KATHRINE G. MCGOVERN
COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
2024–2025 SEASON
DISCOVER THE UH ARTS DISTRICT
Explore the UH Arts District at the University of Houston, the vibrant home to the Moores School of Music, the School of Theatre and Dance, and the School of Art—together forming the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts. This is where Houston's emerging artists learn, create, and contribute to the dynamic culture of the city.
Sunday in the District
Join us for Sunday in the District on November 3 from 12PM - 5PM at the University of Houston for a community day; featuring: a undergraduate art sale, studio visits with graduate students, interactive activities for families, museum tours, live performances, and more. The UH Arts District is where passion meets excellence, making it essential to Houston's identity as an artistic mecca. Connect with the creative community, witness the growth of new talent, and enjoy a day of artistic exploration and cultural expression. Don’t miss this opportunity to come out and explore the art and culture that defines Houston.
Turandot
One performance only! Moores Opera House on April 24, 2025 at 7:30pm
We are collaborating with the UH choirs and orchestra to present a gala concert performance of Puccini’s masterpiece Turandot featuring guest artists Soprano Christine Goerke and Tenor Limmie Pulliam.
Turandot is a vivid fantasy of long-ago China, where the imperious Princess Turandot poses three riddles to any prince who dares to court her and commands the death of all who fail. When an unknown prince triumphs, the prospect of marriage strikes terror in Turandot’s heart. Ever the gentleman, he offers her an out — but only if she can guess his name. What will it take to melt Turandot’s resistance?
Little Women
Composed by Mark Adamo | Libretto by the Composer after the novel by Louisa May Alcott
Presented under license by G. Schirmer, Inc., copyright owners.
Performances on October 17, 18 and 19 at 7:30pm
and October 20th at 2:00pm.
Post-show reception Opening night, Thursday, October 17.
Pre-show talk at 1:00pm on October 20 at Moores Opera House.
This wonderful tale of family love, growing older, and being an independent woman has been a classic from its inception in 1868. Mark Adamo’s luscious arias brings a musical poignancy to Louisa May Alcott’s story that is touching, and his unsettling music brings Jo's struggles with the changing world to life and keeps the audience wondering if she will ever change her mind.
Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi
Performances on January 30, 31 and February 1 at 7:30pm
and February 2 at 2:00pm.
Opening night post-show reception on Thursday, January 30.
Pre-show talk on Sunday, February 2 at 1:00pm in the Moores Opera House theatre.
Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi are final two parts of a triptych of three one-act operas: the tragic, the lyric and the comic, in three different eras and three different places. Puccini began with a dark drama, Il Tabarro, continued with a sentimental tale, Suor Angelica, and ended with Gianni Schicchi, in the “commedia dell’arte” style. Suor Angelica is the tragic tale of a young upper class woman who is sent to a convent to repent for her sins. Gianni Schicchi depicts the life of a scheming yet ingenious man, who takes advantage of the greed and petty jealousies of a large family to re-write the will of the family’s wealthy patriarch to a comedic conclusion.
She Loves Me
Book by Joe Masteroff | Music by Jerry Bock | Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Performances on April 10, 11, and 12th at 7:30p, and April 13th at 2:00pm.
Post-show reception Opening Night, Thursday, April 10th.
Please note there will be no pre-show talk for the musical.
This musical is a witty and effervescent musical comedy that revolves around a perfumery and 2 salesclerks who struggle to get along at work. Unbeknownst to them, the anonymous romantic pen pals they have both been falling for happen to be each other. Will love continue to blossom once their identities are finally revealed?
