Category: Blog

Collector loans Stradivarius violin to the Shepherd School of Music

Clara Saitkoulov plays the 1687 Kubelik Stradivarius violin. Photo credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University 

When Clara Saitkoulov played her first notes on a rare Stradivarius violin, she said something special happened.

“I just put my bow on the violin, you know, and tried it for 15 seconds. And I just thought, Wow, this is something amazing,” she said in a video. “As I was playing, you know, my heart started to speed up. It’s like when you fall in love.”

Saitkoulov, a graduate student, will be the first student at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music to use the 1687 Kubelik Stradivarius violin, newly on loan to the school by its owner Peter Naimoli.

Naimoli, a Texas-based collector and an amateur musician, was interested in lending the violin to a music school, so that the instrument would not just sit on a shelf but could be used for music-making to the benefit of students.

He chose Rice, following encouragement from his friend, Shepherd School alumnus Geoffrey Herd, which led to further talks with violin professor Paul Kantor and former dean Robert Yekovich.

Clara Saitkoulov performs “Jingle Bells” on the 1687 Kubelik Stradivarius with James Palmer, pianist and doctoral student, and Alex Garde, percussionist and graduate student.

Prized for their quality of sound, physical beauty, and construction, violins by the legendary 17th and 18th century craftsman Antonio Stradivari are considered some of the finest string instruments ever created.

It is estimated that Stradivari produced around 1,100 instruments, including violins, violas, cellos, guitars, and harps. Only around 650 instruments survive today.

Though Rice University is not publicly sharing the value of the 1687 Kubelik, Stradivarius violins range in value from hundreds of thousands to several million.

“The pinnacle of incredible, old instruments – Italian instruments – is of course Stradivari,” said Matthew Loden, Dean of the Shepherd School, in a video.

“The fact that we actually have the opportunity for our students to get their hands on one of these instruments, and to perform, live with it, practice on it, concertize on it, that’s just extraordinary. Those kinds of opportunities are incredibly rare,” said Loden.

The Stradivarius will be on loan indefinitely to the Shepherd School, where violin faculty will choose a different student each year to use the instrument.

Saitkoulov was selected “because her truly remarkable talent, skill, and dedication to her craft stand out even among the brightest talent,” said Rice University in an email.

A winner of the 2021 Shepherd School Concerto Competition, Saitkoulov will perform Karol Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35 on the instrument with the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra on April 1, 2022 in Stude Concert Hall.

Saitkoulov is a student of violin professor, Cho-Liang Lin, who performs on the 1715 “Titian” Stradivarius and who remarked that a special instrument empowers a performer onstage not just artistically but also mentally.

“When you have a great Stradivarius violin in your hand, it’s an instant boost of confidence, that extra something that no studio lessons or practicing can ever deliver,” said Lin in a press release.

“And when you hold it and you start to make a sound with it, it’s different,” he said. “And it’s magic. I don’t know how else to describe it, except it’s like the biggest boost of confidence any performer can have.”

How is COVID-19 affecting Houston’s holiday performing arts?

Delphi Borich as Ariel in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” from Theatre Under The Stars, which has canceled remaining performances of the show due to COVID / photo credit: Melissa Taylor

This article has been updated to reflect developments [12/22/21, 9:30pm]

As the U.S. faces a new wave of COVID – fueled by the highly transmissible omicron variant, making up 73% of new infections last week, according to the CDC – NPR reported via The Associated Press:

Many stages on both Broadway and the West End have been forced to go dark once more as the live theater community grapples with backstage outbreaks of the coronavirus and its variants, temporarily closing everything from London’s revival of Cabaret starring Eddie Redmayne to mighty Hamilton in New York.

At one point last week, according to the report, five of 32 Broadway shows were dealing with canceled performances. This week, producers of the Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill announced that it would close that show because of multiple positive COVID-19 cases within the company.

Update: Today NPR reported that nine Broadway musicals have announced that they will be on haitus until after Christmas because of breakthrough infections.

Here in Houston – where hospital officials say that positive omicron cases are doubling every two to three days and the Harris County threat level has been raised to “orange” (significant) as of Monday – local performing arts groups have been impacted by COVID. So far there have not been a large number of canceled performances or productions, though the situation is developing.

The only production that has closed, based on Houston Arts Journal’s review of local companies, is Disney’s The Little Mermaid by Theatre Under The Stars.

Originally scheduled to run through December 24 at The Hobby Center, TUTS announced on December 20, that it would cancel all remaining performances due to COVID among cast and crew:

Update: This evening, the Ensemble Theatre announced that breakthrough COVID cases have forced the company to cancel the December 23 performance of A Motown Christmas – with remaining performances in the run to be determined.

