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    best September art

    10 vivid and eye-catching September exhibitions no Houston art fan should miss

    Tarra Gaines
    Sep 12, 2023 | 3:15 pm

    The fall arts season begins the month bringing in a cool wave of national and international art to Houston.

    From artists using New Orleans and Houston as their models, to one of the first artists to use neon light as a medium, to a contemporary take on Tibetan traditions, there’s a diversity of art to explore this month.

    Look also for some monumental installations indoors and out at Rice University. Here are September's can't-miss exhibits and openings.

    "New Orleans: Sound of Drifting Shadows” at O’Kane Gallery at University of Houston Downtown (now through October 19)

    In this new exhibition, New Orleans-based urban landscape painter Kaori Maeyama highlights the city’s mundane vignettes, from desolate residential neighborhoods to uncanny industrial landscapes.

    Aided by the use of brayers, squeegees, and a dark tonal palette, Maeyama's evocative nocturnal paintings, absent of human presence, often suggest the passage of time through blurred imagery and aged architecture or natural forms.

    “The Negro Motorist Green Book” at Holocaust Museum Houston (now through November 26)

    This exhibition developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service examines the reality of travel for African Americans in mid-century America and how an annual guide served as an indispensable resource for the nation’s rising Black middle class.

    As we reported in July, "The Negro Green Motorist Book" features interactive displays, artifacts from business signs and postcards to historic footage, images, and firsthand accounts. All this is meant to draw visitors into the reality of travel during the early 20th century into the civil rights era.

    The exhibition conveys not only the apprehension felt by African American travelers, but also the resilience, innovation and elegance of people choosing to live a full American existence. It also focuses to the rise of African American businesses and the Black leisure class in the United States — and the important role The Green Book played in facilitating the second wave of the Great Migration as well as its use as a tool for civil rights leaders.

    “Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs Project’s Mudhif “at Rice University (ongoing)

    Laure Prouvost, \u201cAbove Front Tears Oui Float\u201d installation view, 2022. The National Museum Oslo, Norway. (c) Laure Provost.
      
    Photo by Najonalmuseet/Annar Bjørgli

    Moody Center for the Arts presents Laure Prouvost: "Above Front Tears Nest in South."

    The art of ancient architecture becomes woven into the contemporary Houston landscape with the build/installation on the Rice University campus of a mudhif — a copy of an ancient reed guest house used in the marshes of Iraq.

    Historically, mudhif structures were constructed entirely of reeds from the marshlands between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq. They acted as a public hall where tribes welcomed guests, settled community affairs, held religious ceremonies, and exchanged information.

    In replicating the mudhif form, the building becomes a cultural ecology and preservation project and demonstrates how pivotal the ecology of a region is to a culture, acting as a bridge to preservation of the built environment as a tool for preserving cultural identity.

    Many Houston art and cultural institutions as well a a group of volunteer builders came together for this Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs project presented by Archaeology Now.

    “Johnny Floyd: GODBODY” at Houston Musuem of African American Culture (September 15-November 18)

    This first museum, solo exhibition of the up-and-coming Atlanta-based artist ruminates on the intersection of classical mythologies, ancestral connection, and modern Black culture as artifact.

    Employing traditional portrait painting filtered through a surrealistic lens, Floyd interrogates notions of conventional aesthetics in the contemporary moment while centering Blackness in historical narratives that have been intentionally exclusionary for centuries.

    Taken together, the works in exhibition become a reimagination of orthodox folklore of the past, a reclamation of the accounting of the present, and a consideration of the possibilities of what is to come.

    “Laure Prouvost: Above Front Tears Nest in South” at Rice Moody Center (September 15-December 14)

    Art birds of a feather should migrate to the Moody Center this fall to journey through immerse landscapes from award-winning French interdisciplinary artist Laure Prouvostor.

    Featuring large-scale, multimedia installations, found objects, sculptures, tapestries, architectural assemblages, and videos that interact with the Moody’s architecture, the exhibition will explore themes of eco-feminism and environmentalism with humor and imagination.

    “Touching on themes relating to feminism, consumerism, environmental degradation, and the history of surrealism, Moody visitors will have the opportunity to experience Prouvost’s unique vision through a layered landscape that is both personal and universal,” describes Moody executive director Alison Weaver of the exhibition.

