The Hidden Agenda: Just the Beginning
This week brings a number of unique cultural events, including live jazz in Buffalo Bayou Park, BOX 13 ArtSpace’s annual fundraiser, an art market at Galveston Arts Center, and an exhibition organized by Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s Teacher Advisory Group.
Thursday, May 8
Lecture — Eileen Costello on Bernice Berend Rose
Menil Drawing Institute
In celebration of the life of drawing curator Bernice Berend Rose (1935-2023), the Menil Drawing Institute (1412 W. Main St.) hosts a talk by Eileen Costello, historian of modern and contemporary art and project manager of the Ellsworth Kelly catalogue raisonné. Rose, a groundbreaking scholar of contemporary drawing, served as the inaugural chief curator for the Institute. The talk, which runs from 7 to 8 p.m., is free and open to the public. Following the lecture, a selection of drawings will be on view in the Janie C. Lee Drawing Room.
Friday, May 9
The Threat of Joy at Eldorado Ballroom.
Artwork Courtesy Felipe Contreras and Spring Woods High School.
Opening Reception — Threat of Joy: Teacher Advisory Group Exhibition
Eldorado Ballroom
Celebrate the opening of Threat of Joy, the fourth annual exhibition organized by Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s Teacher Advisory Group. Organized by 15 Houston-area art teachers, the exhibition showcases their art practice alongside that of their students. This collaborative exhibition is based on the use of joy as a powerful tool and as a form of rebellion, illustrated through paintings, textiles, drawings, animations, and interactive installations. The opening reception for the exhibition at the historic Eldorado Ballroom (2310 Elgin St.) — which is on view through May 25 — runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and features performances by students from Bellaire High School and Lamar High School. The event is free to attend but registration is required.
Saturday, May 10
Discussion — Shane Lavalette in Conversation with Jon Evans
Inman Gallery
Starting in 2010, photographer Shane Lavalette was commissioned by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta to create a new series for their 2012 exhibition, Picturing the South. His exhibition One Sun, One Shadow — on view at Inman Gallery (3901 Main St.) through May 31 — is an extension of this body of work. As a native Northeasterner, Lavalette primarily formed a relationship with the South through traditional music — old time, blues, and gospel — and the resulting photographs delicately convey this perspective. At 4 p.m., the gallery presents a special program with Lavalette joined in conversation by Jon Evans, Chief of Libraries & Archives at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
ArtWalks Art Market
Galveston Arts Center
Presented in conjunction with the monthly Galveston ArtWalk, Galveston Arts Center (2127 Strand St.) hosts their ArtWalks Art Market from 4 to 9 p.m. The market plays host to an array of local vendors with goods ranging from ceramics, jewelry, fiber art, and live plants. Galveston’s own Songs for Lila will also perform from 6 to 8 p.m.
Empty BOX 2025
BOX 13 ArtSpace
Celebrating their 17th anniversary, BOX 13 ArtSpace (6700 Harrisburg Blvd.) presents Empty BOX 2025, their annual silent auction and fundraiser, from 7 to 10 p.m. BOX 13, a gallery that hosts studio spaces to 22 local artists, is currently scheduled to exhibit solo, group, and curated exhibitions in our 4 galleries for over 40 artists from across the country over their upcoming season. Guests have the opportunity to add work from resident artists through their silent auction and raffle drawing, both of which close at 9 p.m.
Sunday, May 11
Performance — Jazzy Sundays in the Parks: MonoNeon and APBOYZ
The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park
Grab your blankets and lawn chairs and head to The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park (105-B Sabine St.) from 5 to 7 p.m. for the latest installment of the Jazzy Sundays in the Parks series, a months-long celebration of jazz and the Houstonians who preserve the art form. This week’s concert features performances from MonoNeon, a bassist and experimental musician hailing from Memphis, and APBOYZ, a high-energy supergroup fusing jazz and hip-hop. Running every Sunday through June 1, the events also feature pop-up markets with food vendors and locally-crafted items.
