Project Row House
I have wondered why Project Row House is not rated as one of the top places to see in the city. It is pioneering. Its founder Rick Lowe was even awarded a MacArthur Genius Award. It’s an easy and short drive from Montrose and Midtown. Well, maybe that drive is the answer.
The Third Ward was once the epicenter of the blues scene and a vibrant community. But then it spiraled down for reasons that could merit another post. Driving around, I see remnants of its former glory with stately homes, but am struck by the number of boarded up buildings and a general lack of activity. In fact, I mainly know the area for its shortcuts to get to Eado, which avoid the dreaded highway. But there’s never been enticement for me to stop.
Then I learnt about Project Row House. And I learnt that even longtime Houstonians I know had never ventured there despite the fact that the project is now 25 years old. So I thought, why not organize a tour there for MFAH docents? The tour led by Imani ended up being astonishing.
The founders were all young artists who wanted to regenerate the neighborhood. They decided that social realism, the vector artists often use to make a statement, was not the best solution. This led them to a whole new concept of combining art exhibitions with community development. Since then, “Social Sculpture” has taken off in places like Dallas and as far off as Athens. And not the Georgia one!
To begin, they purchased and restored 22 rundown shotgun houses that serve as studios for visiting artists as well as venues for art shows. Imani took us to the current one, called Penumbras, Hidden Geometries.
One of the Row House installments:
There could be different reasons for focusing on shotgun houses, the first being their prevalence in the South and association with African American culture. John T Biggers, the renowned artist and professor at nearby Texas Southern University, often depicted them in his art.
I found out that shotgun houses likely came from Africa and spread because they are cheap to build and offer some ventilation in the baking heat. Hence the name: you can literally point a gun from the front to the back door.
What is most astounding to me at Project Row House is the community effort. I’m not sure the project will be able to stand up to Houston’s developers and to gentrification. It is so close to downtown and may see a similar fate to that of the Fifth Ward. But the project has created a residential program to help young mothers, a day care center, low income housing, and a small business incubator. The food coop even offers an affordable medical plan.
Project Row House has certainly given me reasons to go back, learn more about Houston’s past and present.
Photos by Eva Maria Campo and myself.
Copyright © 2019 Hanneke Humphrey, All rights reserved.