big little art

Tiny box 'galleries' in Heights and Montrose bring big art to Houston

A Little Gallery box at The MendCenter (519 Heights Blvd.).

The cool thing about public art is that when people happen upon it, it can feel like the day gets a lift. Think driving down Allen Parkway and catching a glimpse of the giant Henry Moore sculpture in Buffalo Bayou Park or the windows in downtown that have been transformed into art pieces.

Art truly is all around in Houston, and a new project asks Houstonians to take a closer look at something...smaller.

Dotted through The Heights and Montrose are a series of Little Galleries, an art installation project designed to increase Houstonians' exposure to art created by Houston artists and build community engagement. The tiny treasures are an initiative by Artists for Artists, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency relief, wellness programming and mental health support for Houston artists.

Each project features a piece of art inside Little Galleries' signature teal blue box.

"We have five boxes currently in rotation, and have plans for 20," said Megan Olivia Ebel, program director at Artists for Artists and curator of the project, tells CultureMap. "This is such a great way to bring art into communities that may not feel comfortable in a gallery or museum setting."

Having the artworks around the city also means they're free for people to stop and look at it. There's one at Heights Boulevard and 11th Street, outside the Lululemon and the MendCenter, both on Heights Boulevard, and one outside Axelrad at 1517 Alabama St. Another is in Bellaire on private property.

"These are museum quality art pieces," says Ebel. "I want Houstonians to know the work being done by these incredible artists."

Houstonians should look for those additional little galleries to be placed around the city over the next six months. The program provides stipends for the artists and supports Artists for Artists' creative wellness program. As Ebel looks to the future, she envisions having Little Galleries boxes all over the country, and developing an app with a map showing all the installations.

In the meantime, Houstonians can wander the city and know these little boxes are part of a much bigger idea.

the-heights galleries

Emerging talent

Houston Grand Opera's 'Concert of Arias' showcases rising star singers

Winners of the 2024 Concert of Arias on stage at Houston Grand Opera

Photo by Michael Bishop, courtesy Houston Grand Opera

Winners from the 36th Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. Concert of Arias is one of Houston Grand Opera's most-loved traditions. It affords cash prizes to the winners and determines placement in HGO's Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio program.

Houston audiences can hear seven emerging opera singers from around the globe at Houston Grand Opera’s upcoming 37th Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. The annual audience favorite, also known as Concert of Arias, is Friday, January 17 at the Wortham Theater Center at 7 pm.

Prior to the performance, the seven finalists spent a week immersing themselves in HGO’s culture and collaborating with its music staff. Each finalist will sing two arias, accompanied by the HGO Orchestra, conducted by Maestro James Gaffigan. They are competing for cash prizes and placement in HGO’s prestigious Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio, one of the country’s top residency programs for emerging opera talent.

The winners will take home $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second place, $10,000 for third place, and $5,000 for the Audience Choice Award. Each non-placing finalist will receive $3,500, with one of them selected for the $2,000 Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award.

The finalists are:

Lauren Carroll, a soprano from Bettendorf, Iowa who earned her Master of Music degree from Rice University and her Bachelor of Music degree from Drake University.
Daria Lupu a soprano from Romania who is a member of the Experimental Studio in Musical Performing Arts “Ludovic Spiess” at the Bucharest National Opera.
Alexis Seminario, a soprano who is currently a Young Artist with Palm Beach Opera and a 2020 alumna of HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy. She holds a Master of Music degree from Bard College Conservatory.
Meg Brilleslyper, a mezzo-soprano and 2022 alumna of HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy who is pursuing her Master of Music degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
Luke Norvell, a tenor from Tacoma, Washington who is a fourth-year resident artist at Academy of Vocal Art and has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Master’s University.
Luka Tsevelidze, a tenor from Georgia and student at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire who made his operatic debut as Tamino in The Magic Flute with the Tbilisi State Conservatoire Opera Studio.
Geonho Lee, a baritone from South Korea who holds a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Seoul National University and was a 2024 semifinalist in the renowned Operalia Competition. He is currently pursuing advanced studies at the University of Music and Theatre Munich.

Tickets are sold out, but people can watch a live stream of the performance, interviews with the singers, and more on HGO's YouTube channel.

houston grand opera performing-arts