Summer Sizzlin’
And we’re back after a small summer reset! Did you miss us? While summer comes to a close for most of the states, here in the South it’s still hotter than Texas asphalt. Be it the end of summer or the door steps of Fall, there is a vast horizon of new bold projects, events, and exhibitions. Plenty of eclectic directions for our creative minds to wander and be engulfed within. Now more than ever we could use any opportunity to reignite our hearts and souls. This week Houston has an exceptional bounty of pop ups, installations, lectures, and openings to rejuvenate the mind. Dig this assortment and I'm sure you’ll find something to wet your intellectual whistle.
Tuesday August 12th | 7pm
The Moth StorySLAM: Childish
River Oaks Theater
2009 W Gray St
Houston’s very own open mic storytelling competition starts off the week with Childish, stories of youth and feeling young. Hide and go seek in the dark, school yard rumbles, first loves, and a magical world from the untarnished eyes of a child figuring it out. Escape the heat and get lost in the excitement and melancholia of our past selves through this series of five minute stories. New faces and fresh stories await.
Thursday August 14th | 6 - 8:30pm
VIOLETTE BULE: GEOMETRIC FAILURE
Aurora Picture Show
5601a Navigation Blvd
For one night only and in their beautiful new East End home, Aurora Picture show will host a pop-up installation by artist Violette Bule. In this new project Bule will be exploring the ongoing crises and social upheaval in Venezuela, encouraging contemplation on how memory and identity are shaped, shifted, and fragmented. “The nation’s turn from a symbol of modernity to one of despair reflects a deep erosion of its identity. Kineticism, once a sign of progress, has now become one of loss and fleeting unfulfilled possibility. Bule’s time-based installation reflects on the personal and political costs of these changes, and uses stillness to symbolize Venezuela’s paralysis and decay”. We got to speak with Executive Director Sarah Stauder about this one time event, and we are as excited as they are to experience it!
Thursday August 14th | 6 - 9pm
Jaymes Earl: Roots and Rhymes:
The Cultural Ties Between African Cultures and Hip Hop
Reeves Art + Design
2415 Taft St.
Step into “Roots and Rhymes, an exhibition that celebrates the profound influence of African and hip-hop cultures through the expressive medium of string art. This collection by Houston based artist Jaymes Earl intricately weaves together vibrant threads that reflect the rhythms, colors, and narratives inspired by these rich cultures. Each piece serves as a homage to the dynamic spirit of hip-hop, echoing its boldness and creativity while drawing from traditional African patterns and storytelling.” Roots and Rhymes will be on view August 14th – August 26th
Friday August 15th | 6:30 - 7:30pm
Dance Performance “Weaves & Moves”
Museum of Fine Arts Houston
Caroline Wiess Law Building
Lose yourself to dance! Bright and visually illuminating Indian, Indonesian, and Sri Lankan dances highlight the vivid fabrics and costumes of native culture. The evening of performances is part of the current exhibition on display, “From India to the World: Textiles from the Parpia Collection.”
Saturday, August 16th | 3 - 6pm
James Conlan: Then Again
Seven Sisters
805 Rhode Pl, Suite 500
This Saturday Seven Sisters will be showcasing paintings by Houston artist James Conlan from his career in the 1970s and contemporary work. Then Again creates a core sample of these two chronological bodies of work that Conlan calls Inscapes. Described as “abstract paintings depicting the merger of land, sea, and sky, which he first explored while serving in the Peace Corp in the Marshall Islands”. The artist’s reception will feature music by jazz guitarist Stephane Badreau. A great exhibition, good company, music, and beverages sounds like a splendid Saturday excursion.
Saturday August 16th | 4 - 5pm
An Evening with Jax Neal: The Flood Becomes
Lawndale Art & Performance Center
4912 Main St.
Lawndale presents The Flood Becomes: an evening with Jax Neal this Saturday. Neal will be reading excerpts from his essays and poetry on disaster, environment, queer turmoil, and humanity. Neal reflects: “artists are known to make, to do, and—for me—to move. But, in this work, I want to do the opposite: to sit down, to undo, to remove, and to look at what is left.“ The artist deconstructs self, childhood, and the Gulf Coast’s struggle with disasters.
Sunday August 17th | 3 - 3:30pm
Curator Talk: Paul R. Davis
Between Looking and Loving: Francesca Fuchs and the de Menil House
The Menil Collection
1533 Sul Ross
Paul R. Davis, Curator of collections, discusses the nuances with Francesca Fuchs stellar solo exhibition “Between Looking and Loving”. In 1970 a letter from the Menil to Fuch’s father reveals questions of a carved torso. 49 years later Fuchs discovers black and white photographs of a mysterious stone sculpture and the investigation begins to find the story and the letter. The exhibition explores the affective power and relational histories of objects in domestic settings, especially those of the de Menil house in Houston, Texas. Truly an exploratory and riveting exhibition combining family history, a vast powerhouse collection, and memories recreated through sculpture and paintings by the artist. Join the Menil and Paul R. Davis as he ventures through this investigation of family and blurred timelines.
