Our HouArts Working Group Meetings kick off this month!

Each group will focus on one of our shared goals — storytelling, public funding, vibrant spaces, and economic opportunity — as we work together to shape Houston’s creative future. This is your chance to collaborate, exchange ideas, and help build an arts ecosystem rooted in connection and action.

*All attendees must RSVP as ID check-in is required at the Ion. 

Meeting details will be sent to those who join a working group, so be sure to join if you would like to participate.  Together, we’re moving forward — building a stronger, more connected arts ecosystem for Houston. Join us!

Kiran Desai will read from her new novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, followed by an on-stage conversation led by Houston writer Kartika Budhwar. The evening will conclude with a book sale and signing. The event is presented as part of the 2025/2026 Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series. 


Tickets and more info here

Kiran Desai is the author of novel The Inheritance of Loss, which received the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Man Booker Prize, making Desai at the time the youngest woman to be awarded the Booker and cementing her reputation as a powerful voice in postcolonial literature. According to The New Yorker, the novel, “briskly paced and sumptuously written, … ponders questions of nationhood, modernity, and class, in ways both moving and revelatory.” She is also author of Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, which The Times of London calls “so fresh and funny and delicious that it defies comparison.”

Desai joins us in Houston with her highly anticipated new book The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. The novel intertwines the lives of two young Indian writers—Sonia, an aspiring novelist returning to India from Vermont, and Sunny, a journalist navigating life in New York. Their chance encounter on a train reverberates through family entanglements, diaspora anxieties, and creative yearning. Praised by Ann Patchett as “a spectacular literary achievement – I wanted to pack a little suitcase and stay inside this book forever” and hailed as “magnificent – a masterpiece” in a starred review by Kirkus, the book navigates themes of love, generational clash, class, race, and migration.  Namwali Serpell calls it “a grand and stirring love story, written in exquisite prose.”

Black bookstores do far more than sell books. They have played a critical role in every major Black liberation movement from abolition through Black Lives Matter and beyond.

For nearly two centuries in the United States, these stores have been changemakers, meeting places, education centers, and pillars in their communities. Black bookstore owners and booksellers have broken barriers, stood up to violence and even government persecution, and reinvented themselves over and over. Now, longtime NBC News reporter Char Adams offers the first definitive history of the Black bookstore – from the first bookstore opened by an abolitionist in 1834 New York City through a fresh generation of bookshops learning to tackle a whole new set of challenges today – in BLACK-OWNED: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore (Tiny Reparations Books; pub: November 4, 2025).

Few books have focused on Black bookstores, and Adams’ BLACK-OWNED stands out as the first complete history showcasing their legacy and impact. It took Adams years to piece together a full picture of Black-owned bookstores. She visited and spoke to dozens of bookstore owners, booksellers, and icons in the Black literary world, including Clara Villarosa (Hue-Man Experience Bookstore in Denver), James Fugate (Eso Won in Los Angeles), and more. These contributors and other Black bibliophiles around the country are already buzzing about the book. 

https://www.classbookstore.com/events-1/class-bookstore-presents-a-conversation-with-char-adams

Join us for a celebration of the exhibition Shared Grounds, the culmination of partnership between Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH), Impact Leadership Academy students and teacher Mr. Toby McCraw, and Teaching Artist Carlos Mendoza.  

As part of the Teaching Artist-in-Classroom Project (TAIC) at CAMH, Mendoza worked in collaboration with the students from Impact Leadership Academy on a series of large paintings. The work features eight-foot-tall canvases, spanning more than eight panels, combining student perspectives and the Teaching Artist’s vision to explore place, memory, and the future.

There will be some light refreshments and an opportunity to hear from the students and teaching artist. This event is free to attend. RSVP is recommended. RSVP here.

Our HouArts Working Group Meetings kick off this month!

Each group will focus on one of our shared goals — storytelling, public funding, vibrant spaces, and economic opportunity — as we work together to shape Houston’s creative future. This is your chance to collaborate, exchange ideas, and help build an arts ecosystem rooted in connection and action.

Meeting details will be sent to those who join a working group, so be sure to join if you would like to participate.  Together, we’re moving forward — building a stronger, more connected arts ecosystem for Houston. Join us!