    "Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits" at Asia Society (September 21-January 7)

    This exhibition of work by Himalayan, now California-based artist Tsherin Sherpa explores themes of loss, struggle, and empowerment, while contemplating clashes of culture and identity.

    From a young age, Sherpa began studying traditional Tibetan thangka painting with his father, Master Urgen Dorje Sherpa, a renowned thangka artist from Ngyalam, Tibet. After immigrating to California in the late '90s, he began to explore his own style – reimagining traditional tantric motifs, symbols, colors, and gestures, which he resolutely placed in contemporary compositions.

    Featuring more than 30 paintings, sculptures, and textile works, this new exhibition traces the evolution of Sherpa's Spirits series as it reconfigures, and repurposes elements from traditional Tibetan art and melds them with modern imagery.

    "Tania Candiani: Lifeblood” at Blaffer Museum (September 22-November 19)

    Mexican interdisciplinary artist Tania Candiani uses Houston as a muse for this new exhibition supported by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.

    The exhibition will focus on the Houston histories and lives embedded in the land – and particularly the waterways that have alternately built and destroyed the city over time. Candiani initiates explorations and collaborations that convene communal meditations on the past via music, architecture, and craft, with an emphasis on early technologies and vernacular practices of record-keeping.

    A portion of this project was created in the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern in collaboration with Buffalo Bayou Partnership.

    “Wall Drawing Series: Marc Bauer” at Menil Collection (September 22, 2023–Fall 2024)

    This fifth installment of the ephemeral, site-specific wall drawing series at the Menil Drawing Institute, the Menil has selected internationally renowned artist Mark Bauer whose creative practice is based on examining how images circulate in print and online media platforms.

    Bauer uses drawing to reconfigure found images — from sources ranging from personal family albums to cable news streams—with the goal of ultimately shaping a prismatic view of history, culture, and politics. He likens this process to a kind of witnessing, a deliberate and deeply personal way of seeing and understanding the world.

    “Chryssa & New York” at Menil Collection (September 29, 2023–March 10, 2024)

    As one of the first artists to incorporate neon into her work, Chryssa became a pioneer of light art in the mid-20th century. Co-organized by the Menil and Dia Art Foundation, this first major survey of artwork by Chryssa in the United States since 1982.

    “Chryssa & New York” will focus on Chryssa’s output while she lived in New York from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. Highlighting her use of neon along with found elements of commercial signage and text, the exhibition will explore how Chryssa’s work bridged ideas from the Pop, Conceptual, and Minimalist movements.

    “Chryssa was a leader within avant-garde circles while she lived in New York,” states Michelle White, Menil senior curator. “She was fascinated with the sparkling and text-filled space of Times Square and wanted her innovative body of work to capture the energy of this unique postwar environment. By radically bringing together actual materials from the square, including lights and letters, Chryssa’s art stands as an early example of work that takes commercial communication as its primary subject.”

    “Tree of Life” at Center for Contemporary Craft (September 30-January 6, 2024)

    Art from a very special species of tree — specifically the African blackwood tree (also known as mpingo or Dalbergia melanoxylon) — becomes the star of this very unique exhibition.

    Native to Tanzania and the territory surrounding Mt. Kilimanjaro, the African blackwood tree has a naturally dark colored core, which makes the wood a preferred choice of material for ornamental turning, carving, and use in woodwind instruments.

    This exhibition features figural sculptures carved in the Makonde tradition by Tanzania-based artists Joseph Singombe and Pius Mtembe; ornamental turning by the late Texas-based artist James Harris, and woodwind instruments. Together, the works showcase the different methods artists use when approaching this material and the beauty of the wood-turned-art.

    news/arts

    Best July & August Theater

    Broadway hits and Shakespeare festival headline Houston's 12 best summer shows

    Tarra Gaines
    Jul 1, 2025 | 9:30 am
    Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Parade
    Photo by Joan Marcus
    Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Parade

    Lions and tigers and zebras and murder. Oh, my! From big blockbuster shows to annual chilly thrillers, summertime is some of the best time for theater in Houston. Shakespeare, jukebox musicals, mysteries, and madcap comedies always headline our summer must-sees. This year is no different, but we’re also got intriguing musical dramas, Tony Award winning Broadway shows, bittersweet love stories, and even a local world premiere. There’s no place like Houston for summer theater.

