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’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 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.

This week brings in a number of unique arts events, including a new exhibition at The Menil Collection and the first installment of an experimental music series at The Station Museum of Contemporary Art.

Tuesday, April 11

Screening — CORE Artists-in-Residence Short Films at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

From 7 to 8 pm, join the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (1001 Bissonnet) for a free screening of several short films from 2024 CORE artists-in-residence, including Felipe Steinberg, Sondra Perry, Yue Nakayama and Shana Hoehn. A panel discussion led by critic-in-residence Ruslana Lichtzier will follow after the screening.

Wednesday, April 12

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 first of a series of experimental sound and music performances. For this installment, artists include Collin Hedrick, Edison Carhuaricra, Briefcase Brad, Tsuyoshi Anzai, Megan Easely and Gerritt Wittmer. You can expect dynamics to run the gamut from electronic, ambient and industrial to field recordings, noise and drone.

Thursday, April 13

Hedwige Jacobs, “Drawn to the Inside,” 2024

Opening Reception — Hedwige Jacobs: Drawn to the Inside at The TANK Space

From 6 to 8 pm, The TANK Space at Spring Street Studios (1824 Spring) will host the reception for Hedwige Jacobs’ installation Drawn to the Inside. The installation presents a window into an interior space covered floor to ceiling in Jacobs’ massive, hand drawn, woven patterns, creating a unique perspective into the artist’s meticulously crafted world. The exhibition is on view through April 23.

Performance — A Conversation with Sol at Rice Gallery

From 8 to 9 pm, the Transitory Sound and Movement Collective premieres a new collaborative experiential work A Conversation with Sol at Rice Gallery (6100 Main). Multimedia and sound artist Lynn Lane will present a new work that combines sound art, music and dance to pair with the current installation, Sol Lewitt’s Glossy and Flat Black Squares.

Friday, April 14

Exhibition Opening — Between Land and Sea: Artists of the Coenties Slip at The Menil Collection

The Menil Collection (1533 Sul Ross) presents Between Land and Sea: Artists of the Coenties Slip, a selection of early work by Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, Lenore Tawney, Chryssa, Robert Indiana and Jack Youngerman. The featured artists were among 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, an area distinguished by its views of the Brooklyn Bridge and proximity between land and sea. Featuring 27 aesthetically unique works, the exhibition is tied together with the artists’ desire to create distinct abstract pieces. The exhibition will be on view through August 6.

Closing Reception and Discussion — Ryder Richards: There’s no “I” in “Win” at BLUEOrange Contemporary

From 6 to 9 pm, BLUEorange Contemporary (1208 West Gray) is hosting the closing reception for Ryder Richards’ solo exhibition There’s no “I” in “Win.” Richards theorizes the ideological stance of social signaling through truck modification, hunting, and partisan language. Richards will discuss the concepts behind the works, which he realizes using his knowledge of precarious labor politics and modern American culture.

Saturday, April 15

Orna Feinstein, “Tree Dynamics #141,” 2024

Closing Reception — Orna Feinstein: Asherah at Anya Tish Gallery

From 3 to 5 pm, Anya Tish Gallery (4411 Montrose) will host the closing reception for Houston-based artist Orna Feinstein’s exhibition Asherah. The exhibition features new multi-dimensional monoprints and large-scale installation by the Israel-born artist. Feinstein’s process-oriented work draws heavily from the inherent geometry found within nature, most notably trees, and the idea that each tree and its forms are as unique as the prints she produces.

Discussion — Debra Barrera: Menina at Moody Gallery

At 3 pm, Moody Gallery (2815 Colquitt) presents a talk by Texas artist Debra Barrera as she discusses her current exhibition Menina. The artist will reflect on the collection of photographs, drawings and sculptures inspired by the lavish rooms and opulent decorations of Barrera’s childhood home. The exhibition is on view through May 13.

Discussion — five missing objects: 2017 CORE Exhibition at Lawndale Art Center

In conjunction with the acclaimed CORE Program at Glassell School of Art at the The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Lawndale Art Center (4912 Main) will host five missing objects, a presentation by critic-in-residence Ruslana Lichzier, reflecting on five historical cases spanning from the time of Pompeii’s eruption to the advent of “alternative facts.” Lichzier will explore the ignorance and desire related to knowledge production based on these events and the implied dynamics of what is missing from each.

