Good morning, Houston!

There’s one week left of Hispanic Heritage Month, and if you’re looking for a way to celebrate while dipping your toes in the arts, Houston is the place to be. The Affordable Art Fair is kicking off its first-ever Houston show on Oct. 15 and is featuring artwork by Hispanic artists inspired by the greats.

Alida Anderson’s lithographic print, “Incantation,” will be on sale at the fair for $295. (Courtesy of Alida Anderson)

The show will feature art by nine Venezuelan, Spanish, and Mexican artists whose styles trace back to ancient Indigenous tribes in Central and South America.

Combining bright, vivid colors with surrealist themes, the collection will be on sale to Houstonians at affordable prices. The art fair aims to offer accessible pricing for locals who may not always have the budget for art priced in the thousands.

The art on display explores Hispanic identity through different media, often using materials linked to South American art history. One artist even sourced her materials from wild cacti while riding horseback, while another uses traditional bark paper to paint on.

The art on sale uses traditional artistic techniques to honor Hispanic heritage. (Courtesy of Alessandra Albin)

If you want to learn more about the fair or get a sneak peek at the art up for grabs, check out the rest of the newsletter for an article with all the details.

Anna Raj

Newsletter Editor, Courier HTX

Houston Mayor John Whitmire spoke at Jones Hall’s rededication ceremony in Downtown Houston. (Courtesy of Houston First)

🥂 The historic Houston building Jones Hall just marked its 60th anniversary with a rededication ceremony that celebrated a brand-new multi-million-dollar renovation. (ABC 13, Houston Culture Map)

🏥 A Houston doctor was just indicted for a $30 million fraud scheme during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what he did. (Houston Public Media)

🚘 If you’ve ever asked yourself if your commute could get any worse, Houston is about to set some new traffic records. Several HOV lanes will be closed until 2027 under TxDOT construction. Find out what lanes will disappear. (Chron)

🐦 Bird poop is making the news in Galveston as a popular street serving as a bird bathroom stop has ignited a hipsters versus birds debate among locals. (Chron)

Vote by mail or in person by Election Day on Nov. 3. (Scott Habermann/Shutterstock.com)

It’s finally National Voter Education Week, which means it’s your chance to become the expert on all things election-related before in-person early voting begins Monday, Oct. 19.

🍿 In honor of election season, here are 4 movies about elections that are actually fun to watch, and what they can teach us before we vote:

“Napoleon Dynamite“: This cult classic shows us how winning an election isn’t just about showing up to the polls, but is also about sharing the necessity of voting with our family and friends. This election season, getting out the vote matters as much as showing up on Election Day.
“Election”: If you’ve seen Reese Witherspoon’s performance in this film, you know what it takes for candidates who care about their constituents to overcome the corruption around them. This movie shows us that even when the system is stacked against us, popular support of a candidate can flip the tables.
“Milk”: Based on a true story, this film proves that local elections can have major consequences. “Milk” shows that voting for candidates who represent the people and values they’re campaigning for benefits our communities more than electing officials who don’t understand the communities around them.
“Iron Jawed Angels”: Not everyone always had the right to vote, and some communities still don’t. This movie shows us just how hard women fought to have a voice in US elections, and why it’s important to vote for people who can’t.

If you’re feeling heated and ready to head to the polls after these films, check your voter registration status and vote early (Oct. 19-30). Never voted before? This election is your chance to practice your civic duty. Check out our first-timer’s guide to get familiar with the process.

🗓 Remember that Oct. 23 is the last day to request your mail-in ballot before early voting ends, and mail-in ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day (Nov. 3).

Your free voter hub →

You’re election-ready. 🙌 Now help a friend get there, too—forward this email before Nov. 3.

Holly Wong’s “Elixir 5” will be on sale at the art fair in October. (Courtesy of Holly Wong)

These Houston art pieces won’t break the bank

Decorating your walls with original artwork without breaking the bank can be hard, but this art fair wants to change that. The Affordable Art Fair, a festival of art without the gallery price tag, is coming to Houston this October, and organizers have found a creative way to promote it.

The fair is a three-day event, starting Oct. 15 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The fair will feature interactive, family-friendly activities on weekend mornings and host late-night programming. Art sold at the fair will range from $100 to $12,000 and will feature both emerging and established artists.

Cori Teague, the fair’s director, thinks the event will broaden the public’s access to art while promoting local artists.

“Really putting art out there and giving a name and a brand to emerging artists is really important to keep the art ecosystem alive,” said Teague. “ Art should be affordable to everyone because we remove art from our school curriculums so early that we’re losing collectors and art in our everyday lives.”

To promote the event, Teague partnered with Houston chef Christian Hernandez to host a one-night dinner where each course drew inspiration from a different work of art featured at the fair.

The special dinner was hosted at the Houston-inspired restaurant Barbacana and aimed to give the public a sneak peek at the fair’s art. Hernandez specially designed each course to mirror the artwork.

Preview the art →