View From Inside

FotoFest battles stereotypes and ignorance with an unprecedented look at the Arab world

Following its acclaimed 2012 exploration of Russian photography, the FotoFest Biennial returns Saturday with some of the biggest names in contemporary art from the Arab world.

In a massive four-location exhibition titled View from Inside, FotoFest presents nearly 50 photo-based artists from the Middle East and North Africa, many of whom will be displaying work to American audiences for the first time.

The show — on view at FotoFest's new headquarters in the Silver Street Studios complex as well as at Williams Tower, Winter Street Studios and Spring Street Studios — offers a fresh perspective on recent art from a region rarely represented in Western galleries and museums.

This year's biennial marks a major turning point for Fotofest as founders Fred Baldwin and Wendy Watriss begin to hand the reigns to executive director Steven Evans. Appointed in late January, Evans is expected to continue the organization's ever-evolving approach to photography as both documentary medium and artform.

Co-curated by Watriss and noted Arab art scholar Karin Adrian von Roques, the biennial exhibit purposely avoids imposing a sweeping artistic themes onto a truly diverse range of work.

"We hope to move people away from the stereotypes they may have about the Arab world."

"Artists are a sort of mirror of what's happen in a certain time and place," von Roques tells CultureMap. "We wanted to make sure their voices were heard, not the curators."

As such, works are arranged in smaller groupings that touch upon issues like identity, conflict, family, religion and displacement.

To find the strongest examples of contemporary Arab art and photography, the curators culled through thousands of works by hundreds of artists, choosing pieces based on an artist's ideas and execution rather than preconceived curatorial categories. In the end, their selections defied any single, unified theme.

"The danger in creating a theme for a show is that you have to fit the work into a particular topic," von Roques says. "Instead, this exhibition is about the artists and the issues important to them, which is why we titled the show View from Inside . . . We hope to move people away from the stereotypes they may have about the Arab world."

Taking center stage at this year's biennial show is Edge of Arabia (EOA), a London-based gallery and arts initiative aimed at introducing Middle Eastern artists to a broader international public.

Work by two of the group's prominent artist-founders — Abdulnasser Gharem and Ahmed Mater, both of Saudi Arabia — remains high on von Roques' must-see list for anyone new to contemporary Arab art. (Side note: One of Gharem's pieces sold at Christie's Dubai for more than $800,000. The artist couldn't attend the 2011 auction due to his prior commitments as a lieutenant colonel in the Saudi Arabian army.)

The curator also recommends work by EOA-affiliated installationists Shadia Alem and Mounir Fatmi, from Saudi Arabia and Moracco respectively, as well as new pieces from acclaimed Palestinian photo artist Steve Sabella.

The 15th FotoFest International Biennial kicks off Saturday with an opening night party at 7 p.m. inside Spring Street Studios (not at the organization's former Vine Street location). Click here for more information and a list of the biennial's 100-plus participating gallery spaces.

Jowahara Al Saud (Saudi Arabia), New Year, 2010; from the series Out of Line.

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doubling down

Shepherd School builds on 50 years with a 2026-27 season of discovery

Rice University Shepherd School of Music

Photo by Michael Stravato

The Shepherd School's 2026-27 season includes six world premieres.

The next generation of classical music doesn’t wait in the wings at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

It walks onto the stage, often with a world premiere in hand, and slaps listeners with music so energetically performed that they might need a glass of wine or a Xanax to come down from the thrill.

Fresh off its milestone 50th anniversary, the Shepherd School’s 2026–27 season doubles down on discovery. The lineup includes six world premieres, the Texas premiere of Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl’s opera Eurydice, celebrated guest artists, and a steady reminder that Houston audiences can hear rising talent before the rest of the world catches on.

For students, Shepherd continues to function as a foundation where rigorous conservatory training meets the resources of a major research university. For audiences, it’s an invitation to witness artists in the midst of becoming, tackling ambitious repertoire in halls whose acoustics reward every nuance.

The orchestral season, led primarily by Distinguished Resident Director of Orchestras Miguel Harth-Bedoya, embraces both pillars of the canon and brand-new voices. Opening night sets the tone with Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso, Richard Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration, the world premiere of Jake Berran’s Probabolophony, winner of the 2026 Cooper Prize, and Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis.

The season also launches what is planned as a multi-year exploration of Gustav Mahler with Symphony No. 1, “Titan,” while spotlighting Shepherd faculty members as soloists, including pianist Jon Kimura Parker and oboist Erin Hannigan. Along the way come additional premieres by alumni composers, concerto appearances from competition winners, and opportunities for conducting students to take the podium.

Shepherd will present a fully staged production of Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos before mounting the Texas premiere — and first university performance — of Eurydice, with composer Aucoin visiting campus to work directly with students and audiences.

Guest artists add another layer, from Aleko Endowed Artist Julia Bullock collaborating with Shepherd opera students to alumna Kate Soper returning with the acclaimed Wet Ink Ensemble. Chamber concerts, faculty recitals, festivals, and family programming round out a calendar of more than 400 events, many offered for free or at low cost.

The season also includes the Adventurous Electric Guitar Festival at Wortham Theatre, where concerts, workshops, and presentations explore contemporary electric guitar and electroacoustic performance in collaboration with Rice Electroacoustic Music Labs (REMLABS).

Notably, the school will also inaugurate its undergraduate orchestral conducting degree, the only program of its kind in the nation.

This author recently caught Miguel Harth-Bedoya deep in score study before a concert, next to his visiting family, meticulously parsing Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso.

It was a fitting snapshot of the institution itself: Craftsmanship behind moments that can feel effortless once the lights dim and the music begins. That dedication has defined Shepherd for more than 50 years, and the 2026–27 season suggests the next movement is well underway.

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