The other night at 13 Celsius, the planning meeting for Culture Collision III was held.  Not only are we bringing more partners to the event but this year it is also at Discovery Green Park!  So please, save the date for the only happy hour of it’s kind for Wednesday, October 8 from 5 pm to 7:30 pm.

Friday, August 29

• Concert/HYPA Event:  HYPA is co-hosting an event with Houston Symphony’s Young Professionals Backstage with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and afterparty w/ meet and greet and food and drinks.  It is sold out, so looking forward to a fantastic evening!  HYPA members received a special price with pre-concert cocktail and everything else mentioned above.  Tonight, Jones Hall, doors open at 7 pm.
• Opening Reception: Aerosol Warfare Gallery & Boutique present “Iconoclastically Yours” with new works by DUAL.  Tonight, 7 pm to 11 pm, 2110 Jefferson, Houston, TX 77003.  All ages, open to the public, cash bar.
• Museum party:  Steel Lounge Underground @ the CAMH - an excellent lineup tonight featuring Squicy Jones, Karina Nistal featuring Comp1 on turntables and Miguel “Mano” Grillo on percussion, and Mr. Bristle.  8 pm to 11 pm, 5126 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005.  www.camh.org.  

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Wow, I cannot believe September is almost here.  That potentially means cooler weather (or I hope!) and even more things going on.  This summer did not disappoint in things to do.  I thought it would be a calm one but I’m happy to say that there are things to do in Houston every single day… : )  And a lot of them are free!

A few things to check out this weekend:

Friday, August 22nd

Opening Reception: 5×7 On the Road: Houston @ Inman Gallery (3901 Main, 713-526-7800), 6 to 8 pm

Exhibition and sale of more than 1,000 artworks by 500 artists with strong Texas ties.  Event benefits Arthouse at the Jones Center in Austin.  30-minute preview begins at 6 pm and it is on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Each piece is priced at $100 but the event is free to attend.  The catch is, the works are displayed anonymously so you won’t know who created your piece until your purchase it!

Opening Reception:  Transcendental Smooth: Margaret Magsamen + Stephen Hillerbrand | What’s in a Line? Judith Cottrell and Alex Lopez | The Grand Tour, Texas: Omar Vera, Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main, 6-8 pm.  www.lawndaleartcenter.org.  Free and open to the public. 

Art for Sale: Weaving and Beyond: Contemporary Handweavers of Houston | Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 4848 Main Street.

Just across the street from Lawndale Art Center, go pick up something unique to add to your home.  Works for sale include hand woven, hand spun, hand dyed and hand felted linens, garments and accessories, rugs, baskets, jewelry, baby items, toys and holiday decorations.  Many of the CHH guild member artists are nationally and internationally recognized fiber artists and teachers.  Styles range from funky and edgy to elegant and traditional.  Get your holiday shopping done now and support the Houston arts scene.  Ends Saturday, August 23, 10 am to 4 pm.  Visit www.weavehouston.org for more information.  Free and open to the public.

Saturday, August 23

Opening Reception: Molly Gochman: Release: Give-Away II, 2445 North Boulevard, 6 to 9 pm.  www.mollygochman.com

Houston-New York based, experiential artist, Molly Gochman presents Release: Give-Away III, as her last event at Commune on 2445 North Blvd, Houston. The space will become alive with the interactive experience of Molly’s work on Saturday, August 23rd, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

Molly Gochman’s GIVE-AWAY PROJECT is a series that continually unfolds. Release: Give-Away III addresses relationships with change through exhibiting large-scale prints and intimate paintings, inspired by aspects within these prints. Both the prints and paintings serve as a way of archiving choices, circumstances, and personalities. During the exhibition, the image on selected prints will become less distinct. People will use cleansing tools designed to correlate with the body as instruments for physically engaging with the work. Release encourages one to be present, connect, and let go.

Sunday, August 24 

Capital One Bank Theater District Open House, Downtown Theater District, 12 noon to 5 pm

A free, family day and also THE day of the year to get the best deals on season tickets for the 2008/09 Theater District season.  Enjoy preview performances in the four different venues (Alley Theatre, Jones Hall, Wortham, and Hobby Center), meet-and-greets with performers, backstage tours, light food fare and drinks, free Buffalo Bayou boat tours and much more!  Visit www.houstontheaterdistrict.org for more information!

Ongoing:

Frenetic Fringe Festival, through August 30 at Theatater LaB Houston, 1706 Alamo (off Houston Ave.), www.freneticore.net.

 

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Friday:  Heading out to Houston Museum of Natural Science to visit with some colleagues and hear Grady Gaines & The Texas Upsetters.  I love that band so much that I used to go every Wednesday to see them play.  Notsomuch arts-related but I owe Jamie Glover big time!  I don’t know how the staff there can pull off 12 weeks (I only could make it through 6 last year) of MEI every Friday night but they do it and do it well and with a smile!

Other things going on:  Final weekend of Nova Arts Project’s The Bacchae at the Jose Quintero Theatre at UH…through Saturday. 

Saturday: 

• Dance Houston at Wortham Theater Center, 7:30 pm.  The final night of this two night city-wide festival featuring hip hop, ballroom, contemporary and cultural dance styles and celebrates diversity in motion.
• Opening reception for Left Alone at ArtStorm at Caroline Collective from 7 to 10 pm.  Curated by Monte Large and brings together photography and video work by Rachel Hewlett, Kristy Peet, David McClain, Jennifer L. F. McNichols, Ben Aqua and Mike Ruiz and Frederique de Montblanc.   Evening features live music by Houston-born, Berlin-based DJ Plank who will spin tracks ranging from Krautrock to Japanese new wave.  Free!  Caroline Collective, 4828 Caroline Street.  Exhibition runs through September 13.

Other things going on:

Synesthesia, through August 16, 8 pm at Hamman Hall, Rice University.  Synesthesia is a fusion of light and sound directed and designed by Matthew Schlief, featuring original music compositions performed by Two Star Symphony.  Free.  http://theatre.rice.edu for more info.

Frenetic Fringe Fest, August 15 through 31st, 8 pm.  Showcasing Houston’s finest cutting-edge dance, theater, music and film and featuring artists in three weekend programs.  Tickets $15.  http://www.freneticore.org for more info.

Sunday:

• Aurora Picture Show - Toypunks, Vol. 1, 3 pm.  Toypunks is a documentary film covering the converging worlds of Japanese toys, fashion and punk rock. Via location shooting around the globe, Toypunks spotlights several top Japanese fashion designers, toy makers and artists illuminating the fact that most of these influential creators find deep roots in DIY, punk and outsider attitudes.  800 Aurora Street, $6.  http://www.aurorapictureshow.org.  

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