Houston – Local artists are coming together for a powerful new show that celebrates women and creativity in Houston. The exhibition, called The Feminine Universe, highlights nontraditional art forms while shining a light on women artists who are often underrepresented in the art world.
Artists Nicole Durham, La’Toya Smith, and Brittany Ellis recently stopped by Houston Life to share a preview of the show and explain why the collaboration is so meaningful.
Smith, who owns Blue Prolific Studios in Houston, says opportunities like this are important because women, especially women of color, are still underrepresented in the art community.
“For the reason you just said, I am one of only two Black women gallery owners in Houston,” Smith said. “As women, we’re already underrepresented, and it seems like that glass ceiling exists in the arts as well. We want to bring more empowerment, collaboration and community to women artists.”
Ellis says awareness is another big piece of the puzzle. Growing up in a low-income area, she said art was not always something that felt accessible.
“I was fortunate to have a mother who was an educator and introduced me to art,” Ellis said. “Not everyone has that experience, so part of the mission is helping people see that art is for everyone.”
One way the artists are doing that is by making the exhibition free for the community to attend. They hope the immersive experience will inspire visitors, especially young women who may not always see themselves represented in creative spaces.
Smith also hopes the gallery helps bring attention to artists in areas of Houston that are often overlooked.
“People say all the time when they find us, ‘I didn’t even know this was here,’” Smith said. “That lets me know how important it is to keep creating spaces like this.”
The show features artwork from several women artists and was curated by Durham as a collaborative effort to help more artists gain visibility.
All artists featured in The Feminine Universive art exhibition at Blue Prolific Studios. (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)
The Feminine Universe opens March 13 and runs through May 1 at Blue Prolific Studios.
Details for The Feminine Universe (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.