Programs & Projects - Project Row Houses

Public Art

Public Art Programs

Our founding program, the Public Art Program, provides opportunities for artists to take risks and experiment in their practice while exploring new ways of working outside of the studio. Through learning the complex history of the neighborhood, connecting with Third Ward residents, and understanding the changes that come with working within this context, artists create site-specific installations that live inside the art houses or in public spaces.

Artist Studios

Project Row Houses offers an artist residency program that provides subsidized studio space for up to three years on site. This residency supports artists by giving them affordable space to create, experiment, and grow their practice while being part of the vibrant Third Ward community.

Artist studios are only open to the public during special events. Otherwise, visitors should make an appointment with PRH staff or the artist directly.

Community Gallery

PRH features a variety of displays throughout the year, highlighting the arts and creatives while bringing communities together and engaging audiences in essential dialogues. Take a look at what is currently on view in the Community Gallery.

The Community Gallery is open to the public during regular PRH business hours from 12pm-5pm on Wednesdays through Sundays. Guests can check in at our front desk on the corner of Holman Street and Live Oak.

Summer Studios

In 2026, Project Row Houses’ (PRH) Floyd Newsum Summer Studios Mentorship + Residency Program will accept ten undergraduate students for an exclusive opportunity to learn and develop their creative practice in the historic Houston neighborhood of Third Ward. This program honors the late PRH co-founder, artist, and educator Floyd Newsum, recognizing his dedication to supporting student artists.

Students must currently be enrolled or have been enrolled within the past year (within 1 year) in an academic program at a 2-year college or 4-year university in Houston or nearby areas (within 50 miles). Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have an interest in social sculpture and community-engaged art. Selected students will receive a $1000 stipend, free studio space at Project Row Houses, and mentorship from experienced local arts professionals.

TSU Studios

In 1949, Dr. John Biggers, world-renowned artist, established the Art Department at Texas Southern University. Through a unique partnership between Texas Southern University and Project Row Houses, commended students are chosen by the council of TSU University Museum, to create from row house studios provided by PRH throughout their semester at TSU. A culminating showcase highlighting the dynamic work of the TSU art students, amplify their voices, visions, and burgeoning talents across multiple disciplines

Social Sculpture Saturday

“Social Sculpture” reflects a larger idea rooted in Project Row Houses’ mission: art to shape community and social life. It’s about people coming together, expressing creativity, sharing experiences, and strengthening neighborhood bonds. In short: Social Sculpture Saturday is a lively, inclusive arts-based event that invites the public to celebrate creativity, community, and culture once a month at Project Row Houses.

A group of young people stand in front of a shipping container they have spraypainted

Public Art Park

The Public Art Park provides a legal space for local artists to create large-scale works, expand their skills, translate their ideas, manage their time and physical resources in order to properly execute a mural project or body of work that could increase their income and broaden their field of opportunities in Houston or abroad. The shipping containers, graciously donated by Port Houston, have been established on Project Row Houses’ property as a free and legal space for community members to use for artistic expression and add beauty to this historic community. All visitors must sign a waiver in order to participate. All children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult

Community Enrichment

Community Enrichment Initiatives at Project Row Houses are ever evolving. Our residents and neighbors in Historic Third Ward challenge us to expand the vision of our social sculpture. For three decades, Community Enrichment programming has been designed by neighbors and co-created with our residents. Project Row Houses’ community development work evolves; ranging from educational programs to community markets, initiatives to address food insecurity in Third Ward, and behavioral health resources.

Creative Careers

Through the Creative Careers Program, artist mentorship is available to 6 emerging artists in the Greater Houston area, giving them the chance to work with an established local artist during a structured 6-month program. Program participants are thoughtfully paired with a mentor who shares their experience, resources, and offers guidance to their mentees in developing their practice. Applications for Creative Careers open in the Spring, with ongoing programs for 6 months.

During their time together, mentors provide mentees with a formal critique of their work, set goals and a plan to implement them, and attend networking events together. At the conclusion of each 6-month cohort, mentor/mentee pairs collaborate to develop a work to display during the Artist Mentorship Showcase in the Community Gallery at PRH.

Teens in CTRL

Project Row Houses’ Teens in CTRL Summer Program will accept six local high school students in grades 9-12, for an exciting opportunity to dive into the world of digital media and storytelling within our Bloomberg Content Creation Lab located in the Historic Neighborhood of Houston’s Third Ward. This camp is all about empowering teens to capture the stories of local artists, and community members in creative and meaningful ways.

Grocery Distribution

Third Ward residents experience food insecurity at a rate 125% higher than the national average. To help overcome the gap between available, fresh & healthy, locally produced food, Project Row Houses has partnered with Second Servings Houston to provide fresh produce and prepared meals to Third Ward residents and neighbors in need. Second Servings Houston is the only food rescue organization in Houston working to eliminate food waste by delivering surplus food to those in need, serving more than 175,000 people per year.

