Public Program

Register Join artists Lovie Olivia & Preetika Rajgariah in conversation with DiverseWorks Curator Ashley DeHoyos as part of Texas Talks Art. Texas Talks Art is a multi-institutional initiative intended to both introduce the work of artists across the state of Texas to a wider audience and to foster collaboration between local non-profit arts organizations. Taking the form of virtual 30-minute lunchtime talks, the series features 50 Texas artists and artist collectives in conversation with 50 Texas curators beginning in January 2021 and continuing throughout the year. Texas Talks Art is built on a belief in the need to work collectively to support the remarkable and diverse community of artists living and working in Texas. The series features an intergenerational roster of artists working across mediums and at differing points in their careers. Texas Talks Art encourages dialogue between arts professionals and emphasizes the broad range of concerns and questions that animate Texas-based artists. Each free, virtual talk will take place on a Tuesday at 12 p.m. CST and will be recorded and archived. For a list of upcoming programs and more information, please visit texastalksart.org. Join the conversation using #txtalksart on socials.

Join curator Ashley Dehoyos for a roundtable conversation with the artists in Visionary Futures and a look back at the works created by Antonius Bui, Chandrika, Lovie Olivia, Preetika Rajgariah, S Rodriguez, and Y2K. SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2 PM (zoom) Register Visionary Futures builds upon Curator Ashley DeHoyos’ past projects Collective Presence and Bayou City Be All and highlights how queer, non-binary communities are at the forefront of cultural and social change. For Visionary Futures, DeHoyos asked these artists to engage in a series of conversations on speculative futures leading to the creation of new works that consider and further develop ideas of queer, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC futurism. Prompts were designed to begin to unravel notions of survival and consider how and who do we create for and why? The project provides an opportunity for each artist to consider new paradigms for cultural exchange and the legacies that they seek to leave behind at the intersections of art, technology, and spirituality.

PANEL DISCUSSION Join DiverseWorks and the African American Library at the Gregory School on Thursday, October 21 at 6:30 pm for this virtual event, presented in conjunction with artist Candice D'Meza's forthcoming project, WAIL. REGISTER HERE Leading the discussion with Candice D'Meza will be esteemed panelists Dr. Naomi Reed, Mr. Sam Collins III and Dr. Theresa Jach who will each explore topics such as acknowledging history as part of a contemporary conversation, creating change through ancestral work, and the need for community healing around sites of trauma.  The goal is to provide context and increased understanding of the sites of the state-sanctioned convict leasing camps sites in Sugar Land (active from 1877 - 1912) and the aforementioned themes, connecting Houston history to the vestiges of slavery and forced labor that have not only shaped our country but the world. PARTICIPANTS Samuel Collins, III is a historian and founding member of The Bryan Museum’s Delegados Advocate Board, which was formed in 2017. The Delegados are a group of mid-career professionals with a passion for the Museum and the history it represents and who come together to share their time, talent, and network to help promote and support the Museum. Sam serves on several other boards […]

PANEL DISCUSSION WITH HSPVA ALUMNI On Saturday, October 30 at 1 pm, Kinder HSPVA alumni will share the importance of having their creativity supported and encouraged when they were in their teens. Join artists Isela Aguirre, Will Michels, Lovie Olivia, and Lordy Rodriguez as they discuss how art led them to build unique career paths and lives. Presented in conjunction with The Happening: Kinder HSPVA 50th Anniversary Alumni Exhibition, on view at DiverseWorks through November 27, 2021.

A PARTICIPATORY CRAFT EVENT WITH THE WRITER OF RASGOS ASIÁTICOS This hands-on craft-making activity invites you to contribute to the making of DiverseWorks' newest project rasgos asiáticos. The author Virginia Grise will be on hand to teach you how to make specialty piñata lanterns that will become part of the site-specific installation at the SITE Gallery Train Shed at Sawyer Yards. rasgos asiáticos emerges from an exploration of the histories and intersections of Mexican and Chinese culture, a confluence mirrored in the crafted lanterns. We will have drinks and snacks and if you can, please bring a bag of oranges, tangerines, and/or grapefruit as an offering to also be used in the installation! This activity takes place in the SITE Gallery Train Shed (next to the Silos) at Sawyer Yards, on Saturday, November 13 from 12 - 3 pm, during the 2nd Saturday Market. More info about rasgos asiáticos...