Back to 2006

Springtime in Houston

January 3, 2006

Contact Information:
Name: Lindsey Brown
Phone: 713-437-5275
Email: lbrown@ghcvb.org

Visit Houston This Spring to Experience Houston's Diverse Offerings

HOUSTON – From art cars to azaleas and festivals spotlighting everything from Jamaica to Japan, Houston is as diverse a city as they come. Less than an hour from the beach and thirty minutes from the bay, visitors can experience a relaxing spring weekend on the coast just minutes away from big city culture and entertainment. RODEO TIME! March is rodeo month in Houston, and the entire city dons its Western chic. Commencing Feb. 28, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ hosts seven professional rodeo events as part of its premier competition in Reliant Stadium: bareback bronc riding, barrel racing, bull riding, tie-down roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling and team roping. Ranked as the world's largest with more than 1 million spectators annually, RODEOHOUSTON™ draws the top contestants in each event to compete. In addition to the rodeo competition, the Houston Livestock Show™ at Reliant Center and Reliant Arena runs in conjunction with the rodeo events, with approximately 35,000 livestock exhibitors each year. Visitors to the Show come early and stay late to ride carnival rides and taste the scrumptious food from a variety of local and regional vendors. Each evening after the rodeo competition, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo presents concerts by a variety of superstar entertainers. Visit www.hlsr.com/stars for the complete entertainment line-up. The Hideout, a live music venue featuring a variety of Texas bands, will be located in the historic Reliant Astrodome. For more information, visit www.rodeohouston.com. COASTAL VACATION Take a short drive south of Houston to experience Galveston's 32 miles of beaches and explore the Victorian architecture and history of the Historic Downtown Strand District, complete with art galleries, shops and plenty of restaurants. The Grand 1894 Opera House hosts a variety of performances this spring, including Cirque Éloize's Rain (Feb. 9-11), Thoroughly Modern Millie (March 25-26) and The Beach Boys (May 5-6) among others. Bird watchers look forward to spring migration, which coincides with Galveston's 3rd annual FeatherFest March 30-April 2, where more than 300 species visit the Island as they travel through the area. Visit www.galvestoncvb.com for additional information. While you're in Galveston, explore the world’s oceans from inside Moody Gardens’ 12-story Aquarium Pyramid, then appreciate science and nature in the Rainforest and Discovery Pyramids. Catch a showing of Sharks 3D to learn the truth about these fascinating creatures, or kids can partake in Kids Camp March 13-17 to get hands-on experience as a keeper for the animals. www.moodygardens.com. Almost every major cruise line is now departing from either the Port of Galveston or the Port of Houston, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity and Princess, to exotic destinations like Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize City, Jamaica and Key West. For additional information, visit www.galvestoncruises.com or www.portofhouston.com. SPRING FORWARD WITH FESTIVALS For 12 days and 11 nights, Galveston Island will be overtaken by live music, spectacular parades, elaborate masked balls and flamboyant costumes. Mardi Gras! Galveston 2006 will last from February 17 through Fat Tuesday, February 28, and is projected to be one of the biggest Mardi Gras the island has ever seen. Exhibitions of mixed media installations, documentary photography, and a film and video program as well as forums are examined by FotoFest’s Biennial exhibits March 10-April 23. FotoFest's International Fine Print Auction is scheduled for March 14th. The Eleventh International Biennial of Photography and Photo-Related Art examines two themes: The Earth and Artists Responding to Violence. The Earth focuses on metaphorical and figurative work that encompasses human and non-human life by bringing together science and art to define the subject of Earth. Artists Responding to Violence relates to Earth by exploring the ever increasing spread of technology and its capacity for violence through all aspects of life. Conceptual works will be used in forms of photography, abstract and staged works to interpret these themes. www.fotofest.org Nestled in Houston's prestigious Memorial Park, Bayou City Art Festival will kick off the spring’s premiere outdoor fine art event March 24-26 with a backdrop of lush trees and spring blooms. Whether strolling or shopping, 300 artists and patrons will quickly be lost in the artist listings, restaurants and live entertainment. www.bayoucityartfestival.com The HEB Houston Children's Festival, presented