Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash
Come write with us in some of Houston's most inspiring venues.
In 2021 while we were with Writespace Jamie Portwood pitched an idea to me for a Saturday morning write in that used unique artistic spaces around Houston to inspire writers, or fill their creative well, as she put it (which I loved). Writers give so much of themselves to their work. They pour and pour and eventually find themselves creatively empty (sometimes physically and emotionally empty as well). The Writespace whole artist series was born from that idea. I whole heartedly believe in her vision for the Art in AM sessions and, because Writespace has closed with an uncertain future, I will continue to host Art in the A.M. sessions on the third Saturday mornings.
The Whole Artist Series events are designed around the intention of filling one's creative well. Each event will be held at a unique Houston location, chosen for its artistic or natural beauty, where attendees will spend an hour filling up the well and writing followed by a time of sharing, either sharing the writing generated during the experience itself or just sharing in a cup of coffee and the community energy. I am also adding Creative sessions that merge writing with visual art and give artists time to explore and create.
ART IN THE A.M.
Rose window at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris France by Leslie Archibald
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Join us for a morning of exploring some of Houston's unique spaces where we will search for inspiration through art and nature, try to get words on the page, and share our words and experience with each other.
LOCATION: Glenwood Cemetery 2525 Washington St Houston, TX 77007 PRICE: Free DATE: January 17, 2026 TIME: 9:30 - 11:30 am I wanted my first Art in the AM to be somewhere familiar but different. I have been to Glenwood three times and I don't think I have seen it all yet. I have never been in the winter when the leaves have fallen and it is colder (hopefully - this is Houston). Accessibility: Parking is road side there may be steps up to the actual monuments but the roadways are wheelchair accessible. |
WRITE AROUND TOWN WRITE INS
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Join us at some of Houston's most interesting places to write, including coffee shops, parks, restaurants, and other unique locations.
LOCATION: BHBG COFFEE 3903 Washington Ave, Houston, TX 77007 PRICE: Free DATE: January 17, 2026 TIME: noon - 2 pm Inside Bayou Heights Bier Garten, BHBG Coffee offers coffee, tea , food items including delicious bakery goods to snack on while we write. Accessibility: wheelchair-accessible entrance, restroom, and seating. Parking lot (likely street or nearby), |
CREATIVE SESSIONS
Cover photo: Space by Leslie Archibald as published in Synkroniciti Magazine.
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Exploring Multi Media Collaborations in Literature with Leslie Archibald
DATE: Saturday, January 17. 2026 (Third Saturday) TIME: 3 - 5 PM PRICE: $36.64 (includes Eventbrite fee) LOCATION: Merge Art Studio 2000 Nance, B-126, Houston Texas 77020 CAP: 10 Join Leslie in exploring how other mediums add dimension to your literary works and how words can add meaning to visual art. Whether it's audible, visual, or performing, your words will become something new and amazing. In this workshop we will look at some ways adding other mediums to your project can push it to another level. We will discuss your current projects and brainstorm ideas for collaborating with other mediums. Then, we will use the studio resources to create something visual and/or a plan of action to bring a second medium to your writing project. About your host: Leslie Archibald writes poetry, flash fiction, and nonfiction in a tiny home office in Houston, Texas. When she is not writing, you may find her roaming the city photographing Houston’s unique character, dabbling in watercolors, and exploring genre bending and multimedia literature. Leslie began to pursue her interest in visual art in late 2023 and has been studying paint techniques and history to grow her portfolio. In addition to her award-winning flash piece “Sherry Baby” included in the special section of Companion of the Ash released in December 2018, her work may be found in Tales of Texas Vol 2, Synkroniciti Magazine Vol 5 No.4 and Vol 6 No.4, The Best of Interstellar Flight Magazine: Years 2, 3, 4 and 6, and online at Interstellar Flight magazine. Her poem She Dances in Indigo was chosen for Colorstory2023. Her chapbook Poems for a Broken 𝙼̶𝚊̶𝚛̶𝚛̶𝚒̶𝚊̶𝚐̶𝚎̶ Man is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press. Her visual work has been shown at Sabine Street Studios and Hardy and Nance Studios in Houston. Follow her on Instagram and threads at @Leslie.Archibald, Facebook and Bluesky at Leslie McCoy Archibald. About Merge Art Studio: Merge is the thought-child of artists Holly Lyn Walrath and Leslie Archibald. It's a space to explore the merging of minds and the merging of arts of all kinds. Merge hosts monthly workshops and creative experiences out of 2000 Nance Street, Studio B-126. Accessibility: 2000 Nance is wheelchair accessible. Special accommodations may be made as requested. |