Last week, Stages Theatre canceled performances of Panto Little Mermaid because of a positive COVID test in the cast, according to an email from Dancie Perugini Ware Public Relations. That production has now been cleared to resume on December 22 and will continue, with additional shows scheduled, through January 2.

Stages’ concurrent production of Sister’s Christmas Catechism has not been disrupted and continues to run as scheduled through December 31.

Another show that has coped with COVID is A Christmas Carol at The Alley Theatre, which canceled performances on December 19:

The Alley has since resumed its scheduled run of A Christmas Carol through December 29.

Among other local holiday offerings, the following productions are currently running without disruption:

You can find COVID safety protocol for each company on their respective websites.

Read more here:

COVID surge cancels Houston theater performances, basketball games and holiday parties (via Houston Chronicle)

Latest COVID surge hits Broadway duruing the lucrative holiday season (via NPR)

Local artist produces a docuseries on the African diaspora in Houston

Poet Ayokunle Falomo is featured in Loyce Gayo’s “By Way Of, Houston“

A 2016 article by the Kinder Institute reported that roughly 61,000 African-born people were living in Greater Houston. That community made up about 4.5% of the city’s foreign-born population at the time, described as a “small” but “growing and increasingly visible group here and across the country.”

Indeed, according to the Migration Policy Institute, African immigrants had the highest growth rate (82%) among the city’s immigrant population between 2010 and 2017, and with more recent data suggesting closer to 90,000 individuals in the region.

Poet, educator, and filmmaker Loyce Gayo points out that behind these numbers are multitudes of stories and nuanced understandings of what it means to be an immigrant, to experience both estrangement and belonging, to find home – to shape, and be shaped by, Houston.

Gayo set out to explore and document stories of the African diaspora in Houston, with funding from a grant from the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs through the Houston Arts Alliance.

The resulting project is By Way Of, Houston, a docuseries that profiles five local African immigrants.

It will be shown in a free screening, followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, on Friday, December 17 at 6:30pm at the SAiD Institute. Gayo also plans to archive each episode online in the future.

Houston Arts Journal reached out to Loyce Gayo for the following interview.

Loyce Gayo / photo credit: Hakeem Adewumi

Can you tell me a little bit about the story behind this project? How did you come up with the idea and why did you want to do it?

I have been closely studying how African immigrants negotiate belonging in Houston ever since I moved here from Tanzania in 2007. From being able to easily source ingredients for a traditional Tanzanian dish to singing Swahili hymnals in church, Houston afforded me, and many like me, the material conditions to feel at home in a foreign place. I wanted to capture that magic in this project. 

Tell me about the Houstonians you profiled and why you chose them.

I profiled five incredible individuals, Ayokunle Falomo, a poet; Nneka Stefania Achapu, a political strategist; Chukwunonso Ofili, a painter and comedian; and Martins Amune and Anita Okpobiri.

I selected each person because of their unique perspectives on the African Diasporic experience: Ayo’s experience living in Southwest Houston largely informs his poetry. Nneka works closely in the Black immigrant justice movement in Texas and spoke about how local policies influence African immigrants. Martins and Anita spoke about how customs and tradition influence their dating life. And Ofili spoke about the City supporting his work as a visual artist through financial opportunities.

A 2016 article by the Kinder Institute shares the views of sociologist Anima Adjepong: “Even though Houston’s African immigrant community contains a variety of ethnicities and languages, argues Adjepong, once those immigrants arrive here, they form a common identity. ‘In spaces such as African grocery stores, strangers develop community as African, through shared experiences of estrangement from home, and their need for that space,’ Adjepong said.”

I just wanted to bring in that context to set up my asking you for your thoughts on “home” and “belonging.” What did you learn about those notions from your interviewees?

To a certain extent the sentiment of a common identity is true. There is often a far-reaching sense of kinship, especially in religious spaces, but what I gathered from my interviews was a desire to add nuance and complexity to the common Diasporic identity we know. 

Another thing that was emphasized in my conversations was how that commonality doesn’t translate to organizing towards collective political power.

Clip from Loyce Gayo’s “By Way Of, Houston”

As part of Ayokunle Falomo’s profile, he reads his poem “S.W.A.T, ALWAYS,” an ode to Southwest Alief Texas.

On social media, you wrote: “This poem beautifully captures what it is like living in Southwest Houston, the city’s international district, and where many African immigrants live!” Would you say more about how that poem resonates with you?

