We share information about the sparks of creativity and innovation we see in Houston.
Architect John S. Chase (1925-2012) was a founder of modern Houston. The first licensed African-American architect in Texas, he brought the principles of Frank Lloyd Wright to Houston. Two of his best buildings are at Texas Southern University, the law school and the humanities building. Can you point us to the other Houston work of black architects?
The MacArthur Foundation described Project Row Houses (https://projectrowhouses.org/) as “a visionary amalgam of arts venue, community support center, and historic preservation initiative” when they awarded co-founder Rick Lowe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Lowe) a ‘genius grant’ in 2014. PRH now provides youth art education, residencies for working artists, and housing for single mothers. The restored shotgun houses anchor an arts district of ten blocks, and PRH has been a model for Lowe’s social-practice art projects in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Dallas.
From Sukhada Tatke: https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/falling-in-love-with-houston/
https://twitter.com/sukhadatatke
"This city—built on marshy, shaky land—holds the promise of resilience and survival amid flux and change. Temporary inhabitants like us flashed in and out of the city, painting a fleeting urgency to all our friendships. We, too, were in transit, learning to compress the bigness of this city into small, incremental details and peripatetic encounters. And with every fight for justice and solidarity, every march of resistance, every run to the airport to oppose the immigration ban on Muslim countries, the city’s indomitable spirit grew on me."
Just as my husband and I were moving away from the city, we found ourselves embracing our adopted hometown.
Houston pastor Rudy Rasmus started with the idea that good coffee shops develop fellowship and understanding in a community. Then he went looking for good partners and a good space (https://www.throughgoodcoffee.com/) that provided an opportunity to contribute part of the profits to his other project, relieving homelessness through Temenos CDC. Read the review at Conde Nast Traveler: https://www.cntraveler.com/bars/houston/throughgood-coffee.
Hungry? Find more black-owned restaurants here: https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/dining/here-are-more-than-50-black-owned-houston-15311508.
Take a vacation creatively at La Maison BnB. https://www.facebook.com/LaMaisonBNBHouston/
When Genora Boykins and Sharon Owens followed their dream of owning a bed and breakfast, they ended up building it from scratch, on a quiet corner of Midtown Houston. Their "escape in the city" is three floors of elegantly furnished rooms, all with private baths and business-ready conveniences. Their hands-on management has led to sterling reviews and contributed to the redevelopment of Midtown as a travel destination neighborhood.
An Urban Bed & Breakfast
Very exciting updates about Rick Lowe. Thanks, Molly
When Rick Lowe talks about the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, he thinks first about residents of the city today.
In 2014, Karissa Lindsay ran a successful Kickstarter project to scale up production of her women’s clothing inspired by West African Ankara styles. Since then she’s gotten national media coverage for her dresses, skirts, and blouses. She chose the name “A Leap of Style” to encourage women to step out in striking garments that reflected their confidence and sense of adventure. What other Houston designers stimulate your creativity? https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/06/18/a-leap-of-style/
Houston creatives embrace diversity
The exploitation of black creativity, part of the devaluing of black lives, stops with us. To support the movement, this month we’ll focus on the contribution of black Houstonians. As always, we fo…
Sparks Reframing Houston
This April When I think about Houston, I try to step out of my own experiences and see it the way other people do. On most mornings, I read the Houston Subreddit. On the Reddit community platform, …
Photographer Geoffrey Winningham practices radical observation, seeing more than most of us. More notably, as a Rice University professor he teaches this skill to others. He’s famous for his books of photographs, including A Place of Dreams celebrating Houston. From 2011 to 2016, he collaborated with Houston school children for In the Eyes of Our Children. Below a snapshot of his recent Changing Houston exhibit.
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/geoff-winningham-2/
Photographer Geoffrey Winningham practices radical observation, seeing more than most of us. More notably, as a Rice University professor he teaches this skill to others. He’s famous for his books …
Max Gonzales invented a new business model for his Catalina Coffee shop and enriched the Houston coffee scene. Catering to coffee connoisseurs, the shop sits just west of downtown and attracts both office and creative professionals. Learn more of his story in a great interview by Katharine Shilcutt.
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/catalina-coffee/
Max Gonzales invented a new business model for his Catalina Coffee shop and enriched the Houston coffee scene. Catering to coffee connoisseurs, the shop sits just west of downtown and attracts both…
Houston didn’t invent the art car, but we invented the art car parade in 1988. The Orange Show developed it, but it now belongs to the city residents who decorate and build all manner of moving art works to participate. It’s now the largest art car parade in the country, attracting celebrity grand marshals like Cheech Marin and Dan Aykroyd. See more photos from Creative Houston.