MOORES
SCHOOL
OF MUSIC
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Moores School Concerto Competition
Sat, Oct 5, 2024 | 7:00 PM | Dudley Recital Hall
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts: Call & Response
*All performances will take place in the lobby of the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design
Wed, Oct 30, 2024 | 5:00 PM
Wed, Nov 6, 2024 | 5:00 PM
Wed, Nov 13, 2024 | 5:00 PM
Wed, Nov 20, 2024 | 5:00 PM
Sun, Nov 24, 2024 | 6:00 PM
Terence Blanchard: Film Scores, Jazz & Beyond
Sat, Nov 9, 2024 | 7:00 PM | Cullen Performance Hall
Wind Ensemble at TMEA
Thu, Feb 13, 2025 | San Antonio, TX
MSM Celebrates! Recital & Reception
Tues, Apr 22, 2025 | 1:00 PM | Moores Opera House
TURANDOT in Concert featuring guest artists Christine Goerke & Limmie Pulliam
Thu, Apr 24, 2025 | 7:30 PM | Moores Opera House
FACULTY ARTIST SERIES
The Faculty Artist Series is a hand-selected recital series showcasing the highly talented educators the Moores School of Music is privileged to have on its faculty. This season, we are excited to announce that five of the series' performances will take place at Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Houston.
Chamber Music: Capturing What Remains
Fri, Sep 13, 2024 | 7:30 PM | Moores Opera House
Celebrating a Century: Rhapsody in Blue
Tue, Sep 17, 2024 | 7:00 PM | Zilkha Hall
Solero Flamenco: Nights in Spain
Thu, Oct 3, 2024 | 7:30 PM | Dudley Recital Hall
The Wild, The Pop & The Comic: Formosa Quartet in Collaboration with MSM
Tue, Oct 15, 2024 | 7:00 PM | Zilkha Hall
Form & Expression: Music of Price, Laurin, Simonds, Vierne, & Willan
Mon, Oct 21, 2024 | 7:30 PM | St. John the Divine
Music of Schumann & Brahms
Tue, Nov 12, 2024 | 7:30 PM | Dudley Recital Hall
A Celebration of Composer Samuel Barber
Tue, Feb 4, 2025 | 7:00 PM | Zilkha Hall
Dreams & Nightmares: Exploring Inner Worlds
Mon, Feb 17, 2025 | 7:30 PM | Dudley Recital Hall
Dancers in the Vineyards
Thu, Mar 6, 2025 | 7:30 PM | Dudley Recital Hall
Romantic Bookends: Schumann & Dohnányi
Tue, Mar 18, 2025 | 7:00 PM | Zilkha Hall
A Kaleidoscope of Love
Mon, Mar 24, 2025 | 7:30 PM | Dudley Recital Hall
Trio Magnoliana
Tue, Apr 8, 2025 | 7:00 PM | Zilkha Hall
A.I. LACK VISITING ARTIST SERIES
The Moores School of Music’s A.I. Lack Visiting Artist Series features distinguished artist-teachers in a series of free master classes and recitals. Established in 1989 in memory of Abram I. Lack, the series honors his legacy. His daughter, the legendary violinist and educator Fredell Lack Eichhorn, served as the C. W. Moores Professor of Violin at the University of Houston for 50 years until her retirement in 2009.
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Daniel Gilbert, clarinet Masterclass Thu, Sep 19, 2024 Ben Pierce, euphonium Masterclass Sat, Oct 19, 2024 Recital Sat, Oct 19, 2024 Royce Vavrek, librettist & Missy Mazzoli, composer Masterclass Fri, April 18, 2025 |
Brannon Cho, cello Masterclass Mon, March 24, 2025 Recital Tue, March 25, 2025 Hal Robinson, double bass Masterclass Dudley Recital Hall |
MSM PERFORMING ENSEMBLES
The Moores School of Music offers a diverse range of large and chamber ensembles in performances throughout the year. Enjoy exceptional productions from our distinguished programs, including orchestra, band, choir, jazz, percussion, opera, mariachi, and more. For details on the Moores School of Music’s 2024-2025 performance schedule, scan the QR code to view our event calendar and join us for an exciting season!
SCHOOL
OF ART
24–25 SPEAKER SERIES
JESSICA L. HORTON
Art History
Tue, Oct 29, 2024
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Dudley Recital Hall
TERESA BAKER
Painting
Tue, Oct 29, 2024
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Dudley Recital Hall
SHAHZIA SIKANDER
Sculpture
Thu, Oct 31, 2024
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
TBD
SAMANTHA BOX
Photography & Digital Media
Thu, Jan 23, 2025
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Dudley Recital Hall
HELEN ARMSTRONG
Graphic Design
Thu, Feb 6, 2025
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Dudley Recital Hall
BRIAN CRABTREE
Interdisciplinary Practices & Emerging Forms
Thu, Mar 27, 2025
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Dudley Recital Hall
Spring 2025 at the Blaffer Art Museum
MFA THESIS SHOW
Opening March 21st!