This weekend brings in an array of can’t-miss events, including artist talks, a unique performance by Sandy Ewen’s all-female ensemble at the Byzantine Fresco Chapel and opening receptions at Capsule Gallery, Matchbox Gallery and Deborah Colton Gallery.

Friday, February 17

Opening Reception — Liz Hickok and Shiyuan Xu: Experiments in Form and Fiction at Capsule Gallery

From 6 to 8 pm, Capsule Gallery (3909 Main) will host the opening reception for the two person exhibition Experiments in Form and Fiction with works by photographer Liz Hickok and ceramicist Shiyuan Xu. Hickok’s photographic series, Sets and Tests, documents the uncertain and organic formations of crystals as they grow and morph in unusual ways, and Xu presents carefully built structures that are transformed with materials that drip, grow and alter the underlying object. The exhibition will be on view through April 1.

Performance — Red Currant at the Byzantine Fresco Chapel at The Menil Collection

From 7 to 8 pm, The Menil Collection is hosting a performance by Sandy Ewen’s all-female ensemble, who will present a suite of vocal and movement-based pieces inspired by Francis Alÿs: The Fabiola Project, the current exhibition at the Byzantine Fresco Chapel (4011 Yupon). Called Red Currant for this performance, the group interprets concepts such as repetition, recycling and variation.

Opening Reception — Hayden Right: ABC etc. at Matchbox Gallery

From 7 to 11 pm, Rice University’s Matchbox Gallery (6100 Main) will host the opening reception for Hayden Right’s installation, ABC etc. The work consists of 26 works on paper which present new iterations of each letter of the Roman English alphabet, created of flatted, unfragmented orange peels and flattening them. The reception will also feature performances by Robert Pearson and John Kennedy.

Saturday, February 18

Artist Talk — International Discoveries VI at FotoFest

From 2 to 3 pm, FotoFest (2000 Edwards) is hosting a discussion with artists from International Discoveries VI, an exhibition that highlights 13 artists from Asia, Latin America and the United States whose works have been “discovered” by FotoFest curators at international and US photography events and artist studios across the globe. Artists Tad Beck, Paola Dávila, Qian Jin, Jung A Kim, Hyunmoo Lee and René Peña will be present for the discussion. International Discoveries VI will be on view through March 18.

Artist Talk — Peter Brown: High Plains Song at Rudolph Blume Fine Art | ArtScan Gallery

From 3 to 5 pm, Rudolph Blume Fine Art | ArtScan Gallery will host a talk by presenting artist Peter Brown as part of the programming for his retrospective exhibition High Plains Song. The exhibition centers around his travels through the American High Plains, concentrating on the vastness of the landscape, unique people and the culture and towns of the region. The exhibition will be on view through March 11.

Opening Reception — Fadi Yazigi: Still Life… Still Alive… Still a Life… at Deborah Colton Gallery

From 6 to 8 pm, Deborah Colton Gallery (2445 North Boulevard) will host the opening reception for Still Life… Still Alive… Still a Life…, a solo exhibition by Syrian artist Fadi Yazigi that features paintings, drawings and sculpture. “Yazigi uses his thoughts and findings as the starting point for a new, landmark, mixed-media installation of works that juxtapose still life, or figures in black ink, reflecting the artist’s documented observation that there are times when we are all motionless, be it planned or a random act, yet we are still breathing, thinking, living and even creating art.” The exhibition will be on view through March 25.

This week in Houston brings in exhibition openings at Blaffer Art Museum, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and Cardoza Fine Art, as well as the always-interesting Performance Art Night at Notsuoh.

Tuesday, September 20

Performance Art Night at Notsuoh

First started in 2024 by Julia Claire Wallace, Performance Art Night has recently become an increasingly regular occurrence at Notsuoh (314 Main). With some of the city’s most active performers coming out, as well as the opportunity for the uninitiated to take part, the event certainly promises to be eye-opening for all. Performances begin around 9 pm and admission is $5.