by Baker Hughes April 1-2, is packed with activities and entertainment that will appeal to the entire family. Attracting more than 100,000 people to downtown Houston, the Houston Children's Festival includes 14 Big Family Adventure Areas, more than 350 games, activities, music, crafts, exhibits, sports and rides. The feature entertainment includes the amazing trick pony Hi Ho Silver and his side kicks, Busy Bee Dogs, some of America’s most amazing trick dogs! The proceeds benefit Child Advocates, Inc. and the abused and neglected children it serves. Log on to www.houstonchildrensfestival.com for more information. Hermann Park’s tranquil Japanese Gardens will be transformed into an authentic Japanese village for the 13th Annual Houston Japanese Festival April 8-9. Born out of ancient traditions, colorful flags, cherry blossoms, authentic Japanese food, a sushi-eating contest and Japanese entertainment will celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Japan. www.jashouston.org A shining example of Houston's one-of-a-kind cultural offerings, the 39th annual WorldFest-Houston International Film & Video Festival will take place April 21-30. This year, WorldFest continues its totally dedicated independent film screening format for the upcoming event and will screen just 50-60 feature film premieres, with an emphasis on the American and International independent feature films and a continuing annual spotlight on award-winning short films and documentary films. Founded as a film society in 1961, WorldFest has discovered many acclaimed directors, including Stephen Spielberg, Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, George Lucas, David Lynch and the Coen Brothers. WorldFest differs from similar film festivals in that all events are open to the public, attracting about 25,000 people and approximately 450 international filmmakers from all over the world. Visit www.worldfest.org for more information. One of Houston's most beloved events, the Houston International Festival, spotlights Jamaica April 22-23 and April 29-30. This annual event, held in downtown Houston, draws thousands of visitors during the festivities. The Houston International Festival spotlights a different country each year, bringing that culture and other cultures from around the world to Houston through music, dance, performance artists, food and expos on trade and business. Visit www.ifest.org for details. Become immersed in the activities found at the Asian/Pacific Heritage Festival on April 29 and watch the Miller Outdoor Theater stage to see traditional and contemporary performance groups explore their culture and heritage. Screen the mini-film fest, enjoy festival rides and games, arts organizations, martial artists groups and food venues will keep the entire family busy for a day. www.apaha.org A downtown Houston parade and other festivities including Mariachi bands, dancers and food can all be found at Miller Outdoor Theater to celebrate Mexico’s defeat against French forces during the Cinco de Mayo celebration May 5. One of Houston's wackiest and wildest festivals is the EV1.net Art Car Weekend, taking place May 12-14, with Everyones Art Car Parade heading down Allen Parkway on May 13. What began in 1988 with 40 decorated vehicles and a handful of onlookers has grown into an event of unprecedented scale attracting participants, spectators and media from all over the world, making Houston ground zero of an international phenomenon. For hundreds of car artists from across the county, the art car parade is a communal celebration and a chance to show their work to an estimated 250,000 people. Scores of lowrider, classic cars, costumed rollerskaters, musicians on floats, art bicyclists, hot-rodders and hard-to-classify rolling contraptions join in and shine in the spotlight. For more information, visit www.orangeshow.org. Water taxis and trolleys are just a few of the amenities available to patrons and the 200 national and regional artists at the Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival on May 20-21. Artists will be selling original creations along a 1.25 mile waterway park to create a unique ambiance all will enjoy. www.woodlandsartfestival.com Visit the 33rd Annual Pasadena Strawberry Festival, south of Houston, May 19-21, a must-see and do for strawberry lovers. Featured events include the Strawberry Festival Parade, tasting world’s largest strawberry shortcake, a carnival spectacular, barbecue cook-off and live entertainment. www.strawberryfest.org THE GREAT OUTDOORS Spend time at the Bayou's 3rd Annual Planting Party on the Parkway Feb. 4 where the Bayou Buddies and RedBuds get together to plant trees at Taft Tributary. May will feature the Dragon Boat Festival where teams of 25 race in 250-meter sprints in traditional Hong Kong-style dragon boats. www.buffalobayou.org A favorite annual activity for Houstonians and visitors alike is the Azalea Trail, taking place this year March 10-12. Now in its 71st year, the Azalea Trail offers a glimpse into the beautiful gardens of the majestic homes in Houston’s prestigious River Oaks neighborhood. See the magnificent gardens at two homes housing collections of decorative arts for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston—Bayou Bend and Rienzi—as well as other beautiful homes within River Oaks. www.riveroaksgardenclub.org The Shell Houston Open golf tournament, playing on the beautiful new tournament course at Redstone Golf Club, takes place April 17-23. 