Exhibits - Visit Us at Houston Public Library

Haruki Murakami and Paul Theroux Book Signing | Zadie Smith | Margaret Atwood Library | All images © Laura Wilson

February 14 - June 14, 2025

The Julia Ideson Building | Exhibit Hall

Renowned photographer Laura Wilson offers us intimate glimpses into the everyday lives of more than 30 influential and internationally acclaimed writers. This exhibition features of a selection of portraits from her book, The Writers: Portraits (Yale University Press, 2022), which was inspired by the popular photo essays published in Life magazine in the mid-20th century. After viewing this collection of portraits and candid photographs, borrow and enjoy the works of these best-selling writers from Houston Public LIbrary's collection.

Laura Wilson's photographs have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and London's Sunday Times Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, among others. She has published seven books of photographs and text including Avedon at Work (2003), Grit and Glory (2003), That Day: Pictures in the American West (2015), and From Rodin to Plensa (2018).

JOIN US

~~Opening Reception with Laura Wilson | Thursday, February 13, 2025, 5:00 - 7:00 PM~~

RELATED MEDIA

CHECK OUT OUR CATALOG

Books by Laura Wilson

Writers Featured in this Exhibition

This exhibition is generously supported by Houston Public Library, Houston Public Library Foundation, and the City of Houston. Special thanks to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

