Archive for August, 2009
Houston Arts Scene | What We Are Up To This Weekend
Thursday, August 27 | 6 pm | Lawndale from 1979 with James Surls. Lawndale Art Center founder James Surls presents a talk on the origins of Lawndale, its unique place in Houston’s art community, and its relevance today. Free. Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main Street. www.lawndaleartcenter.org.
p.s. Following the talk, join James Surls for a reception at Barbara Davis Gallery where James Surls’s From 2009 is on view through August 29. Barbara Davis Gallery, 4411 Montrose. www.barbaradavisgallery.com.
Thursday, August 27 | 8 pm | The Mekong Skyline w/ TheManichean, B L A C K I E, Come See My Dead Person.
Outdoor, roof-top performance offering a breathtaking view of downtown Houston with music, space, people and drinks to satisfy all desires. Heyyyy. The Mekong Center, 2808 Milam.
Friday, August 28 | 8-11 pm | Houston Center for Photography: Spin5 - Flashdance! Inspired by the 1983 film Flashdance, DJ Shoe will spin songs from the era with projections from the film itself setting the mood for the party. Kelly Myernick, first soloist with the Houston Ballet and other members of the company will perform and instruct enthusiastic crowd-goers to learn an 80’s inspired dance piece. A surprise performance is scheduled for later in the evening. Attendees are also invited to rock out on the “dance pole” and ballet barres. The party isn’t complete without photography; attendees can pose in front of 80’s themed backdrops and contribute ’80s-style pictures to be installed or projected on HCP’s walls. The best image which features the photographer as a performer will be included in the upcoming HCP exhibition, Artist as Performer, on view at HCP from September 10 - November 8. $10 in advance or $15 at the door. www.hcponline.org. 1441 W. Alabama. Proceeds from the raffle benefit the Leigh Boone Scholarship Fund.
Friday, August 28 | 7:30-9:30 pm | MFAH Art Crowd: An END-Summer Party. Evening includes a private viewing of North Looks South: Building the Latin American Art Collection, live music from Brazilian Arts Foundation, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and members of MFAH’s art enthusiasts in their 20s & 30s. $25. RSVP required: artcrowd@mfah.org or 713-639-7552.
Saturday, August 29 | 7:30-10:30 pm | Rock to the King of Pop at Four Seasons Hotel Houston. Celebrate the music and birthday of the legendary king of pop. Evening features dance performances by Houston Ballet and benefits the International House of Blues Foundation. DJs for MJ: The Are, JaeKim & SUN. Tickets: $50 incl. Quattro Cuisine + Cocktails + Entry to HOB Foundation Room after party. http://bit.ly/rocktothekingofpop.
Now Through August 29. The Tamarie Cooper Show: Journey to the Center of My Brain (in 3D!). Houston Chronicle preview by Everett Evans. Cooper’s new show takes the audience on a journey to the center of her brain (enter at your own risk!). Singing neurotransmitters, brainfarts, raging hormones, Tamarie’s inner child, id, and super-ego are just some of the characters featured in this journey of self-discovery, science-style! In this world premiere musical extravaganza, Tamarie plays herself and she shares the stage with Catastrophic favorites Kyle Sturdivant as her Self-Control, Walt Zipprian as Dopamine, Noel Bowers as a blues-singing brainfart as well as Daniel Adame, Julie Boneau, Jeremy Carlson, Sara Jo Dunstan, Rebecca Randall Feit, DeWitt Gravink, Christian Holmes, Sean Patrick Judge, Richard Lyders, and Karina Pal-Montano Bowers. All tickets to The Tamarie Cooper Show: Journey To The Center Of My Brain (In 3D!) are PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN. Suggested ticket price is $25 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. For tickets, call the Stages Repertory box office at 713-527-8243 or visit www.stagestheatre.com. www.catastrophictheatre.com. 3201 Allen Parkway.
Sunday, August 30 | 12 noon to 4 pm | Capital One Bank 16th Annual Theater District Open House
Activities in Alley Theatre, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Jones Hall and Wortham Theater Center
Your FREE ticket to the arts! This fun-filled day features:
*backstage tours
*meet-and-greets with performers
*live performances on stage
*food tastings
*instrument petting zoo
*Back-Alley garage sale
*Capital One Bank theater trolley stops
*Free Houston Symphony concert at 4 pm!
It is also the best day of the year to purchase season subscriptions and tickets for the season! View all of the offers at www.houstontheaterdistrict.org.
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Check Out: Houston Arts Scene
Thursday, August 20
6-8 pm | Houston magazine Summer Cocktail Tour at The Grove with artists Katy Anderson + Patrick Medrano + The Fodice Foundation. The Grove, 1611 Lamar. Open to the public, free.
