Project Row Houses: Media Kit

about project row houses

Project Row Houses (PRH) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people and enriching communities through engagement, art and direct action. PRH was founded in 1993 to be the catalyst for transforming community through the celebration of art and African-American history and culture. Inspired by the work of German avant-garde artist Joseph Beuys and African-American painter Dr. John Biggers, the seven founders – James Bettison, Bert Long, Jr., Jesse Lott, Rick Lowe, Floyd Newsum, Bert Samples, and George Smith – purchased 22 historic shotgun-style row houses on two blocks in a disinvested neighborhood in Houston’s Historic Third Ward and began using the houses as spaces for thematic art interventions.

The PRH site now encompasses five city blocks and houses 39 structures that serve as home base to numerous community enriching initiatives, art programs, and neighborhood development activities. Since its inception, PRH has demonstrated over its 25 year-plus history that collective community art-making is a sustainable vehicle for community transformation. Today, PRH serves as a model for not only the greater Houston region, but for communities all over the world. For more information, please visit projectrowhouses.org.

about project row houses Project Row Houses (PRH) is a community platform that enriches lives through art with an emphasis on cultural identity and its impact on the urban landscape. The organization occupies a significant footprint in Third Ward, one of the city’s oldest African-American neighborhoods, and encompasses five city blocks and houses 39 structures that serve as home base to a variety of community enriching initiatives, art programs, and neighborhood development activities.

our mission We empower people and enrich communities through engagement, art, & direct action.

our founders PRH’s work with the Third Ward community began in 1993 when seven visionary African-American artists – James Bettison (1958-1997), Bert Long, Jr. (1940-2013), Jesse Lott, Rick Lowe, Floyd Newsum, Bert Samples, and George Smith – recognized the real potential in a block and a half of derelict shotgun houses at the corner of Holman and Live Oak. Where others saw poverty, these artists saw a future site for positive, creative, and transformative experiences in the Third Ward. Together, they began to explore how art might be an engine for social transformation.

practice to a more conceptual base of transforming the social environment. While they were artists, they were also advocates.

our work PRH was in part inspired by Joseph Beuys, a German artist who coined the term “Social Sculpture” to represent the way in which people shape the world around them, and Dr. John Biggers, a Houston-based artist and educator whose work challenged African-American stereotypes and often highlighted architecture and its significance to community. Early conversations between Dr. Biggers and Rick Lowe about the rich history and symbolism of shotgun houses that dot the physical landscape of the Third Ward informed and shaped the ideals of PRH. Over the next 25 years, the organization brought together groups and pooled resources to materialize sustainable opportunities for artists, young mothers, small businesses, and Third Ward residents helping to cultivate independent change agents by supporting people and their ideas so that they have the tools and capacity to do the same for others.

Over the course of time, PRH became an international model for artists and communities to address their needs for historic preservation and community enrichment.

PRH is, and has always been a unique experiment in activating the intersections between art, enrichment, and preservation.

While the heart of this objective remains at the core of our work, PRH has always been adaptive and responsive to our

With the founders engaged with a community of creative

ever-changing neighborhood. PRH’s roots remain deeply

thinkers and the neighborhoods around them, PRH quickly

planted in the Historic Third Ward community. As the

began to shift the understanding of art from traditional studio

community grows and changes, so do we.

LEADERSHIP

Eureka Gilkey Executive Director

Eureka Gilkey is the Executive Director of Project Row Houses

57th Presidential Inaugural, where she oversaw outreach to

(PRH), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering

the U.S. Supreme Court, members of Congress, members of

people and enriching communities through engagement, art

the Cabinet, governors, mayors, and other state and local

and direct action. PRH is a culturally creative organization

elected officials.

that activates the intersections of art, historic preservation, affordable and innovative housing, community relations

In addition, she served as the Director of Intergovernmental

and development, neighborhood revitalization, and human

Affairs and Outreach for the 2012 Democratic National

empowerment.

Convention. In her role, she worked with Obama for America 2012 and the Democratic National Committee to provide

Eureka also led the creation of PRH Preservation, Inc.

strategic advice and counsel, which led to the successful

Established in January 2018, PRH Preservation supports the

re-election of President Barack Obama. In 2009, President

charitable purposes of Project Row Houses. The organization’s

Obama appointed Eureka as the White House Liaison for the

mission is to maintain and enhance existing buildings in

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Houston’s Northern Third Ward to ensure long-term, safe, and affordable housing for its residents.

Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Eureka served in a variety of senior leadership positions for Obama for America

In addition to PRH Preservation, Eureka lends her support to

2008. She has also served as National Training Director for

additional Neighborhood Development initiatives, including

EMILY’s List; Deputy Political Director of NARAL; and worked

the Emancipation Community Development Partnership,

for a number of other progressive organizations, including the

a strategic alliance between Project Row Houses, the

AFL-CIO.

