back on the avenue

Houston's hottest local art show returns with A-list events, craft brew nights, top shopping, and more

Art on the Avenue Bill Baldwin Mayor Turner Mary Lawler

Bill Baldwin, Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Mary Lawler at Art on the Avenue.

Photo courtesy of Art on the Avenue

Houston's annual art show that raises funds for community revitalization efforts Art on the Avenue, is back.

Boasting some 500 works by more than 250 local artists, it's the largest event of its kind. The works will be on display at Winter Street Studios. Savvy collectors, art lovers, and shoppers looking for something unique can purchase pieces knowing they are supporting a great cause.

The event kickoff is Thursday, November 4 from 6 to 9 pm. Look for an auction and dinner on Friday, November 5 from 6 to 9 pm, and open exhibition and shopping on Saturday, November 6 from 10 am to 6 pm.

In addition to unique artworks, guests can expect to sip craft brews, check out art-inspired culinary treats, and enjoy live music.

A-list art, bold brews, choice eats
This year's Art on the Avenue assumes a hybrid format, following last year's all-virtual affair in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. That means art buyers can make bids online or in person during the show's open exhibition hours.

The Thursday preview party is an exclusive first-look opportunity to see the works for sale. And those who opt for the Friday night experience can grab tickets to Brews on the Avenue, where they'll sample libations from some of Houston's best craft breweries, such as Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company, Total Anomaly Brewing Company, and Local Group Brewing Company.

The event promises to be an exciting celebration of Bayou City creativity.

Top talent
Julie Dokell and John Cogan are this year's honorary chairs, and the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston's Steven Matijcio is the event's guest juror and main gallery curator.

Art on the Avenue gives event-goers the chance not only to bring home one-of-a-kind creations to adorn their homes, it's also a chance for them to contribute to their communities. The Avenue is an area nonprofit that works to strengthen the lives of working families, through community development, access to affordable housing, and offering support services such as after-school care and financial literacy classes.

Tickets to the weekend's events can be purchased online. Tickets to the Thursday evening preview party are $100 in advance and $125 at the door. Tickets to the Friday auction are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. Admission to Saturday's exhibition is free.

where-to-shop fundraisers event-planner

a 14 minute tour

Museum of Fine Arts takes Houston to Paris cathedral with new virtual tour

Still image of digital rendering of Notre- Dame Cathedral, Ars Electronica.

Museum of Fine Arts courtesy image.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston opens “Notre-Dame Immersive Experience.” (Still image of digital rendering of Notre- Dame Cathedral, Ars Electronica.)

Lovers of art and architecture around the world mourned when a 2019 fire destroyed significant portions of the exterior and interior of Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of the most beloved landmarks in all of France. After five years of intense rebuilding and repair, Notre-Dame is set to open again this December. For those who can’t make it to the reopening, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has a very special virtual trip planned this holiday season with their just announced monumental installation, the “Notre-Dame Immersive Experience.”

Set within the MFAH’s vast Cullinan Hall, this animated, 14-minute, immersive presentation will surround visitors with images of Notre-Dame, simulating the experience of walking through the medieval cathedral. Viewers will go on a virtual journey from the outside of Notre-Dame as day turns to dusk, then move into the candle-lite interiors and stained-glass windows. The immersive video will also replicate the fire and its aftermath before revealing the cathedral’s newly reconstructed spire, topped with a cross and a golden rooster, a national emblem of France and a symbol of Christianity.

“It is difficult to exaggerate the role Notre-Dame plays in the public imagination, from its iconic architecture, emblematic of the Northern Gothic style, to its magnificent stained-glass rose windows,” Museum of Fine Arts, Houston director Gary Tinterow said in a statement. “When fire erupted five years ago, millions of people around the world grieved the loss of a monument that had personal significance to each of them. Happily, the cathedral has been restored, and now Houstonians will be among the first to experience the reconstructed building that rose from the ashes.”

“Notre-Dame Immersive Experience” was created by Ars Electronica Futurelab, in partnership with French start-ups Iconem and Histovery. To create a virtual 3D model of Notre-Dame, the installation uses point cloud data compiled by the late Belgian art historian and Vassar College professor Andrew Tallon, who created 3D laser scans of the cathedral in 2010 that proved instrumental in guiding the reconstruction of the cathedral as well as additional scans and 3D material by Histovery.

Over the years, we’ve come to expect perception-defying immersive artworks from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston every summer, but this “Notre-Dame Immersive Experience” November surprise looks to be a perfect place to take any visiting art, history, or Francophile friends and family for the holidays.

The "Notre-Dame Immersive Experience" will be on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston from November 23, 2024, through January 5, 2025.

Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston opens “Notre-Dame Immersive Experience.”

museum of fine arts houston museums notredame cathedral