156 of the world’s best golfers play the course in pursuit of the $5 million-plus purse. The Houston Golf Association has been conducting PGA Tour events since 1946, making Houston’s tournament the tenth oldest. www.shellhoustonopen.com Take to the links on any of Houston’s more than 165 public and private golf courses. Memorial Park Golf Course, midway between downtown and the Galleria area, is one of the best municipal courses in the nation. Other notable courses are the Tournament Players Course in The Woodlands (former home of the Shell Houston Open), Augusta Pines Golf Club (home of the 2004 and 2005 Champions Tour), BlackHorse Golf Club (host course of the Shell Houston Open Qualifier) and the Wildcat Golf Club, the home course of the Houston Texans, Astros and Rockets. For some outdoor fun, visit the amphitheater at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion with reserved, covered and hillside lawn seating. Nestled among a setting of lush forests, audiences become immersed in entertainment experiences that range from rock to Bach and the performing arts. http://pavilion.woodlandscenter.org To enjoy more outdoor performances, see the Miller Outdoor Theater, located in the heart of Hermann Park, to catch the most diverse free season of multicultural performances and festivals in the nation. www.milleroutdoortheater.com ON THE STAGE IN HOUSTON One of only five cities in the United States with resident professional companies in all four disciplines of the performing arts, Houston's thriving 17-block Theater District is a crown jewel of the city. One of the oldest resident professional theater companies in the nation, the Alley Theatre is offering both traditional and modern classics this spring. After an explosive Houston debut last fall, Culture Clash in AmeriCCa returns Jan. 6-29 with a wicked sense of humor about race, class, sex and politics. A viciously funny new comedy-drama, Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman surrounds a writer Jan. 27-Feb. 26 who is questioned by police about gruesome murders that mimic his short stories. One of the most enduring and heartwarming comedies of our time, Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday, gives a beautiful but ditzy millionaire mistress an eye-opener to the world around her Feb. 24-March 19. A fictional account of events, Austin Pendleton's Orson's Shadow brings to life Orson Wells, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in a clever comedy March 31-April 30. Adapted by David Ball, Molière's Miser uses sharp wit and satire April 7-30 to portray a tyrannical, self-absorbed patriarch who’s willing to sacrifice his children for greed. Also being offered in the spring will be Gregory Boyd's Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution May 12-June 4. www.alleytheatre.org Houston Ballet unveils Stanton Welch's lavish new production of Swan Lake on Feb. 23, 2006. A milestone work for the company, it is the first new production of Swan Lake in more than 20 years. It runs through March 5th. Famed Russian choreographer George Balanchine, legendary British choreographer Christopher Bruce and Australian Stanton Welch come together in Dance Around the World March 9-19 to demonstrate the power of the international dance community. Classical X 3 features ballet set to DJ artist Moby's techno music, supercharged classical choreography, and a neoclassic masterpiece by Stanton Welch from May 25-28 and June 2-4. Ablaze with color and contagious energy, Don Quixote will thrill audiences with its fancy footwork and tale of two lovers’ passion from June 8-18. www.houstonballet.org Houston Symphony continues its season with a variety of powerhouse performances. A preeminent international fiddler and musical star of Riverdance and the Titanic soundtrack, Eileen Ivers, joins conductor Michael Krajewski in exploring music around the world Jan. 6-8. Distinguished master Emanuel Ax, a favorite guest artist among Houston Symphony audiences, joins Hans Graf in Emanuel Ax's Mozart, Jan. 13-15. Celebrate the 250th birthday of one of the world’s greatest composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in the Mozart Festival Jan. 27 and