Houston art institutions and organizations love a good holiday tradition. This month they're welcoming back some favorite yearly art shows across the city — and even beneath it. From annual art sales at the Glassell and HCCC to immersive art experiences at Artechouse and the Cistern to another French connection at the MFAH, there’s plenty of holiday art celebrations to help us close an amazing creative year.

“Louvre Couture” at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (now through March 15)
It’s getting to be a holiday tradition for the MFAH to gift us a bit of French culture each winter. Last year, we took a virtual tour of Paris’ great cathedral with “Notre-Dame Immersive Experience.” This December the MFAH imports some inspiration from one of the greatest art museums in Europe, with an adaptation of the first fashion exhibition organized by the Louvre.

In this Houston version of the historic show, the MFAH will present works by historic and contemporary fashion houses alongside masterworks from the its own collections. Much of the museum’s campus becomes a runway and salon, as “Louvre Couture” features 36 ensembles and accessories from 23 fashion houses across two buildings. Look for fashion as artworks from both heritage houses like Balenciaga, Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Versace, Louis Vuitton, and Vivienne Westwood, as well as from star 21st century designers, including Thom Browne, Erdem, Jacquemus, and Iris van Herpen. The exhibition also includes several rare and important loans from the Louvre Museum’s own historic decorative arts holdings.

“CITE” at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (now through February 28)
This sixth annual exhibition of Ceramics in the Environment (CITE), features site specific work of ceramic sculpture created by students from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Glassell School of Art for HCCC’s Craft Garden. Look for succulent and cacti varietals rendered in clay, intimate domestic scenes such as picnic and breakfast table settings, and contemplative pieces that respond to seasonal transitions.

After a walk in the garden, don’t forget to stop by “Asher: Holiday by Hand," for unique arts and crafts gifts for loved ones. The handmade and one-of-a-kind jewelry, home goods, ceramics, paper goods, clothing, and accessories by local and national artists featured in this special sale were selected by invitation for their exceptional work in craft and thoughtfully curated.

“Cistern Illuminated” at Buffalo Bayou Park (now through January 18)
Continuing its great holiday art tradition, the park brings back this multidisciplinary work by artist/engineer Kelly O’Brien. “Cistern Illuminated” uses lighting instruments controlled by customized software to cast colored light throughout the space. The special angle of these lights create fathomless reflections on the Cistern’s ceiling and reflective water below. Adding to the otherworldliness, an ethereal soundscape builds upon the unique acoustic and reflective qualities of the cavernous space.

On select evenings, “Cistern Illuminated” will be the setting for live performances by Ars Lyrica, presenting the work “Ring in the Peace.” This multicultural musical composition takes inspiration from music from the ninth century and onward and is curated by Mexican-born mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte and Spanish-born percussionist Jesús Pacheco. They hope this experiential piece will encourage audience reflection and a sense of unity with one another and with the local and global community.

“Wear It Out!” at Hooks-Epstein Galleries (now through December 20)
After the sensation of their first show of contemporary jewelry, it looks like Hooks-Epstein will be making this a biennial event. For 2025, the exhibition showcases nine contemporary jewelry artists, each recognized for their distinct approach to wearable art, ranging from refined metal smithing and found object assemblage to sculptural and conceptual adornment. This selected group of jewelry artists create pieces that can be viewed as personal artifact and artistic gesture. Featured artists include Victor Beckmann, Martha Ferguson, Tarina Frank, Heidi Gerstacker, Jessica Jacobi, Edward Lane McCartney, Via Vandi, Dongyi Wu, and Sandie Zilker. Together, these works explore the way wearable objects function as vessels for narrative, identity, and artistic intent. And yes, attendees may adorn themselves and wear these pieces out, as they are meant to be lived with, carried, and seen in motion.

“Second Annual Holiday Special” at Artechouse (December 10-January 4)
Once again, the immersive art wonderland presents some very special holiday inspired exhibitions and installations, including the stunning “Spectacular Factory: The Holiday Multiverse.” Shown within their state-of-the-art, 270-degree Immersion Gallery, “Spectacular Factory” becomes a surreal holiday landscape that surrounds visitors with ever-changing winter and celebratory scenes, including “Nutcracker Party,” “Infinite Crystal Reflections,” “Tinsel Storm,” and “Candy Land Carousel.” Along with these stars of the “Spectacular” show, look for additional interactive exhibits that let visitors contribute to the video and sound art making by shaping animated ornaments, composing festive melodies, and doing a little dance to trigger falling digital snow.

"Photography from The Menil Collection: Curated by Wendy Watriss,” at Menil Collection (December 11-May 31)
This new exhibition gives a remarkable snapshot of the Menil’s photography collection and especially of documentary-style photographs. Exploring how photography can give people rare glimpses into lives and social realities different from their own, while finding universal human connections, the exhibition features work by Larry Burrows, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bruce Davidson, Danny Lyon, and Charles Moore, among others. While using varied approaches to their work, the majority of the photography artists featured in the show had an eye and vision for capturing unusual moments of life, from the mundane to the monumental.

“This is an unconventional exhibition. It was done by three sets of eyes: my own and what I know about the vision of the two remarkable people who collected these photographs, John and Dominique de Menil. Being invited by the Menil to create a show from the museum’s photography collection, and the images that John and Dominique began to collect more than 50 years ago, has been a very special gift. It has given me the opportunity to reconnect with their vision and their remarkable way of interacting with art and the world,” describes Wendy Watriss, award-winning photojournalist, FotoFest co-founder and the exhibition’s curator.

"Inside The Yards: Merry and Bright” at Sawyer Yards (December 11-14)
The artists of Sawyer Yard invite the whole Houston community to this four-day holiday celebration, featuring the work of local artists, festive installations, live entertainment, and creative workshops. Free activations include a 10,000-square-foot light installation, Santa meet and greet, photo booth, balloon artist, caricature artist, face painting, DIY tote bag screen printing, popcorn, cotton candy, and more. Artists and teachers will be offering some makers and DIY workshops for those donating to the Houston Food Bank, including felted icicle, glass Christmas ornaments, holiday bracelets, and linocut workshops.

“2025 Studio School Student Art Sale” at MFAH’s Glassell School of Art (December 11-14)
Give yourself and your loved ones an artful gift created by some of Houston's local up-and-coming Glassell student artists, some of whom also exhibit professionally in galleries and studios around town. Browse a huge selection of jewelry, ceramics, paintings, sculpture, prints, photographs, and more. Many of the artists also staff the sale and so are there to answer questions and give buyers insight into their work and process.

“Foto Futures 1” at Houston Center for Photography (December 18-January 4)
While many art organizations present some annual shows and sales this season, HCP begins a new tradition with this inaugural exhibition celebrating the creative achievements of high school students who have spent 12 weeks immersed in college-level photographic study. The exhibition features the artistic results of a dynamic range of projects, from experimental processes to documentary narratives rooted in personal and community experience. For many participants, including those attending on full scholarship, this marks the first time their work has been professionally printed and exhibited in a public gallery. Gaze into the some artistic futures with these very talented, young photographers.

Image courtesy Dolce&Gabbana, photographed by MattLever

Museum of Fine Arts presents "Louvre Couture" (Dolce&Gabbana, designed by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Dress,from the Alta ModaVenezia Collection, 2013, double silk organza and tulle, Dolce & Gabbana, Milan.)