Chris Becker

There is a quote, attributed to Vincent Van Gogh: “I dream of painting, and then I paint my dream.” But what does it take to paint one’s dreams, and in such a way that the viewer will comprehend the artist’s depth of feeling? Some answers may be found in Vincent Van Gogh: His Life in Art, an exclusive exhibit of more than 50 paintings and drawings by the Dutch master on view March 10-June 27 at MFAH — easily the most Van Goghs you’ll see in one place outside of Amsterdam.

A brief history of Magnificat Houses, Inc., a faith-based nonprofit that serves the needs of Houston's homeless community. My story begins with a look inside Magnificat's soup kitchen Loaves and Fishes.

Throughout the decades, renovations to Houston’s Lancaster Hotel, still standing in its original 1926 location at 701 Texas, arguably made little or no effort to connect back to its historical origins. . . . But in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which completely flooded the Lancaster’s basement, and filled the first floor with two feet of water, the slate was wiped clean, and Dallas-based interior designer David Cadwallader and Lancaster principal partner Jay Shinn, also of Dallas, recognized the opportunity to try something new.

Prolific Houston artist Robert Hodge returns, with a new body of work exploring the spectrum and subtext of the color black.

For a few seconds, there is only the sound of a falling rain, and a chord played on classical guitar. Then suddenly, a crash of thunder, and the mood is set for “Monandengue,” the first track on singer Vivalda Dula’s ambitious new album Dula, which drops Friday. The song describes the plight of children subjected to human trafficking and forced labor, and Dula’s voice is filled with strength and defiance, qualities she no doubt inherited from her mother, Marcelina, who passed away in May 2017...

It’s a sticky September afternoon, and inside Salento Bistro in Rice Village, patrons are enjoying the cafe’s air-conditioned ambience, many conversing in both Spanish and English. Seated on a vintage couch, ignoring her espresso and croissant, singer-saxophonist Evelyn Rubio leans forward, describing the first time she heard Aretha Franklin.

My profile of 2018 Texas Artist of the Year Francesca Fuchs.

Cover story for the February issue of Acoustic Guitar. My profile of guitarist Eric Johnson.

A behind-the-scenes look at Meta-Four, Houston's premier poetry slam competition team.

I recorded, edited, mixed, scored and co-scripted this podcast, a profile of the late composer Julius Eastman. The host is Houston artist David McGee.

When Nakita Campbell arrived for Houston Roller Derby’s Beginners Boot Camp two and a half years ago, she was completely new to the sport. “I had never worn roller skates in my life,” says Campbell. “I fell every two feet!” She was surprised when the more experienced skaters told her without a trace of irony: “You’re really good at falling!”

The new Glassell School of Art is set to open May 2018. This is a brief history of the school and a profile of its director, sculptor Joseph Havel.

Methodist Hospital. Houston, Texas. 1963. 23-year-old heart surgeon-in-training O.H. “Bud” Frazier, a former football star from small town Stephenville, is attempting to save the life of a teenage boy whose heart, despite what appeared to be a successful operation to replace a damaged aortic valve, has stopped beating. Frazier reaches into the chest cavity, wraps his hands around the young patient’s heart and begins squeezing steadily . . .

My profile of Oceans of Slumber lead singer Cammie Gilbert.

In its FotoFest nod and a concurrent artifacts exhibition, the MFAH highlights the quirkiness of mid-century India, and the unique majesty of its distant past. By Chris Becker