Join us for the Menil Collection’s annual Neighborhood Community Day.
Enjoy an afternoon of art, music, poetry, and family activities in celebration of the museum’s vibrant neighborhood. Participating organizations include DACAMERA, Houston Center for Photography, Inprint, The Menil Collection, Plant It Forward, Rothko Chapel, Watercolor Art Society, and Writers in the Schools (WITS).
Artist workshops include paper-folding with Joan Son and Pysanky egg painting with Nestor Topchy.
1–1:30 p.m.: WITS (Writers In The Schools) Meta4 Houston Poetry Slam
Location: Menil Front Lawn
1–2 p.m.: Ars Lyrica & Express Children’s Theatre present an interactive performance of Maria’s Magical Music Adventure for young children.
Location: Rothko Chapel
1–2:30 p.m.: Pysanky Ukrainian Easter Egg workshop with Nestor Topchy and Iryna Marchiano, Ages 6+, limited space.
Location: 1509 Branard Garage
1–4 p.m.: Paper Folding workshops with artist Joan Son. All ages.
Location: Menil Drawing Institute
1–4 p.m.: Have a poem written for you on a typewriter by the Inprint Poetry Buskers
Location: Menil Front Lawn
1:30–2 p.m.: Curator Talk with Natalie Dupêcher, Associate Curator of Modern Art, on the exhibition Janet Sobel: All-Over
Location: Menil Foyer
2–3 p.m.: Drum Circle: Learn the basics of African drumming with Sam Dinkins III, co-presented with DACAMERA. No experience or registration is required.
Location: Deck Across from Drawing Institute
2:30–3 p.m.: Curator Talk with Clare Elliott, Associate Research Curator, on the history of the Menil Collection
Location: Menil Foyer
2:30–3:30 p.m.: Watercolor demonstration at Watercolor Art Society
Location: Watercolor Art Society
3–4 p.m.: Poetry Workshop: WITS (Writers in the Schools) invites children to participate in a collaborative writing activity. Space is limited, register in advance at the WITS table.
Location: Menil Front Lawn
3–4 p.m.: Jazz Trio performance featuring DACAMERA Young Artists
Location: Menil Front Lawn
3–4:30 p.m.: Pysanky Ukrainian Easter Egg workshop with Nestor Topchy and Iryna Marchiano, Ages 18+, limited space.
Location: 1509 Branard Garage
4–5 p.m.: Inprint Prize Winners Reading: Featuring short readings by this year’s recipients of 10 annual Inprint Prizes, awarded to graduate students in the University of Houston Creative Writing Program and one undergraduate at Rice University.
Location: Menil Side Lawn, facing Mulberry St.
4–4:30 p.m.: Conservator Talk with Jan Burandt, Conservator of Works of Art on Paper, on the exhibition Ruth Asawa Through Line
Location: Menil Drawing Institute
Explore the exhibition on view at the Watercolor Art Society during their open house from 2–5 p.m.
Location: Watercolor Art Society
Create your own cyanotype using found objects and the light of the sun with the Flash Drive, Houston Center for Photography’s mobile education unit.
Location: Houston Center for Photography
Enjoy a self-led drawing activity on the grounds of the Menil Drawing Institute. Free paper and pencils are available at the front desk of the Drawing Institute.
Location: Menil Drawing Institute
Hear about Plant It Forward’s gardens and initiatives.
Location: Menil Front Lawn
This event takes place outdoors at the Menil Collection, located at 1533 Sul Ross Street. Please bring your own picnic blankets or lawn chairs; seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Menil green space policies apply.
Further information regarding accessibility and parking can be found here.
Schedule of events is subject to change, especially in the event of inclement weather. Please check this page on the day of the program for up-to-date information.
