Art, Place, and Power: Project Row Houses in Houston's Third Ward

In 1993, seven Black artists transformed a block of abandoned row houses in Houston’s Third Ward neighborhood into a new kind of cultural space. Rather than regarding the structures as ruins of the past, these visionaries saw in them the foundation of something new. 

Believing that creativity and collective action could reshape both the built environment and people’s lives, the artists established Project Row Houses, an arts and community revitalization organization that for over three decades has staged free exhibitions, offered artist residencies and youth programs, promoted the preservation of historic architecture, and more. ​ ​

The installation Art, Place, and Power: Project Row Houses in Houston’s Third Ward features works on paper by founders of Project Row Houses, including James Bettison, Bert Long, Jr., Jesse Lott, Rick Lowe, and Floyd Newsum, and is shown in conjunction with Textiles in Dialogue: The Design Works of Bedford Stuyvesant. Like the nearby textiles produced in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, these works celebrate the powerful impact of community-oriented artists and art.

Note: Because works on paper are light-sensitive, this installation consists of two six-month rotations, with the works on view changing in May 2026.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website