NOVEMBER 19 AND 20 | 6 PM | PITMAN CINEMA THEATRE | SUSAN AND FAYEZ SAROFIM HALL
All members of the Rice community and public are welcome.

Jelani Cobb
Dean, Graduate School of Journalism, Henry R. Luce Professor, Columbia University

A Peabody Award-winning journalist and staff writer at The New Yorker, Jelani Cobb will explore the ways in which demography is a factor in the current crisis of American democracy. In his talks, he will examine the dynamics of race and immigration, and use history as a means of contextualizing contemporary conflicts around these issues.

Wednesday, Nov. 19
“American Exceptions: Notes on Race and the Crisis of Democracy”

The United States is experiencing one of the most significant challenges to its democracy in the course of its history, one that is rooted in the primordial conflicts of race. This talk will examine the ways in which unresolved questions that date back to the nation’s founding and its most consequential conflict, the American Civil War, animate the battles that have emerged in the past decade and upended democratic traditions in the United States.

Thursday, Nov. 20
“Back Where You Came From: Immigration, Nativism and Anti-Democracy in the United States”

Amid a polarized political landscape, immigration remains the most volatile issue in American politics. The current partisan battles on this issue reflect demographic anxieties deeply rooted in American history and which offer insights into how we arrived at the present impasse. This talk will examine those themes, how they originated, what their implications have been and suggest how they may shape political and social conflict in the near future.

Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall is located on the campus of Rice University and is best reached by using Campus Entrance 8 at the intersection of University Boulevard and Stockton Drive. As you enter campus, the building is on the right. Visit the Rice website for campus maps and parking options.

https://humanities.rice.edu/campbell-lecture-series/jelani-cobb

To RSVP, email art@laurarathe.com with the subject line: RSVP - Back in Black | November 20th, 2025


More info here.

NOVEMBER 19 AND 20 | 6 PM | PITMAN CINEMA THEATRE | SUSAN AND FAYEZ SAROFIM HALL
All members of the Rice community and public are welcome.

Jelani Cobb
Dean, Graduate School of Journalism, Henry R. Luce Professor, Columbia University

A Peabody Award-winning journalist and staff writer at The New Yorker, Jelani Cobb will explore the ways in which demography is a factor in the current crisis of American democracy. In his talks, he will examine the dynamics of race and immigration, and use history as a means of contextualizing contemporary conflicts around these issues.

Thursday, Nov. 20
“Back Where You Came From: Immigration, Nativism and Anti-Democracy in the United States”

Amid a polarized political landscape, immigration remains the most volatile issue in American politics. The current partisan battles on this issue reflect demographic anxieties deeply rooted in American history and which offer insights into how we arrived at the present impasse. This talk will examine those themes, how they originated, what their implications have been and suggest how they may shape political and social conflict in the near future.

Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall is located on the campus of Rice University and is best reached by using Campus Entrance 8 at the intersection of University Boulevard and Stockton Drive. As you enter campus, the building is on the right. Visit the Rice website for campus maps and parking options.

https://humanities.rice.edu/campbell-lecture-series/jelani-cobb

We're using puzzle making as an excuse to bein community with you all!!!

RSVP here. $5 to reserve your spot and libations. 

ABOUT THE EVENT

Join us as we explore puzzles that celebrate fall energy and community spirit!

We'll provide the puzzles, trays, and drinks. We encourage bringing your favorite snacks or anything to make you feel cozy and comfortable!

Note: This event is intended for adults!

Our HouArts Working Group Meetings kick off this month!

Each group will focus on one of our shared goals — storytelling, public funding, vibrant spaces, and economic opportunity — as we work together to shape Houston’s creative future. This is your chance to collaborate, exchange ideas, and help build an arts ecosystem rooted in connection and action.

Meeting details will be sent to those who join a working group, so be sure to join if you would like to participate.  Together, we’re moving forward — building a stronger, more connected arts ecosystem for Houston. Join us!

Our HouArts Working Group Meetings kick off this month!

Each group will focus on one of our shared goals — storytelling, public funding, vibrant spaces, and economic opportunity — as we work together to shape Houston’s creative future. This is your chance to collaborate, exchange ideas, and help build an arts ecosystem rooted in connection and action.

Meeting details will be sent to those who join a working group, so be sure to join if you would like to participate.  Together, we’re moving forward — building a stronger, more connected arts ecosystem for Houston. Join us!

