exhibition curator Bill Arning on Saturday from 2 to 3:30 pm.

Extremely Shorts Film Festival 2024 at the Aurora Picture Show

Aurora Picture Show (2442 Bartlett) will host the annual Extremely Shorts Film Festival, an open-call, juried collection of new, wide-ranging short films, each lasting three minutes or less. For two decades, the event has showcased an array of new films from local, national and international artists, presenting a short format that encourages a diversity of approaches and tones. The main program, which features more than 20 new short films, includes screenings at 7 and 9 pm on Friday. On Saturday at 2 pm, Aurora will host the Extremely Young program, presenting a selection of short films by filmmakers under the age of 17. All screenings include a $10 admission fee. From 7 to 10 pm on Saturday, the festival concludes with the Extremely Shorts Celebration, a special closing night program and fundraiser celebrating the 20 year run of the festival that will feature drinks, hors d’oeuvres and a survey screening of work selected from the course of the festival’s lifespan. Admission to the reception is $50 for non-members.

Saturday, May 20

Reception — Floating World at Cindy Lisica Gallery

Cindy Lisica Gallery (4411 Montrose) will host a one-day trunk show and reception of Kimono Zulu, a creative effort led by Tina Zulu, that presents a series of redesigned and reimagined Japanese kimonos by multimedia artists and fashion designers. Creatives participating in the show include Selven O’Keef Jarmon, Katsola, Jennifer Gabiola of Dawning Soul, Royal McGee, Dandee Warhol, Mina Gaber, Soi-K, Judy Masliyah of My Flaming Heart, Elijah Coccetti, Rene Cruz, and Ann Brooks. The collection will be on view and available for purchase from 10:30 am to 5 pm with an artist reception from 6 to 8 pm.

“Public Trust” by Paul Ramírez Jonas at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 1 to 5 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will present “Public Trust,” an interactive artwork by Paul Ramírez Jonas as part of his exhibition Atlas, Plural, Monumental. The piece asks museum visitors to examine the value of a word by declaring a promise, the words of which are recorded in a drawing that is shared with them and posted on a marquee board alongside similar pronouncements made by notable figures from the week’s headline news.

Build-A-Zine Workshop with Sarah Welch and Zine Fest Houston at Lawndale Art Center

From 2 to 5 pm, artist Sarah Welch and Zine Fest Houston will lead a zine-making workshop at Lawndale Art Center (4912 Main) focused on worldbuilding. When conceptualizing a project, worldbuilding can be extremely helpful for novelists, poets, comic writers or anyone looking to build a narrative. The workshop will present tips for creating a distinct sense of place and create their own original zine exploring a new reality. All materials will be provided at this free workshop, but personal collage materials and drawing tools are welcome.

David Lynch. Courtesy of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Screening — David Lynch – The Art Life at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Art, Houston will host screenings of David Lynch – The Art Life, a new documentary about the legendary artist and filmmaker. The film presents an intimate journey through the early decades of Lynch’s life, from his idyllic upbringing in small-town America to his rebellious high school years in Philadelphia. The coming-of-age story follows through his time at film school in Los Angeles when he made his first feature film, Eraserhead. Screenings take place on Saturday at 7 pm and on Sunday at 5 pm.

Openings Reception — Exhibitions at BOX 13 ArtSpace 

From 7 to 9 pm, BOX 13 ArtSpace (6700 Harrisburg) will host the opening reception for three exhibitions. In the Window BOX, Tere Garcia and Victoria Paige Gonzalez present The Knots In My Stomach, an installation that breaks down how images of women are utilized in advertising. In the Downstairs Back BOX, TEN Gallery and Collective from New Orleans address the issues related to the current cultural and political climate with Praying to the Giant Orange Head. With La ciencia avanaza pero yo no, presented in the Downstairs Front BOX, Angel Lartigue explores different aspects of language and what constitutes “life and death” of the physical body. The exhibitions will be on view through July 8.

Melinda Laszczynski, “Yes, Honey,” 2024

Sunday, May 21

Sparkling Canyon Workshop with Melinda Laszczynski at Lawndale Art Center

From 1 to 3 pm, Lawndale Art Center will host an afternoon workshop with artist Melinda Laszczynski inspired by her work Sparking Canyon, currently on view as part of Temporary Havens, Lawndale’s 2024 Artist Studio Program Show. In the workshop, attendees will create their own sparkling canyon worlds using marbled paint, glitter, feathers, sequins and rhinestones. Materials will be provided at this free, all-ages event.

