The Nidhika and Pershant Mehta Arts of India Gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston contains outstanding examples of painting, sculpture and photography that span more than 2,000 years. For this Artful Thursday, the museum partners with HGOco to present a preview of River of Light. An original opera with music by Jack Perla and libretto by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, River of Light is part of HGOco's East + West series, which celebrates Houston as a crossroads for Eastern and Western cultures.

The opera tells the story of Meera, who moved to Houston from India. She loves her new husband, her high-powered job, and the Houston lifestyle — and then the birth of her daughter makes Meera long to re-create authentic Diwali traditions at home.