Black Arts Movement Houston (BAM) will host its inaugural convening of Black artists, marking a pivotal moment for the city’s creative community. This gathering brings together artists across disciplines, multi-disciplinary dance, visual art, film, theater, music, literature, design, and cultural organizing, to deepen connection, organize, share resources, and collectively imagine the future of Black arts in Houston.

https://forms.gle/1WEYM1qsmGR6hMy7A

Celebrate the release of Chronicles of Ori with Harmonia Rosales!

RSVP here. RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our store programming.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From the acclaimed fine artist Harmonia Rosales, a sweeping retelling of African myth illustrated throughout with Rosales’s spectacular paintings.

In Chronicles of Ori, her debut book, Harmonia Rosales retells the African myths she has long treasured, crafting an enthralling epic that spans the birth of the universe to the modern world of colonialism and resistance. She writes of the powerful, temperamental deities called the Orishas; of the founding of Yorubaland by the shrewd leader Oduduwa; of the young heroine Eve, born in a time of violence and despair, who would help her people regain their past splendor; and of shimmering serpents and monstrous shadows who stalk the lands of mortals. At the center of these linked tales is the bond, sometimes fraying, between the Orishas and the humans who worship them. It was the Orishas who made humans, and who gave them their most precious resource: their Oris, or destinies. Vividly brought to life by Rosales’s artwork, Chronicles of Ori will enlighten and delight readers for years to come.

As a young girl in Houston’s Fifth Ward, Barbara Jordan was taught to defy expectations. With relentless determination and unyielding tenacity, she made history as the first Black state senator from Texas and the first Southern Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. At a time when the idea of a Black woman holding power seemed inconceivable, Congresswoman Jordan’s electrifying voice and moral clarity during President Richard Nixon’s Watergate hearings captivated the nation and earned her the moniker “The Inquisitor.” 

A discussion with filmmaker Angela Lynn Tucker and special guests follows the film.

Tickets

• $9 general admission; $7 MFAH members, students with ID, seniors (65+)

Plan Your Visit

• This screening takes place in Brown Auditorium Theater in the Law Building.
• Parking Information | Museum Hours | MFAH Campus Map

Explore CAMH’s current exhibitions, Tomashi Jackson: Across the Universe and Mario Ayala: Seven Vans, using our Art Guide, provided in both English and Spanish.

CAMH’s Drop-In Experiences feature instructions for hands-on activities and provide creative opportunities to experience current exhibitions in a unique and meaningful way. Drop-In Experiences are available between 1–4PM on select Saturdays at the Museum. For all ages, and always free.

More info here.

As a young girl in Houston’s Fifth Ward, Barbara Jordan was taught to defy expectations. With relentless determination and unyielding tenacity, she made history as the first Black state senator from Texas and the first Southern Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. At a time when the idea of a Black woman holding power seemed inconceivable, Congresswoman Jordan’s electrifying voice and moral clarity during President Richard Nixon’s Watergate hearings captivated the nation and earned her the moniker “The Inquisitor.” 

A discussion with filmmaker Angela Lynn Tucker and special guests follows the film.

Tickets

• $9 general admission; $7 MFAH members, students with ID, seniors (65+)

Plan Your Visit

• This screening takes place in Brown Auditorium Theater in the Law Building.
• Parking Information | Museum Hours | MFAH Campus Map

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens presents a one-of-a-kind family festival centered around the thrill of discovering exclusive, handcrafted treasures from talented local artisans and craftspeople.

Timed with the holiday shopping season in mind, the Makers Market Festival features live music, engaging activities, and captivating demonstrations inspired by Bayou Bend’s gardens and art collection. Plus, you can enjoy culinary treats from vendors representing Houston’s amazing food scene.

Free admission | More info here

Celebrate the photography collection Framing Fatherhood!

RSVP here. RSVP to reserve your spot or RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve a copy of Framing Fatherhood.

ABOUT THE EVENT

Join us as we celebrate fatherhood through photography and community. Enjoy libations and light bites while viewing artwork from the book. The event will include a book signing and gallery walk.