This week’s arts offerings include opening receptions at the Houston Center for Photography and DiverseWorks, private tours at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and an ambient and noise sound performance at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

Thursday, May 11

Performance — Texas Noise and Ambience at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 6:30 to 9 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (5216 Montrose) revives Texas Noise and Ambiance, an ongoing interdisciplinary sound series that highlights the work of ambient, drone and noise based artists performing in Texas. The spring program of the series will feature performances by Illicit Relationship, Lily Taylor, LIMB, Raceway, Splendid Emblem and Tanner Garza.

Friday, May 12

Frank Hamrick, “Blackberries,” 2024

Opening Receptions at the Houston Center for Photography

From 5:30 to 8 pm, the Houston Center for Photography (1441 West Alabama) hosts opening receptions for four exhibitions. Frank Hamrick, the 2024 HCP Fellowship Recipient, presents Harder than Writing a Good Haiku, a selection of small tintype photographs conceived as select moments to be open to the viewer’s interpretation. Jan Rattia, the 2024 Carol Crow Memorial Fellowship Recipient, presents Tease, a series of photographs that offer a unique look into the lives of the largely misunderstood community of male strippers. The exhibition Resonantia from Louviere + Vanessa conceives the intersection of sound, sight, and science through four disparate works. Now in its fourteenth year, HCP’s Collaborations XVI: The Nature of Technology, offers up a group exhibition of exemplary photographic works from 18 students from Houston-area high schools. The exhibitions will be on view through July 2.

Roberto Jackson Harrington, from “C wut stix”

Opening Reception — Roberto Jackson Harrington: C wut stix at Bill’s Junk

From 7 to 9 pm, The Center for Experimental Practice presents a solo exhibition by Austin-based artist Roberto Jackson, C wut stix, at Bill’s Junk (1126 E 11th). The exhibition features a selection of one-off pieces, jokes, prints and objects that are not usually associated with Harrington’s work, the result of exploring, failures, dead-ends and self-amusement. The exhibition will be on view through May 27.

Discussion — Surrealism and the Art of the 1960s at The Menil Collection

From 7 to 9 pm, The Menil Collection (1533 Sul Ross) presents a symposium on the role that surrealism has played as both a historical touchstone and the contemporary of artistic movements that emerged after World War II. This includes a discussion on how the movement impacted the development of Pop Art, Happenings and Narrative Figuration within the cultural movement of the 1960s. Speakers include Dr. Sandra Zalman of the University of Houston and Dr. Steven Harris of the University of Alberta, and the presentation includes a video essay by artist Jean-Jacques Lebel.

Opening Reception — Mystic Errata at Mystic Lyon

From 6 to 9 pm, nine artists will showcase a variety of monoprints and misprints in the window display case at Mystic Lyon (5017 Lyons Ave.) in the Fifth Ward. The opening will feature work by Rene Cruz, Ryan Francisco, EYESORE, Dyan Cannon, Josh Higgins, Brett Hollis, Gabriel Martinez, and Travis Oren Smith. The event will also serve as the release for Zine Fest Houston’s 2024 compilation, with participating artists also selling their work.

Mysteries of the Unknown at Flying Squid Tattooing and Art Gallery

From 6 to 10 pm, join dozens of artists at Flying Squid Tattooing and Art Gallery (1507 N. Durham) for Mysteries of the Unknown, an art show exploring UFOs, conspiracy theory, cryptozoology, psychic phenomena and the paranormal. Participating artists include EYESORE, Shelby Hohl, María-Elisa Heg, Jade O Lantern, Rene Cruz, Brennan Burch, Gabriel Dieter and more. Several artists will be selling their work and free beer will be provided by Eureka Heights Brew Co.

Saturday, May 13

“Public Trust” by Paul Ramírez Jonas at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 1 to 5 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will present “Public Trust,” an interactive artwork by Paul Ramírez Jonas as part of his exhibition Atlas, Plural, Monumental. The piece asks museum visitors to examine the value of a word by declaring a promise, the words of which are recorded in a drawing that is shared with them and posted on a marquee board alongside similar pronouncements made by notable figures from the week’s headline news.