I can’t think of a single African immigrant who doesn’t have some relationship to Southwest Houston. When my mother first moved to Houston, we lived in Pasadena but traveled every week to the international church on Beechnut. We bought our sambusas at the halal store on Hillcroft. We bought our clothes and fragrances at the shops on Harwin. Southwest Houston is the backdrop to virtually all African diasporic experiences. 

Was there another moment, or story, in the docuseries that particularly moved – or surprised – you?

I was really moved by Nneka’s comment [in the video below] on the local ordinance affecting the Southwest stretch of Bissonnet. There are a lot of things to celebrate about this city and its ability to accommodate people of all walks of life, but if politicians don’t listen to and work to meet the needs of especially those on the margins of our community, Houston stands to lose the very magic that makes this city special! 

You’re an accomplished poet and performer – was this your first foray into filmmaking?  Did you experiment visually to add to the storytelling?

Yes, this was my first venture into filmmaking! It was both incredibly terrifying and exhilarating. The best part of the entire process was the conversation. I worked really hard to curate a space and thought-provoking questions that promoted deep reflection and vulnerability. I desperately hope the work honors each story shared.

I really wanted to try my hand at a different form of storytelling. The use of split-screen in non-fiction filmmaking is very popular, and that was an experiment.

Why is it important for you to tell, and share, these stories of the African diaspora in Houston?  Does this moment in history – in this time of a global pandemic, political divide, and social unrest – give it more urgency?

My recent Google search of “african immigrants houston” yielded results on travel bans due to the new COVID variant, and reports of “illegal immigration.” The ever-nuanced and complex lives of African immigrants in this city (and ultimately, even their unique needs) go unmentioned and unrepresented! There is an urgent need not to just tell these stories, but use these perspectives to galvanize and collectively organize. 

Clip from Loyce Gayo’s “By Way Of, Houston”


Shepherd School of Music welcomes a new flute professor

Marianne Gedigian / courtesy of Rice University

Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music has appointed flutist Marianne Gedigian to the faculty. She begins her official role after the next academic year, starting July 1, 2023.

Gedigian will follow in the footsteps of Leone Buyse, her former mentor and longtime Shepherd School flute professor, after she retires at the end of the 2022-2023 year.

In a press release, Buyse described Gedigian as “an extremely perceptive musician, a virtuoso performer, and an empathetic teacher with an uncanny ability to analyze problems and inspire solutions.”

“We have known each other since her days as a student in Boston,” said Buyse. “It has been a great delight for me to follow the evolution of her career as an orchestral musician, soloist, chamber music player, and professor.”

An international concert flutist, recording artist, and noted educator, Gedigian is currently a professor of flute at the University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music, where she has taught since 2004.

Gedigian established her career in Boston, earning her bachelor’s degree in flute performance at Boston University and later joining the faculty of BU as well as the Boston Conservatory. During her Boston days, she met Buyse, with whom she studied at the New England Conservatory.

While Buyse would join Rice’s Shepherd School in the mid-1990s, Gedigian would continue her concert career for a while longer in Boston, performing for more than a decade with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She also served as principal flute with the city’s major arts organizations, including the Boston Pops, Opera Company of Boston, Musica Viva, Boston Chamber Music Society, and the Boston Ballet Orchestra. 

Her solo performances, recitals, and master classes have taken her to Australia, Armenia, Canada, China, England, Japan, and throughout Europe.

In addition, Gedigian has performed on several John Williams movie scores, including Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List, and has numerous recording credits on major labels.

During the 2022-2023 school year, leading up to her formal appointment, Gedigian will reunite with Buyse as they work together to coach students and prepare them for the change in flute studio leadership.

“Leone is a source of inspiration as my mentor and in bridging the worlds of performer to artist-faculty,” Gedigian said in a statement. “Our close collegial relationship will prove invaluable in facilitating a seamless transition for the students.”

‘The Snowy Day’ continues Houston Grand Opera’s efforts in recent decades to tell more inclusive stories

L-R: Andres Acosta, Cory McGee, Raven McMillon and Nicolas Newton in Houston Grand Opera’s “The Snowy Day / Lynn Lane Photography

While New York’s Metropolitan Opera achieved a major milestone this fall by presenting Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, making it the first opera by a Black composer ever performed in Met history, Houston Grand Opera has presented four operas by Black composers: Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha (1976, 1981), Leroy Jenkins’ The Mother of Three Sons (1992), Damien Sneed’s Marian’s Song (2020, 2021) – and now the World Premiere of Joel Thompson’s The Snowy Day, based on the classic children’s book by Ezra Jack Keats.

This points to the trend in the company’s 66-year history, in particular in recent decades, of engaging in efforts towards diversity and inclusion in opera.

As shown by data shared with Houston Arts Journal, Houston Grand Opera has also staged five operas by Asian composers and six by Hispanic composers – including Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, the world’s first mariachi opera.

