Judge Marshall was appointed to serve as Director and Presiding Judge for the Municipal Courts Department on December 7, 2016, by Mayor Sylvester Turner. Prior to this appointment, Judge Marshall has served the City of Houston since 1987, first as a full-time Judge, then as the Administrative Judge, and next as the Associate Presiding Judge. One of the most rewarding experiences for Judge Marshall has been her revision of the Teen Court Program which when started had approximately 15 members, and has grown to over 90 participating students. Prior to joining the Municipal Courts Judicial Staff, Judge Marshall was an Assistant District Attorney for Harris County for 8 years and assisted in developing the office’s Child Abuse Section.
Judge Marshall was also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
She received her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas. She earned her Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in Psychology.
Charles Washington was born in the Carolinas and is a descendant of the Gullah people. He attended Delaware State College, where he studied Art Education and the fine arts. After a period of time living in New York pursuing his goal as a professional artist, he set his eyes on Houston, TX in the late 80s and has lived and worked here for over 30 years. He is a mixed-media visionary and environmental artist whose wide range of techniques and materials defy a single definition. He’s better known as a renaissance man than simply an artist. His body of work includes recycled, functional, and wearable art with 3D work including sculpture, doors, canvas, and one of a kind cards, featuring subjects such as African pastoral, American Jazz, and free-form design. Mr. Washington's work is thought provoking and speaks volumes on a variety of cultural, historical, and current subjects.
Mr. Washington has built his career curating several exhibitions, events, and meetings of the minds. He has fused art, music, fashion, and culture in a number of ways throughout his career including the GO GREEN Art Tour in 2009, his ENJOYMUSIC ENJOYLIFE exhibition benefiting Jazz Education Inc. in 2014, and the C-STEM Free Little Library Public Art Project in 2018. Recently, Mr. Washington has focused his work on his sculpture garden venue- the Pop Up Place, building virtual and social distance programming in the 3rd Ward community. He also is in the Spark Park circuit, and works with city leaders to create art and play spaces. He has been commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera, the Ensemble Theatre of Houston, and the Greater Shreveport Human Relations Commission and works as a creative mentor to youth and young adults that want to develop their art mediums. |
Tamirah Collins is a visual artist based in Houston, TX. She has recently obtained her B.F.A. in Photography at Sam Houston State University. Collins is devoted to blending her passions of art history and documentary photography by expressing her heritage. She offers a natural talent of a keen sense of creativity with the balance of leadership as an up and coming curator. Collins has been a pillar in the Third Ward community in Houston, having her work exhibited in the Museum of Fine Arts with the Eye on Houston (2015-2017) and the FotoFest Biennial 2020 Central Exhibition. The SHSU Art Department recently purchased her diptych piece for the permanent University Art Collection (2021).
In the months after college, Tamirah’s work was chosen to be presented at Black Art Weekend in Austin,TX and became one of the highest pieces of art sold. She began a mentorship program under Charles Washington at Harambee Art Gallery, appointed as his mentee and curatorial assistant. Since starting her position as the curatorial assistant, she has organized many private and public art events at their open space gallery. She has also curated and contributed as an artist for the exhibition ‘Konnect’, which was held at HTV City Hall from November 2021 until February 2022. |
Drew Evans
Director
Photographer
Cinematographer
GM Allreal Radio
GSU Alumni
Director
Photographer
Cinematographer
GM Allreal Radio
GSU Alumni
My gift as an artist is inspired by a lifetime of rich experiences with remarkable women. However, a period of unemployment is the event that propelled me into what I have found as the limitless possibilities of handmade paper. In the loneliness and quietness of this time, I was led by The Holy Spirit to experiment with paper as a medium to express my emotions. I used my hands to create artwork that brought peace to my mind and to my heart.
For almost twenty years, I have created, through my art, many women, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. Each new work is a different image with its own voice. I am in awe that personality can come from pieces of paper. My work has enabled me to connect with other women who have the passion to express themselves and share a piece of themselves with the world.
In 2012 I retired with 32 years of service to the Houston Independent School District. After retiring, I have been actively involved with a number of non-profit agencies where I have served as a volunteer and teaching artist.
I have been married to Marvin Lee for 45 years. We have a daughter, a son-in-law and two AWESOME grandchildren, Zuri and Avery.
MELBA S. LEE
For almost twenty years, I have created, through my art, many women, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. Each new work is a different image with its own voice. I am in awe that personality can come from pieces of paper. My work has enabled me to connect with other women who have the passion to express themselves and share a piece of themselves with the world.
In 2012 I retired with 32 years of service to the Houston Independent School District. After retiring, I have been actively involved with a number of non-profit agencies where I have served as a volunteer and teaching artist.
I have been married to Marvin Lee for 45 years. We have a daughter, a son-in-law and two AWESOME grandchildren, Zuri and Avery.
MELBA S. LEE