Friday, September 23

Performance — Houston Grand Opera Song Cycle: Magnificent Pretty Boy at The Menil Collection

At 5:30 pm, join The Menil Collection (1533 Sul Ross) for a concert collaboration with the Houston Grand Opera. The event introduces a new song cycle based on Houston artist Henry Ray Clark, a street hustler also known as the “Magnificent Pretty Boy” who passed in 2024. The songs are brought to life by the unique bluegrass-tinged group, the Grant Wallace Band. During his time in Huntsville State Prison, Clark discovered his natural talent for visual art, saying, “I am never imprisoned as long as I can draw.” The event is hosted in conjunction with the institution’s exhibition of self-taught artists, As Essential as Dreams and there will also be a second performance on Saturday at 7:30 pm.

Opening Reception — CraftTexas 2024 at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

From 5:30 to 8 pm, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (4848 Main) is hosting the opening reception for CraftTexas 2024, the ninth in a series of biennial juried exhibitions showcasing the best in Texas-made contemporary craft. Featuring 53 works by 38 artists, the exhibition includes everything from sculpture, jewelry, installation, and cut paper to works that explore diverse subject matter, including genetics, upcycling, and process. The exhibition will be on view through January 8, 2024.

Opening Reception — Analia Saban at Blaffer Art Museum

From 7 to 9 pm, Blaffer Art Museum (4173 Elgin) is hosting the opening reception for a solo exhibition by Argentinian artist Analia Saban, surveying the last decade of her practice through 30 works that explore everyday objects through unconventional usage of materials. Multi-disciplinary artist Saban, whose work is deeply tied to the ongoing process of conditional evolution and boundary-pushing renegotiation of the possibilities of media-based practices, creates a “dialogue between media’s historically defined conventions and their manifestations within the anatomy of individual artworks.” Saban’s exhibition runs through March 18.

Opening Reception — Michael Abramowitz: Irreversible Inspiration at Cardoza Fine Art

From 7 to 10 pm, Cardoza Fine Art (805A William) is hosting the opening reception for a solo exhibition of works by Houston-based artist Michael Abramowitz. The artist’s statement reads: “My artwork tells the mystery that words won’t. Words are an excuse of what we can’t always explain. A lot of times words can get in the way. This is why people like myself make pictures that hack into the same instrumentation used to create words. Instead of claiming street credibility being critically acrobatic; I’ve chosen to invent structurally unsound images that breaks through the common laws of light & sound.” The exhibition will be on view through October 23.

Sunday, September 25

Filming Oil Refineries in Texas: Screening and Roundtable with Tania Mouraud at Rice Cinema

In conjunction with her exhibition Everyday Ogres at The University of Texas at Austin’s Visual Arts Center, Rice Cinema (6100 Main) presents a discussion and presentation by visiting French artist Tania Mouraud, including a screening of her newly commissioned video and sound installation FATA MORGANA. Filmed at night at an oil refinery in Pasadena, FATA MORGANA captures a haunting vision of Texas’ industrial cities shrouded in smoke. “It follows from Mouraud’s other videos, which bring to life the immensity of environmental industrial sites around the world to audiences often removed from a direct experience of such sites’ force and intensity.” A wine and cheese reception will be held at 5 pm, just prior to the screening at 5:30 pm.

This week brings in discussions and opening receptions at BLUEorange, Capsule Gallery and Matchbox Gallery, as well as the start of an ongoing series of screenings of Andy Warhol’s unfinished film Sunset at The Menil Collection.

Ongoing

Screening — Andy Warhol’s Sunset at The Menil Collection

From now through January 8, 2024, The Menil Collection (1533 Sul Ross) is hosting 6 pm screenings every Wednesday through Sunday of Andy Warhol’s rare unfinished film, Sunset. Warhol was commissioned to make the film in 1964 by the museum’s founders John and Dominique de Menil and the film depicts a sunset over the Pacific Ocean in California as the light colorfully shifts at dusk, accompanied by a poetry reading by Nico of The Velvet Underground, a frequent Warhol muse. The museum is also hosting various performances and discussions in conjunction with the regular screenings.

Tuesday, August 23

Discussion — 7 Years and Counting: A Farewell Conversation with Claudia Schmuckli at Blaffer Art Museum

At 7 pm, Blaffer Art Museum (4173 Elgin) is hosting a discussion with outgoing Director and Chief Curator Claudia Schmuckli, soon departing to join the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco as Curator-in-Charge, Contemporary Art and Programing. The conversation will be led by with Katherine Veneman, Curator of Education at Blaffer, and Schmuckli will reflect upon the program she’s led at the museum over her seven years as chief curator and how she has shaped its direction.