Most of those operas were commissioned by HGOco, an initiative started by the company in 2007 with the intention of producing new works that center the diversity of Houston.

Marian’s Song, an HGOco commission inspired by the life of Marian Anderson, was produced by the Black artistic team of composer Damien Sneed, librettist Deborah DEEP Mouton, and director Dennis Whitehead Darling. The Snowy Day marks the company’s first mainstage production by a Black composer and librettist team, that of Joel Thompson and Andrea Davis Pickney.

The company’s trend points not only to more stories about diverse communities but also the creation of those stories by members of those communities.

Houston Grand Opera’s track record stands out when compared to other major U.S. opera houses, such as the Met, and other performing arts industries, such as Broadway – where 100% of Broadway musicals were led by white directors in the 2018-19 season, including shows written by BIPOC writers and/or about the BIPOC experience, according to the Visibility Report from the Asian American Performers Action Coalition.

Librettist Andrea Davis Pinkney and composer Joel Thompson during a 2019 workshop for “The Snowy Day” / courtesy of Houston Grand Opera

Inclusion overlaps with accessibility – in order to include as many stories and audience members as possible, you have to make opera easier to find, learn about, and afford.

Houston Grand Opera had already begun experimenting with digital operas pre-pandemic by producing a series of mini opera films for YouTube. But COVID-19 lockdowns and social-distancing would force opera companies across Texas to commit to digital offerings, with the Houston company expanding its efforts into HGO Digital – a virtual platform for presenting an entire season of programming, mostly free of charge, which has continued into this season.

This innovation of the pandemic has now led to another first in the company’s history: the free, online presentation of a live opening night performance. Houston Grand Opera live-streamed the World Premiere of The Snowy Day on December 9. That performance will remain on their website through January 8, 2022, with only registration required for viewing.

“It’s thrilling not only to be able to see all of you here back in the Wortham, but to be able to share this evening with a global audience watching online,” said Khori Dastoor, HGO General Director and CEO, in opening night remarks from the stage.

“Just like the snowball that Peter [in The Snowy Day] tries to save in his pocket, live theater is ephemeral. But thanks to technology, we get to hold tonight’s performance in our pockets forever,” Dastoor said.

For an opera that has the potential to introduce more children, families, and communities than ever to the art form, that kind of lasting impression – and impact – just might be possible.

Read more here:

Houston Grand Opera’s ‘The Snowy Day’ Celebrates Black Joy (via Texas Monthly)

‘The Snowy Day,’ a Children’s Classic, Becomes an Opera (via The New York Times)

Raven McMillon in Houston Grand Opera’s “The Snowy Day” / Lynn Lane Photography

Meet Avalon Hogans, Houston Youth Poet Laureate

Avalon Hogans / Courtesy of Writers in the Schools

Writer, activist, and senior at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Avalon Hogans was recently appointed Houston’s sixth Youth Poet Laureate. She will serve from fall 2021 – fall 2022 and receive a $1000 scholarship.

During her tenure, Hogans will create and implement a civic engagement project. Past youth poet laureate projects have included reading series, workshops, book drives, and podcasts. Hogans will work with Houston Poet Laureate Emanuelee “Outspoken” Bean to develop her own project to serve the community. The position also aims to empower young people and to address a social issue through poetry.

Houston has the longest-running citywide youth poet laureate program in Texas. Since 2016, the city has appointed a teen poet in the position, which is sponsored by Writers in the Schools, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and Houston Public Library. The adult counterpart, the position of Houston Poet Laureate, was created in 2013.

Houston Arts Journal reached out to Avalon Hogans for the following interview and permission to print her poem “Big Red Road.”

Avalon Hogans with her parents, Marvin and Bristy Hogans, at the Houston Youth Poet Laureate ceremony, November 17, 2021 at Writers in the Schools / photo by Bhavin Misra

When, and how, did you fall in love with poetry?

I fell in love with poetry in middle school. Back then, I would use poetry as an outlet for my angsty emotions. I remember in eighth grade, I got really into reading verse novels like Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson and Solo by Kwame Alexander. But it was The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo that I was truly in love with. At 14 years old, that novel heavily influenced my writing style and my love for writing.

I remember I started writing poems inspired by Acevedo’s, and I would share them on my Instagram at the time. My friends would reshare my poems and give me positive feedback. It was such an amazing and affirming feeling as a young aspiring poet to evoke feelings from others using my writing, even if it was just on a small scale.

How would you describe the kind of poems you write and themes you’re interested in?

