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H U N T E R S C R E E K | $ 2 , 9 9 5 , 0 0 0 OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. 20 ART NOTES L atin Art Rising: N o t s i n c e t h e expansive Hispanic art exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in 1987, has our town showcased contemporary Latino talents in-depth. All that is changing this month, thanks to a biennial scholarly conference coming to the University of Houston. Co-organized by the art-world think tank Inter- University Program for Latino Research and the Smithsonian Latino Center, the three-day event (April 4 through 6) spins off corresponding exhibitions under the moniker Latino Art Now! From Lawndale Art Center and Nancy Littlejohn Fine Art — where Cruz Ortiz is in the limelight, with an atelier set up in the gallery where he accepts commissions; April 6 – May 4 — to Art League Houston and The Union, there are serious topics to consider, including LGBTQ artists in the culture (iuplr.org/ lan-houston). The most intimate experience happens at Jonathan Hopson, which pairs an installation artist with a realist painter in its handsome Montrose bungalow: Debra Barrera curates "Nuestro Hogar," featuring promising Texas artists Francis Almendárez of Houston (recently awarded an Artadia) and CAMH- exhibited Ana Fernandez o f S a n A n t o n i o (through April 28). Abstract Nation: Three gallerists address abstraction in ways imaginative and wide-ranging. At Laura Rathe Fine Art, outer space is inspiration in the hallucinogenic canvases of Meredith Pardue in "Cosmicopia (April 6 – May 11) … Foto Relevance mounts the light-form prints of Deborah Bay, which are as optically charged as a Vasarely (through May 10) ... At Foltz Fine Art, investigate Houston ab-ex masters spanning a trio of generations — Ibsen Espada, Richard Stout, and Jonathan Paul Jackson — in an exhibition that reveals the depth of the painting talent here (through April 27). Get Your CounterCurrent On: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts' immersive festival encompasses a feast of visual art, music, theater, and dance, all very avant-garde and completely free (April 9 – 14; countercurrentfestival. org). Recommended: Tuesday, April 9, at Rich's featuring Ten Tiny Dances' Nightlife, paired with a DJ set by Wild Moccasins. Catherine D. Anspon D y n a m i c d u o Justin Yu of Oxheart and cocktail king Bobby Heugel (Anvil Bar & Refuge, Tongue Cut Sparrow, and The Pastry War) are plotting a new eatery in the old Southern Goods space at 624 West 19th Street in The Heights. The curiously named Squable is expected to open this spring, with fare such as fresh pasta, smoked grouper, and pork schnitzel. With the success of their Better Luck Tomorrow, you know you can trust these two … Plant powerhouse Verdine will bring 100 percent vegan eats to the Heights Waterworks at 449 East 19th Street this spring. Owner Stephanie Hoban is turning her roving, rave- worthy Ripe Cuisine food truck into this brick-and-mortar, with her popular pulled-jackfruit carnitas that do more than mimic meat, beet falafel, and dark chocolate avocado tarts … Nigerian dishes are spicing up The Galleria area with the debut of Taste of Nigeria. Owners Ayo and Tiffaney Odewale offer up West African cuisine, from pepper soups with oxtail and spices to omoebe soup with bitter leaf, pumpkin leaf, and fried rice with halal goat and plantain; at 5959 Richmond … Corky's Ribs & BBQ of Memphis has opened in Katy to share its Tennessee greats alongside the Texas Trinity of brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. Tucked in at 20455 Katy Freeway, Corky's offers pulled-pork barbecue nachos and sweet-tea fried- chicken sandwiches … Decatur Bar & Pop-Up Factory has opened at 2310 Decatur in the old Beaver's space. The incubator for fledgling restaurants features a creative lineup of rotating chefs in residence … Hill Country legend Truth BBQ has opened in the Heights. The carnivore's paradise at 110 South Heights Boulevard is owned by Houston pitmaster Leonard Botello IV. Rabid barbecue fans are delighting in 18-hour smoked brisket, spare ribs, house-made sausage, and pulled-to-order Duroc pork … Also new to the Heights is Mexico City-style taqueria La Vibra Tacos. Dozens of tantalizing tacos dominate the menu at 506 Yale, from rib-eye beef to chicken and pork pastor. But the costras might be the late-night highlight: crispy cheese tortillas wrapped round meat. Annie Gallay Restaurant BUZZ COURTESY THE ARTIST AND JONATHAN HOPSON GALLERY Ana Fernandez's Mom & Daughters, 2019, at Jonathan Hopson Gallery