Emancipation Economic Development Council, Houston Endowment, and Kinder Foundation. Formed in 2016, its

Eureka serves on the Board of Directors for the Houston Zoo

purpose is to support the development and implementation

and Row House Community Development Corporation. She

of a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization strategy

is an American Leadership Forum Class XLV Senior Fellow

for Historic Third Ward. The emerging strategy is focused

and a New Leaders Council Houston Institute graduate. She

on preventing the displacement of low income residents of

is a proud Howard University alumna and currently resides in

Historic Third Ward and enhancing their economic and social

Houston’s Historic Third Ward.

well-being.

Prior to joining PRH, Eureka spent more than 15 years in Washington, D.C. developing and successfully implementing engagement and communications plans to key stakeholders, and maintaining strategic partnerships among diverse constituencies. Eureka’s professional experience includes serving as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the

LEADERSHIP

Ryan N. Dennis

Curator and Programs Director Ryan N. Dennis is the Curator and Programs Director at Project

Her writings have appeared in online and print catalogs and

Row Houses (PRH). Her work focuses on African-American

journals, including Prospect.3 Notes for Now, Gulf Coast: A

contemporary art with an emphasis on socially-engaged

Journal of Literature and Fine Arts, and The Studio Museum in

practices, site-specific projects, public interventions, and the

Harlem’s Studio magazine. Recently, she edited PRH’s

development of public-facing programs for adults and youth.

inaugural book, Collective Creative Actions: Project Row Houses

She is deeply interested in the intersection of art and social

at 25, and contributed to the first monograph of artist

justice while creating equitable opportunities for artists to

Autumn Knight titled, In Rehearsal: Autumn Knight, published

thrive in their work.

by the Krannert Art Museum.

Since joining PRH in 2012, she has organized and co-organized

Prior to joining PRH, she worked at the Museum for African

more than 10 Artist Rounds including, Round 47: The Act of

Art in New York City as the traveling exhibition manager. Her

Doing: Revitalizing, Preserving and Protecting Third Ward (2017);

curatorial credits have included El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote

Round 46: Black Women Artists for Black Lives Matter at Project

to You about Africa, Dynasty and Divinity: Ife Art in Ancient Nigeria

Row Houses (2017); and Round 43: Small Business/Big Change:

and Jane Alexander: Surveys (from the Cape of Good Hope).

Economic Perspectives from Artists and Artrepreneurs (2015).

Dennis has served as a community organizer and a curatorial

Under Dennis’ purview, many highly regarded artists have

assistant at The Menil Collection in Houston. She has been

showcased their work at PRH, including Simone Leigh,

a visiting lecturer and critic at a number of art schools and

Autumn Knight, and Otabenga Jones & Associates.

institutions and has taught courses on community-based

Throughout her tenure, she organized the 2014 and 2018 Social

practices and contemporary art at the University of Houston.

Practice.Social Justice symposiums. Dennis also led the creation

Dennis earned her master’s degree in Arts and Cultural

of the 2:2:2 Exchange Residency Program with the Hyde Park

Management from Pratt Institute with a focus in Curatorial

Art Center in Chicago, and established Project/Site, a

Practice. She is also on the board of the Alliance of Artists

temporary, site-specific, commission-based public art

Communities and advisory committees of Gulf Coast Literary

program. In 2017, she launched the PRH Fellowship with the

and Fine Arts Journal, University of Houston’s System-Wide Art

Center for Art and Social Engagement at the University of

Acquisition, and Houston Art Alliance’s Civic Art Committee.

Houston’s Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts.

She is currently a proud fellow of the Center for Curatorial

Dennis conceives, implements, and directs public arts programs to generate engagement within the Third Ward community and beyond. Programming ranges from gallery talks, lectures, and panel discussions to experimental and participatory experiences with works of art.

Leadership’s 2019 Fellowship Program. Dennis resides in Houston, Texas.

MEDIA COVERAGE December 2016 – April 2019 Houstonia.com | December 6, 2016 Welcome to Crumbville, Texas https://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2016/12/30/crumbville-third-ward-bakery-houston BizJournals.com | June 7, 2018 Houston nonprofit launches sister organization with Kinder Foundation gift www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2018/06/07/houston-nonprofit-launches-sister-organization.html?ana=e_me_ set1&s=newsletter&ed=2018-06-07&u=ad%2FQ0zjryLiqbWAr5ZmQBg08456159&t=1528379038&j=82013211 Chron.com | August 8, 2018 Why you’re going to see pay phones along Emancipation Avenue in Houston www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/TrePhonos-art-project-installs-payphones-along-13138205.php HoustonPublicMedia.org | October 12, 2018 WATCH: A Look Back at 25 Years of Project Row Houses www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/arts-culture/2018/10/12/307909/watch-a-look-back-at-25-years-of-project-row-houses PaperCityMag.com | November 2, 2018 Houston’s Most Successful Community Experiment – the Real Story of Project Row Houses www.papercitymag.com/arts/project-row-houses-houston-community-experiment-25-years-new-wonder-women-leaders HoustonPublicMedia.org | December 14, 2018 Project Row Houses Marks 25 Years Of ‘Collective Creative Actions’ www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/houston-matters/2018/12/14/315358/project-row-houses-marks-25-years-of-collective-creative-actions HoustoniaMag.com | March 21, 2019 Exploring Shadows and Light at Project Row Houses www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2019/3/21/project-row-houses-round-49

PRESS RELEASE Project Row Houses Unveils Round 49: penumbras: sacred geometries Artist Round explores the ideology of sacred geometries to form structures and landscapes that allude to the body, intent and consciousness HOUSTON – Mar. 7, 2019 – Project Row Houses (PRH) will unveil its latest Artist Round, Round 49: penumbras: sacred geometries, on Saturday, March 16 at the Art Houses located at 2505 – 2517 Holman St. Round 49 is co-curated by PRH Curator and Programs Director Ryan N. Dennis and cultural practitioner william cordova. The Round explores the ideology of sacred geometries to form structures and landscapes that allude to the body, intent and consciousness.

