Exhibits - Visit Us at Houston Public Library

Images courtesy iWrite

June 7 - November 14, 2025
Central Library | 1st Floor

I Am Texas is the “largest published book in the world,” according to representatives from the Guinness World Records™. Measuring seven feet tall and weighing 496 pounds, the book is an ode to Texas from the perspective of students in grades 3-12 from over 80 school districts. I Am Texas captures what the Lone Star State means to 1,000 young Texans through stories, poetry, and artwork.

The giant book has traveled all over Texas since breaking the Guinness World Record™ in Houston in November 2022. Take your picture with I Am Texas and pick up a free copy of the book while supplies last (one per family).

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This exhibition is in partnership with the iWrite Organization and The Bryan Museum.

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Al Otro Lado | The Other Side: Raquel Natalicchio - >>July 19 Artist Talk

Images courtesy Raquel Natalicchio and Houston History Research Center June 14, 2025 - February 28, 2026The Julia Ideson Building | The Dr. James and Betty Key Map Room At the heart of Al Otro Lado/The Other Side lies the convergence of individual stories and geographical context. This exhibition features the work of photojournalist Raquel Natalicchio, focusing on her portraits and interviews of people who have migrated to the United States. Their personal narratives, highlighting their diverse experiences and journeys, are paired with historical maps highlighting regions along the U.S.-Mexico border, sourced from the Houston History Research Center. These maps not only chart physical landscapes but also document the history leading up the establishment of the border and the socio-political complexities surrounding immigration. En el corazón de “Al Otro Lado/The Other Side” se encuentra la convergencia de historias individuales y contexto geográfico. Esta exposición presenta el trabajo de la fotoperiodista Raquel Natalicchio, centrándose en sus retratos y entrevistas de personas que han migrado a Estados Unidos. Sus narrativas personales, que resaltan sus diversas experiencias y trayectorias, se complementan con mapas históricos que ilustran las regiones a lo largo de la frontera entre EE.UU. y México, provenientes del Houston History Research Center. Estos mapas no solo trazan paisajes físicos, sino que también documentan la historia que condujo al establecimiento de la frontera y las complejidades sociopolíticas en torno a la inmigración. About the Photojournalist | Sobre la fotoperiodistaRaquel Natalicchio is a bilingual photojournalist originally from Los Angeles, now based in Houston as a staff photojournalist for the Houston Chronicle. Her work focuses on social issues, migration, political mobilization, and community-driven stories across the U.S.–Mexico border. Her long-term project Borderlands explores the cultural and human complexity of border life. A passionate educator, she has developed photography curricula for Las Fotos Project and the Houston Center for Photography, empowering youth through self-expression. Natalicchio has organized exhibitions and talks in Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and London. She is South Regional Chair of the National Press Photographers Association and founder of The Open Door Gallery, a roaming gallery dedicated to supporting artists and building community. Raquel Natalicchio es una fotoperiodista bilingüe originaria de Los Ángeles, California, y actualmente reside en Houston, Texas, donde trabaja como periodista visual para The Houston Chronicle. Raquel documenta temas sociales, migración, la movilización política y historias impulsadas por la comunidad a través de la frontera entre EE.UU. y México. Su proyecto a largo plazo llamado “Borderlands” explora la complejidad cultural y humana de la vida fronteriza. Educadora apasionada, ha desarrollado programas de fotografía para Las Fotos Project y The Houston Center for Photography, empoderando a los jóvenes a través de la autoexpresión. Natalicchio ha organizado exposiciones y conferencias en Houston, Los Ángeles, Nueva York y Londres. Raquel es la Presidenta Regional Sur de la National Press Photographers Association y fundadora de The Open Door Gallery, una galería itinerante dedicada a apoyar a artistas y fortalecer la comunidad. JOIN US >> ARTIST WALKTHROUGH | Saturday, July 19, 3:00 - 4:00 PM << Saving Immigrant Voices (Freeing DETAINED Texas Tour: Houston) | Wednesday, May 21, 2:00 PMOpening Reception with Raquel Natalicchio | Saturday, June 14, 1:00 - 2:00 PM This exhibition is generously supported by Houston Public Library, Houston Public Library Foundation, and City of Houston. Esta exposición cuenta con el generoso apoyo de Houston Public Library, Houston Public Library Foundation y City of Houston....

The Great Restoration Adventure: Celebrating the Craftsmen of Notre-Dame de Paris - NOW OPEN!

Images courtesy Ateliers Perrault, Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, and La Maison Luquet June 30 - August 2, 2025The Julia Ideson Building | Exhibit Hall On April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror as fire engulfed the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, one of the most treasured structures of the last seven centuries and a cultural landmark of universal value. Not only does Notre-Dame embody the soul of global--and French--heritage, it is also a testament to centuries of belief, history, art, and architectural brilliance. Its restoration transcends mere reconstruction; it signifies humanity's commitment to to preserving the cultural treasures that bind us all.The ceremonial reopening of Notre-Dame on December 27, 2024, reinforced the importance of preserving and cherishing our global heritage for today, and for the future.This exhibit celebrates the extraordinary skills of the craftsmen and artisans responsible for bringing the cathedral back to life. Because of their talents, Notre-Dame de Paris has been saved to inspire future generations. This exhibition is generously supported by Houston Public Library, Houston Public Library Foundation, City of Houston, Archaeology Now, Villa Albertine - Consulat Général de France à Houston, Alliance Française de Houston, Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, Maison Luquet, Ateliers Perrault, Handshouse Studio, Houston Area Blacksmith's Association, and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs....

