Feedback Loop
This week Houston’s hum is more than the traffic you sit through, the rumble of the trains you’re trapped by. Sound is leaking out of the galleries, curling around the corners, and whispering in every venue that’ll let it in. Whether it’s stories, noise, or poetry, you’ll find someone somewhere trying to tune the city to their own frequency.
Monday, 10/13
They, Who Sound | 7:00 PM
Lawndale Art Center | 4912 Main St
You know the drill: You’ve got two sets to enjoy from some heavy hitters. First up is the trio of David Dove, Carmina Escobar, and Joe McPhee. They’re followed by the collaboration of Israel McCloud and Jawwaad Taylor. If you’ve yet to make it to a T,WS, what are you waiting for?
Tuesday, 10/14
The Moth | 7:00 PM
Lambert Hall | 1703 Heights Blvd
If you love hearing strangers tell stories, this is your time to shine. Whether you’ve got a story to share or just want to be a voyeur into the lives of others, this open mic event is your chance. This iteration centers around the ideas of disguises and their consequences - oooh spooky!
Poetry Reading | 7:00 PM
Basket Books | 115 Hyde Park Blvd
Basket’s back (alright! - Backstreet Boys reference for you) with a poetry reading featuring the works of Theodora Ziolkowski & Luisa Muradyan. If you want your storytelling a little more literary, this is the stop for you.
Wednesday, 10/15
Houston Cinema Arts Festival Lineup Release Party | 7:00 PM
ARTECHOUSE | 600 W. 6th St
Join HCAF for the lineup release of this year’s festival. The actual festival occurs in November, but you can hoot and holler in support of your favorite filmmakers this week.
Thursday, 10/16
Community Visions: A Houston Arts Mixer | 6:00 PM
Silver Street Studios | 2000 Edwards St
Mix it up with the organizers of FotoFest and other spaces that participate in the biennials among the work of Hillerbrand+Magsamen’s survey exhibition. The goal is to bring together artists and arts professionals for an opportunity to meet, get a little lit, see art, and find out what’s happening across Houston’s arts community.
Friday, 10/17
Gao Hang, ‘Pikachu,’ 2025. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy the artist.
Opening: 'The House of Pikachu: Art, Anime, and Pop Culture' | 6:00 PM
Asia Society | 1370 Southmore Blvd
This event is currently listed as at capacity with preference given to those who registered early, but this show is surely worth a roll of the dice. The exhibition The House of Pikachu centers anime as an iconic style that started in Japan but has gained a global reach. It features works by artists the world over, including Houston’s own Gao Hang and Trenton Doyle Hancock.
Opening: Ann Johnson: Still Here | 6:00 PM
FLATS | 2402 Montrose Blvd
Ann Johnson has a beautiful approach to printmaking, applying intricate designs to delicate materials as she centers and handles equally delicate subject matters with aplomb. Still Here highlights a series Johnson developed around Freedmen’s Town as culture and history continually face erasure.
Saturday, 10/18
Round 59 Opening + Community Market | 4:00 PM
Project Row Houses | 2521 Holman St
This round of installations is all about the root of PRH’s mission: enriching the community through artistic exploration and empowerment. Round 59 features work by Crystal Coulter, Harrison Guy, Lau de Leon, Morgan Newton, Jaylen Pigford, Mitchell Reece, and Corey Sherrard Jr., and the community market that accompanies the opening is always flush with local vendors with stellar wares on offer.
Mountains Performance: H+M with Kirk Lynn | 7:00 PM
MFAH Brown Auditorium Theatre | 1001 Bissonnet St
Head over to the theatre at MFAH for a special performance by Hillerbrand+Magsamen and their collaborator Kirk Lynn. Mountains is a nonlinear narrative that makes use of a crankie to project visuals created by H+M alongside the narration of Kirk Lynn.
Sunday, 10/19
Sounds to Live By | 3:00 PM
Menil Lawn | 1533 Sul Ross St
End your weekend with the well-curated vibes of an afternoon on the Menil lawn as local legends spin vinyl at this annual outdoor listening event organized by Peter Lucas. This year’s guest participants include Jamire Williams, Jamal Cyrus, Tierney Malone, Jackson Allers, Gracie Chavez, and Jason Woods (Flash Gordon Parks).