Recent Posts

World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration

May 16 - June 27, 2025Walker Neighborhood Library Houston Public Library is one of 15 public libraries around the country chosen to host World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration. Developed by the American Anthropological Association and the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, this traveling exhibition is organized according to four main questions:Where do we come from?Why do we move?How does migration change us?Where are we going? By presenting case studies from across human history and an array of cultures, World on the Move invites visitors to recognize that migration is a complex and diverse shared human experience. The exhibition aims to expand the public conversation on the topic of migration and displacement through narrative and interactive displays. WORLD ON THE MOVE EVENTS AT WALKER NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARYDATETIMEEVENTAGES Wednesday, June 46:30 - 7:30 PMPajama StorytimeKids (5-10 yrs)Register HereSaturday, June 711:00 AM - 4:00 PMShare Your Migration Story on the Moving People Connected Stories PodcastTeens, AdultsRegister HereMonday, June 161:00 - 2:30 PMLearn about Kindertransport with Holocaust Museum HoustonTween, Teens, AdultsRegister HereWednesday, June 184:30 - 5:30 PMPajama StorytimeKids (5-10 yrs)Register HereTuesday, June 173:00 - 3:30 PMDinosaur Dig at the Library!Kids (5-10 yrs)Register HereMonday, June 231:00 - 2:00 PMScreening of “Change the Subject” DocumentaryTeens, AdultsRegister HereWednesday, June 251:00 - 2:30 PMLearn about the History and Preservation of Freedmen's TownTween, Teens, AdultsRegister Here RELATED EVENTS AROUND HOUSTONDATETIMEEVENTLOCATIONAGES Tuesday, May 2011:00 AM - 12:00 PMTasting the Archive: Exploring of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and/or Pacific Islander FoodOnlineAdultsRegister HereWednesday, May 212:00 - 3:30 PMSaving Immigrant Voices (Freeing DETAINED Tour)Houston History Research CenterAdultsRegister HereWednesday, May 216:00 - 7:00 PMExperience the Flavors of India with Chef Anita JaisinghaniLooscan Neighborhood LibraryAdultsRegister HereWednesday, June 42:00 - 3:00 PMMalia's Hula HutCentral LibraryKids, TweensRegister HereThursday, June 53:00 - 4:00 PMMalia's Hula HutWalker Neighborhood LibraryKids, TweensRegister HereThursday, June 54:00 - 5:00 PMHenna Workshop with Henna Love HoustonAlief-David M. Henington Regional LibraryTweens, TeensRegister HereSaturday, June 711:00 AM - 3:00 PMGenealogy Book SaleFamily History Research CenterAdults, SeniorsRegister HereSaturday, June 1410:00 - 11:30 AMOrientation to the Family History Research Center at the Clayton LibraryFamily History Research CenterAdults, SeniorsRegister HereSaturday, June 1412:00 - 2:00 PMAl Otro Lado | The Other Side Exhibit Opening ReceptionJulia Ideson BuildingTeens, Adults, SeniorsRegister HereTuesday, June 243:00 - 4:00 PMHenna Workshop with Henna Love HoustonCollier Regional LibraryTweens, TeensRegister Here Start Your Journey to U.S. Citizenship Today!Boost Your English Skills - Join Our Weekly Language Classes!Practice English and Connect with New Friends at Living English Lessons!Bring Your Family to Storytime! A Fun Literacy Experience in English and Spanish CHECK OUT OUR CATALOG Picture Books and Kids FictionThey Call Me Güero: A Border Kid's Poems by David BowlesDo I Belong Here? | ¿Es este mi lugar? by René Colato LaínezWhat Is a Refugee? by Elise GravelInside Out & Back Again by Thanhha LaiDreamers by Yuyi MoralesWe Are a Garden: A Story of How Diversity Took Root in America by Lisa Westberg PetersA Different Pond by Bao PhiSomewhere for Little Bear by Britta TeckentrupHow I Became a Ghost: A Choctaw Trails of Tears Story by Tim Tingle Kids Non-Fiction and BiographiesThe Distance Between Us by Reyna GrandeOut of Hiding: A Holocaust Survivor's Journey to America by Ruth GruenerUprooted: The Japanese American Experience During World War II by Albert MarrinIn the Spirit of a Dream: Thirteen Stories of American Immigrants of Color by Aida SalazarDear America: The Story of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas Teen Fiction and Graphic NovelsCome On In: 15 Stories About Immigration and Finding Home by Adi AlsaidThrough Fences by Frederick Luis AldamaBrighter than the Sun by Daniel AlemanManuelito: A Graphic Novel by Elisa AmadoLove in English by Maria E. AndreuDon't Ask Me Where I'm From by Jennifer De LeonSomeday We Will Fly by Rachel DeWoskinThe Freezies by Farrukh DhondyLobizona by Romina GarberRefugee by Alan GratzButterfly Yellow by Thanhha LaiWhen the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha LambSanctuary by Paola MendozaBridge Across the Sky by Freeman NgNever Look Back by Lilliam RiveraWe Are Not from Here | No somos de aquí by Jenny Torres SanchezThe Grief Keeper by Alexandra VillasanteGame Seven by Paul Volponi Teen Non-Fiction and BiographiesThe Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees by Don BrownA Hope More Powerful than the Sea: One Teen Refugee's incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival by Melissa FlemingFarewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese American Experience During and After the World War II Internment by Jeanne Wakatsuki HoustonCall Me American: The Extraordinary True Story of a Young Somali Immigrant by Abdi Nor IftinWe Are Here to Stay: Voices of Undocumented Young Adults by Susan KuklinNext Round: A Young Athlete's Journey to Gold by John SprayThey Called Us Enemy by George TakeiThe Other Side: Stories of Central American Teen Refugees Who Dream of Crossing the Border by Juan Pablo Villalobos Adult Fiction and Graphic NovelsAmericanah by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieThe Wind Knows My Name by Isabel AllendeCarnegie's Maid by Marie BenedictWe Need New Names by NoViolet BulawayoWhere We Come From by Oscar CásaresMake Your Home Among Strangers by Jennine Capó CrucetDominicana by Angie CruzWhat Strange Paradise by Omar El AkkadA Replacement Life by Boris FishmanColeman Hill: A Biomythography by Kim Coleman FooteGun Island by Amitav GhoshThe Leavers by Lisa KoLost Children Archive by Valeria LuiselliHotline by Dimitri NasrallahThe Refugees by Viet Thanh NguyenLaGuardia: A Very Modern Story of Immigration by Nnedi OkoraforThere is a Rio Grande in Heaven by Ruben ReyesSweetness in the Skin by Ishi RobinsonLucky Boy by Shanthi SekaranMy Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim StatovciThe Refugee Ocean by Pauls ToutonghiThe Next Ship Home by Heather WebbSnow Hunters by Paul Yoon Adult Non-Fiction and BiographiesThe Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives edited by Viet Thanh NguyenThe Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi BuiOut of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants by George W. BushDeported Americans: Life After Deportation to Mexico by Beth C. CaldwellThe Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco CantúThe Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo VillavicencioA Good Provider is One Who Leaves: One Family and Migration in the 21st Century by Jason DeParleA Hope More Powerful than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival by Melissa FlemingKid Quixotes: A Group of Students, Their Teacher, and the One-Room School Where Everything is Possible by Stephen HaffA Beginner's Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious by Ru'ya HakkakiyanChildren of the Land by Marcelo Hernandez CastilloPatriot Number One: American Dreams in Chinatown by Lauren HilgersMy Boy Will Die of Sorrow: A Memoir of Immigration from the Front Lines by Efrén C. OlivaresThe Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move by Sonia ShahFamily Papers: A Sephardic Journey Through the Twentieth Century by Sarah Abrevaya SteinDear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio VargasThe Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson Library of ThingsCatanTicket to RideTicket to Ride: AsiaTicket to Ride: First JourneyTonie Box: World Stories, Set 1Tonie Box, World Stories, Set 2 World on the Move: 250,000 Years of Human Migration was developed by the American Anthropological Association, together with the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and Smithsonian Exhibits. It is administered by the American Library Association's Public Programs Office. View the exhibition and learn more at https://understandingmigration.org/. ...

