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M useum Must-See: Any art viewer visiting The Menil Collection's r e t r o s p e c t i v e " J o e Overstreet: Taking Flight" could be forgiven for mistaking Overstreet's tautly stretched, buoyantly colored canvases — which resemble sails more than traditional paintings — as works by a contemporary talent. But that's not the case: These works were made 50 years ago, during an age of activism and the Black Power movement. The de Menils, always attuned to their time and pressing political issues, were early patrons of Overstreet (1933-2019). The collecting couple/museum founders commissioned this minimalist master in the early 1970s for a work exhibited at Rice University Institute for the Arts followed by two additional acquisitions. Overstreet was also the only artist to receive a solo show at the DeLUXE Theater, a 1972 exhibition that followed the original 1971 "The De Luxe Show," now considered to be the first racially integrated exhibit in America. Besides the artist's sculptural paintings, investigate his heroic canvases from the 1990s, recently reclaimed from storage. These soaring lyrical abstractions were painted after a transformative visit to Senegal and the House of Slaves memorial on Gorée Island (through July 13). The Collective Rising: One of the most optimistic stories we're tracking is Community Artists Collective's new home in the Ion District. Co-founder Michelle Barnes (2024 Art League Houston Patron of the Year) gave us a tour, along with colleagues assistant director April M. Frazier and exhibition coordinator Tamirah Collins. This trio, joined by entrepreneurship and outreach coordinator Merian Sherrod, uphold the banner of the Third Ward/Midtown nonprofit established in 1987 by Barnes and TSU's Dr. Sarah Trotty as a place to exhibit Black artists. To date, The Collective has showcased works by Texas greats including Rome Prize Fellows Bert Long Jr. and Michael Ray Charles, Whitney Biennial alum Annette Lawrence, and Texas Artist of the Year Jesse Lott, as well as Houston pillars David McGee, Tierney Malone, R o b e r t H o d g e , and Roux ladies Delita Martin, Rabéa Ballin, Ann Johnson, a n d L o v i e Olivia. The expansive new 2,600-square- f o o t s p a c e f e a t u r e s g a l l e r i e s f o r C A C 's s i x t o e i g h t a n n u a l exhibitions, but also the unexpected — an analog darkroom named in honor of c e l e b r a t e d H o u s t o n lens woman to the Black community, Louise O. Martin. (Frazier is archiving Martin's photographic prints, slides, negatives, and ephemera from her more than half-century business, aided by a grant from NYC-based Leonian Foundation; a 2026 retrospective at The Collective is planned.) Also forging a date with the past: The Collective's library, an object-filled repository of Houston art history (I was able to locate a rare copy of Joe Overstreet's 1972 DeLUXE Show catalog that assisted with this column). Finally, exit through the gift shop, aka Ashé Market, where talents such as sculptor Kimberly Lakes, a Jesse Lott protégé, and brilliant printmaker Delita Martin are represented. Opening next: "Out of the Blue: Joseph Dixon and Janice M. Warren," aligned with Autism Awareness Month and each artist's experience raising children on the spectrum (April 5 – May 24; 4111 Fannin, thecollective.org). Catherine D. Anspon Art Notes April M. Frazier, Michelle Barnes, Tamirah Collins, Merian Sherrod at Community Artists Collective APRIL M. FRAZIER UNTITLED AND GREAT MOTHER OF ALL, © ESTATE OF JOE OVERSTREET/ARS, COURTESY ERIC FIRESTONE GALLERY, NYC; MR. AND MRS. PERCY, COLLECTION MFA, BOSTON; PHOTO SARAH HOBSON Installation view, Joe Overstreet's Untitled, 1971, Mr. and Mrs. Percy, 1970, and Great Mother of All, 1970, at The Menil Collection Expect exceptional. KATHERINE WARREN, J.D. BROKER ASSOCIATE Circle of Excellence, Hall of Fame 832.725.4340 ELIZABETH GREGORY CHIPMAN, J.D. REALTOR ASSOCIATE Circle of Excellence 713.265.7455 22