Bayou City musicians weathered Covid-19 any way they could.
By
Chris Gray
5/11/2021 at 6:00am
Published in the Spring 2021 issue of
Houstonia
Cover photo:Â Music promoter and musician Allen Hill, who lives across the street from the Continental Club, practices guitar in his neighbor s yard. Photo by Thomas Shea.
Houstonâs musicians are resilient. They have to be. Theyâll play for tips, at weddings, on the sidewalkâwherever thereâs a gig. When the coronavirus pandemic began, thatâs also what made them uniquely vulnerable.
Many ply their trade in dark, poorly ventilated bars and nightclubs, or else in social settings where conditions are ripe to create so-called superspreader events. But many of those places have now been closed for going on a year. Worse, medical experts have singled out singing as a perniciously efficient way of transmitting Covid-19. And forget about any kind of social safety net once these people do get sick.
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A new public art installation in greater Northside Houston is aimed at raising awareness of and providing resources to victims and witnesses of human trafficking.
Part of UP Art Studio s Mini Murals program, with funding through the city of Houston, the murals highly colorful and visible from the street are painted on traffic control cabinets by local artists. They include the phone number for the National Human Trafficking Hotline, alongside uplifting images of birds, flowers and butterflies.
“Art can improve awareness, inspire change and encourage healing,” read a statement from Debbie McNulty, director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “Through the artwork of Houston-area artists, we aim to provide a resource for individuals most vulnerable to human trafficking within a community very much impacted by this tragic issue.”