BLACK STEREO by Tierney Malone

Image courtesy Tierney Malone May 10 - September 27, 2025The African American History Research Center at the Gregory Campus | Gallery Black music is the soundtrack to the struggle for self-determination and liberation of Black people in the New World. It is the musical history of our evolution in this country. Black music has been key to shaping American culture. Africans stolen from their homeland were forced to give up their languages, rituals, names, and the drum. Yet, they retained the essence of these things and created spirituals, gospel, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and hip hop - musical forms whose powerful influence is undeniable on the cultural fabric of this county and beyond. Black music is a connection to our past and a source of inspiration, a space-creating force that encourages and seeds dreams for the future.In 1968, when singer Archie Bell said, “Hi, everybody. I'm Archie Bell of the Drells of Houston, Texas” on the hit record Tighten Up, he helped put Houston's music scene on the world map. The music for this song was created and performed by the TSU Toronadoes, a group formed by students from Texas Southern University in the heart of Third Ward, aka “The Tre.”In the exhibition Black Stereo, I am telling the stories and connection that African American artists and institutions of Greater Houston have with the city and the country. The works presented take the forms of concert posters, showbills, and album covers, infographics meant to highlight, educate, and entertain like music. The message is in the music. - Tierney Malone About Tierney MaloneMalone is a visual artist and modern-day storyteller who blends African American history and pop culture to create mixed media works that challenge contemporary culture and politics. He is the host of “Houston Jazz Spotlight,” a weekly program on Radio KPFT. JOIN US Opening Reception for BLACK STEREO with Tierney Malone | May 10, 2:00 - 4:00 PM Events for EveryoneDATETIMEEVENTLOCATION Monday, June 92:00 - 3:00 PMMusical Performance by Sax MinistryFreed-Montrose Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereMonday, June 1612:00 - 1:00 PMMusical Performance by Sax MinistryMcCrane-Kashmere Gardens Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereSaturday, June 2111:00 AM - 9:00 PMMake Music Day FestivalCentral LibraryRegister HereWednesday, July 161:00 - 2:00 PMMusical Performance by Sax MinistryMancuso Neighborhood LibraryRegister Here Events for KidsDATETIMEEVENTLOCATION Tuesday, June 310:30 - 11:30 AMInstrument Explorers with Tom's Fun BandVinson Neighborhood LibraryRegister HereSaturday, June 2111:45 - 12:15 PMMusical StorytimeCentral LibraryRegister HereTuesday, July 153:00 - 4:00 PMInstrument Explorers with Tom's Fun BandScenic Woods Regional LibraryRegister HereTuesday, July 222:00 - 3:00 PMMusic and Movement with AndyRooStanaker Neighborhood LibraryRegister Here EXPLORE SPECIAL COLLECTIONS Black Music in Houston Collection (MSS 0159)The Black Music in Houston Collection contains newspaper articles, programs, correspondence, and photographs of African American musicians and musical activity in Houston during the 1980s. Between WWI and WWII, Houston became a regional center of jazz music, a style popularized during the 19th century. Houston experienced a flourishing music scene from the 1960s to the 1980s with a variety of prevalent genres including blues, jazz, and rhythm and blues. Blues music was popularized in Houston during the 1940s with Gold Star Studios, more recently known as Sugar Hill Studios, who produced several prominent musicians including Lighting in Hopkins and Bobby Blue Band.Texas Jazz Archive (RG E 0071)In 1986, Arnett Cobb and his daughter Lizette Cobb created the Jazz Heritage Society of Texas as a non-profit education, literary, and cultural arts organization. Arnett Cobb expressed an interest in creating a jazz archive. In 1987, the Jazz Heritage Society of Texas partnered with the Houston Metropolitan Research Center (now Houston History Research Center) to document the under-represented jazz scene of Texas by establishing the Texas Jazz Archive. The strong points of this collection are the oral history interviews and the number of photographs chronicling these musicians' professional careers.Jazz Education Inc. (RG 0041)The Jazz Education Inc. Collection contains records related to the operations of Jazz Education Inc. between 1990-2022. Jazz Education Inc. was established in 1970 by Bubbha Thomas, to provide training and educational opportunities to children about the history and culture of jazz music, which were unavailable at both private and public institutions. The organization also sponsors four main programs: Music in the Schools (Jazz and Poetry Series), Summer Jazz Workshop, SJW Scholarship Jazz Brunch, and the Houston International Jazz Festival.Carlos Johnson Papers (MSS 0051)This collection contains the personal and professional records of Charles “Carlos” Johnson during his career as a percussionist. Charles Harold “Carlos” Johnson was born on August 31, 1945, to Ernestine and T.Z. Johnson in Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas. He attended Kashmere Junior and Senior High School and performed under Conrad Johnson. He attended Texas Southern University and performed with the TSU Jazz Ensemble. During his 35-year career as a percussionist, he adopted the stage name “Carlos” and in addition to jazz, he performed with classical, country, rock, and pop musicians. Johnson taught music, performed as a solo artist through Congos By Carlos, and was part of music groups such as D.R.U.M. (Divine Rhythm United Motion). CHECK OUT THE CATALOG Kid/JuvenileAdoff, Arnold, Roots and Blues: A CelebrationDell, Pamela, The Blues: Birth of an American SoundEarl, C. F., Hip-Hop: A Short HistoryKoopmans, Andy, The History of the BluesLoney, Andrea J., The Double Bass BluesMour, Stanley I., Innovators of American JazzMyers, Walter Dean, JazzWheeler, Lisa, Jazz BabyWilliams, Jarrett, Hip-Hop: The Beat of AmericaWinter, Jonah, How Jelly Roll Morton Invented Jazz AdultBradley, Andy, House of Hits: The Story of Houston's Gold Star/SugarHill Recording StudiosCorcoran, Michael, Ghost Notes: Pioneering Spirits of Texas MusicCorcoran, Michael Joseph, All Over the Map: True Heroes of Texas MusicFaniel, Maco L., Hip-Hop in Houston: The Origin & the LegacySteptoe, Tyina L., Houston Bound: Culture and Color in a Jim Crow CityWalker, Lance Scott, Houston Rap Tapes: An Oral History of Bayou City Hip-HopWood, Charles Roger, Down in Houston: Bayou City Blues WatchWhen Houston Had the BluesBeyonce ListenRhino Hi-Five: Archie Bell & The DrellsArnett CobbThelonius Monk: The London Collection Vol. 1The Dixie HummingbirdsThe Crusaders Library of ThingsPortable record player This exhibition is generously supported by Houston Public Library, Houston Public Library Foundation, and the City of Houston....

