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Events on Friday, November 4, 2022

Friday, November 4, 2022

Friday, November 4

Verónica Gaona, para aquellos que no regresan en vida, siempre está la muerte (homenaje a David Gomez) / For those who do not return in life, there is always death (homage to David Gomez), F150 truck burnout performance, 2021. Photo: Junior Fernandez
1:00 PM
Gallery

A TWO-PERSON EXHIBITION FEATURING THE WORK OF JENELLE ESPARZA AND VERONICA GAONA

Sites of Memory is an exhibition featuring newly commissioned and recent works by San Antonio-based artist Jenelle Esparza and Houston-based artist Verónica Gaona, who come together to explore the impermanent nature of land and its residual energy through the use of objects, land-based materials, and living and historical research. This exhibition builds on conversations between Esparza and Gaona as they work to further explore the impacts of migration, familial legacy, transnationality, migratory labor, and ideas related to rest.

Sites of Memory explores the relationship between the body, history, and land. It is the next iteration of Overlapping Territories , an ongoing project about interconnected relationships to land, curated by Ashley DeHoyos, who is working with artists to identify and trace a network of knowledge and experiences through public conversations, art, and interviews with other curators, cultural producers, and scholars from across the Southwest United States.Read more

Friday, November 4 at 7:00 PM

7:00 PM
Matchbox 1

“ Friday I’m In Love is a love letter to Numbers Nightclub. I want this film to be an anthem for those of us who have felt rejected; those misfits, queers and weirdos who craved a world of belonging where one could be whatever the hell they wanted to be and not be bothered, ridiculed, or hated for it. ”
Marcus Pontello, Director

In 1978 during Houston’s gay rights movement, Numbers Nightclub opened as a gay disco in the heart of Montrose - an LGBTQ enclave located in central Houston. Numbers progressed into the ‘80s as an alternative music venue, becoming a home of acceptance and showcasing legendary performers such as Grace Jones, The Cure, Ministry, Björk, Nine Inch Nails, and drag star Divine.

Filmmaker Marcus Pontello navigates the history of Numbers as a narrator, paying primary tribute to its former owners and best friends, Bruce Godwin, a flamboyant DJ extraordinaire and Robert Burtenshaw, an introverted British video artist. Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Bruce and Robot exposed Houston to cutting edge music and fought to create a gathering spot of inclusivity in a historically conservative city. Current owner Rudi Bunch, a staff member of the club since 1982, with longtime Numbers DJ, Wes Wallace, have maintained the vision set forth by Bruce and Robot and are also prominent voices in Friday I’m in Love .

A supporting cast of staff, patrons, and bands such as Erasure and Ministry deliver heartwarming and personal stories that show the evolution of the venue, while also exposing some of the difficulties Numbers and Montrose have endured over the years. LGBT police violence, the AIDS epidemic, legal issues with City Hall, and the unprecedented rise of hate crimes in Houston during the ‘90s are among the topics explored. Now in its 43rd year of operation as one of the longest running alternative nightclubs in the United States, Numbers continues to attract large and eclectic crowds who come to dance to the nostalgic music the club has become known for.Read more

Friday, November 4 at 8:00 PM

8:00 PM
Matchbox 3

Written by Bruce Graham, Directed by Malinda L. Beckham

Illiterate yet affable, Bobby Reyburn loves to do impressions and watch soap operas. He’s also a member of the Aryan nation sitting on death row, convicted of an unimaginable hate crime. John Brennan is an articulate, well-educated convict and editor of the prison newspaper, The Death Row Advocate. Following executions, John publishes obituaries that tell the stories of the executed but never mentions the crimes committed. John's writing draws national attention and the interest of a journalist who wants to do a story about him. As each awaits his final fate under the watchful eye of their female guard, they confront, comfort, and change each other. Inspired by the story of a real-life Texas death row inmate, Coyote on a Fence explores the questions: Can one be redeemed in the final hours of life? Is everyone redeemable even if they aren’t seeking redemption?Read more

Friday, November 4 at 9:00 PM

9:00 PM
Matchbox 1

The Fairytale Project is a historically inspired tale of a young African American family re-connecting with their East Texas roots. With peculiar encounters with the past- the family cherishes the things that matter the most- family, faith, love and legacy.

The Fairytale Project is inspired by the historical accounts of Jim and Winnie Shankle. Jim, Winnie, and their children were separated when Winnie's master sold her and their children to a slaveholder in Deep East Texas. Unwilling to live without his family, Jim Shankle tested his faith by escaping slavery and making the journey to East Texas through dense forests and the Mississippi River. Reuniting under a Sycamore tree, the reunited couple along with other community members founded Shankleville, which is one of Texas' many Freedom Colonies. Their descendants honor and commemorate their resilience, bravery, and love.

Pneuma is a new dance work by local dance artist Kristina Prats that explores our innate connection to nature, and the idea that from ashes we rise, and to ashes we will return. Pneuma is a representation of the spirit and soul that grounds and connects us to nature and all that it gifts to us.Read more