I would describe the kind of poems I write as authoritative, identity-based, and charged. Most of the poetry I choose to share and/or perform center themes of Black pride, womanism, anti-racism, and social change. 

How does a poem begin for you? Do you have any writing rituals?

I don’t have any specific writing rituals. My poems typically begin with a brain dump on a blank Google Docs page or in my notebook. I prefer to write a poem all at once with minimal distractions. Usually, I have Thesaurus.com and my Kendrick Lamar playlist on deck in case I’m needing some extra inspiration.

What are your plans as Houston Youth Poet Laureate?  Will you have a specific project?

As Houston Youth Poet Laureate, I’m currently in the running for Regional Youth Poet Laureate and I’m planning out my service project. So yes, I will have a project. I’m very excited to work on it. I plan on centering it around teaching anti-bias and anti-racist practices. I love teaching. I’ve taught middle schoolers and elementary students creative writing and artivism through volunteer programs at my school, and it has always left me feeling fulfilled. I just want to be able to give as many people as possible the resources, awareness, and courage it takes to be an artist, ally and/or activist.

Avalon Hogans performing at the Houston Youth Poet Laureate ceremony / photo by Bhavin Misra

Why do you think poetry is important – why should people read or write it? 

Poetry is important because it unifies people through emotion and experience. Spoken word poetry has the power to create change because it commands and demands ears. Written poetry has the power to create change because it requires patience and consideration. This art form makes people listen and think. People should read poetry to listen to new ideas, and people should write poetry to share their own.

Has the pandemic impacted you as poet?

The pandemic has taught me how to be patient and flexible with sharing my craft. While it was uncomfortable performing spoken word to a mass of silent, staring video squares, I was able to adapt. I collaborated with many local advocacy groups for virtual fundraisers, info sessions, and rallies. I taught writing skills to younger students virtually. I had more time to read. During the pandemic, I wrote a lot of poems that I couldn’t perform or workshop, but I believe that taught me the significance of self-critiquing, revision, and it gave me time to plan ahead for future live readings.

Regarding “Big Red Road,” could you tell me a little bit about what inspired this poem?  If there is a story behind it, I’d love to hear.

I wrote “BIG RED ROAD” in June of 2020 during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. This was a time when George Floyd’s name was trending, and protests were occurring in most major cities. I felt compelled to write this piece as an attempt to express my feelings of grief and anger. A friend of mine helped me revise this, and I shared it on social media. I captioned this poem saying, “Red represents destruction, both good and bad. Because it takes destruction in order to rebuild. And we have a lot of rebuilding to do.”

BIG RED ROAD
By Avalon Hogans

it’s taking no peace
to know peace.

our lives are prizes
for easy prices
in their eyes.

but what they don’t know is,
our Red is coming,
and they won’t be able to catch us
after the pride stampedes.

i see Red in their vile souls;
i see Red in the streets.
big Red road where
the intersection meets.

big Red fire trucks,
big Red graffiti.
big Red anger
marching through the city.

Red eyes over blue uniforms
and the 99 sheep.

blood on my fallen
brothers and sisters.

it’s taking no peace
to know peace.

the power hungry
can’t tell right from wrong;
blinded by privilege and
deaf to kendrick songs.

but only justice can
relieve the Red away.
ignore our voices,
and Red is here to stay.

it’s taking no peace
to know peace.

loud Red static
all around the nation.
take a step back, america,
and look at your creation.

Houston’s first BIPOC book festival is in the works

The Houston BIPOC Book Fest is planned for spring 2022.

Houston journalists Brittany Britto Garley, Jaundrea Clay, and Brooke Lewis are organizing the city’s first BIPOC Book Fest.

Scheduled for spring 2022, the festival is planned as a two-day event centered on writers of color and literary works that feature Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and members of other marginalized communities, according to its website.

Organizers will collaborate with writers and readers to curate artist talks, readings, vendors, and literary memorabilia, inspired by the spirit of book fairs.

“Houston is my hometown. It’s a city full of rich culture and diverse backgrounds that I love deeply,” said Brooke Lewis in a tweet. “Houston also represents the America of today. That’s why we know Houston is the perfect spot to host a festival that celebrates diversity in literature.”

While the BIPOC Book Fest will be the first of its kind in the city, Houston has seen notable efforts to support writers of color, locally and nationally – a testament to its diverse literary scene.

The University of Houston is home to Arte Público Press, the oldest and largest Hispanic publisher in the U.S., and the recently-established Puerto Rican Literature Project, which aims to be the most comprehensive digital archive of its kind when fully launched.