Wednesday, August 24

Discussion — Conversation with Kathryn Hall and THIRST Artists at Capsule Gallery

From 6 to 8 pm, Capsule Gallery (3909 Main) is hosting a conversation with Houston Center for Contemporary Craft curator Kathryn Hall and artists Jan Harrell, Jessica Phillips, Heidi Gerstacker, Susan Budge, and Corey Ackelmire to discuss their work in the gallery’s current exhibition, THIRST.

Discussion — Visionary and Self-Taught Art in the Community at The Menil Collection

Starting at 7 pm, The Menil Collection is hosting a discussion led by Susanne Theis, programming director of Discovery Green, as she moderates a panel on the intersections of art and community with Smither Park designer Dan Phillips, author Pete Gershon, and curator William Fagaly. The discussion, co-presented by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, is part of the programming for the museum’s current exhibition, As Essential as Dreams: Self-Taught Art from the Collection of Stephanie and John Smither.

Thursday, August 25

Opening Reception — Meagan Dwyer: Inner Light at Matchbox Gallery

Starting at 7 pm, Matchbox Gallery (6100 Main), the petite student-run art gallery and exhibition space at Rice University, is hosting the opening reception for Meagan Dwyer’s solo exhibition, Inner Light. The installation “explores the power and complexity of one’s own emotions and manifests them in fluid, organic glowing forms that engulf the viewer in an ethereal cave-like space.” The opening will feature beer and live music and the exhibition will be on view through September 20.

Saturday, August 27

Discussion — Homelife Gallery Talk with Dana Frankfort and Gael Stack at Inman Gallery

From 1 to 2 pm, Inman Gallery (3901 Main) is hosting a discussion with painters Dana Frankfort and Gael Stack, the organizers of Homelife, the gallery’s current group exhibition featuring selected works by 16 artists. Saturday is the last day to catch the exhibition, so take the chance to hear the organizers speak as well as catch the works before closing.

Opening Reception — Amber Kaiser and Camila Labarca-Linaweaver: Found in Translation at BLUEorange

From 6 to 9 pm, join BLUEorange (1208 W. Gray) and Duende Art Project for the opening reception of Amber Kaiser and Camila Labarca-Linaweaver’s collaborative exhibition Found in Translation. The two artists created a body of work inspired by the landscape, buildings and people the two have come in contact with through their global travels. “As the two exchanged stories of travel, they began to compare similarities between the cities, people, landscapes, even down to the doors, windows, clotheslines, and telephone wires,” and these exchanges led to the creation of the narrative and tone for the exhibition’s installations. The exhibition will be on view through September 28.

Opening Reception — Caitlin G. McCollom: Interior Mortification at BLUEorange

Also with an opening reception from 6 to 9 pm at BLUEorange is Caitlin G. McCollom’s solo exhibition Interior Mortification. The exhibition presents fifteen of the artist’s vibrantly colored paintings on paper, all created over the past two years. The exhibition — characterized as “a wandering through the physical and metaphysical revolution of the self from infectious disease and mental illness to a surrender to spiritual communion and greater mysteries of existence beyond the body” — will be on view through September 28.

It is a theme so oft-repeated as to either cause eye-rolls or nausea depending on your level of exasperation and how often you’ve seen (and enjoyed) The Notebook. Nevertheless, love (or, “Love,” if you’re really eager) is a concept artists and musicians return to time and time again in various formats and forms, with success depending largely on the approach and originality given to the subject matter.

In this, The Menil Collection’s exhibition “The Progress of Love,” is, if retreading old ground, still an intriguing analysis of the evolution of the most-talked-about emotion the world over. It’s meta in a way, instead of celebrating the emotion of love the exhibition is telling the story of the stories of love. More than 20 artists from Europe, Africa, and America contributed works analyzing love through language, mass media, cultural traditions, and socioeconomic forces, viewing the concept through the lenses of ideal, experience, and loss.

The overall exhibition spans three geographic locations with displays in St. Louis and Lagos, Greece. On January 6, artist and Director of Gallery Homeland Paul Middendorf will come talk about the exhibition.

The exhibition at the Menil is free and open to the public. The Progress of Love is on view from Dec 2, 2024 – March 17, 2024. The Menil is open Wednesday – Sunday from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.