An Insider's Guide

Ceramics tries to make itself cool: The craziest convention in Houston yet?

Feel like you've been seeing ceramics everywhere you look recently? It's no coincidence: The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts is holding its annual convention in Houston Wednesday through Saturday, and the organization signaled its impending arrival for months with gallery shows all around the city.

And this isn't your grandma's fine china, either — the works on display are contemporary representations of what's going on in the world of ceramics, works of cutting-edge craftsmanship with a fine art focus.

Many conference events will be free and open to the public through the rest of the week at the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB), but as the 200-plus hours of programming and hundreds of on-display exhibitions are sure to overwhelm, we've got you covered with the basics.

This isn't your grandma's fine china, either.

CultureMap asked Jeff Forster, ceramics department head at the Glassell School of Art Studio School for Adults and NCECA's on-site co-liaison for the 2013 event, to give us a run down of what not to miss.

Projects Space

"These are the selections from a juried call for proposals for projects to be built on location. Each artist gets a 10' by 10' or 20' by 20' space to work with for the duration of the conference, and guests can interact with the artists and watch projects progress over the next three days," Forster says.

Open Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., GRB Hall B3

Annual Dance featuring Brave Combo

You've likely heard the trademark polka-fusion sound of this Denton-based band — but probably never in a setting quite like this. "Brave Combo appeals to a diverse aesthetic," Forster says.

Begins Friday at 9:30 p.m., GRB Grand Ballroom A/B

Hundreds of local exhibitions

"At Winter and Spring Street Studios, there are several shows in one consolidated hot spot. The Museum District is hosting a handful of shows in close proximity, too — those happen to be some of my favorites," Forster tells CultureMap.

Times and dates vary. Find more information here.

21st Annual Cup Sale

Like the Houston Food Bank's annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, NCECA's annual cup sale is a great way to collect small works of one-of-a-kind art while supporting a good cause. Proceeds support the NCECA Fund for Artistic Development.

Sale starts on Friday at 8 a.m. and lasts until 2 p.m. (or until cups are sold out), GRB Room 350 D-F

Ryan D. Labar, Time and Inner Space, 2010, 19 by 25 by 16 inches

Photo courtesy of the artist

Ryan D. Labar, Time and Inner Space, 2010, 19 by 25 by 16 inches

unspecified

RETAIL WATCH

Bed Bath & Beyond returns to Houston via Container Store merger

The Container Store/Facebook

The Container Store is merging with Bed Bath & Beyond.

Bed Bath & Beyond is making a comeback — well, sort of. The Container Store is merging 98 of its nationwide stores with the once-mighty home goods chain, including the its Houston-area locations location in Uptown, Champions, and Friendswood.

On April 6, Bed Bath & Beyond entered into a merger agreement to purchase The Container Store for $150 million. A release says combining the two concepts’ goods will “better serve how customers live today.”

In recent years, both brands have been struggling as part of the “retail apocalypse” of big box stores. In December 2024, Coppell-based Container Store filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy without shedding any stores.

Bed Bath & Beyond, meanwhile, collapsed in summer 2023. After filing for Chapter 11, it liquidated all of its U.S. stores. It shuttered three Houston-area stores in 2020, followed by all of its remaining locations in 2023.

As part of the merger, The Container Store will be streamlining its offerings, cutting around 30 percent of its stock. Stores will be offering clearance prices on the items starting Friday, April 24. The Container Store will also be opening an hour early on April 25-26, giving early birds an extra 5 percent discount.

“This is a reset with purpose,” said Jen Pape, Senior Vice President of Stores at The Container Store, in a release. “We are actively reshaping our stores to make room for what’s next. By streamlining select categories today, we’re creating the space and flexibility needed to introduce Bed Bath & Beyond products and deliver a more complete home experience for our customers.”

The merger affects 12 Texas stores, including:

Arlington — 4000 Arlington Highlands Blvd #101
Austin — 9629 Research Blvd
Dallas — 13710 Dallas Pkwy
Dallas — 7700 W NW Hwy #500
Fairview — 151 East Stacy Rd
Fort Worth — 4601 West Fwy #500
Friendswood — 18760 Gulf Fwy
Houston — 5466 FM 1960 W
Houston — 2511 Post Oak Blvd
Plano — 8460 Parkwood Blvd
San Antonio — 333 NW Loop 410
Southlake — 1200 Main St

shopping mergers organization home goods retail