Nearly 200 people attended the Monday ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Robert & Bertha Edison Cultural Arts Center, a renovated, long-dormant Kroger supermarket and shopping center in the area known as Fort Bend Houston. The celebration marked the opening of the Edison Afterschool Arts Academy, a key phase of the center’s multi-year, multi-phase revitalization project. It is now ready to serve children in the community.
“Afterschool-time is the most dangerous time of the day, when latchkey children are at home unsupervised,” said City of Houston Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum, who acted as emcee of the event. “Parents are working, and sometimes children have a little bit more freedom to do some things that may not be the right thing to do. Now they have this facility to learn music, dance, and do all the things that will be provided here in our afterschool program.”
Founder and executive director Charity Carter named the project in honor of her parents, who used to bring her to the former Kroger store and shopping plaza.
When asked what gap the program fills, Carter said the Edison Cultural Arts Center creates a sustainable arts hub in a historically Black and brown community – connecting Fort Bend and Houston artists to professional pipelines, affordable space and major arts institutions, while using the arts as a catalyst for economic development, small business growth and community revitalization.
“Today is a reminder of what can happen with steadfast leadership, trusted partnerships and a shared belief in community coming together,” said Derek Sellers, deputy director of Houston’s housing and community development department, which invested $5 million in the project.. “(The center) reflects the city’s belief that when we invest in activities, education and culture, we strengthen the very fabric of our neighborhood.”
Speakers expressed hope that the center would reverse the decline of the area that began 25 years ago when the Kroger closed, and the loss of foot traffic forced surrounding small businesses to shut their doors.
The 79,525-square-foot project was redeveloped at a cost of approximately $35 million, said Carter. The initial seed funding came from Carter’s father. The Carters credited U.S. Rep. Al Green for securing federal funding, along with community partners and anonymous donors.
“Congressman Al Green, not only did he contribute financially, but he dubbed this project ‘revitalization without gentrification’,” said Castex-Tatum.
With two theaters, dance studios, a performance hall, a grand lobby, festival park, restaurants, a food hall, a co-op kitchen, retail space and more, the center is expected to draw more than 208,820 visitors annually, said Carter.
The celebration featured a testimonial from sisters Jasmine and Jailah Coleman, who thanked Carter for helping them become confident, centered young women. Jasmine, 16, attends Hightower High School and Jailah, 18, attends Prairie View A&M University.
“We learned what it means to beautiful, Black women with confidence and strength,” said Jailah Coleman. “I remember when I was little, I used to be very wild– Miss Charity taught us grace.”
Sharron Scott credited Carter with providing a safe after-school space for her three grandchildren during a difficult time. Their mother, who was undergoing chemotherapy, passed away in August 2023 at age 34.
“I lost my wife a few years back, and I remember at the homegoing service, the preacher told everybody that cared about my family to step up,” said Brandon Scott, Sharron Scott’s son. “After you go through something like that, who the people in your life are that actually step up? And I can say with 100% confidence that it was Charity Carter.”
“The Edison Cultural Arts Center is a direct reflection of the people it serves, the community it sits in and surrounds, and the cultural behavior, beliefs, values, customs, arts, and social patterns we inhabit,” said Charity Carter. “The artists and audiences will see themselves reflected in the arts, because they are the art and their storytelling, and stories are the art.”
The Afterschool Arts Academy serves children ages 5–13 in grades K–8 from schools within a 10-mile radius, offering training in visual and digital arts, dance, music, theater and academic support.
People with experience in the arts, theater, production, retail, restaurant, hospitality, or management who are interested in applying should submit a resume to charitycarter@edisonartsfoundation.org.
Afterschool Arts Academy also welcomes volunteers to perform community service. Learn more at edisonartsfoundation.org/our-programs/after-school-arts-%20academy/.
Varma can be reached at juhi.varma@gmail.com.
