Houston’s cultural landscape is shifting, and at its center is RUBY Projects, founded by curator, strategist, and connector Megan Olivia Ebel. Through experimental exhibitions, residencies, and cross-disciplinary collaborations, RUBY Projects—alongside its residency arm La Ruche HTX—has become a vital force shaping how art circulates locally and globally. From intimate salons to international partnerships, Ebel builds bridges between artists, collectors, institutions, and communities, always with accessibility and sustainability at the core. Her vision extends beyond the white cube, reaching into food, nightlife, and everyday spaces. Whitewall spoke to Ebel about reimagining Houston’s art ecosystem and its global future.
Megan Olivia Ebel at Sawyer Yards, Courtesy of RUBY Projects.
WHITEWALL: You’ve worn many hats as a curator, strategist, and founder of RUBY Projects and La Ruche HTX. How do these different roles inform one another in your day-to-day practice?
MEGAN OLIVIA EBEL: I don’t really split myself into curator, strategist, or founder—it’s all part of the same practice. I live art. Everything I do is RUBY.
Curating is where I ask the real questions—why this work, why now, and how does it sit in conversation with both history and the world we’re living in? Strategy is how I make space for those ideas to last: through funding models, partnerships, infrastructure. And being a founder means I’m the one responsible for making sure it actually happens.
That’s why I started RUBY Projects and La Ruche HTX—to give experimental ideas a place to live, not just get theorized. Most days, I’m jumping between studio visits, sketching out show concepts, organizing install logistics, and writing contracts. It’s a full circle, and it all feeds back into itself.
RUBY has evolved into more than just shows. We’ve done a pop-up with New York and Dallas-based IDKIDC in Houston that felt like a love letter to art, culture, and fashion. I’m working on collaborations with Michelin-level chefs to pair art and dining in new ways. And I host DJ nights under our residency branch RUBY Sun Sets that stretch the curatorial lens into nightlife and music. It’s all one ecosystem. I don’t separate it.
And personally, I’m also chairing the Orange Show’s 44th fundraising gala this November, which feels like another facet of the same work—building support structures for artists and institutions that champion outsider, experimental, and visionary practices. I’m always thinking about how we sustain what’s weird and urgent and beautiful.
“I’m always thinking about how we sustain what’s weird and urgent and beautiful,”
Megan Olivia Ebel
WW: With over 50 exhibitions curated, what through line or philosophy connects your projects—and how do you see that evolving?
MOE: If I look back, the through line is really about connection. I’m always trying to create bridges: between experimental practices and patrons, between artists and new publics, between Houston and Mexico City, between the intimacy of a residency and the visibility of a fair or institutional show. I’ve never been interested in making something opaque just to prove it’s rigorous. I want conceptual and experimental work to feel legible without losing its depth, so that audiences can step into it with curiosity rather than intimidation.
What’s changing now is scale and pacing. In the early years, I was focused on proving that you could frame experimental work in accessible ways—through dinners, salons, pop ups, more unconventional formats. Now I’m thinking in arcs that last years: a residency leading into an exhibition, into a commission, into an acquisition, and on an increasingly international platform. That creates more room for the work to deepen, for patrons to come on board, and for the artist to build stability rather than bouncing from one-off to one-off.
Residencies like La Ruche HTX also allow me to partner directly with galleries in pushing their artists’ careers forward. By giving artists space, resources, and context before they enter the market, I can help create a stronger trajectory for the work—and for the gallery, that means their artists arrive with momentum, critical framing, and collector relationships already in place. It’s a win-win that builds stability on both sides.
“By giving artists space, resources, and context before they enter the market, I can help create a stronger trajectory for the work—and for the gallery,”
Megan Olivia Ebel
That philosophy is why RUBY has branched into unconventional formats: pop-ups, gallery takeovers, experimental dinner parties, live in residency, and DJ residencies. Each of these expands how art can circulate and builds connective tissue between artists, collectors, and new audiences.
The Momentum of Houston’s Art Scene
Courtesy of RUBY Projects.
WW: Houston’s art scene has been gaining momentum. How would you describe its evolution in recent years, and what do you think sets it apart from other U.S. art hubs?
MOE: Houston has always had world-class institutions and collectors, but in the last decade the ecosystem around them has gained momentum. You’re seeing more artist-run spaces, more mid-scale galleries and projects, more cross-disciplinary initiatives that give the city a real density. What sets Houston apart is that it’s patron-driven and pluralist. There isn’t one “right” way to be an artist here. You can build from the museum system, you can run a project space out of a garage (there was even a gallery that was in a car wash for a while), you can experiment with hybrid models—and the city has the space and the appetite for all of it.
The other piece is that Houston rewards initiative over pedigree. People are less concerned with where you studied or who represents you and more interested in what you’re actually doing. We’re not as connected to the other big art cities, and while that has been challenging in the past, I think a lot of creatives have taken advantage of that lately because, even historically, Houston has always been a city that has extreme or “outsider” taste and style. That creates a porousness in the scene: you’ll see the same people at a CAMH (Contemporary Art Museum Houston) opening, a backyard performance, the MFAH gala, and a collector’s dinner. There’s not the same gatekeeping you feel on the coasts—Houston art people dont necessarily look like “art people” as the concept of something being “niche” has largely gone away with the boom of social media—but particularly seeing Untitled light a bit of a fire for Houston art communities, we do protect our own and love keeping Houston unique.