Feb. 11. The classic Dr. Seuss story of a girl-bird is explored in Dr. Seuss' Gertrude Mc Fuzz April 15 and a Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto is brought to life in Chopin and the Enigma April 21-23. Don’t miss symphonic music blended with a team of world famous performers that include aerial artist, strongmen and a harlequin juggler in Cirque du Symphony May 26-28. www.houstonsymphony.org Houston Grand Opera’s “Masterpieces!” season begins with a timeless battle between true love and the love of luxury this season, Puccini's Manon Lescaut explores this French tale Jan. 28-Feb. 8. There's also no fool like and old fool in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale Jan. 21-Feb. 4. Join four-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald in her one woman show The Human Voice March 4-26 for an imaginative evening about both sides of love. HGO brings the timeless love triangle about a free-spirited gypsy, her infatuated lover and her brash bullfighter in Carmen April 15-May 6. See what happens when self-centered Nerone’s passion surrounds the charms of Poppea in Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea April 29-May12. www.houstongrandopera.com Offering a broad range of repertoire and musical styles, chamber music and jazz presenter Da Camera of Houston begins 2006 with the five-concert MozartNOW Festival, a celebration of Mozart's 250th birthday. The Festival begins on Mozart's birthday, Jan. 27, with a collaborative concert with Houston Symphony and continues to explore Mozart's piano sonatas by fortepianist Malcolm Bilson Feb. 7. Continuing the celebration of the legacy of Mozart, a stand-out roster of Houston-based artists will perform tributes to Mozart by transforming his pieces into distinctly contemporary sensibilities on Feb. 14. One of the leading forces in Latin jazz, conguero and band leader Ray Barretto, will lead is own powerhouse Latin jazz ensemble March 25. Get hip at the Family Jazz Concert April 8 or witness jazz virtuoso Pat Martino present a spectacular display of guitar prowess April 28. www.dacamera.com Theatre Under the Stars, one of America’s largest producers of non-profit musical theatre, presents Tony Award-winning Houston legend Tommy Tune in Doctor Dolittle Jan. 17-29. Tune directs, choreographs and stars in this premiere musical about a man who can literally talk to animals. This awe-inspiring production features a charming and witty score including the Academy Award-winning number “Talk to the Animals.” Returning to TUTS where it began more than 10 years ago is the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast March 14-26. www.tuts.org Boasting some of Broadways most memorable scores, an all new-production of the timeless tale Annie comes to Houston Jan. 3-15 with Cadillac Broadway in Houston. Golda’s Balcony brings an award-winning smash that tells the tale of one of the greatest women in our time, Golda Meir, and her role in 20th century Israel in this special engagement March 28-April 9. Experience Broadway’s award-winning best musical The Lion King with visually and technically stunning performance of an entire African savanna that will thrill the entire family July 9-Aug. 13. www.broadwayacrossamerica.com Society for the Performing Arts brings a broad selection of performing artists and companies from around the world to complement Houston’s own cultural offerings. This spring brings a variety of family-oriented performances, including the rare opportunity to hear one of the world’s greatest orchestras, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti, as it makes its Houston debut on March 12. The Peking Acrobats return with an elite group of gymnasts, jugglers, cyclists and tumblers for awe-inspiring entertainment on April 1-2. Break! The Urban Funk Spectacular explores the history of hip-hop dancing over the last 30 years with such styles as break-dance, lock, “electric boogaloo” or “popping,” bucket drumming and more on April 28. www.spahouston.org Outside the Theater District, a variety of inventive and original performances take place. The AD Players, founded in 1966 as a ministry through theater, performs Androcles and the Lion Feb. 10-March 19 to remind us that even the smallest good deeds don’t go unnoticed. www.adplayers.org The 10th Anniversary Season of Opera in the Heights, a nonprofit, community-based organization, is performing Three Acts Three: Act 3 from igoletto, Tosca, and Aida March 30-April 8. www.operaintheheights.org Stages Repertory Theatre, a regional professional theater company that performs off-Broadway shows, presents An Infinite Ache by David Schulner, Feb. 22-March 12, which chronicles a 60-year relationship that begins with an uninspiring first date and captures the power of an enduring promise in an ever changing world. This play is