Cover photo: Word Choice by Leslie Archibald
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Choosing the Right Word (Visualizing Words That Resonate) with Leslie Archibald
DATE: Saturday, February 21. 2026 (Third Saturday) TIME: 3 pm - 5 pm PRICE: $36.64 (includes Eventbrite fees) LOCATION: Merge Art Studio 2000 Nance, #126, Houston Texas 77020 CAP: 10 Join me to discuss the importance of word choice and context in your work and to visualize words by creating a visual interpretation of their meaning. In this workshop we will discuss words and how word choice can affect emotional responses to your work. We will create a word bank and think how specific words make us feel. Then, we will use the studio resources to create a visual representation of those words and feelings. About your host: Leslie Archibald writes poetry, flash fiction, and nonfiction in a tiny home office in Houston, Texas. When she is not writing, you may find her roaming the city photographing Houston’s unique character, dabbling in watercolors, and exploring genre bending and multimedia literature. Leslie began to pursue her interest in visual art in late 2023 and has been studying paint techniques and history to grow her portfolio. In addition to her award-winning flash piece “Sherry Baby” included in the special section of Companion of the Ash released in December 2018, her work may be found in Tales of Texas Vol 2, Synkroniciti Magazine Vol 5 No.4 and Vol 6 No.4, The Best of Interstellar Flight Magazine: Years 2, 3, 4 and 6, and online at Interstellar Flight magazine. Her poem She Dances in Indigo was chosen for Colorstory2023. Her chapbook Poems for a Broken 𝙼̶𝚊̶𝚛̶𝚛̶𝚒̶𝚊̶𝚐̶𝚎̶ Man is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press. Her visual work has been shown at Sabine Street Studios and Hardy and Nance Studios in Houston. Follow her on Instagram and threads at @Leslie.Archibald, Facebook and Bluesky at Leslie McCoy Archibald. About Merge Art Studio: Merge is the thought-child of artists Holly Lyn Walrath and Leslie Archibald. It's a space to explore the merging of minds and the merging of arts of all kinds. Merge hosts monthly workshops and creative experiences out of 2000 Nance Street, Studio B-126. Accessibility: 2000 Nance is wheelchair accessible. Special accommodations may be made as requested. |
Cover photo: Collage by Leslie Archibald
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Finding Stories Through Collage with Leslie Archibald
DATE: Saturday, March 21. 2026 (Third Saturday) TIME: 3 pm - 5pm PRICE: $36.64 (includes Eventbrite fees) LOCATION: Merge Art Studio 2000 Nance, #126, Houston Texas 77020 CAP: 10 What Stories do our Collages tell? Take a deep dive into collage as a story and how we tell a specific story through art. In this workshop we will discuss the art of collage, we will use the studio resources to create our own collage, and follow up with a writing session to put into words (flash story, poems, memoir) what we see in the work. About your host: Leslie Archibald writes poetry, flash fiction, and nonfiction in a tiny home office in Houston, Texas. When she is not writing, you may find her roaming the city photographing Houston’s unique character, dabbling in watercolors, and exploring genre bending and multimedia literature. Leslie began to pursue her interest in visual art in late 2023 and has been studying paint techniques and history to grow her portfolio. In addition to her award-winning flash piece “Sherry Baby” included in the special section of Companion of the Ash released in December 2018, her work may be found in Tales of Texas Vol 2, Synkroniciti Magazine Vol 5 No.4 and Vol 6 No.4, The Best of Interstellar Flight Magazine: Years 2, 3, 4 and 6, and online at Interstellar Flight magazine. Her poem She Dances in Indigo was chosen for Colorstory2023. Her chapbook Poems for a Broken 𝙼̶𝚊̶𝚛̶𝚛̶𝚒̶𝚊̶𝚐̶𝚎̶ Man is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press. Her visual work has been shown at Sabine Street Studios and Hardy and Nance Studios in Houston. Follow her on Instagram and threads at @Leslie.Archibald, Facebook and Bluesky at Leslie McCoy Archibald. About Merge Art Studio: Merge is the thought-child of artists Holly Lyn Walrath and Leslie Archibald. It's a space to explore the merging of minds and the merging of arts of all kinds. Merge hosts monthly workshops and creative experiences out of 2000 Nance Street, Studio B-126. Accessibility: 2000 Nance is wheelchair accessible. Special accommodations may be made as requested. |