Other initiatives in Houston include The Colony, a summit for writers of color founded by poet Deborah DEEP Mouton; Tintero Projects, a grassroots organization that provides opportunities for Texas Gulf Coast-based Latinx writers; and Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say, a longtime literary group and radio show founded by writer-activist Tony Diaz

“I know how important it is to see books with characters that look like me in them,” Lewis said in a tweet. “Representation matters, and we hope all who come to this festival can leave seeing a piece of themselves, but also walk away with knowledge of other cultures and backgrounds.”

BIPOC Book Fest organizers see a link between representation in literature and literacy rates, citing studies that indicate that Black and Hispanic adults are more likely to have lower literacy skills and reading habits, along with an analysis of children’s books in 2020 that showed that only 8% were written by Black authors and 12% centered Black characters, while 7% were by Latinx authors and 6% were about Latinx characters.

With literacy a key motivator behind the festival, organizers say they hope to make reading more inclusive, in an effort to impact local academic success, political engagement, and the economy.

The festival will also aim to bring awareness to BIPOC-led publishers and independent bookstores through local and regional partnerships with Kindred Stories in the Third Ward, Native-owned comic book shop Red Planet, SOA Co Books, Arte Público Press, Brazos Bookstore, and San Antonio’s Guadelupe Latino Bookstore.

Organizers are working to raise $10,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to cover costs of the festival, and have applied for a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.

Houston names a new Youth Poet Laureate, as interest in poetry grows in Texas

Emanuelee “Outspoken” Bean, Houston Poet Laureate; Avalon Hogans, Houston Youth Poet Laureate / photo by Bhavin Misra

In a ceremony on November 17 at Writers in the Schools, Avalon Hogans officially took the helm as Houston’s 2021-2022 Youth Poet Laureate.

Through a citywide application and interview process, the teen writer was selected for the position, which is a joint initiative of Writers in the Schools, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and Houston Public Library.

A senior at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Hogans is a storyteller, artist, and civil rights activist. She also volunteers as a creative writing teacher for local elementary school students. Her poetry stems from a passion for social justice, and she is “determined to change the world through her talents,” as described in a press release.

Houston’s youth poet laureate program is one of over 50 in the U.S. These programs are supported by Urban Word – the literary organization that also launched the National Youth Poet Laureate program, whose inaugural laureate was Amanda Gorman in 2017, with Alexandra Huỳnh currently serving in that role.

At a time when poetry has been on the rise nationally – with visits to Poets.org up by 30% during the pandemic, a spike in online poetry events, and the popularity of Gorman’s Presidential Inauguration poem, “The Hill We Climb” – the art form is also seeing increased interest in Texas. Both Austin and Dallas have launched youth poet laureate programs this year. Dallas has also announced a search for its first adult Dallas Poet Laureate.

In Houston, Avalon Hogans serves as the city’s sixth Youth Poet Laureate. She follows Madison Petaway (2020 – 2021), Jackson Neal (2019), Rukmini Kalamangalam (2018), Fareena Arefeen (2017), and Andrew White (2016).

During her one-year term, Hogans will work with Houston Poet Laureate, Emanuelee “Outspoken” Bean, to develop a civic engagement project to serve the community and address a social issue. Other duties include speaking and performing at city events.

Hogans will have the opportunity to apply to become National Youth Poet Laureate and to act as a youth poetry ambassador for the Southwest region.  She receives a $1000 scholarship.

Orange Show’s expanded campus aims to become a major destination for folk and outsider art

Rendering of the expanded Orange Show Center for Visionary Art / Courtesy of Rogers Partners

The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art recently announced plans for a major expansion to its campus, which will lead to more exhibition space, additional facilities, and increased programs to serve the public – and to engage community art-making.

What began as a monument in honor of a favorite fruit – from 1956 to 1980 Houston postman Jeff McKissack used common materials and found objects “to transform an East End lot into an architectural maze of walkways, balconies, arenas and exhibits decorated with mosaics and brightly painted iron figures” – became the Orange Show Center in 1982.

The Center restored and preserved the monument, then later acquired the Beer Can House and developed Smither Park, a mosaic art-adorned green space. Since 1988, it has also produced Houston’s annual Art Car Parade.

Earning its reputation over the decades as a hub for folk art activity in Houston, the Orange Show has also been nationally recognized a “temple for outsider art,” most recently by GQ Magazine.

Rendering of the expanded Orange Show Center for Visionary Art / Courtesy of Rogers Partners

The newly expanded campus – to be completed over the next five years – will aim to bring more attention to its major role in supporting self-taught art, and to widen its reach within the community and beyond.

“We want to encourage visitors not only to see the art, but to participate, make, and engage with it. This experiential environment differentiates the Orange Show from other museums or gallery spaces,” said Tommy Lee Pace, Orange Show executive director, in a statement.

