giving shelter

Houston scores $1M grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies for Midtown public art project

“HueMan: Shelter” will dot Midtown.

Photo by Brandon Huttenlocher - Design Workshop, Inc.

Houston just scored a million-dollars win — for public art. Bloomberg Philanthropies set a challenge for cities to create temporary public art projects that address important civic issues in cities across the country, and Houston rose to that remarkable challenge with “HueMan: Shelter,” a public art program that will help enrich lives and change perspectives.

The million-dollar, innovative project will support art-making through collaborations between artists and unsheltered individuals while producing new public art for all Houstonians.

Out of 154 cities across 40 states to apply, Houston become one of only eight cites to receive a $1 million grant that will help support the project over the next two years. The collaborative nature of the proposal and its focus on such a critical issue across the nation helped to highlight the potential of “HueMan: Shelter” during the selection process.

“These projects were selected for their compelling creativity and commitment to serving their communities,” said Kate D. Levin, who leads the Bloomberg Philanthropies Arts Program. “We look forward to supporting these teams as they bring their visionary projects to life over the next two years.”

Houston’s winning proposal makes plans for an art program that will “disrupt perceptions of homelessness by developing nine installations along a main corridor in the Midtown Cultural Arts District through collaborations between professional artists and unsheltered individuals.”

The $1 million grant will reach a long way over two years as it covers the expenses related to the project's development, artist budgets, installation execution, and documentation. As the project moves forward, local artists will be selected via an open call to work with unsheltered Houstonians whose life experiences will influence this visual storytelling project.

Bloomberg Philanthropies previous Public Art Challenge grants to five cities in 2018 helped catalyze more than $100 million in economic benefit for those local economies.

"Houston has emerged as a pioneer city in implementing thoughtful strategies to address homelessness,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner stated on news of the Public Art Challenge winners announcement. “This generous grant enables us to further prioritize the needs of unsheltered individuals while also reminding the public about our interconnectedness and the importance of meeting everyone's basic needs through creative efforts. We all deserve to be seen, heard, and validated.”

Setting the collaborative nature of “HueMan: Shelter” many city organizations will join together to see its fruition, including the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the Midtown Houston Cultural Arts and Entertainment District in partnership with the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston, the Career and Recovery Resources, Inc. and METRO Houston.

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Musical theater veteran joins prominent Houston company

Courtesy of Stages

Stages has named Valerie Rachelle as its new associate artist director.

A Houston theater company is adding an accomplished artist to its ranks. Stages announced that Valerie Rachelle will be the company’s new associate artistic director beginning in January 2026.

For more than a decade, Rachelle has been artistic director of the Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland, Oregon, where she oversaw artistic vision and operations. That theater specializes in musical theater performances offered in a cabaret setting.

Rachelle comes to Houston with a career spanning nearly 30 years as a director and choreographer. She has extensive experience in developing new musicals and plays for regional theaters and opera companies across the United States, including the Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Sierra Repertory Theatre. She was appointed to her position at Stages following a nationwide search.

“I’m beyond thankful for this opportunity to join this incredible company, and I’m excited to be a part of a creative entity that has a strong mission and vision as Stages,” Rachelle said in a statement.

In her role with Stages, she will support artistic director Derek Charles Livingston with season planning and casting; liaise with artists, press, and staff; and coordinate day-to-day operations for the artistic department. She will also assist with crafting educational materials, direct and choreograph productions, and serve as the primary liaison with theatrical unions.

“We are thrilled to welcome Valerie to Stages in this role,” said Livingston. “I have seen her work as a director and director choreographer — she's excellent. Those skills combined with her experience as a theatre artistic director and manager only further fortify Stages' commitment to artistic excellence and community engagement.”

Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Rachelle began her career as a dancer and apprentice ballerina with the Eugene Ballet Company before earning her BFA in acting from California Institute of the Arts. She received her MFA in Directing from the University of California, Irvine. She has held teaching and directing positions at numerous institutions, including the University of Southern California, Southern Oregon University, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and others. She has also served as a mentor through Statera Arts, an organization dedicated to gender equity in the arts.

Rachelle teaches musical theater, auditioning, and singing at Southern Oregon University when she isn’t on the road as a freelance director and choreographer. She’s also a classically trained singer and toured the world with her parents and their illusionist show as a child.

“Joining the team that has a long-standing reputation of excellence in theater is an honor,” Rachelle added.

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