My own background reflects that. I work with Texas institutions like FotoFest, Glasstire, and the Orange Show, and many others before founding RUBY. La Ruche HTX—my former home turned residency—continues the Museum District’s legacy of artist houses. And through RUBY, I’ve been expanding the ecosystem: staging pop-ups, throwing DJ nights, and now planning restaurant collaborations that tie Houston’s world-class food culture into the art conversation.
“You can experiment with hybrid models—and the city has the space and the appetite for all of it,”
Megan Olivia Ebel
WW: What are some of the biggest challenges or gaps that still exist for Houston’s contemporary art ecosystem, and how can they be addressed?
MOE: We’ve made strides, but there are two clear gaps. The first is mid-career infrastructure. Houston is great at launching artists and at celebrating them once they’re established, but the middle years—when someone is no longer emerging but not yet institutionally anointed—are fragile. That’s where we lose talent to other cities.
The second is the connective tissue between experimentation and markets. We need better pathways for experimental artists to connect with collectors, and for collectors to feel confident engaging at earlier stages. Our younger patrons just aren’t as engaged. That’s about education, but also about designing structures: pooled fabrication budgets, shared production tools, acquisition commitments. If we can build consortium models—where institutions, collectors, and artists share resources—the whole ecosystem becomes more resilient.
That’s also why RUBY stretches beyond galleries: the IDK IDC pop-up, DJ events, and future dining collaborations are all ways to bring new publics into contemporary art. These hybrid activations are on-ramps for younger patrons who want experiences over items and audiences who might not otherwise walk into a white-walled gallery.
Cultural Collaboration in Houston
Courtesy of RUBY Projects.
WW: Untitled Art is launching in Houston this year. What kind of impact do you see the fair having locally, both for artists and institutions?
MOE: The arrival of Untitled Art is a turning point because it concentrates attention. Suddenly, collectors, press, institutions, and artists are all aligned on one week of the calendar. In a city as vast as Houston, that is so rare but it creates opportunities for visibility, for acquisitions, and for long-term partnerships, not just with non-Houstonians but amongst our own. I think there are lots of creatives here who try to pull everything—openings, talks, projects etc—into continuity but it takes hours to even drive across Houston it’s so big, so having a central event, like an art fair, that everyone wants to be involved in will hopefully reset our city and push for more collaboration and support city wide instead of neighborhood wide.
The impact of course will depend on how well the fair integrates with Houston rather than just parachuting in. We have some incredible people and programs in this city that Untitled did not include, because you genuinely have to be a Houstonian to find that type of “gem.” My hope is that for the next 3 years of their contract here, Untitled collaborates with local fabricators, partners with venues across the city, and creates routes that bring visitors into Houston’s neighborhoods and cultural infrastructure—not just the aisles of the fair. Done right, it could amplify local galleries and artists while situating Houston firmly on the international circuit, and benefit the fair immensely too. By choosing Houston, you choose something so drastically different than the Untitled South Beach tent and the demographic of people coming to the fair. Houston’s best expect you to go to them. It’s Texas: we’re our own animal here, and we’re proud of it.
The way RUBY has operated—through residencies, IDK IDC’s Houston pop-up, DJ nights, and new hospitality collaborations—is a microcosm of that. To really understand Houston, you have to go to the neighborhoods, the homes, the local businesses. That’s where the city’s cultural engine is.
“The arrival of Untitled Art is a turning point because it concentrates attention,”
Megan Olivia Ebel
WW: You’ve successfully raised significant funds for Houston’s institutions and programs. What strategies or principles guide you when building partnerships and support?
MOE: I’ve raised money for non-profits institutions, residencies, and projects, and the constant for me is alignment. You have to be crystal clear about the cultural outcome you’re working toward and then identify partners who actually win by being part of it—not just optically, but substantively. Maybe their brand learns something, maybe their audience expands, maybe they get access to talent pipelines.
From there, it’s about designing measurable touchpoints. I want every partnership to yield real outcomes: convenings, public programs, content, career development, and hopefully acquisitions come from those too. I push for multi-year commitments rather than one-offs, because otherwise you’re just patching holes. Above all, I prioritize that resources flow toward artist fees and production in everything. If the work and experience isn’t excellent, the partnership doesn’t matter.
My background in development and strategy has shaped this philosophy. With RUBY, I’ve expanded it: not just raising for exhibitions and residencies, but also building collaborations with Michelin-level restaurants, hospitality partners, and lifestyle platforms. These aren’t gimmicks—they’re sustainable models for directing new revenue into artist production.
I also see fundraising as a way to strengthen gallery partnerships. By underwriting residencies or production periods, I can help ensure that when a gallery presents an artist, they’re stepping into the market with momentum, new work developed in depth, and collector relationships already forming. It creates value not just for the artist, but for the gallery representing them.