Opening Reception — into the midst of things at DiverseWorks

From 6 to 8 pm, join DiverseWorks (3400 Main) for the opening reception of the group exhibition into the midst of things. The exhibition brings together three artists — Regina Agu, ruby onyinyechi amanze, and Wura-Natasha Ogunji — to explore the concept of mark making in performance, drawing and writing, offering complex counterpoints to cultural and historical narratives. The title refers to in media res, a literary term that describes a narrative that begins in the middle of the action. The exhibition will be on view through July 22.

Monday, May 15

Tour — Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Showcasing nearly 50 ikat robes and panels from the renowned Murad Megalli Collection of the Textile Museum in Washington D.C., Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats features textiles originally produced in the 1800s in weaving centers across Uzbekistan. As part programming for the exhibition, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1001 Bissonnet) is offering two expert-led tours to educate patrons about the social, historical and economic aspects of ikat production. The first tour at 1:30 pm is led by Janet O’Brien, curatorial assistant for art of the Islamic worlds and an integral part of the installation process, and the second tour at 6:30 pm is led by Aimée Froom, cuator for art of the Islamic worlds. Tickets for the tours start at $55 for members and $65 for non-members and the exhibition will be on view through June 4.

This week offers up an array of unique arts events, including four new exhibitions at Lawndale Art Center and a print media festival at The Menil Collection.

Tuesday, May 2

Discussion — What It Means to Be American: Do We Still Know How to Be Good Citizens? at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

From 7:30 to 8:30 pm, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1001 Bissonnet) will present What It Means to Be American: Do We Still Know How to Be Good Citizens?, a panel discussion as part of the Smithsonian and Zócalo Public Square’s lecture series that considers whether it’s possible to raise American standards of citizenship. The discussion will be led by Houston Chronicle editor Nancy Barnes with panelists including former U.S. congressman Mickey Edwards; Jennifer Mercieca, historian of American political rhetoric at Texas A&M University; Johann N. Neem, civil-society historian at Western Washington University; and Washington Post columnist Steven Petrow. Admission is free and a reception will follow the discussion.

Wednesday, May 3

Project Row Houses.

Discussion — Real Life Connections with Edra Soto at Project Row Houses 

From 6 to 8 pm, Project Row Houses (2521 Holman) presents a talk by Chicago-based artist Edra Soto, a resident of the 2:2:2 Exchange initiative co-led by PRH and Chicago’s Hyde Park Art Center. Soto will discuss the parallels between the Houston institution and her community of East Garfield Park, an historic African American neighborhood in Chicago. Following the talk, Soto will offer an open house experience, Home Feelings, which explores the domestic space as a site for social gathering, production, and interaction.

Thursday, May 4

Performance — Musiqa presents Atlas, Plural, Monumental at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 6:30 to 7:30 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (5216 Montrose) presents a special concert by Musiqa, inspired by the museum’s current exhibition Atlas, Plural, Monumental from Paul Ramírez Jonas. The concert will feature world premieres of pieces by Chapman Welch and Timothy Roy, created especially for the exhibition, and both pieces will involve audience participation in response to the works featured. Admission is free.

Discussion — Sergio Prego: High-Rise – Dystopia into Utopia at Blaffer Art Museum

From 6:30 to 8 pm, Blaffer Art Museum (4173 Elgin) hosts a new lecture by Basque artist Sergio Prego as part of the annual speaker series “Till Now: Contemporary Art in Context.” Prego, known for experimenting with the notion of sculpture by redefining how people relate to space, will discuss his practice with reference to the presence of dystopia in utopian models.

Friday, May 5

Nick Barbee, “Marfacello (JefferJudd),” 2024

Opening Receptions at Lawndale Art Center

From 6 to 8 pm, Lawndale Art Center (4912 Main) will host the opening reception for four new exhibitions. Melinda Laszczynski, Sarah Welch and Randi Long, the current residents of Lawndale’s Artist Studio Program, present a group exhibition curated by Dean Daderko of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Marfacello (JefferJudd), a solo exhibition from Galveston-based artist Nick Barbee, examines space and memory through comparisons between Thomas Jefferson and Donald Judd. Ricardo Rivera’s exhibition, The Memory of a Particular Image, explores the flexibility of our own memories and how photographs can alter our perceptions of the past. The Room Nobody Lives In, a solo exhibition by Miguel Martinez, uses paintings to delve into the visual language of “otherness” through personal and shared experience. The exhibitions will be on view through June 11.

