City as Canvas
Art as Archive

City Public Art and History in Conversation

Join Public Art UHS for panel discussions that bring together notable artists, historians, and cultural leaders to explore how Houston’s stories are preserved and expressed through its visual and historical landscapes. Come be part of a meaningful dialogue that will inspire new ways to see and shape the future of our city.

panel discussion | friday, October 24, 2025 | 11 AM – 2 pm

  • 11 am – 12 PM | First panel
  • 12 PM – 1 PM | Lunch
  • 1 PM – 2 pm | Second Panel

Houston Room – Student center south

Free lunch Provided!

Register Here

Panel 1:

  • Debbie Harwell, Ph.D, Editor of editor of the Center for Public History’s Houston History Magazine, University of Houston 
  • Holli Clements, Vice President of Engagement, Memorial Park Conservancy 
  • Jesse Esparza, Ph.D., Interim Chair, Department of History, Geography & General Studies, Associate Professor of History, Texas Southern University 
  • Paul Kittelson, MFA, Sculptor

 

PANEL 2

  • Theresa Escobedo, Manager of Academic Partnerships and Public Engagement, Public Art of the University of Houston System 
  • Karen Farber, Vice President of External Affairs, Buffalo Bayou Partnership 
  • Mikaela Selley, Archivist & Program Manager, Recovery Program, Arte Público Press
  • Anthony Suber, Sculptor, Prof. of Painting at the University of Houston, Co-Founder of The Black Man Project 

LOCATION

Student Center South, Houston Room

4455 University Dr, Houston, TX 77204 

PARKING 
Paid parking for visitors to campus is available at Welcome Center, located at 4434 University Drive. The Garage is located a 5-10 minute walk from the panel location location at the Student Center South.

Pay-by-text visitor parking is available across campus. Payment can be made via credit card and cash. Current visitor parking rates are available on the UH Visitor Parking Rates page

Related Artworks

Folly

Working on small and monumental scales, Jorge Pardo’s artworks explore the intersection of contemporary painting, design, sculpture, and architecture. Folly is one of Pardo’s most ambitious architectural installations to date, commissioned for the UH Central campus by Public Art UHS. It is a site-specific response to one of the last original wooded areas remaining at UH.