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...

The Writers: Portraits by Laura Wilson

Haruki Murakami and Paul Theroux Book Signing | Zadie Smith | Margaret Atwood Library | All images © Laura Wilson February 14 - June 14, 2025The Julia Ideson Building | Exhibit Hall Renowned photographer Laura Wilson offers us intimate glimpses into the everyday lives of more than 30 influential and internationally acclaimed writers. This exhibition features of a selection of portraits from her book, The Writers: Portraits (Yale University Press, 2022), which was inspired by the popular photo essays published in Life magazine in the mid-20th century. After viewing this collection of portraits and candid photographs, borrow and enjoy the works of these best-selling writers from Houston Public LIbrary's collection.Laura Wilson's photographs have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and London's Sunday Times Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, among others. She has published seven books of photographs and text including Avedon at Work (2003), Grit and Glory (2003), That Day: Pictures in the American West (2015), and From Rodin to Plensa (2018). JOIN USOpening Reception with Laura Wilson | Thursday, February 13, 2025, 5:00 - 7:00 PM RELATED MEDIA CHECK OUT OUR CATALOG Books by Laura WilsonAvedon at Work: In the American WestHutterites of MontanaThat Day: Pictures in the American WestWatt Matthews of Lambshead Writers Featured in this ExhibitionMargaret AtwoodRussell BanksJohn BanvilleBrit BennettA. S. ByattPeter CareyMichael ChabonTa-Nehisi CoatesJ. M. CoetzeeRachel CuskEdwidge DanticatLouise ErdrichRichard FordCarlos FuentesGabriel García MárquezSeamus HeaneyCormac McCarthyDavid McCulloughIan McEwanThomas McGuaneLarry McMurtryHaruki MurakamiTim O'BrienMichael OndaatjeAnnie ProulxMarjane SartrapiSam ShepardZadie SmithTom StoppardPaul TherouxColm TóibínTobias Wolff This exhibition is generously supported by Houston Public Library, Houston Public Library Foundation, and the City of Houston. Special thanks to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin....