THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show showcases new work from 12 Black artists who are invited to examine innovative ways of participating in the storytelling of their legacy and heritage of Houston Freedmen’s Town. Each artist in THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show has demonstrated unique approaches that have inspired the momentum of Houston’s Black art community since 2020, distinctly connecting Black millennials and Gen Z artists and audiences. The artists will center their work around the histories and present realities of the historic Houston Freedmen’s Town. 

THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show showcases new work from Imhotep Blot by way of Amaechina Blot and Studio KER led by Michael Bennett; Colby Deal, Nahtan (Nate Edwards), Dom Elam, Amarie Gipson, Priscilla T. Graham, Gem Hale, Charonda Johnson, Berlin Nicholas, Jaylen Pigford, Irene Antonia Diane Reece, and Jason Woods. 

THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show is curated by Mich Stevenson, Project Manager – Partnerships, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and Houston Freedmen’s Town Conservancy.

Complimentary beer provided by Stella Artois. Food will be available for purchase by Gumbo King.

Perfomance | Hasaan Olu

Hasaan Olu is an immersive, multidisciplinary music project that encompasses elements of spoken word, improvisation and spiritualism. Anchored by the dynamic set design of Carlos Castaneira, the presentation for the evening will be a genre bending and progressive take on musical and aesthetic fusion, pushing the boundaries of expression through sound.

7–8PM | CAMH Plaza

Ticket Information
This event is free to attend, but RSVPs are encouraged.

RSVP Here

Location and Accesibility

This event will take place in CAMH’s Nina and Michael Zilkha Gallery, located on the lower level of the Museum.
For questions or concerns regarding safety or accessibility, contact YET Torres, Public Programs and CAMHLAB Manager, at ytorres@camh.org.

Parking Information

Garage access for all parking is located on Bartlett. The first floor down ramp is reserved for vehicles with handicapped stickers and ADA accessible parking at first come first serve. Garage hours for this event are from 5-11PM. All vehicles must exit by 11PM. There is no elevator access in the garage. For your safety, please only use the stairs to access each floor. Do not walk the ramp. Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is not liable for any loss or damage to vehicles and its contents.

About Hasaan Olu

Hasaan Olu is an interdisciplinary performance that immerses the viewer in an aesthetic delight, which illustrates the phenomenon of cultural fusion and highlights the beauty of intersectionality. The musical trio’s sound bends genres in a style that reflects the diversity of their native city of Houston, Texas, and descends from the fusion movement of the 1970’s – it may be described as Electro-Soul. Hasaan Olu is comprised of Ichikara Valdez (vocalist, producer), Amaru The Musical Nomad (multi-instrumentalist, trumpeter, vocalist), and The Biggest Brandon (keyboardist, flutist, vocalist). The three musicians’ extensive individual training unify under the singular vibration of this project. Original music scores the exploration, ornamented by installation art, fashion design, collage video, and projections.

Support

Major support for THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show is provided by the Mellon Foundation.

THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show has been made possible by the patrons, benefactors, and donors to CAMH’s Major Exhibition Fund: Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, Louise Jamail, Sissy and Denny Kempner, Dillon Kyle and Sam Lasseter, MD Anderson Foundation, Rea Charitable Trust, The Sarofim Foundation, The Stolbun Family, Louisa Stude Sarofim, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston is funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.

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Image caption: Gem Hale, Brick Maker, 2023. Digital photograph. Courtesy the artist.