Fall is primetime for cultural programming and this month brings a range of quality exhibitions in Houston’s art scene; including Lovie Olivia’s solo exhibition at Bill Arning, and a group show of Latinx photographers at the Houston Center for Photography. From painting to photography and performance, here’s a roundup of art exhibitions to visit before October ends:
Carlos Cruz-Diez: Chromointerferent Environment
Known for his iconic chromatic interventions, Venezuelan artist Carlo Cruz-Diez (1923-2019) has become a Houston favorite. Before his death in 2019, he was commissioned by the MFAH to create a work in the underground tunnel of the new Nancy and Rich Kinder Building. This exhibition presents another one of his immersive projections entitled Chromointerferent Environment.
On view at Sicadi | Ayers | Bacino through October 16, 2021.
Georgia O’Keeffe, Photographer
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents the first exhibition devoted to the photography of renowned American painter, Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986). The exhibition features nearly 100 film portraits and travel snapshots that showcase O’Keeffe’s unique perspective on the medium, alongside a number of complementary paintings and drawings.
On view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston opening October 17, 2021.
Martine Gutierrez: Radiant Cut
The Blaffer Art Museum’s micro-survey of work by Guatemalan-American photographer Martine Gutierrez is arguably one of this year’s most exciting exhibitions. Gutierrez deconstructs fashion, beauty and gender conventions through staged portraits, performances and videos. The exhibition is accompanied by Guiterrez’s striking 128-page publication Indigenous Woman that is modeled after Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine.
On view at the Blaffer Art Museum through October 24, 202
Lovie Olivia T I G H T R O P E: exploring the concurrences of joy + grief | pleasure + discomfort | bondage + freedom
Through intricately rendered secco-fresco paintings and sculptures, Lovie Olivia’s exhibition makes a bold and necessary proclamation on Black queer desire. The native Houstonian has developed her own visual language, one steeped in an exploration of pleasure, social history and modernist aesthetics.
On view at Bill Arning Exhibitions through October 25, 2021.
Dimensions Variable: Lisa E. Harris
In response to their interactive fall exhibition, Kapwani Kiwanga: The Sand Recalls the Moon’s Shadow, The Moody Center for the Arts commissioned a special performance entitled Import by opera singer/songwriter Lisa E. Harris. The performance will create a special dialogue between visual art and music, and bridge the intersections between seemingly disparate geographies.
Performance on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at The Moody Center for the Arts. Visit for tickets.
A Composition of Possibilities
Mexico-City-based artists Andrea Martínez, Fabiola Menchelli, and Mike Counahan collide in this collaborative group exhibition. Curated by Leslie Moody Castro, this show offers a fresh perspective on contemporary Latinx photography and oscillates between abstraction and the traditional landscape genre.
On view at the Houston Center for Photography through November 7, 2021.
https://www.houstoniamag.com/arts-and-culture/2021/10/houston-art-exhibitions-visit-october