Art League Houston will present three new exhibitions: Lavar Munroe: Zoo at the Edge of the World: A Continuum of the Exotic, Letitia Huckaby: Bayou Baroque and Michael Menchaca: Luminous, Yet Devoid of Chroma.

In the Main Gallery will be Zoo at the Edge of the World: A Continuum of the Exotic, an exhibition by US-based Bahamian artist Lavar Munroe. It features a selection of mixed-media paintings that explore the 19th century phenomena of the "human zoo." The work in this exhibition investigates how this phenomenon, which is arguably the origin of racist stereotypes today, fits into the wider discourse of history.

In the Front Gallery will be Bayou Baroque, a new exhibition by Letitia Huckaby. The exhibition honors the nuns at the Sisters of the Holy Family Mother House in New Orleans, Louisiana: an African-American congregation, founded in 1842 as servants to the youth, the poor and the elderly. Their foundress Henrietta Delille broke with the traditional placage system of colored women being placed as concubines to wealthy white men in New Orleans. Inspired by the spirit of sacrifice and faith in these women, the work in this exhibition embraces a visual vocabulary that evokes old master portraiture.

In the Hallway Space will be Luminous, Yet Devoid of Chroma, a video installation by San Antonio artist Michael Menchaca, which reflects on recent events regarding racial tension in the U.S. Index of figural archetypes and recurring pattern ornamentation is Menchaca's own allegory that re-imagines the history of the Americas. The artist presents metaphors of contemporary social issues with a uniquely pre-Hispanic visual vocabulary. His symbols and motifs harken to those of ancient South American culture specifically; however, his imagery speaks widely to human communication and history.

Following the opening receptions, the exhibitions will be on display through September 12.