Snatch a last look or a first glimpse at museum exhibitions that are opening and closing throughout Greater Houston in December 2021.
Things are a little quieter as we move into the holiday season, ahead of a busy January that’s shaping up for museums around Houston.
Still, there are 10 exhibitions to keep your eye on this month, as they wrap up their runs or premiere at institutions around town.
Of course, you can always check out our guide to ongoing installations and exhibitions in Greater Houston.
First Look: 5 Opening Exhibitions in Houston This Month
- April Frazier: Frame of Reference at Houston Museum of African American Culture | Friday, December 3 to Saturday, March 5, 2022 | FREE – The Houston-based photographer is featured in this exhibition of research and documentation of her ancestral roots in Texas that culminates in a chronology of photographs that reach as far back as 1890 to present day, recognizing “sacrifice and overarching love shown over time that is at the foundation of black families’ accomplishments and survival.”
- Amalgamation: New Works by Veronica Dyer and Jim Adams at Archway Gallery | Saturday, December 4 to Thursday, January 6, 2022 | FREE – The works of two artists are juxtaposed against one another, highlighting the positive energy found in Veronica Dyer’s paintings and sculptures created during lockdown, and the darker aspects of human experience in sculptor Jim Adams’ recent body of work, “Personal Demons.”
- Speaking Up! Confronting Hate Speech at Holocaust Museum Houston | Friday, December 10 to Sunday, May 1, 2022 – This exhibition looks at the ways that words can lead to genocide, war crimes and other crimes against humanity through historical and current examples. Visitors will also explore how different strategies can be deployed to counter what we call “hate speech.” Included with general admission; $19, $15 for ages 65 and up and active duty military, free for ages 18 and under.
- Collection Close-Up: Bruce Davidson’s Photographs at Menil Collection | Friday, December 10 to Sunday, May 29, 2022 | FREE – Culling from hundreds of photos in the Menil Collection, this exhibition examines the work of the acclaimed photographer who documented life in diverse places and communities caught in the snares of historical transitions, such as the rigid class structures of postwar Britain and the early ’60s era of the American civil rights movement.
- Body Worlds & The Cycle of Life at Houston Museum of Natural Science | Re-opens Friday, December 17 – HMNS re-opens the popular traveling exhibit featuring real human bodies preserved through the process of plastination. It previously closed in September 2021 but is now returning again. Designed by Body Worlds’ creative and conceptual designer, Dr. Angelina Whalley, it demonstrates the human body through the span of time and shows visitors the latest findings in anatomy, longevity, and health. $30; $21 for ages 3 to 11.
Check out more ongoing installations and exhibitions in museums around Greater Houston.
Save on 1-Day & Multi-Day Museum Passes Around Houston
Last Chance: 5 Closing Exhibitions in Houston This Month
- Abstract Explosion: The Art of Danny Simmons and TAFA at Houston Museum of African American Culture | Ends Friday, December 17 | FREE – The Brooklyn-native artist and poet dove into his studio practice during the 2020 pandemic, producing a slew of self-described “neo-African abstract expressionist” artworks that resonate with joyful movement and energy, many of which are on display at HMAAC through the middle of the month.
- Kapwani Kiwanga: The Sand Recalls the Moon Shadow at Moody Center for the Arts | Ends Sunday, December 19 | FREE – The Paris-based artist transforms parts of the Moody Center with her site-specific works that utilize natural materials to address linkages between trade and labor, as well as society and the environment, on multiple scales.
- Tiffany Heng-Hui Lee: Embracing the Earth at Jung Center | Ends Friday, December 23 | FREE – The Jung Center hosts the work of Tiffany Heng-Hui Lee, who creates abstract mixed media collages and sculptures of the natural landscape and environment through her exploration of line, shape, color and texture.
- Hope Is Action! Contemporary Letterpress Print Exchange at the Printing Museum | Ends New Year’s Eve, Friday, December 31 | Virtual Option – Featuring works from the Ladies of Letterpress 2020 conference, this exhibition brims with messages that inspire action, new ways of thinking, and new ways of being. This exhibition can also be explored virtually on the Printing Museum website.
- The Lost Bird Project at the Bryan Museum | Ends December 2021 | FREE – On the grounds of the museum, these large bronze sculptures of the Passenger Pigeon, Heath Hen, Carolina Parakeet, Great Auk, Labrador Duck and, most recently, the Eskimo Curlew chronicle these North American birds that have been driven to extinction in modern times. Free to explore outside the museum.
Check out more ongoing installation and exhibitions in museums around Greater Houston.
Save on Multi-Day Museum Passes Around Houston
Find More Things to Do in Houston All Year Long
You can find more fun in our interactive event calendar and 365 Weekend Guides.
Be sure to subscribe to our free Weekend Guide email to receive a round-up of great things to do this weekend in Houston in your inbox every Thursday.
If you don’t want to miss a thing, you can also opt in to our Daily Update emails (emailed 5 days a week).