March 21 - April 6, 2025
STUDENT SHOW
Opening April 11th!
April 11 - April 20, 2025
BLAFFER
ART
MUSEUM
24–25 BLAFFER ART MUSEUM EXHIBITION
Makeshift Memorials, Small Revolutions
October 11, 2024 – March 9, 2025
The Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston and KADIST San Francisco are co-organizing a multi-site exhibition guided by Arundhati Roy’s essay and enigmatic proposition ‘the pandemic is a portal’. Employing 2020 as a lens, the exhibition enables nuanced conversations around the intersectional and disproportionate ruptures from the COVID-19 pandemic, violence against racialized bodies, rising authoritarianism, and increasingly polarized realities. The exhibition includes performances by Indira Allegra and James Webb commissioned by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.
Soledad Salame: Camouflage
October 3, 2025—March 15, 2026
Chilean-American artist Soledad Salame proposes a poetic form of intervention marrying art, research, and re-invention. Locating moments when nature’s resilience meets human resourcefulness, she works with an evolving team of scientific and ecological collaborators to create works as repositories of labor, resistance and reflection.
Ja'Tovia Gary
May 9—September 21, 2025
Ja’Tovia Gary is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist working across documentary, avant-garde video art, sculpture, and installation. The artist is deeply concerned with re-memory and employs a rigorous interrogation and apprehension of the archive in much of her work. She seeks to trouble notions of objectivity and neutrality in nonfiction storytelling by asserting a Black feminist subjectivity and applies what scholar and cultural critic bell hooks terms “an oppositional gaze” as both maker and critical spectator of moving image works. Intimate, often personal, and politically charged, her works aim to unmask power and its influence on how we perceive and formulate reality. Gary’s films and installations serve as reparative gestures for the distorted histories through which Black life is often viewed. Black spiritual technologies, ancestral legacies, and the interiority of Black life often pull focus in Gary’s multivalent works.
Saif Azzuz: Keet Hegehlpa’ (the water is rising)
June 6—August 24, 2025
Saif Azzuz (b. 1987) is a Libyan-Yurok artist who resides in Pacifica, CA. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Painting and Drawing from the California College of the Arts in 2013. Azzuz’s paintings straddle abstraction and surrealism in their sweeping use of color, sensual movement, and evocation of the natural world. His work revolves around the de-contextualization of Yurok and Arab imagery. Starting with stories by, of, and for family members, Azzuz constructs spaces utilizing colorful ink and acrylic paint on tapestry-like canvas imbuing the work with the washy luminosity and gentle disquiet of dreams. This exhibition includes new work co-commissioned by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.
Guadalupe Maravilla: Mariposa Relámpago
Spring 2025 Co-presented with the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts
Mariposa Relámpago, which translates to Lightning Butterfly, is the artist’s largest sculpture to date. Maravilla’s sculptures known as Disease Throwers, incorporate natural materials, handmade objects, and items collected while retracing his migratory route. Every sculpture includes metal gongs that are activated by the artist during public sound baths to deploy the powers of vibrational sound as a form of healing. Maravilla’s artworks also contain a cosmology of potent symbols and objects that connect the artist’s personal journey with ancient practices of the Indigenous Mayan peoples; diverse spiritual and folk beliefs; and contemporary crises of disease, ecology, and war. Mariposa Relámpago functions as a sculpture, shrine and healing.
2024 Texas Biennial: The Last Sky
September 27, 2024—March 9, 2025
The 2024 Texas Biennial: The Last Sky is partially supported by Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts.
