It takes more than good intentions and a fresh coat of paint to rebuild a community. Rick Lowe and the other founders of the Project Row Houses learned this as they began turning abandoned shotgun shacks into artist spaces. The film Third Ward TX documents the organizationยs triumphs and struggles, and touches on the history of Third Ward, which went from being a mecca of African-American culture in the ย30s and ย40s to just another run down inner-city neighborhood.
PRH began as an effort to inject the rich art and music and sense of community back into the Third Ward, but the founders soon realized the residents had ideas of their own. PRH co-founder Jesse Lott recalls that during the first days of construction, lifelong resident Earnestine Courtney told him, ยIf you want to do something for real ย
youยll clean up this place and get these junkies out of here.ย Since it opened in 1993, PRH has taken on programs not just for artists, but for youth, young mothers and musicians. See how they got their houses in a row at todayยs 6 p.m. screening, followed by a talk with filmmakers Nancy Bless and Noland Walker. 2521 Holman. For information, call 713-526-7662 or visit www.projectrowhouses.org. Free.
Thu., Feb. 28, 6 p.m., 2008
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 5, 2008.