followed by The Dead Guy April 5-23, where a good-looking loser is given a week to live with a million dollars on live TV and the audience gets to choose how he dies. www.stagestheatre.com The Main Street Theater presents Ouroboros March 11-April 9, where two American couples have time flowing in opposite direction while on a trip to Italy while performing two distinct sequences that either a comedy or tragedy, and What the Butler Saw April 29-May 28, considered one of the finest British farces of the twentieth century. The Main Street Youth Theater performs Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business Feb. 7-March 31. www.mainstreettheater.com The Ensemble Theater is featuring several performances in the spring that includes an uplifting story about love between two sisters in Color Me Dark Jan. 26-Feb. 19. A man’s searing perspective on marriage is later presented in Waitin’ 2 End Hell March 9-April 2. www.ensemblehouston.com Using period instruments and historically informed performances, Mercury Baroque presents a fully staged barogue opera in Acis and Galatea where two lovers overcome death on Feb. 18. A unique take of Romeo and Juliet on May 19-20 is bringing together the world of new dance and early music for an expressive and hip look at this tragic tale. www.mercurybaroque.org A Latino Cultural Arts Center, Talento Bilingue de Houston offers a variety of programs such as ballet folklorico, video and film production, professional theater, art exhibitions and others. Such performances include a musical evening with Houston Civic Symphony on Feb. 10 as it explores Mozart’s music. There will also be a photo exhibit on view March 23-May 12 by Jose Manuel Pellicer and the play La Causa: A Play About Cesar Chavez March 30-31 where a one woman production will explore a leading voice for the rights of migrant workers. www.tbhcenter.org Presenting multicultural performing arts programs for children and families, Express Theatre is bringing an inspiring tale of a family’s journey to freedom along the Underground Railroad in Freedom Train Jan 30-March 11. A tale of bravery continues with The Three Billy Goats Gruff on March 13-Aprill 22 as three billy goats try to get across a bridge that is controlled by a grumbly, grouchy Troll. www.expresstheatre.com April is also Jazz Appreciation Month in Houston. Concert presenters, clubs, educational institutions and other organizations throughout the city celebrate this great American art form. Highlights include Houston Symphony's presentation of New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band on April 14, 15 and 16, Da Camera of Houston's concert by guitarist Pat Martino on April 28 and Cypress Creek FACE's presentation of Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 29. MAGNIFICENT MUSEUMS With 15 institutions, Houston’s Museum District is the fourth largest in the country. From fine art to photography, art buffs will be at home in this picturesque district near Rice University. A running theme in the Museum District this spring is the human condition, which is on display in various forms in several of the museums. Xul Solar: Visions and Revelations will be the only North-American presentation that brings together 100 works of art, books, documents and manuscripts from Oscar Augustín Alejandro Schulz Solar, Argentina’s most important proponent of modernism and avant-garde, at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. This exhibition is on view Jan. 29 through April 16. Amateur ranch photographer Helen Kleberg and New York fashion photographer Toni Frissell explore the intimate view of ranch life from two very different perspectives at Two Women Look West: Photographs of King Ranch by Helen Kleberg and Toni Frissell on Feb. 11-May 7. Frissell approaches the ranch with a romantic eye while Kleberg documents the people and events of her daily life while living on King Ranch. Joseph Havel: A Decade of Sculpture 1996-2006 presents 28-large scale sculptures made by Joseph Havel, internationally known artist and director of the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, between 1996 and 2006. The exhibition highlights works from Havel’s career that focused on creating sculptures form domestic fabrics like men’s white shirts and tablecloths into bronze through the process of direct casting on March 26-June 18. www.mfah.org Legendary Texas collector and philanthropist Miss Ima Hogg donated her home with decorative arts dating from 1620 to 1870 to The Museum of Fine Arts creating the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Miss Hogg acquired furniture and other colonial American antiques to fill her home and eventually becoming one of the nation’s foremost assemblages of American decorative arts. Each room is transformed into a period piece to showcase the collection and