The Community Artists’ Collective

Specialties

The Community Music Center of Houston, Texas Southern University Music Department and The Collective will honor and recognize artists who have contributed to the Black Music aesthetic with a concert and art exhibit. The CMCH Black Music Month Legacy Concert will be held on Saturday, June 25, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Rhinehart Auditorium, Texas Southern University, 3100 Cleburne. An exhibition featuring art works of black musicians by Leonard Freeman and Israel McCloud and a photo exhibition will open Wednesday, June 22, with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Collective and will run through June 30. The exhibition also honors some of the «gone but not forgotten» musicians who have shared their talents with both the Community Music Center and the City of Houston over the past 37 years– Kinny Abair, Lavada (Dr. Hepcat) Durst, Conrad Johnson, Mary Kaya and Derrick Lewis.

History

Established in 1987.

This 501©(3) nonprofit organization was founded by artists and educators Michelle Barnes and Dr. Sarah Trotty. In 1988 The Collective began offering education programs through existing African American organizations and agencies to help make arts education more accessible to inner-​city youth and adolescents. Services were soon expanded to include adults and to offer additional services to artists and the community. In 1997 a grant from the Houston Endowment enabled The Collective to retire the debt on and begin renovation of the 5,000 sq. ft. building at the corner of Elgin and LaBranch between Houston’s Museum and Theater districts. The Collective is temporarily located in the Midtown Art Center Tea Room, 1413 Holman, while plans are in progress to construct a six-​story multi-​use building on the original site.