Details
Item details
Date
Saturday, April 24, 2027 7:30PM
Description
Series Sponsor
Gene and Debbie Straka
About the Show
Presented by the Hobby Center, Houston Is Inspired is a series of original performances by Houston artists, each offering a fresh perspective on the city and a deeper connection to its creative community.
Gentrified: Where have all the porches gone? is a multidisciplinary performance that centers the porch as a vital gathering place in Black communities, where neighbors connected, stories were shared, and everyday life unfolded in full view. Through dance, spoken word, and storytelling, the work brings forward voices from seven historic Black Houston neighborhoods: Fourth Ward, Fifth Ward, Third Ward, Independence Heights, Sunnyside, Acres Homes, and South Park.
As porches disappear and communities face change, Gentrified: Where have all the porches gone? reflects on what those spaces made possible—connection, visibility, and care—while asking what it means to carry that spirit forward today.
About the Artist
Harrison Guy is a Houston-based choreographer, educator, and cultural leader whose work centers on Black history, identity, and community. He is the founder and artistic director of Urban Souls Dance Company, where he has spent more than two decades creating movement-driven work that reflects memory, spirit, and lived experience. A graduate of Prairie View A&M University, his choreography has been presented on national stages, including Carnegie Hall, and in collaboration with institutions like Houston Ballet Academy.
Beyond performance, Guy leads cultural initiatives across Houston as Director of Arts and Culture for the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, where he advances the city’s African American Heritage District and stewards the historic DeLUXE Theater. He is the founder of Black Arts Movement Houston and the African American Dance Festival, and serves on the faculty at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. A Dance/USA Fellow and NAACP Image Award–nominated producer, Guy continues to create work that connects art, community, and place.
About the Mural
The Houston Is Inspired series logo and mural, on display in Zilkha Hall, were created by artist GONZO247 for the Hobby Center, reflecting Houston culture and drawing from a visual theme in his mural at Market Square Park.
Notes
Ticket holders will receive helpful arrival details and event-specific information via email before each performance.