Summer's Clever Pop-Up Art Shows Include This Weekend's 'Interwoven'

Summer's Clever Pop-Up Art Shows Include This Weekend's 'Interwoven'

Courtesy of Sol Diaz-Peña

SUMMER’S HERE, AND the pop-up art exhibits have begun. Maybe it’s a response to the relentless heat and unpredictably weird weather, but during June through August, the city’s more forward-thinking (and often relatively young) art mavens embrace an approach to curation and presentation that is both cost-conscious and community-centric.


The resulting “pop-up” shows are often installed in private homes or other alternative spaces across the city, always expertly curated, and typically on view for a very limited time, sometimes just a day or two. One such show is put on by Jessi Bowman, founder of the Montrose-based “nomadic photo exhibition series and a community arts space” FLATS.

Courtesy of Mary Margaret Hansen

Courtesy of Colby Deal


On June 14 and 16, at the home of John Walker and esteemed arts writer Catherine Anspon located in in the historic Harwood Court complex, FLATS presents Interwoven, a group show curated by Bowman and photographer Ryan Francisco, featuring works by Houston photographers Colby Deal, Lee Deleon, Sol Diaz, Mary Margaret Hansen, Adrienne Simmons, and Briana Vargas. “This is our first exhibition since the pandemic that we have held in someone's home,” says Bowman, who hosted the organization’s first defiantly grassroots shows back in 2016 in her apartment. “It harkens back to how FLATS was started.”

Interwoven is presented in two parts: Friday night, 6-10pm, is the “opening party” for the exhibit; Sunday from 1-3pm is described as an “Art Mass,” where attendees are invited to bring creative materials, including cameras, journals, pens, and paintbrushes, for a chill afternoon of collective art making, conversation, and meditation. Bowman and Francisco will also moderate a discussion with Interwoven’s exhibiting artists. You can RSVP for one or both events at the FLATS website.

In a press release, FLATS explains the “heart” of Interwoven lies in the diversity among the exhibiting hometown artists, “whose backgrounds, ages, and artistic styles span a broad spectrum.” If there is a thread connecting each of these artists, it may simply be Bowman and Francisco’s enthusiasm for and fascination with the range of possibilities and perspectives the medium of photography inspires.

Art + Entertainment
Wellness Pro LeBrina Jackson on Gratitude at the Holidays: It’s a ‘Reset Button for my Mind’

LeBrina Jackson

AS WE GET into the holiday season, we’re reminded of what we have, what we want and what might be lacking. As Sheryl Crow says in her song, Soak up the Sun, “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you've got.” We caught up with LeBrina Jackson, owner of Escape Spa in Cypress, Texas, and learned how she tackles the holiday season with hope, love and most importantly, gratitude.

Keep Reading Show less

Gayla Gardner, Jacquie Baly and Julie Baker Finck

THE DOCTOR IS in! One of Houston’s most engaged civic leaders, Jacquie Baly, has a new title after earning her Doctorate in Education and Organizational Change & Leadership from USC. And some of the city’s heavy hitters turned up for a swanky reception at Tony’s to congratulate her. “Education and community leadership go hand in hand,” said Dr. Baly. “This honor fuels my continued mission to create meaningful change.”

And they weren’t alone in their admiration. Both the City of Houston and the State of Texas declared the day of the to-do “Dr. Jacquie Baly Day,” complete with official proclamations.

Keep Reading Show less
Style+Culture

Houston Arboretum

WE ALL LOVE a Rodeo, but sometimes we need options for events that have a different energy, speed — and crowd size. Check out some artsy, unique happenings around Houston in March!

Keep Reading Show less