Round 49 was curated in connection with the Latino Art Now! Conference, and the installations will bring attention to Houston’s Afro-Latino diaspora. The conference, organized by the Inter-University Program for Latino Research (IUPLR) and the Smithsonian Latino Center, will take place at the University of Houston from April 4-6 and explores themes similar to those of Round 49. Round 49 Art Houses will serve as one of the venues for Latino Art Now!’s Spring of Latino Art events.

“Round 49: penumbras: sacred geometries was envisioned to uplift dialogue around Houston’s Afro-Latino diaspora,” said Dennis. “As the only exhibit concentrated on Afro-Latin culture and art, william and I knew it was a perspective that could not be left out of the conversation. Our hope is that Round 49 will elevate the multitudes of rich texture and broad perspective within Afro-Latino heritage.”

Round 49 exhibiting artists include: • Yanira Collado’s (Dominican Republic) work is rooted in the synthesis of African fractals, slave quilts and geometric concepts. Her work produces and highlights the complexity of abstraction as a non-western narrative rooted in African tradition.

• Leticia Contreras (Afromexican) is an artist who reframes the unframed through photography, performance and site-specific installation capturing the

felt essence of our presence in temporal structures and abandoned vessels.

• Aramis O’Reilly (Cuba) creates alternative landscapes that relate to color based systems of communication and the harmony of the spheres; an ancient philosophical concept that regards proportions in the movements of celestial bodies.

• Charo Oquet (Dominican Republic) is a performance artist whose installation based work draws from the intersection of sacred geometries and constellational patterns originating in Veve symbols and Taíno cosmograms.

• Onajide Shabaka (US) is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice includes story-telling through short narrative films and expansive installations whose materials are drawn from organic matter.

• Juana Valdes (Cuba) is a research-based artist whose travels bridge geographic moments that speak on the economy of labor, aesthetics and resistance in the Caribbean.

In conjunction with Round 49, MacArthur genius grant recipient Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born will utilize one of the Art Houses for their installation titled Sitting on a Man’s Head. Okpokwasili and Born have created a dynamic “public song,” engaging PRH’s site, local artists and the Houston community. Their installation will be activated during the CounterCurrent Festival as an immersive live experience.

Performances will take place on Friday, April 12 and on Saturday, April 13.

To support neighborhood and economic development, PRH will also host a familyfriendly market from 4 to 7 p.m. that showcases a variety of goods and services from Third Ward vendors. From 2:30 to 4 p.m., guests have the opportunity to hear from the artists about their individual practices and the inspiration behind their installation during Artists’ Talks.

Round 49 will be on view from Saturday, March 16 through Sunday, June 9, 2019.

Art Houses are open Wednesday – Sunday, 12 – 5 p.m.

ABOUT PROJECT ROW HOUSES (PRH) PRH is a community platform that enriches lives through art with an emphasis on cultural identity and its impact on the urban landscape. It engages neighbors, artists, and enterprises in collective creative action to help materialize sustainable opportunities in marginalized communities.

PRH occupies a significant footprint in Houston’s Historic Third Ward, one of the city’s oldest African-American neighborhoods. The site encompasses five city blocks and houses 39 structures that serve as home base to a variety of community enriching initiatives, art programs, and neighborhood development activities. PRH programs touch the lives of under resourced neighbors, young single mothers with the ambition of a better life for themselves and their children, small enterprises with the drive to take their businesses to the next level, and artists interested in using their talents to understand and enrich the lives of others.

Although PRH’s African-American roots are planted deeply in Third Ward, the work of PRH extends far beyond the borders of a neighborhood in transition.

The PRH model for art and social engagement applies not only to Houston, but also to diverse communities around the world.

MEDIA CONTACT Nataly Torres, nataly@elmorepr.com Elmore Public Relations, 713.524.0661

PRESS RELEASE Project Row Houses and UH’s Center for Art & Social Engagement Announce 2019 Fellows HOUSTON – Feb. 6, 2019 – Project Row Houses (PRH) and the Center for Art and Social Engagement (CASE) at the University of Houston’s Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts (KGMCA) today announced the artists participating in the 2019 KGMCA-PRH Fellowship: Texas-based Libby Bland and Californiabased Sarah Rafael García.

The KGMCA-PRH Fellowship was created to invite artists and cultural practitioners to the Third Ward to work alongside urban planners, educators and policy makers. The fellows will engage in creative collaborations that involve the Third Ward community and address issues important to them.