BYOB (Bring Your Own Beamer) at The Menil Collection

From 8:30 to 11:30 pm (rescheduled from last weekend due to inclement weather), The Menil Collection and Aurora Picture Show are co-hosting the fourth annual BYOB: Bring Your Own Beamer event at the Menil campus (1533 Sul Ross). The event brings together a new wave of filmmakers and videographers aiming their beamers (projectors) at the museum’s exterior, creating a free-form display composed of an array of media types.

Saturday, May 6

The Menil Collection.

MenilFest and Gulf Coast Indie Book Fair at The Menil Collection

From 11 am to 6 pm, The Menil Collection is hosting MenilFest, a day filled with performances, readings, panel discussions, live music, food trucks and the Gulf Coast Indie Book Fair, a showcase of dozens of talented artists, authors and publishers from across Texas. Also, be sure to catch the Houston Center for Photography‘s Collaboration Print Sale with prints by emerging and established local photographers, all of which are priced under $100. Check the MenilFest website for the full schedule of Saturday’s events, which includes a poetry slam competition and a musical performance at Rothko Chapel. Admission is free.

“Public Trust” by Paul Ramírez Jonas at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 1 to 5 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will present “Public Trust,” an interactive artwork by Paul Ramírez Jonas as part of his exhibition Atlas, Plural, Monumental. The piece asks museum visitors to examine the value of a word by declaring a promise, the words of which are recorded in a drawing that is shared with them and posted on a marquee board alongside similar pronouncements made by notable figures from the week’s headline news.

Closing Day — Exhibitions at Art League Houston

Visit Art League Houston (1953 Montrose) as Saturday marks the final chance to view their three current exhibitions. The solo exhibition by Houston-based artist Prince Varughese Thomas, The Space Between Grief and Morning, explores the process of personal and communal grief and mourning through a series of interdisciplinary works, combining drawing, video and photography. How Do I Say Her Name?, a group exhibition organized by Houston-based artist Ann Johnson, features multidisciplinary works made in response to the violence committed against women of color and are indicative of the broader demand of social justice. An exhibition by New Zealand-born and California-based artist J. Pouwels, Dysfunctional Systems, explores the issues related to water resource mismanagement in the artist’s home of Chico, considered one of the agricultural heartlands of California.

Monday, May 8

Raúl Martínez, “Sin título (Untitled),” 1969–70. Courtesy of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Tour — Adiós Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art Since 1950 at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

As the first comprehensive display of contemporary Cuban art ever presented in the US, Adiós Utopia: Dreams and Deceptions in Cuban Art Since 1950 at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston offers a glimpse into the complex relationship between artistic production and the spirit of Cuba’s revolutionary period. As part of the programming for the exhibition, which presents works that have never been seen in the US as the result of Cold War tensions, the museum presents two exclusive, expert-led tours. The first takes place at 1:30 pm, led by Maria Gaztambide, associate director of the International Center for the Arts of the Americas, and another starts at 6:30 pm, led by Mari Carmen Ramírez, Wortham Curator of Latin American Art, who played a lead role in the international team that organized the exhibition. Tickets for the tours start at $55 for members and $65 for non-members and the exhibition will be on view through May 21.

This week brings in a number of impressive arts events, including a unique projection-based film event at The Menil Collection and the opening of Paul Ramírez Jonas’ survey exhibition the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

Wednesday, April 26

Performance — Station Sound Series at The Station Museum of Contemporary Art

Starting at 6:30 pm, The Station Museum of Contemporary Art (1502 Alabama) hosts the third of a series of experimental sound and music performances. For this installment, artists include Abinada Meza, Chin Xaou Ti Won, Illicit Relationship, White Flower, Ak’chamel, and Kathryn Fay Mitchell. You can expect dynamics to run the gamut from electronic, ambient and industrial to avant garde, noise and drone.