Miss Hogg also transformed Bayou Bend’s yards into beautiful gardens that were meant to be living and entertaining spaces. Bayou Bend explores life in colonial times with The Lure of the East on Jan. 15 where families will discover tea, cinnamon and other exotic spices came to America. The hands-on workshop will also explore how the trends of various countries in the East influenced American culture. African-American Heritage explores the rich and cultural past of African-Americans Feb. 17 and partakes in musical celebrations and storytelling to learn about slavery, civil-rights and other historical landmarks in black history. www.mfah.org/bayoubend Rienzi, a center for European arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, contains a collection of 18th and 19th century decorative arts and paintings, Spanish paintings, ceramics and furniture that are displayed in the former home of Houston philanthropist Carroll and Harris Masterson III. The homes unique architecture, with large plate glass windows overlooking a reflecting pool and gardens, make it a prime location for concerts and beautiful garden walks. On Feb. 25, Gambist Barry Sills and harpsichordist Christina Edelen, well-known and loved throughout the Houston community, will perform sonatas by J.S. Bach. Patrons can also enjoy walks along Rienzi’s Azalea trails March 10-12 to showcase the beautiful azalea blossoms that are visible each spring. www.mfah.org/rienzi The grit and glamour of the open range is riding into the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft with COWBOY: Craft of the American West Dec. 10-March 26, 2006. The exhibition of artist-made cowboy gear and accessories features masterful works of art that are also practical modern ranch tools including unique musical instruments, beaver felt hats, knives and guns, handtooled boots and much more. A collection of 60 artists from throughout the West will also be displayed to celebrate the evolution of the Cowboy. To further survey history, Contemporary Kiln Glass will be on view April 8-July 2 to emphasis the method and thematic perspectives for casting and slumping glass from international master Klaus Moje and the twin development currents of US West Coast and Australia’s Canberra School of Art. www.crafthouston.org The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science is featuring several interactive exhibits that move, illuminate and communicate messages about your health such as Seeing is Believing where families can participate in mini-classes, make optical illusions and learn about eye health and vision screenings beginning Jan. 21. Spring Break is also bringing some All-Star fun by recognizing Women and Girls in Sports, joining in Scavenger Hunts and wacky experiments among other activities from March 10-19. Families can also explore really, really tiny things in It’s a Nano World – Smaller Than a Spot on a Ladybug by looking through the giant magnifying glass and jumping into a giant blood drop of thousands of small red plastic balls! The exhibit opens May 27. When finished exploring the human body, examine the ongoing activities throughout the museum including the Sensory Garden and a 22-foot-long backbone with descending ribs at the Amazing Body Pavilion. www.museumofhealth.org Native Texan Mark Seliger, one of the world’s most well-known portrait photographers, captures the emotions and experiences of Holocaust survivors, including Houston’s three Jucker brothers of Three Brothers Bakery, at the Holocaust Museum Houston exhibit When They Came to Take My Father on view Jan. 13 through April 2. Artifacts and photographs on loan from survivors now living in Houston will be featured in Survivors Journeys to illustrate stories of Houston survivors as part of the museum’s 10th Anniversary celebration March 3-July 2. The official commemoration begins at 2 p.m. on March 5 with an outdoor rededication ceremony featuring former President Bill Clinton and the unveiling of a World War II-era rail car of the type used to transport thousands of Jews to their deaths in concentration camps. www.hmh.org The Houston Museum of Natural Science presents The Royal Tombs of Ur: Ancient Treasures from Modern Iraq, opening Feb. 24 and continuing through Aug. 6. Featuring more than 400 rare and exquisite Sumerian artifacts discovered during an excavation in the 1920s, including the royal tomb of Lady Puabi with an unbroken seal carved in the world’s first written language cuneiform, this exhibit’s world-famous artifacts remain one of the most remarkable achievements of Near Eastern archeology. More than ancient civilizations will be displayed – including the evolution of cutting-edge research and technology used by scientist and paleontologists in Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries. This exhibition, on view March 10-July 