8-12 midnight | The Fodice Foundation After Party.
HYPA members attend the after party for free or make a $35 donation to The Fodice Foundation. Invitation below.
Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22
7 pm | Performance: Pianist Jade Simmons presents Scriabin and Kandinsky: Hearing Color, Seeing Sound - a multimedia performance. Witness Jade’s latest innovative performance project alongside the projected artwork of Kandinsky. Only 50 seats per concert. $10, advance tickets required, www.jademedia.org. Wade Wilson Art, 4411 Montrose.
8 pm | Play | Mildred’s Umbrella: Alice and the Underground. March 6, 1970, three characters from the classic children’s story find themselves at a defining moment in the Weather Underground movement. A part of the Frenetic Fringe Festival. Tickets $18 or if purchased on-line, $15. www.freneticore.net. www.mildredsumbrella.com.
Saturday, August 22
6-9 pm | Gallery Opening | Deborah Colton Gallery - Maripol “Little Red Riding Hood” and Luis Arsenio Gonzalez “Dreams of a Diva.” Two artists who were part of the downtown early 80’s New York art scene who continue to create fashion, art and design reflecting this early influence. Exhibition runs through September 12. 2445 North Blvd. www.deborahcoltongallery.com.
August 21, 22, 28 & 29
8 pm | Play: North Blvd - A One Woma
n Show. Written and performed by native Houstonian Amy Esacove. North Blvd. is an autobiographic story written and performed by native Houstonian Amy Esacove. It’s a story about adoption, abuse, survival and subsequent journey towards the discovery of her birth parents. This rare and special performance of North Blvd. in its raw and original form, serves as a fund-raising endeavor in which all proceeds will go towards producing the show in Los Angeles on a larger scale in the hopes of generating buzz around the feature-length screenplay which the show has been converted into. Tickets for opening wknd are $20. $40 all other shows. August 29 includes post-performance party and silent auction for $50. Tickets and information at www.littlegirlproductions.com.
August 21 through August 30
Film | 4th Annual Italian Retrospective - Signore e Signore: Leading Ladies of Italian Cinema. Postwar Italian cinema is enshrined in film history books for its neorealist movement but it produced another phemonenon: the arrival of a new generation of Italian actresses who revolutionized the image of women on screen like Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren and Anna Magnani. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. www.mfah.org/film
Sunday, August 23
9 pm | Frenetic Fringe Festival | Anything Goes Night + Closing Party. Performances by Eric Fensler and Jay Rajeck’s band TRS-80 (from Los Angeles) and food and drinks. $15 when purchased online. www.freneticore.net.
Thursday, August 27
6-8 pm | The Heritage Society | Connect to Houston + Miles and Miles of Texas: The Lone Star State Through the Eyes of Buck Schiwetz. Join members of Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Houston Downtown Alliance, Leadership Houston and Rice University for this exhibition mixer. Enjoy light refreshments and entertainment. $5. RSVP: 713-655-1912, ext. 113. The Heritage Society, 1100 Bagby. www.heritagesociety.org.
6 pm | Opening: Lawndale from 1979 | James Surls. Lawndale Art Center’s 30th anniversary with founder James Surls presenting a talk on the origins of Lawndale and its unique place in Houston’s art community and its relevance today. Reception follows at Barbara Davis Gallery where James Surls’ From 2009 is on view through August 29. Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main Street. www.lawndaleartcenter.org.
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HYPA + The Fodice Foundation This Thursday
Summer Cocktail Tour at The Grove
Feat. Houston artists Katy Anderson + Patrick Medrano + Fodice Foundation
Complimentary cocktails by Bacardi and complimentary bites by The Grove. Sponsored by Houston magazine. The kick-off of the first part of the series introducing Houston young art enthusiasts to enthusiastic, young Houston artists. Open to the public.
The Grove, 1611 Lamar.
HYPA members invited to attend the after party with supporters of The Fodice Foundation for free, or $35.
2020 Commerce Street, Studio D.
RSVP: heather@downtownhouston.org.
Houston arts scene picks for the weekend
Friday, August 7 | 8 pm - 10 pm | Film Screening: Honoring Merce Cunningham + Robert Rauschenberg.
Free, outdoor event will present newly-available filmed performances of Merce Cunningham Dance Company dancing the works Split Sides (2003) and Interscape (2000). In a working relationship of almost two decades, Cunningham and Rauschenberg—together, and separately—continually renewed themselves as artists. Pioneers, their work stretched the definitions of painting, or dance. Menil Collection, 1515 Sul Ross. www.menil.org. Sponsored by Society for the Performing Arts, www.spahouston.org.