Bland and García will receive mentorship from project administrators Sixto Wagan, director of CASE, and Ryan N. Dennis, PRH’s Curator and Programs Director.

Local artists, faculty members, community members and selected leaders will offer their support during this process.

“Sixto and I are pleased to welcome Libby and Sarah as our 2019 fellows,” said Dennis. “The caliber of applicants we receive yearly is an indication of the amazing work artists are pursuing nationwide, and the necessity for a fellowship that supports them in their efforts to build community through art.”

Upon completion of the fellowship’s pilot year, applications were accepted from nearly 60 local, national, and international artists and collectives. The applications were reviewed by a panel consisting of Dennis and Wagan; Bert Bertonaschi, artist and PRH Board Member; Mary Manning, Archivist, and Curator of Performing and Visuals Arts Collections, University of Houston Libraries; and Assata Richards, Executive Director, Sankofa Research Institute.

“The partnership between PRH and CASE continues to advance as we learn from the participating artists,” stated Wagan.

“Working alongside our fellows is a

rewarding experience and it is exciting to see the investment artists are making in community-centered creative practices.

We are delighted to begin our journey with Libby and Sarah, and look forward to the insights their work will certainly bring.”

The fellows will be introduced at the opening artist talks this spring, where they will share information on their work focus and the questions that will guide their research throughout the year. At the conclusion of their fellowships, the two will also present lectures/performances that encapsulate their year of research.

ABOUT THE FELLOWS Libby Bland Libby Bland is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she earned master’s degrees in architecture and city and regional planning. Her undergraduate degree is from Sarah Lawrence College where she studied narratives of place, children’s literature, and costuming. She was born and raised in Southeastern Virginia in the shadow of The Great Dismal Swamp. Her background is in oral history, arts-based community design, and the history of self-planned Black communities throughout the rural South. Previously she worked with The Community Futures Lab in Philadelphia, an oral history and arts project around gentrification in a neighborhood after public housing towers had been demolished. She also worked for the Village of Arts and Humanities, focusing on economic development and housing stability for long-time residents in North Philadelphia. She currently works full time at Texas Housers as a neighborhood and housing equity planner and analyst.

The through line of Libby’s work is trying to understand the narratives that Black people tell (and omit) about our experiences, and figuring out clear and compelling ways to connect us across the stories and lessons that have been lost to

time and trauma.

Sarah Rafael Garcia Sarah Rafael García is a writer, traveler, and arts educator. She was born in Brownsville, Texas and raised in Santa Ana, California—she considers herself “a first-generation everything,” including being an artist. Since publishing Las Niñas (Floricanto Press 2008), she founded Barrio Writers, LibroMobile and Crear Studio. In 2015, she completed a M.F.A. in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Fiction and cognate in Media Studies.

She is an editor for the Barrio Writers, pariahs: writing from outside the margins and Latinx Archive anthologies. In 2016, Sarah Rafael was awarded to develop the multi-media project titled SanTana’s Fairy Tales (Raspa Magazine 2017), supported in part by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, through an Artistin-Residence initiative at CSUF Grand Central Art Center. In 2018, she held an artist residency at The Guesthouse, Cork, Ireland and was honored as an Emerging Artist at the 19th Annual Orange County Arts Awards. In March 2019, she will exhibit her first installation as a conceptual artist: “A Book’s Journey,” a collaborative recycled book project.

As a writer and conceptual artist, Sarah Rafael offers historical counter-narratives for her gender and culture, while integrating contemporary social justice themes and creative narrative structures of people of color without the constraints imposed by society or traditional storytelling. For the KGMCA-PRH Fellowship, she is interested in expanding her ethnographic work by researching and incorporating Houston’s Third Ward history along with its social justice and gentrification issues and further develop a multi-media, literary-arts platform.

PRESS RELEASE Project Row Houses Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Release of Commemorative Book, Collective Creative Actions: Project Row Houses at 25 Book chronicles the nonprofit’s rich history through series of essays, photographs, interviews HOUSTON – Oct. 22, 2018 – Project Row Houses (PRH), the nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people and enriching communities through engagement, art and direct action, will release its commemorative 25th Anniversary book, Collective Creative Actions: Project Row Houses at 25. The book, edited by PRH Curator and Programs Director Ryan N. Dennis, offers a comprehensive look at how the nonprofit has used art, historic preservation and community enrichment to create a renowned social sculpture in Houston’s Historic Third Ward.

“Over the course of 25 years, PRH has cemented its place at the forefront of social practice, challenging the ways artists express themselves and exhibit their work, while showing the world that art can be a driving force in how a marginalized community rebuilds itself after longterm disinvestment,” said PRH Executive Director Eureka Gilkey. “We are incredibly excited to present Collective Creative Actions: Project Row Houses at 25.

This publication is a culmination of our decades-long work to foster a positive creative environment and do it in a way that enriches lives and honors African American history and culture. We hope that this book serves as a foundation for codifying our model as we look to launch the PRH Institute in the coming years.”