    The Wizard of Oz at A.D. Players (July 9-August 10)
    Something wicked this way comes from A.D. Players this summer. Yes, long before the musical told from certain witches’ perspectives, L. Frank Baum’s original journey to Oz began with a Kansas girl’s ride on a tornado. She found a magical and musical land filled lively lions, tin men, and scarecrows. Follow the yellow brick road to classic songs like “Over the Rainbow” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” but after a great adventure, learn that enduring message that there’s no place like home. Our favorite Galleria area Players say this newly imagined production will have incredible production values to delight the whole family.

    Crabs in a Bucket at MATCH (July 10-19)
    This satire comes by Houston-raised, nationally acclaimed playwright Bernardo Cubría gets its first regional production with a stellar local cast. Amargo and Pootz are two bitter crabs living in a shucking bucket. They spend their days judging the other crabs that got out, the ones who couldn't take it, and the losers who still live among them. When a new crab arrives filled with hope and change, they are faced with who they once were and their incessant dream of getting the shuck out. Any similarities between this crabby circumstance and human relationships are purely intentional.

    The Mirror Crack’d at Alley Theatre (July 11-August 17)
    Move over Hercule Poirot and you too Sherlock, because it takes a woman to untangle all the mysterious threads of jealousy, lies, and ambition in those seemingly charming English towns. One of Agatha Christie’s greatest detectives, Miss Marple, uses a cheerful and kind-auntie demeanor to disguise a keen intellect and nose for solving crime. For this Miss Marple case, the filming of a star-studded movie in a quaint village leads to a chilling murder, and everyone becomes a suspect. The Alley’s annual Summer Chills mystery production is usually one of their most popular shows, but this one will also make a bit of theatrical history as this production of the Christie classic, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff, marks the first time iconic sleuth Miss Marple has appeared on the U.S. stage.

    The 39 Steps at Main Street Theater (July 12-August 10)
    The classic Alfred Hitchcock spy thriller becomes exhilarating comic mayhem onstage when performed by just four actors. The original 39 Steps film is the story of an ordinary man accused of a murder he did not commit after he accidentally becomes involved with a mysterious and deadly woman. He must then go on the run over the English and Scottish countryside trying to allude both the police and an international spy ring attempting to steal British military secrets. In this hilarious parody adaptation by Patrick Barlow, the four actors leap in and out of over 150 characters, sometimes playing multiple roles in the span of seconds while also performing dynamic chase scenes, including an onstage plane crash. Look for some of our local favs to get quite the theatrical workout in this breakneck comedy.

    Parade presented by Broadway at the Hobby Center (July 15-20)
    For the penultimate show of Broadway at Hobby’s 24-25 season, they’re bringing in the 2023 Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Musical. Set at the turn of the 20th century, the dramatic and still very timely story chronicles what happens when murder, politics, and prejudice meet during a sensationalized murder trial. Based on a true story, Parade depicts newlywed Jewish couple, Leo and Lucille Frank, struggling to make a home and find community in Georgia. When Leo is accused of an unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice, and devotion. Riveting and complex, Parade reminds us that to love, we must truly see one another.

    Iolanthe from the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston (July 19-27)
    We always look forward this annual summer performance treat, as Houston’s own esteemed Gilbert and Sullivan Society presents another opera gem from the Gilbert and Sullivan treasure trove of musicals. Marrying fantasy and satire, Iolanthe is set in a magical version of England filled with both snobby aristocrats and equally smug faeries. The fairy and human world clash when Strephon, the half-fairy, half-human son of the title character falls in love with the lovely human Phyllis, a ward of the Lord Chancellor. Chaos ensues amid a lively and beautiful score as the fairies interfere in British politics, elevating Strephon to Parliament and upending tradition. The comic opera skews the British legal system, the House of Lords, and Victorian sensibilities all with clever lyrics. Keeping with the fairytale setting, the production design will showcase dreamy lighting, larger-than-life flora set pieces, and costumes inspired by whimsical bugs.