Now Through August 29. The Tamarie Cooper Show: Journey to the Center of My Brain (in 3D!). Cooper’s new show takes the audience on a journey to the center of her brain (enter at your own risk!). Singing neurotransmitters, brainfarts, raging hormones, Tamarie’s inner child, id, and super-ego are just some of the characters featured in this journey of self-discovery, science-style! In this world premiere musical extravaganza, Tamarie plays herself and she shares the stage with Catastrophic favorites Kyle Sturdivant as her Self-Control, Walt Zipprian as Dopamine, Noel Bowers as a blues-singing brainfart as well as Daniel Adame, Julie Boneau, Jeremy Carlson, Sara Jo Dunstan, Rebecca Randall Feit, DeWitt Gravink, Christian Holmes, Sean Patrick Judge, Richard Lyders, and Karina Pal-Montano Bowers. Tickets: to The Tamarie Cooper Show: Journey To The Center Of My Brain (In 3D!) are PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN. Suggested ticket price is $25 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. For tickets, call the Stages Repertory box office at 713-527-8243 or visit www.stagestheatre.com. www.catastrophictheatre.com. 3201 Allen Parkway.
Through August 15 | 8 pm | Last Easter presented by Mildred’s Umbrella Theater. Regional premiere of play by Bryony Lavery. June has a terrible secret. Gash has an outrageous plan. Leah is open to possibilities. And Joy is drinking to forget. When June’s best friends unravel her mystery, they whisk her from London to Lourdes where she is thoroughly dunked in the reputedly healing waters. The four friends’ lunatic pilgrimage is filled with laughing, singing, a drag act and several bottles of good red wine. Last Easter is a funny, moving, and provocative play about the true nature of friendship. Tickets: $10 general admission; Mondays are Pay-As-You-Like. Gremillion Art Gallery, 2501 Sunset. www.mildredsumbrella.com.
Saturday & Sunday, August 8 & 9 | Free Press Summer Fest. 40+ national and local musical performers, visual arts and more. Confirmed to headline are Broken Social Scene, Of Montreal, Explosions in the Sky, The Sword, Devin the Dude, Octopus Project, Young Mammals, The Watermarks, The Small Sounds, The Manichean and more. 2 stages, dozens of local artist booths, craft beer garden and a misting tent to keep you even cooler. Portion of proceeds benefit Project Row Houses. Tickets $7/day. www.freepresssummerfest.com.
Through August 8 | Disgruntled Developments at Anya Tish Gallery. A three person show curated by Houston based artist and critic Garland Fielder, bringing together three emerging artists whose work explores the conspiring yet complex nature between urban dissatisfaction and current events. The international dialogue between the richly layered multi-media works by Indian-American, New York based Baseera Khan, the homegrown graffiti and publicly sprawled works of Chicago based Jeff Mueller, and the locally sourced assemblages of abandoned Hurricane Ike signage by Houston artist Kevin Curry, produce an excitingly global and visual frenzy of fantastical and political sensibilities. Together they question the fundamental need for the personal versus the homogenized public, alongside a desire for Constructivist aesthetics over consumerist pathologies. Free. 4411 Montrose Blvd. www.anyatishgallery.com.
Through August 8 | Kelli Vance: What You Do To Me. “As Michael Duncan, curator of the Texas Biennial (which featured a solo show of Vance’s work in 2009), has noted ‘In her astounding, larger-than-life figurative paintings, Houston artist Kelli Vance puts us front and center at the scene of the crime. Evoking a kind of repulsed fascination, the meticulously crafted works depict weird sex acts, revenge, humiliation, and physical collapse in crystalline photorealist detail. Vance’s investigations focus on injured female parties - but don’t call them victims. Their expressions of complacency, ecstasy, contemplation, and titillation complicate any easy sense of morality.’” Free. McClain Gallery, 2242 Richmond. www.mcclaingallery.com.
Through August 11 | Henrique Oliveira: Tapumes. Oliveira uses tapumes, which in Portuguese can mean “fencing,” “boarding,” or “enclosure,” as a title for many of his large-scale installations. The term makes reference to the temporary wooden construction fences seen throughout the city of São Paulo where Oliveira lives. It also refers to the weathered wood Oliveira uses as the primary material in his installations. Oliveira’s installations, which he refers to as “tridimensionals,” have evolved into massive, spatial constructions that combine painting, architecture, and sculpture. www.ricegallery.org.
Through August 15 | Freebird at Hello-Lucky. Works by Elaine Bradford, Rene Cruz, Jay Giroux, Lisa Marie Godfrey, Frances Trotter and Christine West. Free. 1025 Studewood. www.hello-lucky.com.
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