Collective Creative Actions: Project Row Houses at 25 captures PRH’s legacy as the catalyst for the transformation of community through the celebration of art and AfricanAmerican history and culture. The book tells the captivating history of PRH’s core focus on art, community enrichment and neighborhood development through a series of essays, including: • “Artists in Action” by Ryan N. Dennis, PRH Curator and Programs Director • “Bound Up: Project Row Houses’ Covert Curriculum” by Sandra Jackson-

Dumont, Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chairman of Education at the Metropolitan Museum of Art • “A Soft Place to Stand: Escaping the Interlocking Systems of Race, Class, and Gender” by Assata-Nicole Richards, PhD, Founding Director of the Sankofa Research Institute (SRI) and Young Mothers Residential Program alumna • “The Collaboration of Rice Building Workshop and Project Row Houses” by Danny Samuels and Nonya Grenader, founders of the Rice Building Workshop (BRW) program • “Neighborhood Development and ArtBased Community Making” by George Lipsitz, Professor of Black Studies and Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara The book features “25 Actions,” which highlights pivotal moments in the nonprofit’s history. Also included is “Doing What Is Necessary and Needs to Be Done: A Conversation,” a dialogue from 2011 between six of the founding artists of PRH - Bert Long Jr. (1940-2013), Jesse Lott, Rick Lowe, Floyd Newsum, Bert Samples, and George Smith - where they powerfully recall the context in which PRH was formed.

“Collective Creative Actions: Project Row Houses at 25 is a testament to the success of the collaborative efforts of the many individuals that have paved the way for PRH to become an international model for artists and communities to address their needs for historic preservation and community enrichment,” said Dennis.

“As we approached this milestone anniversary, we found that now was the time for us to share, in our own words, the history behind our transformation. This book is an ode to the many individuals, businesses, organizations, institutions and

funders who have supported our core belief of empowering people and enriching communities through engagement, art and direct action.”

The release of Collective Creative Actions: Project Row Houses at 25 comes at a historic time for PRH as they celebrate their 25th Anniversary. After hosting a series of events in honor of this occasion, including their trip to Washington, D.C.’s Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture with Third Ward youth, the Social Practice.Social Justice Symposium, and the unveiling of Round 48: Beyond Social Practice, the book is the culmination of the milestone anniversary celebration.

The book be available for purchase starting on Friday, November 2 for $29.99 at Project Row Houses (2521 Holman St.).

The book is available from Duke University Press.

MEDIA CONTACT Nataly Torres, nataly@elmorepr.com Elmore Public Relations, 713.524.0661

PRESS RELEASE Project Row Houses Announces Social Practice. SocialJustice Symposium Renowned artists, activists and thought leaders gather in Houston’s Third Ward for one-day symposium HOUSTON – Aug. 22, 2018 – Project Row Houses (PRH) announces its Social Practice.Social Justice symposium, which will be held on Saturday, September 8 in the Historic Eldorado Ballroom. The day-long symposium, which features panel discussions and a keynote address, brings renowned, sociallyengaged artists, activists and thought leaders from across the U.S. to Houston’s Third Ward to share their insights on the role of art and creativity in the social and political landscape.

“25 years ago, our founders strived to be a catalyst for social transformation in the Third Ward community through the celebration of art and African American history and culture,” said Eureka Gilkey, executive director of PRH. “While our work has become a model for art and social engagement in communities throughout the world, we remain committed to the cultural enrichment and historic preservation of the Third Ward.

This symposium brings artists, activists and thought leaders to our community in order to expand the dialogue around our work and look at new opportunities for direct action through collective creativity.”

The symposium will begin with a morning panel discussion entitled “Neighborhood Development and the Preservation of a Community,” moderated by Gilkey, which brings together individuals who are paving a way forward for conscious neighborhood development and who work actively to preserve historic buildings in disinvested neighborhoods. Panelists include Irfana Jetha Noorani, deputy director of the 11th Street Bridge Project in Washington D.C.; Pat Jordan, president of the Gem Cultural and Education Center in Kansas City; and Danielle Burns Wilson, curator and manager of The African American Library at the Gregory School in Houston.

“Through the Symposium, we aim to create a thought-provoking and engaging dialogue around the intersection of art, community engagement and neighborhood development,” said Ryan N. Dennis, curator and programs director of PRH. “We believe our keynote speaker and panelists will highlight creative actions around preservation and social practice in communities, and in turn, we can share how PRH spurs direct action through art and engagement in the Third Ward.”

Lisa Dent, thought leader and advocate for cultural workers and living artists, will deliver the keynote address, “The Romance of Community,” on Saturday afternoon. She will present current research on philanthropic and cultural organizations, placing the support of artistic work in a socio-economic context.

The symposium will conclude with a conversation centered on the broad, often vague definition of “social practice,” entitled “Beyond Social Practice.” Moderated by Gia Hamilton, cultural producer, panelists multi-disciplinary artist Shani Peters of New York; visual contemporary artist Nathaniel Donnett of Houston; and creative laborer, educator, writer and radical community arts organizer Jen Delos Reyes of Chicago will present their individual practices and their observed impact of art and creativity on the community.