31, 2006, will feature an in-depth look into how new developments have helped scientist better understand these creatures’ behavioral and physical characteristics, as well as how they may have become extinct. www.hmns.org Housing one of the Southwest’s finest collections of work in psychology, spirituality and comparative mythology, The Jung Center of Houston presents playful, energetic watercolor creations in Pleasures on Paper, on view Jan. 3-28, where memories of place and time are commonplace. Life affirming paintings by ten Houston devotees of Chinese ink art will be also be featured in Brush Voice, on view Feb. 1-27, giving the essence of Yin and Yang. To energize and excite viewers, Fresh Air consists of brilliant colors that seem to dance off the paper and communicate with its audience. The exhibit is on view April 2-27. www.junghouston.org Dedicated to presenting new visual, performing and literary art, DiverseWorks presents the promises of eternity and offbeat slapstick in Marina Zurkow: Nicking the Never. Exploring adolescence, on view Jan. 13 through Feb. 25, Zurkow has composed animated allegories about a young girl stuck in a world of emotional pitfalls which vividly describes the human struggle with need, jealousy and others. Erika Harrsch: Objects of Desire, on view March 12 through April 15, investigates woman as objects of desire through the monarch butterfly as a visual icon. Looking past the butterfly, Houston-based artist David A. Brown captures his environment through a camera lens in David Brown: Urban Cathedral on March 1 through April 15. Digital photographs create a transient environment of color, pattern and super-saturated light of water rippling in a sidewalk puddle, reflections of light off a steel car bumper and other mundane trappings of the everyday urban existence. www.diverseworks.org Deepening the understanding of the photographic arts, the Houston Center for Photography’s free exhibits explore works by emerging and under-recognized artists. www.hcponline.org Glenn Ligon: Some Changes examines the subtle influence that the social and political American history has definitively had on Americans' identities, on view at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Jan. 14-April 2. The exhibition will explore sources such as James Baldwin and Richard Pryor in the development of American culture and value systems surrounding race, gender and sexuality. The Museum will also present the work of Houstonian artist Robyn O’Neil in her first solo museum exhibition Jan. 27-March 26. Studying the human condition, Perspectives 150: Robyn O’Neil features meticulously rendered graphite drawings ranging in size from small squares to monumental triptychs to explore ideas of evolution and extinction. www.camh.org While known primarily for her sculptural work, Eva Hesse has expressed the core of her artistic practice through drawings on loose sheets of paper and journals. Hesse’s drawings were vital to the evolution of her widely celebrated sculptural works. The Menil Collection will feature Eva Hesse Drawing and examine approximately 100 of Hesse’s completed drawings, along with rarely exhibited sketchbooks and notebooks, on Feb. 3-April 23. You can also witness one of the most challenging and provocative series of photographer David Levinthal’s career in Insistent Objects: David Levinthal’s Blackface on view March 10-May 7. Levinthal has taken hundreds of photographs to explore the facade and characteristics of black memorabilia to recognize evolving issues of racism. www.menil.org Serving as both an art museum and public forum for education programs and interreligious dialogues on critical issues, The Rothko Chapel is presenting journalist and former diplomat Krista Tippett to explore questions about why there is such a chasm between the purpose of religion and its effect on public life in Religion and the Media on Jan. 23. To address organized religions marginalization and discrimination against gays and lesbians, The Struggle for Truth: Voices from the Margins will discuss how theology can contribute to uniting people who are normally not included. A panelist of four gays and lesbians, on March 15, will join guests to further discuss this topic at a reception afterwards. www.rothkochapel.org For alternative look at art space, visit the Lawndale Art Center where space is dedicated to presenting contemporary art, especially by Houston artists. Through Jan. 21, the Center has an array of exhibits including Detoured by Yumi Janairo Roth. The exhibit displays a series of authoritarian objects that were constructed from glamorous materials to subvert both the material and object itself. Patrons can also explore language that is combined by seemingly unrelated objects in Julie De Vries' Drink My Hair, on view Feb. 3-March 11. After exploring language