CYNTHIA WOODS MITCHELL CENTER FOR THE ARTS
2024–2025 VISITING ARTISTS
INDIRA ALLEGRA
SAIF AZZUZ
JA'TOVIA GARY
ALEX JULYAN
GUADALUPE MARAVILLA
STEPHEN MONTAGUE
JACK REULER
NADYA TOLOKONNIKOVA
JAMES WEBB
UPCOMING SEASON
Guadalupe Maravilla's Mariposa Relámpago
Combining sculpture, painting, performative acts, and installation, Guadalupe Maravilla grounds his transdisciplinary practice in activism and healing. Engaging a wide variety of visual cultures, Maravilla’s work is autobiographical, referencing his unaccompanied, undocumented migration to the United States due to the Salvadoran Civil War. Across all media, Maravilla explores how the systemic abuse of immigrants physically manifests in the body, reflecting on his own battle with cancer. Maravilla received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts and his MFA from Hunter College in New York. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain; Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, FL; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA; Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, TX; and the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY, among others. He has received numerous awards and fellowships including a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, 2019; Soros Fellowship: Art Migration and Public Space, 2019; MAP Fund Grant, 2019; Franklin Furnace Fund, 2018; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship, 2018; Art Matters Fellowship, 2017; Creative Capital Grant, 2016; Joan Mitchell Emerging Artist Grant, 2016; and The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation Award 2003.
CONVERGENCE RESEARCH
2024-2025 DATES
Convergence Research is held once a month on Wednesday evenings at the Blaffer Art Museum during the academic year. For the latest dates and times, follow us on social media & sign up for our newsletter!
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Fall 2024 |
Spring 2025 |
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September 18 October 16 November 13 |
January 29 February 19 March 26 April 16 |
Convergence Research is a collaboration between the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts and the Blaffer Art Museum that empowers students and faculty at the McGovern College of the Arts to explore connections and collaborations across artistic disciplines and beyond. Serving as a platform for experimentation and research, it provides opportunities to push the boundaries of artistic practice.
Convergence Research fosters interdisciplinary inquiry and creative techniques, encouraging the development of works that are performative, temporary, and in any stage of process. The program is administered and facilitated by the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts and curated by Mitchell Center Graduate Assistant Anna Barr. The Graduate Assistantship is a yearlong position open to graduate students from any of the Mitchell Center’s five units.
The Graduate Program in Arts Leadership in the
Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts Presents:
INAUGURATE, INNOVATE!
THE ARTS LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM
Friday, March 21, 2025
1:00–6:00 p.m.
Dudley Recital Hall, School of Art
Join us for an inspiring afternoon exploring the future of arts leadership at Inaugurate, Innovate! The Arts Leadership Symposium. The event features a keynote address by renowned arts leader Naima J. Keith, followed by thought-provoking panel discussions with industry experts Brittany Bass, Jennifer Bowman, Brian Ellison, and Mark Folkes. Gain insights into how the arts are evolving, innovative approaches to cultural leadership, and career strategies from some of Houston's foremost leaders in arts and culture.
The symposium will conclude with a Career Fair, offering a unique opportunity to network with representatives from Houston's vibrant arts and cultural organizations, including Center for Performing Arts Medicine at Houston Methodist, Hobby Center, Houston Ballet, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Stages, Art League Houston, DaCamera, Islamic Arts Society, Alley Theatre, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, Writers in the Schools, and Lawndale Center.
This event is made possible by an Innovation Grant from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. Don’t miss this chance to connect, collaborate, and envision the future of arts leadership!
This witty comedy draws upon the screwball films of the 1930s to take a funny and irreverent look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood. This 70-year journey carries us through the life of Vera Stark, a headstrong African-American maid and budding actress, and her tangled relationship with her boss, a white Hollywood star. When circumstances collide and both women land roles in the same Southern epic, the story behind the cameras leaves Vera with a surprising and controversial legacy.
On the day of the seventh game of the World Series between the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers in a presidential election year, Safe at Home examines US immigration policies, racial politics, and the collision of personal ethics and media dollars. Small groups of audience members journey throughout stadium spaces for 90 minutes as voyeurs into the intimate conversations of executives, players, political candidates, and others.