Glassell School of Art

Again (2026) acknowledges that the production of petroleum-based products (i.e. plastic) are an important part of Houston’s economy. And, Houston can take a forward position in the national dialogue on how plastic has endless possibilities and potential positive impacts on our built environment. The sustainable solution is not found in the simple elimination of plastic, but in how we embrace its potential. Again acknowledges that plastic has a problematic history and is a part of contemporary life.

The Glassell School of Art worked with Project Row Houses (PRH) to identify high school students in their junior or senior year from Third Ward, Houston to participate in a 14-week materials study classes offered in Fall 2025 at the Glassell School of Art. These college-level courses entitled Again: The Future of Plastic will be documented on an official transcript from University of St. Thomas earning each student 3 college credits. These classes will focus on the collection, processing, and potential applications of recycled plastic. The locally collected and recycled plastic will be transformed into materials in service to the Houston community.

program video from 2025 project “Benches by Trees by Youth”

STAR Studio

A series of events focused on creative expression as a tool for collective healing, exploring disability justice and intersectional identity that includes a workshop and a support group. Open Community Studio Hours are free studio hours from 12pm-5pm every Tuesday, enabling community members and visitors to retreat to a creative healing space.

Piano and Drum Lessons

Project Row Houses is partnering with Piano vibes to provide free piano and drum lessons on Wednesday at the Historic Eldorado Ballroom from 4pm-8pm to the community. All piano and drums are provided through Piano Vibes. Achille and Tony are professional234 musicians who teach ages 6 and up. Project Row Houses manages the day of operations ensuring everyone gets an opportunity to learn.

Violin Lessons

Project Row Houses Partners with Dr. Anne Lundy to provide free violin lessons to ages 6 and upon Thursdays at the Historic Eldorado Ballroom from 5:30pm-6:30pm. Houstonian Dr. Anne Lundy began her musical studies on the violin. She received a Bachelor of music education in 1977 from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Music in Conducting from the University of Houston in 1979. Dr. Lundy received her Doctor of Musical Arts from University of Houston’s Moores School of Music in 2015.

Neighborhood Development

PRH focuses on neighborhood development and revitalization because we understand that Third Ward will thrive and survive only with a dynamic mix of engaged residents, locally-owned businesses, and cultural institutions. While we work to preserve and protect the stories and artifacts of our past, we know their greatest value is in how they build cultural capital for the future.

We foster the creation, development, and support of affordable housing, new businesses, and a wide range of collaborations among our partners in Third Ward.

Building Cultural Capital for the Future

“I see them as I walk the Third Ward of Houston, the rhythm of their shadows, the square of the porch three over four like the beat of a visual gospel.”

— Dr. John Biggers

Business Residency

Our goal is to invite emerging businesses dedicated to serving communities to collaborate with us in supporting a thriving Third Ward. We provide entrepreneurs, creatives, emerging businesses, and innovative organizations with affordable space for up to three years. PRH partners with external organizations including the Emancipation Economic Development Council (EEDC) and Third Ward Cultural District (TWCD) to ensure businesses have the support they need in the early stages of growth.

This program is a response to a community call to action for multigenerational support that provides the infrastructure, guidance and support for residents to thrive within their communities.

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Third Ward Cultural District

Harness the power of art and culture

The Third Ward Cultural District, officially created by the Texas Commission for the Arts in September 2020, supports Third Ward residents by activating spaces of healing and creating a haven for the artists most in need of a place to feel safe to create and thrive. Just as important, the Cultural District creates opportunities for visitors from across town and across the globe to participate in this work and connect with the community.

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Eldorado Ballroom

A historic venue and center for commerce

Located at 2310 Elgin Street, this historic venue has welcomed generations of Third Ward residents for dancing, celebrations, and special occasions. It will soon undergo a complete rehabilitation that will restore its historic façade and finishes, bring it up to modern accessibility standards, and upgrade all of its operating systems.

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Affordable Housing

Placekeeping for legacy residents

Houston suffers from a severe lack of affordable housing. In Third Ward, the shortage has been singularly acute for several generations. Steady rises in property values over the past generation, with a particularly sharp spike that started when Emancipation Park’s historic redevelopment was announced, have created a new wave of displacement for legacy residents.

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Community Development

Driving community revitalization and prosperity

During the century after Emancipation, Third Ward by necessity blossomed as a vibrant retail and business community fueled by Black entrepreneurs and business-owners locked out of other parts of the city by the legal segregation of the Jim Crow era.

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Architectural Collaborations

Celebrating architectural ingenuity

Artists and architects alike have the ability to dream, to think the unthinkable and give it life. When confronted with a task, architects must employ a vast array of knowledge, talent, and perspective. The same is true of artists.

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Public Art | Music & Performance | Social Sculpture