Notes on Designing Project Row Houses

Introduction to Project Row Houses

Cultural centers are often built in downtown areas to stimulate the economy through the arts.
However, the urban underclass, who are most affected by diminishing city resources, are rarely considered in these developments.
Large-scale art initiatives rarely originate within underserved, underprivileged, minority communities.
Project Row Houses in Houston, Texas, is an exception.
It's an art and cultural community project in Houston’s Third Ward that includes public art, education, community service, neighborhood revitalization, and historic preservation.
It consists of twenty-two buildings purchased and renovated by artists, administrators, and community activists, led by Rick Lowe.
Rick Lowe's art prior to Project Row Houses focused on the image of the house, incorporating themes from African American experience.
He was inspired by John Biggers, who often used the image of the row house in depictions of African American life.
In 1992, Lowe envisioned a project within derelict row houses to revitalize a poor African American community.
Lowe's initial reaction was aesthetic, reminiscent of Biggers' work, but intertwined with social and political concerns.
Within a year, the houses were purchased and renovation began with volunteer effort and support from cultural institutions, individuals, and corporations.

Structure and Function of Project Row Houses

Project Row Houses encompasses two city blocks: one with fifteen houses, the other with seven.
In the first block, eight houses are used for artists' projects.
One house serves as an open house/office, and another as a business office.
Behind these are two neighborhood galleries, a facility for after-school programs, a storage facility, and a wood shop.
The second block has seven houses, six of which are rent-free housing for single mothers.
Row houses, also known as “shotgun” houses, are a vernacular American architectural form with possible origins in Africa.
They are modest in scale and associated with poor communities, but have positive associations in African American history due to the front porches serving as public sites for community interaction.
The art exhibitions in eight row houses are reminiscent of project rooms at contemporary art centers.
Artists are given free reign to create installations, generally focused on African American experience, and the audience is mixed.
The "House Challenge" involved cultural institutions from Houston adopting a house and taking responsibility for its restoration.
Institutions like the Contemporary Arts Museum, DiverseWorks Artspace, the Menil Collection, and the Museum of Fine Arts raised funds and mobilized volunteers for repairs.
This provided a unique opportunity for the people of the Third Ward and museum volunteers to work together.

Addressing Community Needs

Project Row Houses addresses the economic and cultural redevelopment needs of one of Houston’s poorest neighborhoods, the Third Ward.
The area faces issues such as poverty, deteriorating infrastructure, poor health, unemployment, and lack of economic opportunities.
The Third Ward's population is 90.8% African-American, with high rates of teenage pregnancies, children raised below the poverty level, and youth not in school.
Rick Lowe has initiated similar projects in Watts, Los Angeles, and Birmingham, Alabama, using art as a vehicle to enrich lives outside of power establishments.
A key element of Project Row Houses is the energy that comes from within the community.

Rick Lowe's Artistic Journey

Rick Lowe's initial training was in landscape painting at Columbus College in Georgia.
He shifted from painting landscapes to creating art relevant to his community, dealing with political and social issues.
Lowe sought contexts for showing his art that were accessible to his community, not limited to gallery spaces.
In 1983, he created a drive-through exhibit in Mississippi to engage a different audience.
After moving to Houston, he worked with political action groups like Amnesty International.
His pieces were often cutouts and paintings on plywood, addressing issues like domestic violence, police brutality, hunger, and poverty.
Around 1988, Lowe focused his efforts on the African American community to be more effective.
In 1986 and 1987, he began showing in alternative spaces in Houston while continuing to work with activist groups.
His first museum show was in 1988 at the Texas Triennial at the Contemporary Art Museum in Houston, where he did an installation about the lynching of a young black man.
The experience at the Contemporary Art Museum led him to change his focus to community-based work.
He felt disconnected from the predominantly white, middle-class audience and their lack of emotional connection to his work.
Lowe stopped making objects for almost two years and immersed himself in the African American community, reading about the civil rights movement, African American artists, and history.
He supported himself through building craftwork, carpentry, and painting.
Lowe volunteered at the S.H.A.P.E. Community Center and joined the Ida Delaney Justice Committee, becoming more involved in the Third Ward community.

Collaboration and Community Engagement

In 1990, Lowe proposed an installation addressing police brutality to the Ida Delaney Committee.
The installation was successful, with a press conference held within the piece, highlighting the injustices of police brutality.
Photographs from the event were featured in Houston's major newspapers, generating significant repercussions.
Lowe's efforts were supported by the art critic of the Houston Post but criticized by the Houston Chronicle's critic, who considered it propaganda.
About six months later, Lowe created an installation in front of the Convention Center, providing a platform for various community groups to speak from.
In 1991, Lowe founded the Union of Independent Artists to engage politically active artists in issues affecting the black community.