The event is open to all, with ticket prices at $10 for students, $25 for PRH members and $35 for all other guests. Attendees can register in advance at the PRH website. To learn more about the PRH symposium, please visit: http://bit.ly/prhsym18.

ABOUT PROJECT ROW HOUSES (PRH) PRH is a community platform that enriches lives through art with an emphasis on cultural identity and its impact on the urban landscape. It engages neighbors, artists, and enterprises in collective creative action to help materialize sustainable opportunities in marginalized communities.

PRH occupies a significant footprint in Houston’s Historic Third Ward, one of the city’s oldest African-American neighborhoods.

The site encompasses five city blocks and houses 39 structures that serve as home base to a variety of community enriching initiatives, art programs, and neighborhood development activities.

PRH programs touch the lives of under resourced neighbors, young single mothers with the ambition of a better life for themselves and their children, small enterprises with the drive to take their businesses to the next level, and artists interested in using their talents to understand and enrich the lives of others.

Although PRH’s African-American roots are planted deeply in Third Ward, the work of PRH extends far beyond the borders of a neighborhood in transition. The PRH model for art and social engagement applies not only to Houston, but also to diverse communities around the world.

MEDIA CONTACT Abby Linney, abby@elmorepr.com Elmore Public Relations, 713.524.0661

PRESS RELEASE Project Row Houses highlights and supports local residents through Strategic Art Plan Artist installations, interactive historic tours and cooking lessons engage Third Ward community HOUSTON – July 20, 2018 – Project Row Houses continues supporting local artists through the Strategic Art Plan with current summer initiatives. Funded by Houston Endowment, the Strategic Art Plan works to collaborate with organizations based in the Third Ward and individuals active in the community to present public art engagement opportunities for the public.

“Our summer initiatives through the Strategic Art Plan highlight the voices and perspectives of those in the Third Ward community. As our home, it is important Project Row Houses cultivates independent change agents in the community through engagement, art and direct action.” said Eureka Gilkey, executive director of Project Row Houses.

Project Row Houses occupies a significant footprint in Houston’s Historic Third Ward. Launched in advance of Juneteenth 2017, the Strategic Art Plan works directly with other Third Ward organizations to support the well-being and wealth building of residents in the community. The arts offerings are an essential component of the nationally recognized community ecosystem which exists in Houston’s Third Ward. Project Row Houses has proven that encouraging art is an essential component of a sustainable, healthy neighborhood.

“The current Strategic Art Plan initiatives showcase the history of the Third Ward, while uplifting residents and providing an opportunity for neighbors to participate in activities which address the needs of their community,” said Ryan Dennis, curator and programs director of Project Row Houses. “We will continue to water our roots in the Third Ward as we add new programming and shine light on those in our neighborhood.”

Current Strategic Art Plan projects and initiatives include:

Yoga with Letty Artist: Leticia Contreras Dates: July 7, 21; August 18, 25 Location: 3409 Emancipation Ave. Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Yoga with Letty is a series of free yoga classes led by artist and creative practitioner Leticia Contreras. The lighthearted beginner lessons introduces the community to vinyasa flow, a style of yoga which involves synchronizing breath with a continuous flow of poses. Through this, participants learn how to quiet the mind and bring ease to the body during these tumultuous times while connecting with others.

Free Market Square Organizer: Cedric Douglas Dates: Every 3rd Saturday Location: 2301 Elgin St. Time: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Free Market Square is a community marketplace in the heart of Third Ward that highlights its culture, entrepreneurship and artistic performance throughout the year. The market aims to reignite the historic legacy of our community and add to the strength, vibrancy and self-determination of the Historic Third Ward.

Dear Mama Artist: Ashura Bayyan Dates: June 8 – August 12 Location: Martin Luther King Community Center, 2270 Sampson Street Time: Noon – 6:00 p.m.

Following the 2nd annual Mothers’ Day art festival on June 5, the Dear Mama exhibition opened to the public on June 8 at Project Row Houses, Community Gallery. A combination of photography, painting and performance, all works are in dedication to mothers everywhere.

Third Ward Fresh Organizers: Nathan Keibler and Marilyn Maples Dates: June 9, 16; July 14, 21; August 11, 18 Location and time varies

Third Ward Fresh aims to address the lack of access to fresh produce in the Third Ward through a series of cooking lessons and community plotting/painting sessions in partnership with “One Seed, One Block.” Activities will be held at Free Market Square and other locations in Northern Third Ward.

Emancipation Avenue Bus Stop Tours Artist: Naomi Mitchell Carrier Dates: July 14, 21, 28; August 4, 11, 18, 25 Location: Eldorado Building, 2310 Elgin St. Time: 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.

The Bus Stop Tours share a complete history of African-American Texans through storytelling at six stops along Emancipation Avenue. At each incremental period in history, each stop shares stories from significant events through reenactment.

To register, please visit https://bit.ly/2N1MWXW. Beautiful, Still Artist: Colby Deal Location: Eldorado Building, 2310 Elgin St. Time: 24 hours Unveiled on June 19, the photographic project captures and creates a rendition of the Third Ward community and its landscape. The image will be on view at the Eldorado Building and smaller vignettes will be placed around the Third Ward for public interaction.

