Community Development
Our Community Development Program increases the accessibility of the arts in generally underserved communities while increasing the interest in and awareness of cultural programs in the greater Houston area.
Community events and festivals features and promotes local talent through our collaborations and cooperative ventures with other community organizations. We are associated with the annual Kwanzaa celebrations, Redefinition presentations, African American history observances, The Witness Series, PanAfrikan Cultural Festival (PACFest), Sankofa Emancipation Project, and Juneteenth and participate with others to promote and preserve evidence of our cultural traditions and values.
The Witness Series
The Witness Series is Artist Led, Nature Centered and Community Driven. It is led by Kristi Rangel, Houston-based multi-disciplinary artist and education advocate. As a part of her 2025 Buffalo Bayou Partnership Artist in Residency, the 2025 Witness Series will be expanded from a 4-part to an 8-part series. This year’s Witness Series will explore the many profound experiences that Communities of Color have in the Land of Southeast Texas and along Houston’s Buffalo Bayou. The Witness Series is co-curated in partnership with artists from the Native American, African American, Latinx, Pacific Islander and Asian communities. Every Witness experience is designed to bring communities together through the power of nature and provide historically under-served communities with greater access to nature-based opportunities. Attendees become co-authors, editors and observers as they take part in these participatory public art experiences centered around green spaces and environmental equity.
Sankofa, a principle derived from the Akan people of Ghana, teaches that one should remember the past to make positive progress in the future. It challenges us to consider our identity, culture, and personhood as we look back and forward.
