The Collective and the Glassell School create a dynamic quilt exhibition

Leading Change Through the Arts!

August 2025 Issue

"As It Is" opens August 16; Dynamic Jubilee Quilt Circle Exhibition opened August 9 at the Glassell School of Art; Open Call to artists and curators; July Highlights

The Stoic

"As It Is," opening August 16, explores themes of awareness

“As It Is,” the Community Artists’ Collective’s upcoming exhibition, showcasing the works of JajaH, opens Saturday, August 16, with a reception, artist talk and musical performance from 4 to 7 p.m.

Artist JajaH, aka Joshua Gray, describes his work as exploring themes of self-awareness and inner transformation.

“My art is rooted in the practice of Vipassana meditation, a path of insight and self-awareness. Through painting, I translate the inner stillness, clarity and transformation that arise in deep meditation. Each piece reflects a moment of presence and introspection—an invitation to pause, breathe and look inward,” he explained.

“In a world of constant distraction, I aim to create space for reflection and connection with the inner self.”

JajaH began drawing at age 12 and studied art at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts and the University of Houston, where he became active in the city's street art and mural scene. A former member of Project Row Houses and co-founder of the Annunaki Artist Collective (2012–2016), JajaH has exhibited widely, including his 2018 solo show “The Light Machine.” That same year, he began practicing Vipassana meditation, which now deeply influences his murals, portraits and performances.

The exhibition continues through September 27 and will include a meditation sound bath on September 13 at 11 a.m.

The Jubilee Quilt Circle, The Collective and the Glassell School of Art collaborate on a dynamic quilting exhibition

Patterns of Liberation: The Quilt Code of the Underground Railroad will open to the public Saturday, August 9.

The Jubilee Quilt Circle and The Collective will celebrate its year-long residency with the Glassell School of Art with a dynamic quilt exhibition opening Saturday, August 9, at the school.

“Patterns of Liberation: The Quilt Code of the Underground Railroad” is the culmination of Circle members’ research of the designs in the textiles displayed in the museum and each quilter’s unique interpretation of the patterns sewn into quilts once used as codes during the time of slavery in America.

The patterns in each quilt pay homage to the intricate network of people who comprised the Underground Railroad and who used these designs as a means of communication, guiding individuals on specific pathways to freedom. Particular sequences, colors, symbols and thread lengths revealed vital information to aid navigation from one checkpoint to the next, ultimately leading freedom seekers to Canada. Designing quilts in this fashion is an example of the use of ancestral knowledge passed down by generations of quilters, and it highlights a significant thread in the multilayered fabric of American history.

Admission is free for the exhibition, which is located in Bucher Gallery on Level 2 of the Glassell School of Art.

Opening Reception and Artist Talk: Friday, September 19, 1 p.m.

MFAH Event Link

MFAH Press Release

Members of the Jubilee Quilt Circle meet weekly at the Glassell School of Art.

Open call to artists and curators

The Collective is seeking proposals from greater Houston area artists and curators for its spring/summer 2026 through spring/summer 2027 exhibition season.

Proposals from early, mid and established artists and curators for solo and group exhibitions will be accepted for all media and multidisciplinary forms. Applications from artists who have exhibited at The Collective within the last three years will not be considered unless it is a new body of work.

Deadline for submissions is Sunday, August 31, at 11:59 p.m.

Criteria for participation is fully outlined on The Collective’s application.

The exhibition proposals will be assessed by The Collective’s executive director, its exhibition coordinator and the exhibition advisory committee. Artists’ works will be assessed on artistic merit, originality and their potential relationship with The Collective’s programs. A modest stipend will be offered to artists who are selected. Chosen artists will be notified in October 2025.

For more information contact Exhibition Coordinator Tamirah Collins at exhibit@thecollective.org.

July Highlights

The Collective continues providing creative classes for children, youth and adults. Above, local artists Alton Cooper and Diamond Ashman have been assisting and introducing painting techniques at Hester House. Below left, Michelle Barnes led a quilting workshop at Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy Welcome Center, and below right, Rick Pettway shared drawing techniques with young artists at the Blueridge MBC.