As a young girl in Houston’s Fifth Ward, Barbara Jordan was taught to defy expectations. With relentless determination and unyielding tenacity, she made history as the first Black state senator from Texas and the first Southern Black woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. At a time when the idea of a Black woman holding power seemed inconceivable, Congresswoman Jordan’s electrifying voice and moral clarity during President Richard Nixon’s Watergate hearings captivated the nation and earned her the moniker “The Inquisitor.” 

A discussion with filmmaker Angela Lynn Tucker and special guests follows the film.

Tickets

• $9 general admission; $7 MFAH members, students with ID, seniors (65+)

Plan Your Visit

• This screening takes place in Brown Auditorium Theater in the Law Building.
• Parking Information | Museum Hours | MFAH Campus Map

Inspired by imagery depicted in Mario Ayala: Seven Vans, create a collage to personalize a magnetized picture frame to display on a car or other magnetic surface.

CAMH’s Open Studio sessions feature drop-in, hands-on activities that draw inspiration from the exhibitions on view. Experiment with new materials, explore fresh ideas, and make new friends. Whether you stay for five minutes or two hours, you’re invited to interact with art in new and profound ways at Open Studio. Regularly scheduled Open Studios occur the first Saturday of every month. All ages are welcome; admission is always free.Inspired by imagery depicted in Mario Ayala: Seven Vans, create a collage to personalize a magnetized picture frame to display on a car or other magnetic surface.

CAMH’s Open Studio sessions feature drop-in, hands-on activities that draw inspiration from the exhibitions on view. Experiment with new materials, explore fresh ideas, and make new friends. Whether you stay for five minutes or two hours, you’re invited to interact with art in new and profound ways at Open Studio. Regularly scheduled Open Studios occur the first Saturday of every month. All ages are welcome; admission is always free.

Learn more here.

…We heard you’re looking for more Black-owned businesses to add under the tree this year 👀🎄🎁 Don’t stress! We’ve got the perfect event for you. 

Join us on SATURDAY, December 6th, from 4-8 PM to shop at our 2025 Holiday Market hosted by @kindredstorieshtx, @projectrowhouses and @thirdwardculture, held at the Historic @eldorado.ballroom. 

This is your chance to support local Black-owned businesses, get a head start on getting the perfect gift for your loved ones, + discover talent in Houston’s Third Ward 🤘🏾

Fun fact: Kindred Stories was part of Project Row Houses’ inaugural Business Residency program. The opportunities they provided largely contributed to the success of our business today. 

We’re honored to collaborate with our PRH family and all the other amazing vendors on this event. See y’all there🤎

📆 Saturday, December 6th, 2025
🕓 4-6 PM
📍The Historic Eldorado Ballroom (2310 Elgin  St, Houston, TX 77004)
🎟️ FREE entry

Participating vendors:
@crumbvillehtx
@pianovibes
@thirdwardblooms
@3rdcoastvinyl
@design_n_revive
@oladeorganics
@lonezscents
@roottohome
@meetmavology
Come Bee Well
@kindredstorieshtx
——
About Project Row Houses

Project Row Houses is a community-based arts and cultural organization in Houston’s Third Ward. Founded in 1993 by artist Rick Lowe and a group of fellow artists, it transformed a block of historic shotgun-style row houses into spaces for art, cultural preservation, and community empowerment. Today, it supports neighborhood revitalization through artist residencies, affordable housing, education programs, and initiatives that celebrate African American history and creativity.

To learn more about Project Row Houses and their Business Residency program, visit projectrowhouses.org

Vocalist Ekep Nkwelle is a force in jazz, moving from Washington, DC’s vibrant scene to major stages worldwide. Recognized by Wynton Marsalis and Dianne Reeves, she’s quickly emerging as one of her generation’s defining voices.
Ekep Nkwelle | DACAMERA of Houston

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The talented students at the Glassell School of Art offer original works of art for sale, just in time for the holidays. From exquisite jewelry pieces and captivating ceramics to breathtaking paintings, awe-inspiring sculptures, and mesmerizing prints, an artistic treasure awaits for everyone on your holiday list―and for yourself! Proceeds benefit the artists and the Studio School scholarship program.
Additional Days:

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

https://mfah.prospect2.com/lt.php?x=4lZy~GDDUnfN55Cv-N~GVOJtAK-hugUkwegwk5HDKaTK7879-0y7x.Ft3XKRzk~w_x6wXHjEJoGc6XR62NyYVORt3HM