Health Museum exhibit spotlights Black maternal death crisis in Houston

The Health Museum will open the Call Me Mother Experience on Oct. 4, 2026, using art, poetry and community programming to highlight Black maternal health and maternal mortality in Houston and beyond. The exhibition centers on Houston poet laureate Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton’s work and runs through Feb. 28, 2027.

Why it matters: - Black maternal health remains a national crisis, and the exhibit is using art and public engagement to push the issue into view. - Houston, Harris County is described as the worst place in the U.S. for Black women to give birth, based on March of Dimes statistics. - Commonwealth Fund research shows Black mothers are more than twice as likely to die as any other ethnicity.

What happened: - The Health Museum will debut the Call Me Mother Experience on Oct. 4, 2026. - The immersive, multi-site exhibition is designed as a call to action on Black maternal health in the United States. - The curator, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, is Houston’s first Black poet laureate. - Mouton said the project grew out of writing a poem while miscarrying at home near the end of her first trimester.

The details: - The exhibition centers on a poem by Mouton that serves as the pillar of the experience. - The show presents stories of expectant Black mothers, including many who do not survive pregnancy. - The experience includes poetry, film, performance, 3D sculptures and original paintings. - Featured artists include D.E.E.P., Omari Maynard, Stacey Allen, Keda Sharber and others. - Support for the exhibit comes from HEB and several other philanthropic organizations. - The installation moves visitors from an opening question into a reimagined waiting room. - The exhibit presents perspectives from fathers and mothers and moves from despair toward healing. - Each site includes themes of familial love and the grief tied to the Black maternal health crisis. - The exhibition ends with a call to action. - The opening reception is Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, from 3-5 p.m. at The Health Museum, 1515 Hermann Drive in Houston. - Ticket prices range from $12 to $15. - The exhibition runs through Feb. 28, 2027. - Fresh Arts, a Houston-based 501(c)(3) arts service organization, fiscally sponsors The Call Me Mother Experience. - More information is available on the Call Me Mother Experience website and through the project’s YouTube channel.

Between the lines: - The exhibit blends personal loss with public health advocacy, which gives the issue an emotional entry point for visitors. - The use of multiple sites and community activations suggests the project is meant to extend beyond a single museum visit. - Positioning the work in Houston places the story in a city directly tied to the maternal health disparities the exhibit is addressing.

What's next: - The Health Museum will open the exhibition to the public on Oct. 4. - Additional satellite activations are planned at community sites and faith-based organizations across Greater Houston. - The exhibit will remain on view through Feb. 28, 2027.