Fashion Fusion IX: Arts of Asia

Images courtesy of Houston Community CollegeMay 7 - July 31, 2025Central Library | 1st Floor Gallery Fashion Fusion VIII: Arts of Asia features garments from Fashion Fusion, an annual competition presented by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), and the award-winning Fashion Design program at Houston Community College (HCC). This most recent competition required HCC students and alumni to design original outfits inspired by the MFAH collections of Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Korean art. The garments created by HCC's emerging designers were entered into one of four representative categories: Sustainable & Unconventional, Street & Sportswear, Evening & Cocktail Wear, and Avant-Garde & Conceptual. This exhibition features the winning garments from designers Maria Dyevre, Estefania Espindola, Maria Hammond, Emily Herrera, Kuteka Hill, Bailey Reber, and Jennifer Valencia. JOIN US DATETIMEEVENTLOCATION Saturday, May 102:00 - 4:00 PMCelebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!Collier Regional LibraryRegister HereTuesday, May 2011:00 AM - 12:00 PMTasting the Archive: Exploring Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and/or Pacific Islander FoodsOnlineRegister HereTuesday, June 33:00 - 4:00 PMSharpie-Dyed ScarvesScenic Woods Regional LibraryRegister HereThursday, June 123:00 - 4:00 PMSharpie-Dyed ScarvesStanaker Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereThursday, June 126:00 - 7:00 PMPride Fashion ShowPark Place Regional LibraryRegister HereMonday, June 161:00 - 2:00 PMSharpie-Dyed ScarvesTuttle Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereThursday, June 261:00 - 2:00 PMSharpie-Dyed ScarvesPleasantville Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereThursday, June 266:30 - 7:30 PMPride Fashion ShowAlief-David M. Henington Regional LibraryRegister HereWednesday, July 26:00 - 7:00 PMSharpie-Dyed ScarvesLooscan Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereMonday, July 711:00 AM - 12:00 PMHenna Workshop with Henna Love HoustonTuttle Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereThursday, July 1711:00 AM - 2:00 PMSewing Workshop: Learn to Sew on a Sewing MachineJungman Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereThursday, July 311:00 - 4:00 PMSewing Workshop: Learn to Sew on a Sewing MachineHeights Neighborhood LibraryRegister Here CHECK OUT OUR CATALOG Kid/JuvenileBingham, Jane, Indian Art & CultureChan, Maisie, Danny Chung Sums It UpGavin, Jamila, Tales from IndiaHodge, Susie, Hokusai: He Saw the World in a WaveHughes, Emily, The SnailKhanduri, Kamini, Japanese Art & CultureHibbert, Claire, Chinese Art & CultureLeung, Julie, Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and ArtistZhang, Kat, The Magic Paintbrush AdultAdornment and Splendour: Jewels of the Indian CourtsBeyond Golden Clouds: Japanese Screens from the Art Institute of Chicago and the Saint Louis Art MuseumChen, Walter, The Fine Art of Chinese Brush PaintingCraven, Roy C., Indian Art: A Concise HistoryDehejia, Vidya, Art of the Imperial CholasKaretzky, Patricia Eichenbaum, Chinese Buddhist ArtKee, Joan, Contemporary Korean Art: Tansaekhwa and the Urgency of MethodKorean Art: The Power of NowLee, Soyoung, Art of the Korean Renaissance, 1400-1600Mahon, Joi, Create the Perfect Fit: Measuring and Pattern Fitting for Real Sewing SolutionsOkim, Komelia Hongja, Korean Metal Art: Techniques, Inspiration, and TraditionsOno, Takumasa, The Simple Art of Sumi-E: Mastering Japanese Ink PaintingPaget, Rhiannon, Divine Felines: The Cat in Japanese ArtSmith, Alison, Dressmaking: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Own ClothesThorp, Robert L., Chinese Art & Culture WatchChina Avant-Garde: From Bicycles to BMWsThe First Monday in MayInfinity: The LIfe and Art of Yayoi KusamaSewing EssentialsSumi-e: The Art of Japanese Ink PaintingVaastu Marabu Library of ThingsCrafts & Hobbies: Sumi-eGoHues and Clues: A Guessing Game of Colors and CluesPete the Cat: I Love My Buttons Game This exhibition is in partnership with Houston Community College, Fashion and Costume Design Department and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston...

