Here is my weekly list of key art events happening in and around the Houston cultural scene. Which ones are you planning to attend? And, what are you looking forward to seeing in 2024? Let me know!

NEW FEATURE ON MY WEBSITE! Submit your Houston art events by visiting melissarichardsonbanks.com/events and clicking "Submit Events."

Approved events will go live on my website calendar. However, if you want your events to also be considered for inclusion in my weekly MUSED Houston e-news, you must submit at least two to four weeks in advance.

Let me know if you have any questions! As always,I appreciate your support.

~ Melissa Richardson Banks

All events are subject to change without notice. Please check with the venue or the organizer of an event to ensure that it is taking place as promoted and scheduled.

WED 12.13.2023

🎨 PUBLIC ART DEDICATION 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM “Crux Australis 68.00 | Tomás Saraceno” at Rice University (Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering Science at 6100 Main St., Houston 77005). Meet the artist and see his site-specific, large-scale artwork. 

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THU 12.14.2023

🎨 ART OPENING 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM “There is No Alternative | No Hay Alternative by Mariela G. Dominguez (XZZX)” on view thru February 10, 2024 at TANK Space of Spring Street Studios (1824 Spring St., Houston 77007). A sculptural and fluctuating installation explores the ecological collateral of globalist economics and regional power dynamics.

💃 FASHION SHOW 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM “Fashion Fusion” Runway Show at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Cullinan Hall in Caroline Wiess Law Building 1001 Bissonnet Street Houston 77005). Design competition and professional fashion show for Houston Community College students inspired by art on view - this year’s theme is Islamic art meets contemporary couture.

🎨 ART EVENT 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM “AIGA Houston Holiday Party” at Betelgeuse Betelgeuse (2101 Washington Ave., Houston 77007). Embrace the festive spirit, mingle with fellow creatives, and toast to a year of design triumphs. $10 admission

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FRI 12.15.2023

🎨 ART OPENINGS 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM of four exhibitions on view thru February 10, 2024 at Art League Houston (1953 Montrose Blvd., Houston 77006). “Chris Sauter: Inhaling the Spore” | “Carris Adams: And so it goes …” | “Doug Welsh: re-rite” | “Marley Foster: Flag Diary - What Protects”

🎨 ART OPENING 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM “California Abstraction” on view thru January 13, 2024 at ELLIO Fine Art (3201 Allen Parkway, 180, Houston 77019 - enter on Rosine). Paintings and sculptures by artists Jerrold Burchman, Elizabeth Chandler, Marie Thibeault, Holly Wong, and Jack Zajac.

🎨 ART OPENING 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM “Night Skyline Stars” on view thru February 24, 2024 at Laura the Gallery (1125 E. 11th St., Houston 77009). Laura Burton inaugurates her namesake gallery -- Houston’s newest -- with a group show featuring artists Afra Al Dhaheri, Francesca Fuchs, Ian Gerson, Yin Jiang, Myeongsoo Kim, Joseph Liatela, Hasani Sahlehe, and Chang Sujung. 

🎨 ART EVENT 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM “Launch Party | An Evening with artist Angel Quesada” at the artist’s studio (4001 Leeland St., Houston 77003). Celebrate the artist’s new online art store with light bites, spirits, and special guests.

🎨 ART EVENT 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM “Open Studio with artist Stephanie Gonzalez” at Deerslug Studio (2020 Commerce St., Studio A, Houston 77002). 

🎨 ART OPENING 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM “Fantasy and Reality | Maksim Koloskov and Olga Shotashvili” on view thru February 16, 2024 at the Russian Cultural Center “Our Texas” (2337 Bissonnet St., Houston 77005). Contrasting the whimsical and the tangible, this exhibition features the works of Houston-based artist and architect Maksim Koloskov and Olga Shotashvili, an artist known for her abstract expressionism style.

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SAT 12.16.2023

🎨 ARTIST TALKS 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM “Volume 1: Rise” at Throughline Collective (3909 Main St. Houston 77002). A discussion of art practices and recurring interests by artists Carolina Borja, Jonas Criscoe, Molly Koehn, Colleen Maynard, and Sarah Sudhoff.

🫔 FOOD EVENT 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM "Tamale Festival Houston" at Giant Texas Distillers (5610 Clinton Dr., Houston 77020). Indulge in a mouthwatering selection of tamales from vendors, each offering their unique twist on this beloved Mexican dish.

🎨 ARTIST TALK 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM "Martin Bernstein: Touchstones" at Koelsch Gallery (1020 Peden St., Houston 77006). Q&A with the artist and Franny Koelsch centered on Bernstein’s artistic process, creative journey, and his most recent debut.

🎨 ARTIST RECEPTION 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM “A Lesson | Carris Adams” on view thru January 24, 2024 at Basket Books + Art (115 Hyde Park Blvd, Houston 77006). This solo exhibition also includes a site-specific panoramic painting that spans the entirety of the gallery’s longest wall.

❄️🎄🎅 SPECIAL EVENT 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM “Holiday Champagne, Art, and Music” at Archway Gallery (2305 Dunlavy St., Houston 77006). Festive music by Scottish fiddle player Ash Godfrin. Paintings by Jim Hill.

🎵 MUSIC 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM “Greg Klyma Holiday Casita Concert” at Abrams House (2017 W. Main St., Houston 77098). Potluck buffet and BYOB plus suggested $25 donation for featured musician Greg Klyma ($5 for kids 12-15; free for kids under 12). CDs for sale plus a free community jam session after the featured performance.

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SUN 12.17.2023

🎨 PUBLIC PERFORMANCE 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM “The Harvey Bott ROBOTT Opera Revisited” at Orange Show Center for the Visionary Arts (2401 Munger St., Houston 77023). Inspired by groundbreaking experiments with remote-controlled art robots in the late 1970's and early ‘80s, the public performance includes projected video, sculpture, and robotics with live musical accompaniment.

This weekly e-newsletter is solely a passion project for me as I like to keep a list of what I really want to see. If you miss an opening at a museum or gallery, please check the calendar on my website at www.melissarichardsonbanks.com to plan your visit during the venue's regular operating hours.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK by Melissa Richardson Banks

Did you know? While my weekly emails about Houston art events only share what's happening on the upcoming Wednesday through Sunday, I also post other events on my website, including events that take place on Monday and Tuesday like last night's Fiesta Guadalupana at MECA's Dow School location in the Sixth Ward (1900 Kane St., Houston 77007).

This year, this community-based traditional event honored la Virgen de Guadalupe with serenades by Mariachi Amor a Mexico and dance performances by MECA's Ballet Folklórico. The iconic sculpture created by Houston artist Paul Kittelson of the Virgen de Guadalupe was lighted for the event.

December 12 is The Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe), a popular Catholic feast day that celebrates the anniversary of the appearance of the Virgin Mary, Mexico’s patron saint in 1531.

Affectionately called "la Virgencita,” she is depicted as a symbol of motherhood and care.

For more photos from last night, check out my Instagram post on @downtownmuse and @musedhouston