Here’s what to expect from the expansion:

  • The new campus will use a 5.7 acre property acquired by the Orange Show Center in 2017.
  • It includes a 31,000-square foot warehouse building, which will be converted into a performance and exhibition space – with potential use for offices, programs, education, events, and an art library.
  • A new 800-foot ramp will be built throughout the entire campus, serving as an extended display area for art cars and a promenade for visitors.
  • The newly expanded space will be adjacent to the current Orange Show Monument, which is located at 2401 Munger Street.
  • Inclusive of the current site, the total expansion will create an 8-acre campus that will seque into the nearby Fonde Park.
Rendering of Smither Park’s Mosaic Alley / Courtesy of Rogers Partners
  • Smither Park will “nearly double in size thanks to a new ‘Mosaic Alley’ … [and] the public will be encouraged to contribute to the ongoing mosaic project,” according to reporting by Glasstire.
  • The projected timeline is a 2026 public opening.
  • Rogers Partners, a New York-based architectural firm with offices in Houston, will lead the design project.

Read more here:

Houston’s Orange Show Announces Major Expansion (via Glasstire)

Houston’s beloved Orange Show reveals vivid expansion of vibrant headquarters (via CultureMap Houston)

Houston’s Orange Show Center announces expansion to 8 acres of vibrant art cars, creative displays (via Houston Chronicle)

Rendering of the Orange Show Monument / Courtesy of Rogers Partners

$62,500 in grants awarded to local artists show wide range of projects in Houston

The Little Girl in the Lion’s Den by Tierney Malone, part of The Sankofa Project at Lawndale Art Center / photo from LawndaleArtsCenter.org

The latest round of grants from the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) has awarded a total of $62,500 to 12 artists and nonprofits.

Even as the pandemic continues and artists face challenges, the grants reveal that a wide range of art-making persists in the city, including efforts to work toward social justice, mental health, racial equality, and a greater engagement of local communities.

Grant recipients’ projects involve subjects and genres often rooted in Houston – including community storytelling inspired by the life and childhood of George Floyd, meditation through music in Indo-American traditions, performance art in Third Ward, pop-up theater in Acres Homes, and outdoor cinema showcasing works by underrepresented filmmakers, as well as land art and hip hop.

Seven recipients were awarded $2,500 each through Let Creativity Happen! Digital, a grant program that launched in April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It supports projects reimagined in a virtual format or that use digital technology to engage audiences.

Four recipients were awarded $10,000 each, and a fifth recipient awarded $5,000, through the City Initiative grant program, which is in its third round of the year. This program seeks to use the arts to strengthen the city, as it reopens from the pandemic. Projects support cultural tourism, sustainability, and community resilience.

“The arts helped the city flourish and enlightened the lives of our citizens during the pandemic,” said Necole S. Irvin, MOCA Director, in a press release.

“As we continue to recover, we know that the city’s continued support of the creative sector and communities’ support of cultural activities is integral to building back our economy,” said Irvin.

Houston Arts Alliance administers the grants, which are funded by a portion of the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax.

The Orange Show Media Project will document performances by Houston artists in front of live audiences at the Orange Show’s historic properties. / photo from OrangeShow.org

The following list with descriptions of grant recipients was provided by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

The seven awardees for the “Let Creativity Happen! Digital” grants are:

George Floyd Childhood in the Cuney Homes
By Crystal Toussant
District B
Mack Performing Arts Collective (MPAC)
Children and residents of Cuney Homes will share stories of growing up in a low-income housing development where many deal with hard times and social injustice. They will explore the life and childhood of George Floyd and use him as inspiration. MPAC members along with the participants will be using texts, lighting, costumes, make-up, and scenery to bring their stories to life.
 
Online Classes Using Art to Support Mental Health
By Andria Frankfort
District C
C G Jung Educational Center of Houston, Texas
Unique in the United States, The Jung Center offers year-round, live-streamed and online classes that employ the arts in supporting the mental health of the community. Two-thirds of their programming is open to the public, while the other third is designed specifically to bring healing arts to support the mental health of social service providers, frontline workers, teachers, nonprofit employees, healthcare workers, and others. Their public-facing programming is taught by psychotherapists, book and film group facilitators, improv actors, musicians, a children’s art therapist, and others. The Online Activation Form includes an incomplete list of public arts programming currently scheduled for Fall 2021: times are to be determined. More classes will be scheduled for the fall as well as for Spring and Summer 2022.
 