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/the-art-car-parade/
Houston didn’t invent the art car, but we invented the art car parade in 1988. The Orange Show developed it, but it now belongs to the city residents who decorate and build all manner of moving art…
On the eastern edge of Memorial City, Houston architecture firm Studio Red built the Treehouse. Designed through collaboration, for collaboration, the MetroNational conference center has wowed the national architecture community. We all can visit the first floor restaurant, Liberty Kitchen.
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/studio-reds-treehouse/
On the eastern edge of Memorial City, Houston architecture firm Studio Red built the Treehouse. Designed through collaboration, for collaboration, the MetroNational conference center has wowed the …
One of the winningest art car paraders is Mark Bradford, known as Scrapdaddy. His 12-foot Mr. Green from 2012, 99% recycled materials, won the top prize. Bradford welds art and mechanical engineering, and his work has been featured in several exhibits. You can visit his Houston studio via video.
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/scrapdaddy/
One of the winningest art car paraders is Mark Bradford, known as Scrapdaddy. His 12-foot Mr. Green from 2012, 99% recycled materials, won the top prize. Bradford welds art and mechanical engineeri…
When visitors search for a unique place to stay in Houston, they are often directed to the Modern B&B, designed by Rodney Collins and run by Lisa Thompson. Long before AirBnB, they envisioned a bed-and-breakfast with modern styling and artwork. The Montrose location offers leafy views from many porches. See its architectural story.
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/modern-bnb/
When visitors search for a unique place to stay in Houston, they are often directed to the Modern B&B, designed by Rodney Collins and run by Lisa Thompson. Long before AirBnB, they envisioned a…
Visit this story for many fascinating images of custom computers made by Joshua Wilkinson, a UHCL student.
Houston's Joshua Wilkinson talks about the themes for his unique PC designs, which range from Whataburger, to the Houston Rockets, to Minecraft.
Here's our online dance festival http://www.countercurrentfestival.org/ten-tiny-dances-online/
Starting April 20th and continuing through May 1st, one five-minute virtual performance will appear on this page each day. New works will be uploaded at 12:00 noon. Created in Portland, Oregon in 2002, Ten Tiny Dances® continues to be produced by founder Mike Barber and others, by permission. See w...
The Latin star replied to Coronado with "Yo lo quiero," and asked if $5,000 was enough to purchase the artwork.
Houston Artists: 60+ $1,000 grants will be awarded through an online application process. The Idea Fund - COVID-19 Relief Grant portal opens April 13, 2020; the deadline to apply for consideration is Monday, April 27, 2020, 11:59 PM.
https://diverseworks.submittable.com/submit/164296/the-idea-fund-emergency-relief-grant
The Idea Fund - Emergency Relief Grant The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts has provided an opportunity for The Idea Fund, a regranting program administered by DiverseWorks, Aurora Picture Show and Project Row Houses, to support visual and multidisciplinary artists in the Greater Houston A...
Houston Jeweler Creates a Special Pin to Give to Health Care Heroes | PaperCity Magazine
Houston jeweler Franco Valobra is creating a piece of jewelry in homage to the COVID-19 warriors. Saying thanks can be a beautiful thing.
A little trip through history with The Heritage Society
https://youtu.be/N8O2Q64qF1o
The Duncan General Store in The Heritage Society Museum Gallery is a replica of an actual store that existed in Texas in the late 19th century. The store was...
Started in 2014 in Houston, The Next Seed, Inc. created the first online fundraising/investment platform where even non-accredited investors can find opportunities to support local businesses. With their growing team, founders Youngro Lee, Abe Chu, and Bob Dunton continue to develop new tools to fuel growth for entrepreneurs.
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/03/31/nextseed/
Started in 2014 in Houston, The Next Seed, Inc. created the first online fundraising/investment platform where even non-accredited investors can find opportunities to support local businesses. With…
Facts every Houstonian should know about Chloe Dao: 1) her parents are Vietnamese but she was born in Laos but grew up in Houston, 2) she won the 2nd season of Project Runway, and 3) her first original design was her senior prom dress. Also, she attended UH and HCC but finally graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. [ 66 more words ]
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/03/31/chloe-dao/
Facts every Houstonian should know about Chloe Dao: 1) her parents are Vietnamese but she was born in Laos but grew up in Houston, 2) she won the 2nd season of Project Runway, and 3) her first orig…
Since 2007, 42 artists have enjoyed a 9-month studio residency at Lawndale Art Center in the Museum District of Houston. They also receive $3000 and $5000 in direct support of their work toward public exhibition. Applications are available to artists working on the Texas Gulf Coast, and past participants include Hillberbrand + Magsamen and David Politzer.
