Third Ward Houston

The Third Ward Cultural Arts District, officially created by the Texas Commission on the Arts in September 2020, supports Third Ward residents by activating spaces of healing and creating a haven for the artists most in need of a place to feel safe to create and thrive. Just as important, the Cultural District creates opportunities for visitors from across town and across the globe to participate in this work and connect with the community.

In this moment, the power of art and culture to heal communities and give a voice to the silenced is of the highest importance. Project Row Houses is glad to serve as the management entity for the Cultural District.

Third Ward District

The Third Ward Cultural Arts District exists to preserve, protect, inspire, and share the artistic and cultural legacy of the Historic Third Ward with current and future generations of artists and creatives through innovative arts and cultural engagement.

Awards

For community residents, cultural district designation is an opportunity to develop an environment that fosters creativity, protecting the community's history while securing its future. Despite challenges with rising housing costs, taxes and the like, Third Ward community surveys report that the majority of residents are intent on staying in the area. They cite;

Connections to the collective memory of Juneteenth celebrations in Emancipation Park,
Community bonds cultivated through generations of participation of historic local churches, and
An ingrained sense of identity stemming from the talented artists who have brought their art and awareness to the Third Ward such as John Biggers, Phylicia and Debbie Allen and both Solange and Beyonce Knowles.