The Vibrant Ethos of RUBY Projects Houston
Courtesy of RUBY Projects.
Courtesy of RUBY Projects.
WW: Community seems central to your work. How do you integrate a sense of connection and accessibility into exhibitions or projects?
MOE: Community isn’t an afterthought—it’s baked into how I design projects. Accessibility starts with language: wall texts, press releases, and invitations that feel open and clear, but also laid back and friendly. LaRucheHTX, the residency location, is ultimately a home I used to live in. Its housed creatives in the museum district since the 1920’s so I aim to keep that spirit alive; you’re welcome to my home, make yourself comfortable, and let’s look at some art. That’s also encompassing my goal to design multiple points of entry into the projects I produce. Some people come for the collector walkthroughs, others for late-night performances, some for lunch break on a Tuesday, others want workshops and opportunities to learn. I want all those doors to be open.
I also love formats that collapse distance: artist dinners, in-progress critiques, studio visits that are open to the public. And I try to partner with neighborhood businesses—bars, restaurants, shops—so that the art shows up where people already are. That creates a sense of permeability: the art world and the everyday world aren’t separate spheres.
That’s why RUBY has moved fluidly between concepts. Each is another “door” into art. By placing culture in homes, kitchens, nightlife, and neighborhoods, I’m trying to show that contemporary art doesn’t belong behind a velvet rope—it belongs in the same spaces where people gather every day.
“I’m trying to show that contemporary art doesn’t belong behind a velvet rope—it belongs in the same spaces where people gather every day,”
Megan Olivia Ebel
WW: Looking ahead, if you had to imagine Houston’s art scene in 2035, what would you hope it looks like?
MOE: I imagine Houston in 2035 as a braided ecosystem. Artists should be able to live off their practice here without leaving. Galleries should have international circulation. Institutions should be commissioning ambitious new work at scale. Collectors should be acquiring not just blue-chip names but also emerging voices, but not just by building collections but by funding initiatives that not just produce work but tell the story of this place.
I’d also love to see more cross-border exchange with Mexico, because Houston and Mexico City together can be an incredibly powerful axis. And I want to see visible pipelines for young artists—high schools, universities, residencies—so the next generation feels they have a future here. If we build that, Houston becomes the place where new cultural models are tested and exported. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just show that the wheel is bigger and it looks like Houston, one of the most diverse cities in North America, home to incredible concentrations of museums, murals, artist studios. We are quietly relevant right now, I can only imagine what 10 years will do for the city.
No Mames CDMX, which I co-founded, is already building this Houston–Mexico City axis. By 2035, I want to see it fully realized: collectors, artists, and institutions moving seamlessly across the two cities. In Houston, RUBY’s hybrid approach—residency, gallery, lifestyle activations—is laying groundwork for that model now.
Championing the Texas Art Ecosystem
Courtesy of RUBY Projects.
WW: With Glasstire launching the Texas Art Writing Prize alongside the arrival of Untitled Art Houston, how do you see initiatives like this shaping critical discourse and strengthening the cultural ecosystem in Texas?
MOE: A vibrant art scene needs rigorous language. Without strong criticism, artists lose context, institutions lose accountability, and collectors lose confidence. Glasstire’s Texas Art Writing Prize is important because it builds the bench of writers who can meet the work where it is—historically, materially, politically—while also communicating to broader audiences.
I see it creating mentorship loops between editors and emerging voices, and documenting the era in a way that outlasts the moment. In the long run, it strengthens the cultural ecosystem by making sure the ideas we’re generating in Texas don’t just circulate visually, but intellectually.
This resonates deeply with my own curatorial approach at RUBY: I’ve always aimed to make work rigorous but legible, grounded in critical discourse but open to new publics. Having writers who can articulate that balance is just as important as having curators or patrons—it’s what sustains an ecosystem.
“A vibrant art scene needs rigorous language,”
Megan Olivia Ebel
WW: You often speak about aligning art with mission-driven brands and cultural platforms. How do you envision the future of these collaborations, and what opportunities do you see for Houston to become a hub for such partnerships?
MOE: I’ve always been interested in collaborations that are more than sponsorships. The future is co-creation: brands and artists working together to produce cultural products, residencies, commissions, and research. Done right, these projects solve for both artistic ambition and public relevance.
Houston is particularly well-positioned for this. We’re a global business city with deep philanthropy and a strong fabrication culture. We also sit at the intersection of industries that are in flux—energy, climate, aerospace, health, food. These are fields where artists can bring sensibilities that translate complex change to the public. If Houston becomes the prototyping ground for these collaborations, we can position ourselves as a hub for mission-aligned cultural R&D. My goal is to position Houston as a place where collaborations are tested first, then exported globally. For galleries and institutions, this matters too: when their artists participate in RUBY’s residencies or brand collaborations, the work is not only contextualized critically, it’s activated in new cultural arenas. That builds visibility, attracts new collectors, and gives galleries additional leverage to support their artists in the market.