All Strategic Art Plan initiatives are free to the general public. For more information on current and upcoming programs, please visit https://projectrowhouses.org/ strategic-art-plan/.

MEDIA CONTACT Jennie Roberts, Elmore Public Relations 713-524-0661, jennie@elmorepr.com

PRESS RELEASE Project Row Houses announces creation of sister non-profit, PRH Preservation, Inc. First property transaction along Webster Street completed; Ensures historic housing stock is being preserved in the Third Ward HOUSTON – June 6, 2018 – The Project Row Houses board of directors announced today the formation of a new non-profit corporation, PRH Preservation, Inc., which supports the charitable purposes of Project Row Houses and will own, develop, improve, and operate affordable housing for low income persons living in Houston’s Third Ward. PRH Preservation is led by Executive Director Eureka Gilkey, who also serves as executive director of Project Row Houses.

Initial funding of $2 million has been gifted to PRH Preservation by the Kinder Foundation. The grant was used to purchase a 1.4-acre piece of property at Webster, Hadley, and Live Oak Streets, which consisted of approximately 21 wood-frame structures constructed between 1930 and 1950. Primarily in residential use, the structures are now managed by PRH Preservation and under renovation.

“We have launched the next step in the community development of Houston’s historic Third Ward with the goal of improving the quality of life for residents. PRH Preservation preserves and ensures long-term, safe and affordable housing for residents,” said Gilkey.

Specifically, PRH Preservation was formed to aid in: • Preserving the character and culture of the neighborhood as it goes through transition; • Accelerating the redevelopment of the neighborhood by raising money to subsidize individual projects; • Contributing to the sustainability of Project Row Houses; • Achieving the appropriate mix of subsidized housing versus market based residential and commercial uses within the

defined area; • Preserving as many of the original row houses as practicable; • Bringing original row houses into compliance with applicable codes and making them sustainable; • Working with any land owner in the defined area in the most effective manner; and • Devising a plan for the Eldorado Ballroom that not only facilitates its use for the benefit of the community but also

contributes to the sustainability of Project Row Houses.

Hastings Johnson will serve as PRH Preservation’s president. “Having served on the Project Row Houses board, I am aware of the need for this new organization. The board hopes to steer PRH Preservation with a singular focus on investing in this historic neighborhood through intentional and strategic community development.”

Nancy Kinder, president and CEO of the Kinder Foundation said, “Our investment in the Third Ward and Project Row Houses remains long-term in focus and our support of PRH Preservation is intended to have a tangible and meaningful impact on the neighborhood and its residents.”

Media Contact: Jennie Roberts, Elmore Public Relations, 713-524-0661, jennie@elmorepr.com

PRESS RELEASE Project Row Houses Highlights Revitalization and Preservation Efforts of Third Ward’s Emancipation Economic Development Council in Round 47 Opening + Free Market Square | Saturday, October 14, 2017 4-7pm Viewing Period | October 14, 2017 – February 11, 2018 Houston, TX – September 27, 2017 – Project Row Houses (PRH) is proud to present its 47th Round of installations, collectively titled The Act of Doing: Preserving, Revitalizing and Protecting Third Ward, in the Art Houses of Holman Street. The Emancipation Economic Development Council (EEDC) was formed in the face of uncertainty. Threatened by gentrification and the loss of their history and culture, a coalition of churches, nonprofits, community development corporations, business owners, artists, and residents joined forces to inspire hope and contribute to the revitalization and preservation of the Third Ward.

“PRH spearheaded the formation of the EEDC because we sensed that the redevelopment of our community was at a tipping point,” said Eureka Gilkey, Executive Director of Project Row Houses. “It has been incredible to witness the collective and creative efforts of our residents and community leaders, all working to build an inclusive revitalized community and preserve its historic legacy.”

The Act of Doing amplifies the questions posed by the EEDC – questions of place, displacement, ownership, and creative community organizing - while documenting its formation and early impact on the community through a timeline installation and an interactive space capturing the stories ignored in the gentrification process. While these houses are dedicated to the EEDC’s journey, several installations will house a poetic exchange between local artists and the vision of the Council.

“The art houses are a beautiful way for us to elevate the conversation around the work happening at a level localized specifically to the Third Ward,” said Curator and Programs Director Ryan N. Dennis. “This Round highlights the exchange between artists, the EEDC, and the community as a marriage of poetics and fundamentals, utilized as a means of engagement.”

Participating artists include Right to Stay/ Right to Say (Zeinab Bakhiet, Olutomi Subulade, and Melanie Meleekah Villegas); Brian Ellison; Danielle Fanfair, Harrison Guy, Marlon Hall, and Anthony Suber; Nikita Hodge; Sofia Mekonnen; Marc Newsome; and Collaboration Timeline House, designed by Adelle Main.

PRH hopes that this Round will be seen as an opportunity to raise awareness of community-led revitalization efforts in communities like Third Ward, what it means to truly engage a community in these efforts, and how their history and culture

can be preserved in an evolving city like Houston. “The EEDC is determined to prove that the people and institutions that have historically defined a place can be leveraged as assets to build a thriving community,” stated Assata Richards, Vice Chair of the EEDC and Director of Sankofa Research Institute.