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/03/31/lawndales-artist-studio-program/
Since 2007, 42 artists have enjoyed a 9-month studio residency at Lawndale Art Center in the Museum District of Houston. They also receive $3000 and $5000 in direct support of their work toward pub…
Built in 1898 and expanded in 1980, this striking Victorian bed and breakfast has long been the most popular in Houston. Sara's is nestled in a walkable neighborhood only four miles from downtown, plus over 50 restaurants in a one-mile radius. Jihye and John Deveau have furnished it with plenty of Victorian style and modern amenities.
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/03/31/saras-inn/
Built in 1898 and expanded in 1980, this striking Victorian bed and breakfast has long been the most popular in Houston. Sara’s is nestled in a walkable neighborhood only four miles from down…
For the Roman Catholic church, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston is the chancery for an archdiocese that encompasses 8,880 square miles and has its 1839 roots in Galveston. In 2000, Houston-founded architecture firm Ziegler Cooper was selected to design a new Cathedral that reflects the modern spiritual values of the community. 73,000 square feet of limestone is piled into muscular shapes, softened by elegant details.
https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/03/31/ziegler-coopers-cathedral-for-houston/
For the Roman Catholic church, the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston is the chancery for an archdiocese that encompasses 8,880 square miles and has its 1839 roots in Galveston. I…
Catch sight of this business, Direct Auto Services, at 2222 Studewood in the Heights
https://www.reddit.com/r/houston/comments/fo4bvn/this_automotive_shop_in_the_heights/
Posted in r/houston by u/truetexan86 • 1,105 points and 32 comments
The Houstonian Hotel (https://www.facebook.com/TheHoustonian) was founded in 1980 by a wealthy Houston entrepreneur and became more widely known as ‘west White House’ for President George H. W. Bush. Situated in an 18-acre wooded campus along Buffalo Bayou, the hotel is famous for its health club, spa, restaurants, conference center, and “Texas estate” architecture.
Boomtown began as a coffee roaster in 2011 and gradually opened three restaurants, two downtown and one in the nearby Heights neighborhood. The company is famous for their commitment to small-batch, high-quality coffee, elegant design, and a culture that encourages exploring and sharing coffee. https://www.facebook.com/boomtownmainstreet/
Established by the young architect John Kirksey in 1971, Kirksey Architecture was one of the first in Houston to focus on sustainability. Their motto is “healthy buildings, healthy people, healthy planet.” Theresa is pictured below in the courtyard of their Calhoun Lofts project at the University of Houston.
Fresh Arts (https://www.facebook.com/fresharts/) is a nonprofit for educating and supporting Houston artists in finding success. As the managing partner of the Arts District, it plans events by and for artists of all disciplines in a commercial and residential neighborhood that boasts the highest concentration of working artists in Texas. Resources include grants and training.
LAUNCH is a retail shop in the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston. Founded as a pop-up by Sydney Dao, it showcases the work of emerging Houston designers and also promotes awareness of the world-class quality of apparel, accessories, art, and home goods created in Houston. https://shopvisithouston.com/pages/launchhtx
Kimono Zulu is a fashion brand created by Tina Zulu using vintage kimonos and other traditional Japanese attire. Tina invites artists to collaborate in the creation of unique gowns, coats, at-home wear and wearable art. The products can be purchased at Magpies & Peacocks, The Pop-Up Co-op, and many Houston festivals. https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/02/29/kimono-zulu/
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More Sparks sighted in Houston this February
At Creative Houston, we explore Houston to uncover flashes of ingenuity that cross boundaries and may surprise you. We collect these sightings into a newsletter and a website. Plus, we share them o…
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YouTube: We aren’t creating videos yet, but we’ve assembled some great Houston-focused playlists you can see at See the Houston YouTubers we follow at We have a private group named Crea…
At https://houstonmovers.com Luke Palder invented a new way to help people relocate. After completing an easy form, each customer gets quotes from multiple reputable moving services, and HoustonMovers.com donates to help someone fleeing domestic violence. https://creativehoustonpbc.wordpress.com/2020/01/23/houstonmovers-com/
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