A Gallery in the Heart of Houston’s History
One of Houston’s most distinctive exhibition spaces, the Cloister Gallery brings regional art into the everyday life of the city. Admission is always free, and all are welcome.
About The Cloister Gallery
From the Latin claustrum, an enclosure, a cloister is a covered walkway designed for movement, reflection, and conversation. More than a destination, it is a place where people encounter beauty along the way.
Located in Christ Church Cathedral, Houston’s first church (est. 1839), the Cloister Gallery occupies one of the city’s most historic spaces. Each week, worshippers, downtown professionals, Treebeards guests, and visitors from nearby courthouses and offices discover contemporary art in an unexpected setting.
Program
Exhibitions are selected and installed by the gallery’s curators and include painting, photography, sculpture, fiber, collage, ceramics, and mixed media. The gallery is also a longtime participating venue in the FotoFest Biennial and regularly partners with Women in the Visual and Literary Arts.
Visitor Information
Hours
Monday–Friday | 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Sunday mornings before and after services
Closed federal holidays and during Cathedral events in Reynolds Hall.
Location
Treebeards in the Cloister
Christ Church Cathedral
1117 Texas Avenue
Since 1978, Treebeards has welcomed downtown Houston to lunch in this historic space, making the gallery part of the daily rhythm of the city.
Parking
Street parking nearby. Paid Cathedral garage parking is available weekdays and validated during artist receptions.
Access
Reynolds Hall is accessible from the Texas Avenue or San Jacinto entrances. For assistance, call 713-222-2593.
Gallery History
For nearly two centuries, Christ Church Cathedral has welcomed generations of Houstonians through its doors. Founded in 1839 as Houston’s first church, the Cathedral has long been a gathering place for civic life, serving a city that has grown around it while remaining rooted in the heart of downtown.
Since the mid-1980s, the Cloister Gallery has extended that legacy by showcasing the work of exceptional artists from Houston and across the region. Thoughtfully curated exhibitions invite visitors to experience painting, photography, fiber, sculpture, collage, and mixed media within one of the city’s most historic spaces.
Today, thousands of people pass through the Cathedral campus each week—for worship, concerts, meetings, lunch at Treebeards, and business in the surrounding legal and corporate district. The result is a gallery unlike any other in Houston: one where contemporary art is encountered naturally amid the life of the city, in a place that has welcomed Houston for nearly 200 years.
About the Showcase
Parallel play is the term for two people absorbed in separate activities side by side. The Harts are married and work from the same house on the same bayou, drawing for years on a shared set of subjects: water, light, the landscape at their door. The results diverge.
Ellen’s paintings slow the world down. “My work investigates the present moment in nature and in life,” she writes. “The aim is to slow time… Nothing in the process is swift.” Jack works the opposite edge. “A picture stops time for that split second,” he says, which permits a second look — “not only at what I thought I saw but also at what I didn’t see.”
Two bodies of work occupy the same room without converging. That is the exhibition’s argument and its title.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Reception dates are announced as each exhibition opens.
September 1 – October 13, 2026
October 13 – November 17, 2026
November 17 – December 29, 2026
December 29, 2026 – February 9, 2027
February 9 – March 16, 2027
March 16, 2027 –
Additional Information
Purchasing Artwork
Most artwork is available for purchase through the Cathedral Bookstore or directly from the artist.
Bookstore Hours
Monday–Friday | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Sunday | 8:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Summer: Bookstore Open Sunday Hours only
For Artists
The Cloister Gallery is a curated exhibition program and does not accept open submissions.
The curators continually seek exceptional artists from across the Houston region.
Exhibitions typically run six weeks and feature approximately thirty works, depending on scale.
Contact The Cloister Gallery
You can get in touch by calling 713-222-2593.