Please join PRH and the EEDC on Saturday, October 14, 2017 from 4-7pm as we open the installations of Round 47 to the public. In conjunction with the opening of the Round, Free Market Square will organize a family friendly market with vendors and performers from the Third Ward and communities across Houston.

About Project Row Houses Project Row Houses (PRH) is a community-based arts and culture non-profit organization in Houston’s northern Third Ward, one of the city’s oldest African American neighborhoods. The mission of Project Row Houses is to be the catalyst for transforming community through the celebration of art and African-American history and culture. Learn more at ProjectRowHouses.org About Emancipation Economic Development Council Emancipation Economic Development Council is an organized, informed and engaged collaborative of faith-based organizations, nonprofits, community development corporations, businesses, local government entities and other stakeholders with a mission to inspire hope and contribute to the revitalization and preservation of the historic Third Ward. For more information, visit emancipationhouston.org.

Programming at Project Row Houses is generously supported

by The Brown Foundation; Bruner Foundation Inc.; Chevron; Communities Foundation of Texas; James V. Derrick, Jr.; John R. Eckels, Jr. Foundation; Fareed and Paula Zakaria Foundation; First Unitarian Universalist Church; Houston Endowment Inc.; Joan Hohlt & Roger Wich Foundation; Hasty Johnson; The Kinder Foundation; The Kresge Foundation; The Lewis Family Foundation; Marc Melcher; John P. McGovern Foundation; the Metabolic Studio, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation; Sara and Bill Morgan; National Endowment for the Arts; Nightingale Code Foundation; Betty Pecore and Howard Hilliard; Picnic; The Simmons Foundation Inc.; Luisa Strode Sarafim; South Texas Charitable Foundation; Southern Methodist University; Surdna Foundation; Texas Commission on the Arts; Susan Vaughan Foundation; and a grant from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.

PRESS RELEASE Emancipation Economic Development Council receives $460,000 from Kinder Foundation to fund community impact projects Gift will go toward Emancipation Park area programs preserving and revitalizing the area HOUSTON – January 25, 2017 – The Emancipation Economic Development Council (EEDC), a collaborative of organized and informed organizations committed to the revitalization of Houston’s Third Ward, with Project Row Houses announced today their receipt of a $460,000 gift from the Kinder Foundation. The money will fund the seven “early impact projects” in the area, creating tangible and positive near-term momentum: •

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Young Mothers Employment Placement Pilot Program, connecting young Third Ward mothers to proximate and viable job opportunities as a pilot for a broader-based employment program for area residents; EEDC Community Wealth Building Symposium, bringing together local residents, anchor institutions, foundations, city, county, and state officials to foster partnerships that create long-term, sustainable employment for local residents and opportunities for local businesses; Emancipation Avenue Design Charrette and Projects, providing a venue for collaborative reimagination of the Emancipation Avenue commercial corridor; Community Development Corporation and Non-Profit Capacity Building, equipping Third Ward CDCs to develop affordable housing to meet community needs; Micro-Housing Feasibility Study and Prototype, conducting research into the financial feasibility of and community receptivity to small, affordable housing units leading to the construction of a prototype of this type of housing; Resident Housing Rights/Protection and Community Land Trust Awareness, fostering a dialogue about housing rights, community land trusts, permanent affordability, and the mechanisms for enabling long-term residents to remain in the community; Neighborhood Cleanup and Economic Opportunity Initiative, forming a neighborhood cleanup team staffed by residents of northern Third Ward timed to occur prior to the grand reopening of Emancipation Park in June 2017.

“When it seemed like the neighborhood was at a tipping point, our community saw an opportunity. We wanted to reimagine the development process to be inclusive of both Third Ward’s history and long-term residents,” said Eureka Gilkey, executive director of Project Row Houses. “We are grateful to the Kinder Foundation for recognizing and supporting this opportunity to equip Third Ward leaders and residents with the tools needed to build a revitalized community and preserve its historic legacy.”

Nancy Kinder, president of the Kinder Foundation said, “The Foundation is committed to long-term support of a ‘boots-on-theground’ approach to convening neighbors who are ready and willing to preserve and revitalize the Emancipation Park area. Our partnership spent much of 2016 making plans for positive change in the area, and these projects are the first evidence that our real goal is action that benefits our community partners.”

In 2016, the Kinder Foundation, Houston Endowment, and Project Row Houses together established the Emancipation Community Development Partnership (ECDP). The ECDP’s work supports EEDC’s by specifically focusing on making recommendations for adjustments to public policy at the local, state and possibly federal levels; public, private and non-profit investment strategies; community-based organizational work; and adoption of improved models for public services. Read more about the ECDP here.

About Emancipation Economic Development Council Emancipation Economic Development Council is an organized, informed and engaged collaborative of faith-based organizations, nonprofits, community development corporations, businesses, local government entities and other stakeholders with a mission to inspire hope and contribute to the revitalization and preservation of the historic Third Ward. For more information, visit emancipationhouston.org.