Performance — Nameless Sound Presents Amina Claudine Myers: Piano and Voice at Christ Church Cathedral

Amina Claudine Myers.

Starting at 8 pm, Nameless Sound presents the first of two concerts by Amina Claudine Myers at Christ Church Cathedral (1117 Texas), with this performance centered around her piano and vocal works. Myers, who came to prominence in the 1960s, is one of the first-wave artists comprising the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), encompassing what would later become the organization’s motto: “Great Black Music, From Ancient to the Future.” A talented pianist, organist, vocalist and composer, Myers has collaborated with countless greats, including Archie Shepp, Lester Bowie, Charlie Haden and James Blood Ulmer, to name a few. The appearance is her first in Texas since her teenage years spent in the church. Her second performance, focused on her pipe organ works, will take place on Thursday, April 27 at 8 pm. Tickets are $13 for one concert or $20 for both.

Thursday, April 27

Presentation — Masks and Modernité: Dogon Now at The Menil Collection

Starting at 7 pm, The Menil Collection (1533 Sul Ross) will host a presentation by Curator of Collections Paul R. Davis regarding the institution’s exhibition, ReCollecting Dogon. The Dogon peoples of Mali are renowned for crafting surreal, colorful masks worn in dances during agricultural and funerary ceremonies. Davis will present film excerpts of these dances as well as talks with scholars on the visual history of Dogon masks and their contemporary significance.

Friday, April 28

Paul Ramírez Jonas, “The Commons.”

Opening Reception — School of Art Annual Student Exhibition at Blaffer Art Museum 

From 6 to 9 pm, the University of Houston School of Art will host the opening reception for their annual student exhibition at Blaffer Art Museum (4173 Elgin). Every spring, this exhibition introduces the UH campus and the city of Houston to the varied work of the School of Art undergraduate seniors and first- and second-year graduate students. The exhibition, which features painting, photography, sculpture, video and graphic design work, will be on view through May 13.

Opening Reception — Paul Ramírez Jonas: Atlas, Plural, Monumental at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 6:30 to 9 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (5216 Montrose) hosts the opening reception for Paul Ramírez Jonas’ first survey exhibition, Atlas, Plural, Monumental. The exhibition, which includes sculptures, photographs, videos, drawings, and participatory works made from 1991 to 2024, demonstrates how the artist redefines what public art means in terms of what constitutes the public and what brings them together. The exhibition will be on view in the Brown Foundation Gallery through August 6.

Saturday, April 29

“Public Trust” by Paul Ramírez Jonas at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

From 1 to 5 pm, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will present “Public Trust,” an interactive artwork by Paul Ramírez Jonas. The piece asks museum visitors to examine the value of a word by declaring a promise, the words of which are recorded in a drawing that is shared with them and posted on a marquee board alongside similar pronouncements made by notable figures from the week’s headline news. Additionally, from 11 am to noon, the artist will also participate in a discussion with curator Dean Daderko about Ramírez Jonas’ exhibition Atlas, Plural, Monumental.

John Slaby, “A House Divided.”

Opening — The First 100 Days: Artists Respond at The Silos on Sawyer

From 6 to 9 pm, The Silos on Sawyer (1502 Sawyer) presents The First 100 Days: Artists Respond, a group exhibition of works responding to President Trump’s first 100 days in office. Although there is no pro-Trump work presented in the exhibition that features more than 30 artists, the theme of the show itself is not “anti-Trump.” Artists present their statements on the current administration through paintings, photographs and more.

BYOB (Bring Your Own Beamer) at The Menil Collection

From 8:30 to 10:30 pm, The Menil Collection and Aurora Picture Show are co-hosting the fourth annual BYOB: Bring Your Own Beamer event at the Menil campus (1533 Sul Ross). The event brings together a new wave of filmmakers and videographers aiming their beamers (projectors) at the museum’s exterior, creating a free-form display composed of an array of media types. Admission is free.

Sunday, April 30

Performance — Threshold: A Site-Specific New Music Work at The Silos on Sawyer

Starting at 7 pm, the Silos on Sawyer hosts Threshold, a site-specific music performance conceived by Misha Penton. Presented within the cavernous silos, the new work features music by Penton, George Heathco and Luke Hubley and aims to explore the concepts that surround our existence within our communities. Admission is free.