Beat the heat this July with arts and cultural happenings across Greater Houston, from artist talks to poetry and music. Here’s my round up of the best events that make Houston’s creative scene so vibrant.
Writers Remix Series: Poetry in Motion | July 10 | 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Experience Islamic art in a whole new way with the Writers Remix Series at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Local writers will be reciting original works at the Hossein Afshar Galleries for Art of the Islamic Worlds.
MOTH Fest: Music Festival and Market on The Docks | July 12 | Noon - 11 p.m.
Catch H-town’s underground music scene at the back docks of POST Houston. Indie artists will perform with experimental sounds, genre-blurring beats, and everything in between. Plus, there’s a market with vendors and artists, all curated by Moth, an art house that’s reimagining what it means to come together through music and art.
Summer Jam 2025 | July 19 | 1 - 6 p.m.
This family-friendly annual festival at Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts offers art activities, food vendors, and access to the current exhibitions, Figurative Histories and Collective Memories. There’ll be a scavenger hunt, hands-on printmaking, and a reading room pop-up!
Oksana Kazmina: Contemporary History of Ukraine | July 19 | 7 p.m.
Aurora Picture Show will host an interactive performance and lecture by Ukrainian artist Oksana Kazmina. It’s co-presented with Basket Books & Art and will feature Kazmina’s personal archives exploring memory, identity, and conflict. Bring your clothes for a hands-on silk-screening session with the artist at the end!
Austin Cullen and Sarah Jentsch: A Natural History (Built to be Seen) at FLATS | July 25 | 6 - 9 p.m.
Join FLATS for the opening party of A Natural History (Built to be Seen) by Austin Cullen and Sarah Jentsch. This exhibition delves into the way museums display the Western natural world and how those exhibitions shape our relationship with the land.
Contemporary Spirituals in “Sonya Clark: We Are Each Other” | July 26 | 3 -4 p.m.
DACAMERA’s Young Artist Program brings musicians to the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft to perform a concert inspired by works from Sonya Clark’s We Are Each Other, on view through Aug. 16. It promises to leave you feeling more confident and inspired by creative freedom, plus some of Houston’s finest young musicians.
“The Force of These Images”: René Magritte, the de Menils, and the United States at The Menil Collection | July 31 | 7 - 8 p.m.
Ever wonder how a couple in Houston amassed one of the largest collections of the famous French painter, René Magritte? Find out with a chat by the Menil’s associate curator, Natalie Dupêcher, about how the de Menils shaped this artist’s prolific career.
Other Upcoming Happenings in July
- Papel Picado Workshop / Taller de Papel Picado at BakerRipley Gulfton Sharpstown | Various dates | 5 - 7 p.m.
- Artist Snapshots, a way to mend at Blaffer Art Museum | July 15 | 12 - 1:30 p.m.
- The Big Slide Show at Lawndale Art Center | July 19 | 1 - 3 p.m.
- Mean Girls: High School Version at Inspiration Stage in Sugar Land | Various dates and times
