The Community Artists' Collective's first show at its new 1501 Elgin location in Houston took place on February 11, 1990, in conjunction with Houston FotoFest. Founded in 1987 by artist Michelle Barnes and Texas Southern University professor Sarah Trotty, the Collective grew out of Barnes's earlier Barnes-Blackman Gallery and was created to provide exhibition opportunities, especially for professional African American artists and African American women artists in Houston. Moving into the Elgin building gave the organization a more independent base, even though the space required significant renovation. The first show marked the transition from a part-time gallery presence into a community-rooted exhibition, education, and advocacy platform.
The opening helped establish one of Houston's lasting Black artist-centered exhibition spaces.