Be-Longing
By Mariela Dominguez
District C
Mariela Dominguez will choose an object to be the trigger for a story of a journey that evokes uprooting and regeneration. A set of four videos presents the stories between two speakers, one, the issue of a mother tongue as the other represents the mediator who personifies a new local generation that articulates the dominant English language. This material object evokes cultural ties that are seemingly enigmatic to everyone except those who retain their mother tongue. The development of a set of four videos with English subtitles is projected and additionally, various audiovisual resources will be included.
 
SUKOON: Tranquility Thru Music
By Sheetal Bedi
District C
Indo-American Association (IAA)
Sukoon is an Urdu/Hindi word which translates to calm, peace, relief, serenity, tranquility, and wholeness. Through this project, IAA will endeavor to bring great sukoon and tranquility to digital audiences. Patrons have come to deeply value IAA’s digital concerts at a time of tremendous isolation and loneliness. The Sukoon project will give an opportunity to emerging artists to showcase their ability to connect digital audiences to a meditative space where tranquility can be found at the individual level, even for a few minutes. This will be presented through IAA’s social media platforms.
 
The Sankofa Project and its Virtual Dialogues
By Stephanie Mitchell
District C
Lawndale Art and Performance Center
The Sankofa Project brings light to the events that have been censored or ignored in historical narratives and reinforced the racial oppression of Black Americans. A free Zoom conversation between the artist and collaborating scholar or historian will be held and deepen the conversation on race and inequality and educate the community. These dialogues will be available post-event via Lawndale’s website and social media along with exhibition documentation and materials for public accessibility.
 
Mindful In This Moment
By Nathan Edwards
District D
On a clear morning in February 2022, Nathan Edwards will film a live installation around the theme of meditation. 50 black men and women dressed in monochromatic pastel colors will meet at a Houston park for a staged, live, one-hour installation/meditation that will be filmed, edited, and shared online.
 
Orange Show Media Project
By Sara Kellner
District I
Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
The Orange Show Media Project is a partnership with SWAMP and its young filmmakers to document five intimate performances by visionary Houston artists in front of live audiences at the Orange Show’s historic properties. These will be live streamed weekly starting July 4, 2022.

“Symbiosis” by Cindee Travis Klement is a work of living land art that introduces local color, texture, and variation through a variety of native plants / photo from LawndaleArtCenter.org

 
The 5 awardees for the “City Initiative” grants are:
 
Christmas in the 44: An Urban Christmas Tale
By Norma Thomas
District B
Christmas in the 44: An Urban Christmas Tale (UCT) brings theatre to Acres Homes community in more ways than one. UCT is “takin’ it to the streets!” Staged outside local businesses along the 4 major Acres Homes throughfares, festive tableau style scenarios, much like department store holiday window displays and the live nativity scenes of old, will delight passers-by, create community celebration, and foster holiday spirit.

Scott @ X
By Andrew Davis
District C
Scott @ X proposes a new way of engaging communities with performance art. Throughout November 2021, weekly Sunday performances will occur along Metro Rail stops in Third Ward; with the opening performance at the Leeland/Third Ward stop and closing performance at MacGregor Park/Martin Luther King, Jr. stop. The audience will be able to engage with the performance on site as well as virtually through Twitch using QR codes posted at the Metro Rail stops.

2 Post Cinema
By Britt Thomas
District C
2 Post Cinema is a neighborhood outdoor cinema set to open in November 2021. It will showcase contemporary film and video art created by underrepresented artists and filmmakers. Utilizing the non-obstructed view, they have of T.C. Jester Park’s parking lot from their property, Britt and Prince Thomas will erect a large, retractable rear-projected film screen in their backyard while relaying sound via radio transmission to viewers’ car stereos. 2 Post Cinema is a free, publicly accessible catalyst for bringing together our diverse community via the arts in a safe, socially distanced manner.

Cindee Travis Klement: Symbiosis
By Lawndale Art and Performance Center
District C
Cindee Travis Klement’s Symbiosis is a work of living land art in Mary E. Bawden Sculpture Garden at Lawndale Art and Performance Center, which introduces a variety of native plants to immerse the community in and educate them on the possibility of a more regenerative, sustainable future.

Swisha House: Rollin’ & Burnin’ Since ‘97
By Henry Guidry
District D
With millions of records sold, several Grammy nominated artists and the first record label/music genre to be archived in Rice University’s Fondren Library, Swishahouse has been a staple in the Houston hip hop scene since the mid-90’s. This event, held in East Downtown Houston at 8th Wonder Brewery, will exhibit items from the Rice archive, CD & mixtape covers and never-seen-before photos. The exhibit will simultaneously highlight the impact Swishahouse has made on the hip hop genre while introducing to many, and reinforcing to others, the significance of Swishahouse on the Southern hip-hop movement.