A new immersive exhibition coming to Houston this fall will put a deeply personal and often difficult subject at the center of a public conversation: Black maternal health.

The Health Museum will debut Call Me Mother on October 4, bringing together poetry, film, performance, sculpture and original paintings to explore the experiences of Black mothers and families navigating pregnancy, loss, birth complications and healing.

Curated by Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, Houston’s first Black poet laureate, the exhibition draws from Mouton’s own experience with miscarriage. A poem she wrote while experiencing a miscarriage at the end of her first trimester serves as the foundation for the exhibition.

The project arrives at a time when maternal health disparities remain a significant concern in the Houston area. According to information provided by the organizers, Harris County has the highest pregnancy-related death rate for Black women in the United States, with Black women dying at roughly four times the rate of white women locally.

Rather than presenting the issue solely through statistics and research, Call Me Mother uses immersive storytelling to explore the human experiences behind the numbers.

Visitors will move through a series of spaces designed to encourage reflection and conversation. The experience begins with a reimagined waiting room and an opening question, then moves through perspectives on motherhood, fatherhood, grief, loss and healing.

The exhibition features work from a collective of nationally and internationally recognized artists, including Mouton, Omari Maynard, Stacey Allen and Keda Sharber. Their work reflects personal experiences connected to maternal and reproductive health, including infant loss, fibroids and birth complications.

The exhibition ultimately serves as a call for greater awareness, conversation and action surrounding maternal health and equity.

Call Me Mother opens with a reception on Sunday, October 4, from 3 to 5 p.m. at The Health Museum, 1515 Hermann Drive in Houston. The exhibition will remain on view through February 28, 2027.

The project is supported by H-E-B and other philanthropic organizations and is fiscally sponsored by Fresh Arts, a Houston-based arts service organization.

In addition to the exhibition at The Health Museum, the Call Me Mother Experience will include additional activations at community centers and faith-based organizations throughout the Greater Houston area, bringing the conversation beyond the museum walls.

Plan Your Visit

The Health Museum is located in Houston’s Museum District at 1515 Hermann Drive. General admission is $15 for visitors ages 13 and older, $12 for children ages 3 to 12 and adults 65 and older, and free for children 2 and younger. Admission is also free for everyone on Thursdays from 2 to 5 p.m.

Through the Museums for All program, visitors with a SNAP EBT card can receive admission for $3 per person for up to four people.

For tickets, exhibition information and additional Call Me Mother programming, visit The Health Museum’s Call Me Mother exhibit page.

Additional information about the broader Call Me Mother Experience and upcoming community activations is available at Call Me Mother Experience.