Space for Us: Afrofuturism and the Poetic Imagination

MSS0137-PH018 Courtesy African American History Research Center at the Gregory Campus, Houston Public Library March 21 - August 2, 2025The Row House Galleries at the Gregory Campus | 1206 and 1208 Victor Street Space for Us: Afrofuturism and the Poetic Imagination is a multidisciplinary exhibition that seeks to usher in a new Houston by exploring both the historical and contemporary demands of organizers, poets, archivists, and community members within this city. Pairing photos and materials from the archives of the African American History Research Center at the Gregory Campus with multilingual poems exploring ideas of home, community and imagined futures, audiences will experience the urgency of worldbuilding, using the tools we have and the tools we create, to actualize a liberated Houston. Alongside these poems and archives, a poetic tapestry of interviews from Black community leaders across Greater Houston will showcase the present organizing efforts that move through, beyond, and alongside the page to create the Houston we deserve. Through this exploration of poetry, preservation and movement building, Space for Us is a poetic manifesto of this audacious city we aim to see in our lifetime and long after.Facilitated as part of Aris Kian Brown's community outreach project as 2023-2025 Houston Poet Laureate, this exhibition aims to challenge the boundaries between art and organizing, protest and poetics, imagination and demand. Audiences will be able to engage with the demands of Houstonians in real time, allowing the urgency of poetry to serve as a tool for contemporary organizing, worldbuilding, and language justice for communities in Houston fighting for all marginalized people. JOIN US Opening Reception - March 20, 2025 | 6:00 - 8:00 PM Rap & Poetry Workshops for TeensSaturday, April 122:00 - 3:00 PMPark Place Regional LibraryRegister HereTuesday, April 1510:00 - 11:00 AMShepard-Acres Home Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereTuesday, April 153:00 - 4:00 PMMoody Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereFriday, April 253:00 - 4:00 PMHeights Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereSaturday, April 264:00 - 5:00 PMCentral LibraryRegister HereSaturday, May 33:00 - 4:00 PMWalker Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereSaturday, June 143:00 - 4:00 PMWalker Neighborhood LibraryRegister Here Creative Writing Club for AdultsThursday, May 12:30 - 3:30 PMCarnegie Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereThursday, June 52:30 - 3:30 PMCarnegie Neighborhood LibraryRegister Here Summer Reading for Grown-Ups: Talking PoetryTuesday, June 105:30 - 6:30 PMFlores Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereTuesday, June 175:30 - 6:30 PMFlores Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereTuesday, June 245:30 - 6:30 PMFlores Neighborhood LibraryRegister Here EXPLORE SPECIAL COLLECTIONS Ben Desoto Photographs Collection (MSS 0118)The Ben Desoto Photographs Collection documents his career in Houston as a freelance photographer and as a photojournalist for the Houston Chronicle and Houston Post from the 1980s to 2020s. This collection contains over 30,000 photographic items including photographs, negatives and slides, newspapers, and notebooks that depict life in minority communities and the early stages of gentrification in historically Black neighborhoods and hip hop and rock music during the 1980s and early 1990s. His work captures Freedmen's Town, the Allen Parkway Village and Direct Exposure youth projects along with local social problems including homelessness and poverty in his Understanding Poverty Project.Eliza Johnson Home for Aged Negroes Collection (RG 0047)The Eliza Johnson Home for Aged Negroes began as a dream of Anna Dupree. Dupree moved to Houston from Galveston in 1916. When the Eliza Johnson Home opened in June 1952, it was largely due to her determination and resources, as well as support and encouragement of her husband, Clarence (C.A.) and others in the black community. The goal of the Home - located on a 35-acre tract off Chocolate Bayou Road in the historically black neighborhood of Sunnyside - was basic: to provide a place “where our old people enjoy kind, human care and freedom from fear and want in their remaining days.”Black Photographic Collection (MSS 0137)This collection is composed of mostly photographic images having to do with African Americans in the Houston area from 1896 to 1968. Except for its singular focus on images of African Americans, this collection is miscellaneous. Several of the photographs are of Jack Johnson, the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion and a Juneteenth Parade float. Some images are tintypes of well-dressed people in Third Ward and downtown Houston during the early 20th century. CHECK OUT THE CATALOG AdultAnastacia-Reneé, Here in the (Middle) of NowhereBrookins, KB, Freedom House: PoemsDuplan, Anais, Blackspace: On the Poetics of an AfrofutureHersey, Tricia, Rest is Resistance: A ManifestoNational Museum of African American History and Culture, Afrofuturism: A History of Black FuturesZepeda, Gwendolyn (ed.), Houston Noir Works by past Poet LaureatesDavidson, Robin, City that Ripens on the Tree of the WorldDavidson, Robin, Luminous OtherMouton, Deborah D.E.E.P., Black Chameleon: Memory, Womanhood, and MythSchwartz, Leslie Contreras, From the Womb of Sky and EarthZepeda, Gwendolyn, Better With You HereZepeda, Gwendolyn, Falling in Love With Fellow Prisoners: PoemsZepeda, Gwendolyn, Houston We Have a ProblemaZepeda, Gwendolyn, Monsters, Zombies + Addicts: Poems This exhibition is generously supported by Houston Public Library, Houston Public Library Foundation, and the City of Houston....

I Am Texas: The Largest Published Book in the World