Ward Watch: A new installation, a new demolition ban

We are excited and giddy (ok, maybe just some of us are giddy) about the recent attention and preservation efforts to Houston's Historic Wards. Heck, they even have their own Wikipedia listing! (but then again so does your momma).

And a continued step in the right direction, last week's City Council approval a six-month ban on demolition of historic buildings in the Old Sixth Ward area , the city's oldest intact 19th century neighborhood — "a refreshing signal that in spite of Houston's less than stellar record of caring for its historic structures, attention has been paid," reports the Chronicle.

In almost perfect timing, another ward rejuvenation project, Project Row Houses, opens Round 26 Artist Installation that will focus on the “People, Places, and Things of the Northern Third Ward”.

Artists will include photographers, digital media, installation and multi-media artists who will engage with residents within a 35-block area targeted by Project Row Houses to capture, reflect and/or tell their stories:

Pavel Banka - Photographer, Prague, Czech Republic
Barsamian - Painter by Discipline, Installation Artist
Thurman "T" Brown - Digital Media Artist, Photographer, Writer
Ray Carrington - Photographer
Rita Duffy - Painter, Belfast, Ireland
J. Hill - Sculptor, Installation Artist, Oral Historian
Lynne McCabe - Interdisciplinary Artist, Great Brittain

The final product of this exploration will be exhibited in seven Artist Project Houses located between 2505 and 2517 Holman Street. This Round aims to document and celebrate the history of the Third Ward community as a way to cultivate positive relationships among new and existing residents.

About Project Row Houses
Project Row Houses is a neighborhood based art and cultural organization located in Houston's Third Ward. PRH was established in 1993 on a site of 22 abandoned shotgun houses (c. 1930) to connect the work of artists with the revitalization of our community. It was inspired by the work of African-American artist Dr. John Biggers who celebrated the social significance of the shotgun house community in his paintings. After a decade of successfully generating programs that combine arts and cultural education, historic preservation, and community development, the future of the Third Ward is threatened by gentrification. To preserve and protect the irreplaceable historic and cultural legacy of our community, PRH spawned a sister organization, the Row House Community Development Corporation.

Ten of the twenty-two row houses are dedicated to art, photography, and literary projects, which are installed on a rotating six-month basis. When a group of artists is commissioned, each is given a house to transform in ways that speak to the history and cultural issues relevant to the African-American community.
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Project Row Houses is free and open to the public, Wednesday through Sunday, 12:00 - 5:00PM. Group tours can be scheduled by calling 713.526.7662. www.projectrowhouses.org