A New Phase: The Return of Civic TV

After a successful year-long stint at their former location in East Downtown that ended last September, Civic TV Laboratories — formerly known as Civic TV Collective — is celebrating its grand reopening at their new location on Commerce with all the fanfare we’ve come to expect from their events.

On Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, Civic TV Laboratories is hosting the opening reception for Grand Transubstantiation, a group exhibition that revolves around artists featured in their new publication, the HTX Artist Cookbook, which is also releasing that evening and features interviews from a variety of artists working in and around the Houston area with the goal of spreading useful information from local creatives. The first edition of the archival project, as well as the exhibition, features artists including Emily Peacock, Patrick Renner, Jonathan Read, Alex Tu, Luke Harnden, Meredith Jack, Lia Harithas and ebbflo. As was standard at Civic TV in the past, get there early for some homemade cajun food and have a chance to chat with the participating artists, and don’t miss the open bar.

From 7:30 to 9:30 pm, Civic TV Laboratories will host performances by an eclectic array of artists, including How I Quit Crack, Electric Sleep, Al Ekstu, Cash Slave Clique and Secret Sands.

Following the event at their new location, the festivities keep going until late with everyone heading to a show at Walter’s Downtown that features a number of past Civic TV performers such as Troller, Pleasure 2 and Ak’chamel, as well as a set by Trillblazers, then to a TBA location for Trust Me Daddy V.1 featuring Pascäal, Ledef, Division and Joshua Cordova, which runs until 4 am.

Here’s to looking forward to more from the collective in the future. Long live the new flesh.

Join Civic TV Laboratories for “Grand Transubstantiation” at 2024 Commerce St. Unit B from 5:30 to 9:30 pm on Friday, November 18

by Elizabeth Rhodes