bravo!

A historic Houston-Broadway debut, the Obamas, and big name changes highlight 2022 in the arts

Former Rice student Kanisha Feliciano made history on Broadway.

Photo by Greg Mills

As much as we embrace our Space City, Bayou City, and Energy Capital monikers, we in Houston are fully aware that this is an arts town. To wit: Ten years ago, Broadway World called Houston the nation's top theater scene along with New York City — imagine the change now.

Change is a theme this year in Houston arts, as the Alley Theatre announced a name change thanks to a generous — and anonymous — $25 million gift. And speaking of Houston theater, a former Rice student made history the first Latina to sing the iconic Christie role in Phantom of the Opera role on Broadway.

In dance, Houston Ballet leaped into news — also with an HQ named change, named for a longtime and beloved Houston benefactor. In visual arts, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston played host to the Obamas. Musically, the greatest living jazzer came to town, while we said goodbye to a cherished jazz singer.

Quite a dramatic year — here are its top moments in Houston arts.

The Alley Theatre's home on Texas Avenue has a new name: The Meredith J. Long Theatre Center. This comes after a surprising and anonymous $25 million gift to the organization's Alley Vision for the Future Campaign. The largest gift in the Alley's 75 year history, the donation sees the name change to honor the Alley's longtime chairman emeritus.

A Houston-trained woman of color made history on Broadway. Former Rice student Kanisha Feliciano took the role of Christine Daaé in Phantom of the Opera, making her the first Latina to sing the iconic role on Broadway. Feliciano, who identifies as Latina and Black, is also only the second Black performer to sing the role on the Great White Way. We loved the fact that Feliciano was understudying for Emilie Kouatchou, who is the first.

Houston Ballet’s downtown headquarters downtown will now be known as the Margaret Alkek Williams Center for Dance, after the beloved Houston society queen and benefactor gifted the organization $10 million organization $10 million towards the Houston Ballet Endowment. The surprise announcement was made during a dinner celebrating Williams, who has been an endless champion, and her support that dates back to 1989.

President Barack Obama and Former First Lady Michelle Obama made a stop in Houston — specifically, to the MFAH. Thousands packed the opening of Obama Portraits Tour. The MFAH made general admission to the museum and exhibit free on opening day, where visitors were encouraged to don their “Sunday best” attire and enjoy live music, food, activations, and special programs. Houston was the last stop for the tour after wildly popular shows in Chicago, New York; Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush got positively bookish in their old stomping grounds. In Houston for the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation annual and star-studded Celebration of Reading, the granddaughters of Barbara Bush and twin daughters of President George W. Bush, shared some fun family stories and insight on their new book, The Superpower Sisterhood.

Wynton Marsalis, America's greatest living jazz performer and icon, swung into town for a special performance with Jazz Houston, dubbed Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. As he explained to CultureMap, the world's most celebrated jazz trumpeter was in town to support his friend and frequent musical partner Vincent Gardner, who heads Jazz Houston. The show was a bucket-list gig for any jazz lover or fan.

And we bid farewell to a beloved local jazz legend, Yvonne Washington. Thecharming andcharismatic Houston performer who wowed audiences here and across the globes with her often stunning jazz, blues, gospel, and soul vocals, passed away at the age of 72.

Washington performed for notables such as Former President George HW Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush and toured with legends such as Stevie Wonder. She was a mainstay of jazz clubs, power performances, and even weddings (including this writer’s). Her rendition of “Amazing Grace” is nearly legendary in Houston circles: soaring, evocative, and triumphant.

paint the town

Houston chosen for first-ever expansion of prestigious art fair

Courtesy of World Red Eye

Untitled Art is a contemporary art fair that takes place annually in Miami Beach.

One of the country’s leading contemporary art fairs has chosen Houston for its first-ever expansion. Untitled Art, will take place from September 19-21, 2025 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Founded in Miami 12 years ago by collector and entrepreneur Jeffrey Lawson, Untitled Art showcases the work of emerging and established artists. Known for its cutting-edge programming featuring noteworthy galleries and nonprofits from around the world, each fair features a series of curated galleries designed to offer a narrative flow for viewers.

“We’ve been in Houston now for the last two years, having conversations with all the different institutions, collectors, and art advisors to put this together,” Lawson tells CultureMap. “Texas – and Houston specifically with its vast resources, great cultural wealth and standing as a gateway to Latin America – offers myriad opportunities to a growing brand like Untitled Art.”

Lawson sees the Bayou City as a natural place to expand. In 2022, the city saw $1.3 billion in arts-related spending. And Lawson points out that the city’s increased emphasis on the arts, along with expansions at the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, among others, demonstrate a commitment to arts and arts programming.

“It's just a really excellent place that's growing pretty rapidly in a really positive way,” Lawson says of the city.

Untitled Art Fair Director Michael Slenske echoed those sentiments.

“Over the past decade and a half, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Houston’s art landscape evolve firsthand, and there’s seemingly no limit to the potential of the city’s cultural infrastructure,” he says.

Untitled Art aims to engage new audiences across the city, state, and region. It will also add yet another cultural touchstone to one of the country’s largest, most diverse, and fastest growing cities.

While plans for the art fair are still being put in place, attendees can expect several things. First, they’ll see art from hundreds of artists and exhibitors. (This year’s annual Untitled Art in Miami, slated for December 4 through 8, features more than 170 exhibitors.) Those works showcase several media, including painting, sculpture, mixed media, even performance or video. All of the artists are working in contemporary arts.

Exhibitors will be a blend of local artists and participants from Untitled Art’s extensive network of galleries across the U.S. and beyond. Some of the participants confirmed for Houston’s inaugural edition include Seven Sisters from Houston; 12.26 from Dallas; Martha's from Austin; Various Small Fires/VSF with locations in Los Angeles, Seoul, and Dallas; Half Gallery of New York and Los Angeles; and Luis De Jesus Los Angeles. A full list of exhibitors will be announced in the spring. Lawson, Slenske, and Untitled Art executive director Clara Andrade will select all of the participating artists.

In addition to being able to go through each participant’s gallery, fair attendees can take part in curator-led tours or watch Untitled Art’s podcast being recorded. Leading up to the fair, Untitled Art will host a series of activities and installations around the city and state designed to show how art can be accessible to all. What those activities will be is still in the works.

Lawson stresses that Untitled Art is for everyone, from collectors to the curious.

“The bulk of the people that come to the fair are not buying art. They're coming to see great art from all over the world,” he says. “They're coming to participate in a cultural event. That's exciting. They're coming to look at what artists are making and what people are doing.”

The announcement of Untitled Art’s expansion to Houston comes in the wake of several significant expansions across Houston galleries and institutions in recent years, and on the heels of the Houston arts community being honored as the first Spotlight city at the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) annual Art Show in New York in late October.

Local partners in the 2025 Houston fair include Discovery Green, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH), the University of Houston School of Art, and the historic art-focused hotel, La Colombe D’Or.

Courtesy of World Red Eye

Untitled Art is a contemporary art fair that takes place annually in Miami Beach.