A world premiere embodied storytelling event that exemplifies the expression, “leap, and the net shall appear,” as our incoming MFA Acting cohort builds a project like no other. In just over 100 hours of rehearsal, an entire play without words will be conceived, devised, and performed, lead by Adam Noble, head of the MFA Acting program at the School of Theatre & Dance
Everybody is a modern comic adaptation of the 15th Century morality play Everyman and one of the first recorded plays in the English language. This modern adaptation sees Everybody visited by God and Death, as well as Friendship, Kinship, all their Stuff, and a few surprising others as they prepare for a journey into the hereafter. It questions the meaning of life, death, and everything in between.
Everything’s calling Elliot back to Sherwood, Texas. Four years after the death of his best friend, Elliot returns home to give his statement. Through flashes from the past and connections in the present, Elliot faces the grittiness of his grief and finds hope along the way. Everything Rises is an exploration of queer love, life in a small town, found family, and what people are capable of when fueled by hate.
This whimsical satire follows a governess arriving to her new appointment with the hopeful promise of Gothic romance, only to find an oddball household, a mastiff, and a hen. The dissonant mix of modern sensibilities and classical expectations in this black comedy turns Brontë on its head.
Aaron Posner’s modern adaptation of Chekov’s The Seagull takes on artistic pretension and our varied, warped depictions of what love should look like, full of characters who acknowledge they’re living within a play in front of an audience. The story bounces from irreverent to insightful, questioning how we all pursue happiness.
The School of Theatre & Dance is excited to present the twelfth annual 10-Minute New Play Festival! This popular showcase highlights some of the best new work from our students.
The Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts Box Office is available remotely by phone or email Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Our team is also on-site one hour before each event to assist and ensure a smooth experience.
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Call Us |
Email Us |
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713-743-3388 |
kgmcaboxoffice@uh.edu |
COMMUNITY ARTS
HOMEGROWN HOUSTON ARTISTRY
Community Arts at the University of Houston offers eclectic and adventurous learning experiences in music, theater, dance, and visual arts. It serves as a welcoming home for all Houstonians who are eager to grow and explore their creativity, no matter their age.
• Grow more self-assured, confident, & disciplined
• Grow more curious about the diverse world of arts & ideas
• Grow more empathetic & collaborative
• Grow more observant of beauty & meaning in the world
• Grow more enthusiastic about your own potential for excellence
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN...
• Music lessons
• Workshops & camps for high school & middle school students
• Singing in choir or joining the mariachi
• Professional development training for young professional artists & teachers
SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF THE ARTS
Become a Friend of KGMCA
Your generosity can make a profound difference in the lives of our students, faculty, and the broader artistic community. By becoming a Friend of the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts, you are directly supporting scholarships for talented students, bringing renowned guest artists to campus, and providing essential resources for our dedicated faculty.
Your donations help us recruit the most accomplished students with the highest potential for success, ensuring that the next generation of artists and creators can thrive in a nurturing environment. Contributions also support state-of-the-art facilities and the creation of unique, hands on opportunities that prepare our students for successful careers in the arts.
By giving to KGMCA, you are investing in the future of the arts and the foundation of our community's culture. Together, we can shape the next generation of artists and visionaries at the University of Houston.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the supporters of the Friends programs at the Moores School of Music, the School of Art, and the School of Theatre & Dance, as well as those who support the Blaffer Art Museum and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. Your commitment enriches our entire arts community and makes a lasting impact.
KGMCA BOX OFFICE
The Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts Box Office is available remotely by phone or email Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Our team is also on-site one hour before each event to assist and ensure a smooth experience.
Email us: kgmcaboxoffice@uh.edu | Call us: 713-743-3388
SEASON TICKET PACKAGES
THEATRE, DANCE, & MUSIC COMBO PACKAGE
• Purchase tickets for four (4) theatre or dance performances
•Receive a code for complimentary tickets to four (4) music or opera* concerts of your choice (*Excludes TURANDOT performance)
OPERA LOVER’S PACKAGE
• Purchase a $500 ticket to TURANDOT
• Receive a complimentary ticket to each opera in the season
PARKING
The University of Houston is full of energy on evenings and weekends, creating an eventful experience for visitors. To make your visit smoother, you can pre-pay for parking at a flat rate of $8, so you can enjoy all the activities without the hassle of finding a spot. Additional information can be found here: https://uh.edu/kgmca/box-office/directions-parking/
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