Stay home. See great art.

New virtual exhibit boots up vibrant local art to Houstonians' screens

Tra Slaughter's I was Born Dreaming will be on display.

Image courtesy of Tra Slaughter

While the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying directive from Houston and Harris County to stay at home has kept many Houstonians inside, that hasn't stopped a need to connect with others. And one husband-and-wife team has come up with a way to showcase the creativity of Houston artists, as well as re-create the excitement of an art opening.

Amber and Tra Slaughter are the founders of Artists4Artists, a nonprofit they started a few years ago to help raise funds for artists who could not afford medical care and other necessities. The pair open "A daptation," a virtual art exhibit, on March 27 at 6 pm with — what else? — a virtual gallery opening.

"There will be a livestream with artists, and we have a DJ playing music, there's a bartender making drinks...but it's all happening remotely," Amber Slaughter tells CultureMap about the exhibit's kickoff.

Adaption runs through April 26. The month experience allows patrons to take a virtual stroll from exhibit room to exhibit room from the comfort of their own homes. In addition to seeing the artwork, visitors can check out artist bio pages and watch streaming artist interviews. Amber created the online exhibit herself.

"I'm not really tech savvy," she admits. "There was a lot of Googling and YouTubing. But we made the show with a program called Exhibit. The company that makes it is based in New Zealand, and it allows you to create these 3D spaces people can walk through."

Currently, 21 artists are featured in "Adaption," although Amber anticipates adding more throughout the next month.

Each piece showcased will be available for purchase online. And all of the proceeds from the sale of artworks goes straight to the artists.

openings

taking center stage

Stage adaptation of iconic Black movie Jason's Lyric to debut in Houston

Courtesy of Jason's Lyric

Most of the movie's cast will appear in the play.

Next year, Houston writer/producer/director/promoter Je’Caryous Johnson will be bringing another beloved Black movie to the live stage.

Jason’s Lyric will join New Jack City and Set It Off in the lineup of ‘90s Black-movie favorites that Johnson has adapted for the stage. The 1994 made-in-Houston drama stars Allen Payne and a pre-Will Smith Jada Pinkett as young lovers trying to maintain a relationship as conflicts and obstacles keep getting in the way.

Jason’s Lyric Live will go on a nationwide, 22-city tour, premiering right here in H-Town on Thursday, February 13 — just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Houston is my home, and bringing Jason’s Lyric Live to life here first is my way of paying homage to the city and its people who inspired this story,” Johnson said in a statement. “This is more than a play; it’s a love letter to the community.”

Payne will reprise his role as Jason, with actress/model Eva Marcille stepping in Pinkett’s role as Lyric. Naughty by Nature rapper Treach, who played Lyric’s criminal big brother Alonzo in the movie, will also return to the role for the stage production. Tyrin Turner (Menace II Society), K. Michelle (Love & Hip Hop), and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Welcome Back, Kotter) will round out the cast.

"Jason’s Lyric is one of the films that defined my career as an actor,” Payne said. “To bring it to life on stage for audiences who loved the movie — and a new generation experiencing it for the first time — is an incredible honor."

Marcille is also psyched for the show, taking on the role that Pinkett memorably brought to life. "Lyric is a character who embodies resilience and hope, and I’m honored to bring her story to life on stage,” Marcille said.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, December 13, at 10 am. For a full list of dates and ticket information, visit the website.