The Genesis of Project Row Houses

In late 1991, Lowe was invited to create an outdoor sculpture for Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island, where he built a small house as part of the installation.
He began considering the idea of creating houses for others to use in their own way.
Lowe discussed the idea of artists creating installations in houses with six African American artists.
He also curated an exhibit of emerging African American artists, one of whom wanted to build a house and work within it.
Inspired by John Biggers' work at Texas Southern University, Lowe saw how Biggers depicted African Americans with dignity and strength, especially in the context of shotgun houses.
Lowe decided to find an area of historical significance to the community and bring it to life, leading him to the site of Project Row Houses.
He found the houses aesthetically ideal, reminiscent of a John Biggers painting.
Initially, Lowe considered a one-shot guerilla art show in the abandoned houses.
However, his commitment to long-term community projects led him to research the properties, find the owner, and develop a sustainable mechanism for the project to grow.
He sought support from artists and arts organizations, including DiverseWorks Art Space, where he was on the board.
DiverseWorks allowed Lowe to apply to the NEA for a grant to start the project.
The NEA grant application did not mention the extensive renovations needed, but the NEA saw the vision and took a chance, with support from Burt Kubli.
Lowe began discussing saving the properties and contributing to neighborhood revitalization with city officials.
Michael Peranteau at DiverseWorks helped Lowe secure funding to dedicate more time to the project.
The Firestone Graham Foundation provided a $10,000 grant.

Securing the Properties and Initial Renovations

In December 1992, Lowe contacted the property owner in Taiwan, who was facing pressure from the city to tear the abandoned houses down.
Lowe negotiated a five-year lease agreement, but the owner backed out due to a lien on the properties.
The owner suggested Lowe seek community development funds to rehabilitate the houses.
The community development department showed initial interest but did not commit to providing funds.
In August 1993, Lowe secured a lease-purchase agreement with the owner with the help of a lawyer friend.
Lowe then organized the community, starting with the African American artists, to clean and clear the site.
Contractors initially advised against the project due to the extensive trouble involved, but Lowe and his team proceeded.
The first major effort was to renovate the houses for artists' projects. Lowe and Dean Ruck approached the houses as if working on a sculpture.
The initial cleaning and clearing took from September to January, with most volunteers being artists.
In March 1994, the first house was completed, and a reception was held for volunteers, generating hope and demonstrating the project's potential.
An open house was held for potential funders, leading to a $10,000 grant from the Brown Foundation.
The department of Community Development connected Project Row Houses with the Amoco Oil Corporation.
Deborah Grotfeldt began working with Project Row Houses full time.

Corporate and Community Partnerships

Amoco agreed to renovate the exterior of twelve houses through their "Corporate Olympics" summer program.
Despite the complexity and potential for failure, Amoco executives embraced the project and its impact.
Amoco formed smaller groups to prepare the foundations and build the porches, culminating in a large-scale volunteer effort.
In mid-1994, Paul Winkler, Director of the Menil Collection, proposed that the museum adopt a house and challenged other museums to do the same.
The Museum of Fine Arts, the Contemporary Art Museum, and DiverseWorks accepted the challenge.
Trinity United Methodist Church, The Links, the Coleman/Whitfield family, and Betty Pecore also adopted houses.
This mobilized a tremendous amount of volunteer effort from various groups.

Defining the Artistic Vision and Community Involvement

Lowe and his artist friends discussed how the houses could be used, deciding to let artists follow their creative impulses.
While art and aesthetics were important, Lowe also focused on how the project fit within the development of mainstream art, drawing inspiration from artists like Hans Haacke and Leon Golub.
The neighborhood people began to get involved after seeing Lowe's consistent presence.
State representative Garnet Coleman expressed concerns that the project might be a "wine and cheese place" for middle-class white people, highlighting the importance of community perception.
Church groups, including Trinity United Methodist Church, became actively involved, with volunteers like Karen Jennings pushing for greater participation.

Programs and Themes

The artists are asked to address issues of African American experience in their exhibitions and installations, though the interpretation is not always literal.
The site consists of two blocks, with fifteen houses on one block and seven on the other.
The first block includes eight houses for artist projects, an office, a lounge, a neighborhood gallery, a schoolhouse for after-school programs, a storage house, and a wood shop.
The second block has seven houses, which have been renovated into housing for single mothers through a partnership with US Homes Corporation and Masco Home Furnishings.
The houses were featured as model homes at the National Home Builders show at the Astrodome, with interior design by Woman's Day magazine.
The selected single mothers, ages eighteen to twenty-five, are working toward educational goals and live in the houses rent-free under a one-year renewable contract.
The program also provides