    The Last Five Years at Queensbury Theatre (July 23-27)
    When this bitter sweet musical made its debut in the early 2000s, it garnered lots of critics and audience acclaim with its fresh way to tell its love story, simultaneously from both the ending and beginning. Cathy, an aspiring actress, sings their story from the end of their marriage looking back, while Jamie, a rising novelist, begins with their first meeting full of sparks and attraction. The musical tellings of their love and loss cross just once, with a wedding song they sing together in the middle of the show. Then, fate pulls them apart. Queensbury plans on updating the already innovative show for our cell phone-obsessed digital age. The show will blend live performance with social media and technology to reflect how we connect, communicate, and fall apart today. Get ready for a fresh take on this iconic musical, where texts, tweets, and time collide.

    Honky Tonk Laundry at Stages (July 25-August 17)
    The history of this show at Stages has all of the highs and lows of a real honky tonk song. The feel-good musical created by Roger Bean, who also brought the world The Marvelous Wonderettes, was supposed to be one of the first shows through the wash cycle when Stages’ Gordy campus opened back in 2020, but the pandemic put it on hold after only a week of shows. Stages did release a streaming version of the show, but now it’s back in its full live and in-person glory. The title says it all as a woman tries to turn an inherited washeteria into a honky tonk club. Two unlikely friends spin suds, stories, and songs by Reba, Dolly, Carrie, and more. This musical load contains over 20 country hits, including “Before He Cheats,” “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” and “Wide Open Spaces.” At the center of all the sudsy songs is a story of friendship, grit, and finding your voice, one spin at a time.

    Houston Shakespeare Festival at Miller Outdoor Theatre (July 31-August 8)
    It wouldn’t be summer without free Shakespeare productions at Miller thanks in no small part to the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance. This year brings a bard-tacular pairing with one of the great history plays, Henry V, and the effervescent comedy, As You Like It. Henry V lets us explore the qualities of leadership in all its challenges, complexities, and compromises as the young English king attempts to claim the French throne via battlefields and princess wooing. As You Like It marries some of Shakespeare’s best comic tropes including women disguised as men and urbanities losing their way, and sometimes sanity, in forests. Mix in some brotherly hate, mistaken identity, mixed up lovers, and a happy ending, and what’s not to like. The annual festival also offers some of the greatest roles for young regional actors getting their professional start and local favorites who have graced many a Houston stage.

    Life of Pi presented by Broadway at the Hobby Center (August 19-24)
    The Broadway at the Hobby Center 24-25 season ends not with a musical, but with this epic play. Based on the internationally award-winning novel and visually stunning film, this show won three Tony Awards and the Olivier Award for Best Play. After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four companions: a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger. On this makeshift, floating menagerie, boy and animals must survive together. Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world class puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, this beguiling show creates a breathtaking journey filled with wonder, awe and joy.

    While Childhood Slept from Garden Theatre (August 15-17)
    This emotional musical has some deep Houston history, as it had its world premiere here in 1999. It later received an off-Broadway reading, and its finale number, “We Will Not Forget,” was featured in the documentary Paperclips. In 2005, a revised version with new songs was performed once again in Houston. Based on a true story of the boys of Home Number One in the Nazi concentration camp, Terezin, the musical chronicles how the children create a secret republic within the camp, publishing their own magazine of art, poetry, and short stories. A visit from The Red Cross presents the opportunity to disguise their magazine as a secret message and a means of escape. The show will be produced in partnership with Holocaust Museum Houston.

    The Chosen Ones from Thunderclap Productions (August 28-September 6)
    While we have many new takes on classic stories on stages across the city this summer, if you’re looking for something new with some timely resonance, don’t miss this world premiere musical, by local and award winning playwright Aaron Alon. The show chronicles the stories of a group of LGBTQ+ teens sent to a conversion therapy summer camp, led by an “ex-gay” minister. With humor, sorrow, and hope the Chosen Ones explores themes of living authentically, found families, and defying conventions. Look for a large cast of fresh and up and coming local performers in this funny and moving musical, which is also a part of Thunderclap’s John Steven Kellett Memorial Series of works relating to LGBTQ+ equity.

    Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Parade
      

    Photo by Joan Marcus

    Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Parade.

    news/arts
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