and its perceptions, interact with the Feast Girls as the collaborative effort of these artists look at spectacle, fashion and art with caution and awe. Feast, on view March 17-April 29, features a performance element and hanging portraits. Beginning May 19, George Lorio reflects on his life experiences in the South, including Texas, using metaphors of natural forms in his sculptures. www.lawndaleartcenter.org At the Children's Museum of Houston, kids speak from around the world in a unique photography exhibit of photos taken by children in Universal Language of Children: Laughter, Imagination and Reflection, on view through May 1. Global Shoes, on view Jan.25-May 7, features shoes from more than 40 countries to explore how the world, its people and the lives they lead through the shoes they wear. The hands-on, feet-in, exhibit features children’s stories and artwork to describe their lives from their shoes' point of view, a fantasy shoe store and factory, and interactive audio and video exhibits. To help create and foster a positive awareness of people living with disabilities, access/Ability delivers the message to children and parents that human beings are more alike than different. The exhibit, on view Jan. 28-May 14, explores different ways of communicating with multi-sensory activities that involve mobility, reading lips, facial expressions and body language. www.cmhouston.org The only American museum dedicated primarily to preserving the legacy and honor of the African-American soldier, the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is presenting African American Military Chaplains in January. Retired U.S. Army Chaplain DeFarris Gooden will lecture in February and the exhibit African American Women in the Military will begin in May. The Museum also features historical artifacts, documents, videos, prints and other memorabilia to illustrate extreme diversities that brave men and women overcame while fighting in American wars. www.buffalosoldiermuseum.com Rice Gallery, the only university museum in the country dedicated to installation art, is beginning the 2006 season with David Ellis' Conversation. The exhibit is on view Jan. 19 through Feb. 26 as Ellis mixes down-home and downtown from his North Carolina roots and urban interests. New Student Work will also be displayed April 23-May 13 in Rice Student Exhibition 43 and feature works by graduating visual arts majors that focuses on a variety of media. www.ricegallery.org The University of Houston'’s Blaffer Gallery, which promotes learning as a continuous process by linking contemporary ideas and people, presents Girls' Night Out. The exhibit, on view Jan. 21-April 1, brings together an international and intergenerational group of women artists with works in photography and video that share themes in new notions of beauty and provocative inquiries into youth culture among others. The 2006 Masters Thesis Exhibition, on view April 15-April 29, follows three years of research and development of U of H graduating artists and offers many students their first opportunity to show their work in a museum context. www.blaffergallery.org ATTRACTIONS GALORE! Come to Space Center Houston, the Official Visitors Center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, for the Ultimate Spring Break for Kids March 11-19, with animal tricks from the Purina Incredible Dog Team, cartoon characters and magic. Visitors of all ages can look at the curious intersection between Robots and Us Feb. 18-May 7 and meet the lifelike intelligent machines known as robots and explore the 5,000 foot exhibit that looks into their history. Artificial intelligence, vision, hearing, locomotion and communication are just some of the factors that can be examined to understand why we both embrace and fear Robots. www.spacecenter.org The Grand Prix of Houston returns after a five-year hiatus. The Champ Car racing event will take place May 11-13, 2006 at Reliant Park. See extreme Grand Prix racing at night and see the race teams up close and personal, with plenty of live music and entertainment. Make sure to take a trip to the Houston Zoo for Natural Encounters, the latest renovation of the Zoo's small mammals building. Natural Encounters features meerkats, otters and more, including the long awaited return of the Zoo's vampire bats. After traveling through the seven ecosystems in Natural Encounters, take a spin on the Wildlife Carousel where exotic and unique Texas animals like the armadillo have been hand carved and painted for children of all ages. Painting raccoons, sea lions and birds catching their dinner in midair are just some of the environmental enrichment and training activities during Go Wild Day on March 4. Children can also enjoy a variety of games and crafts, on Waste Management Earth Day April 21-22, from building environmentally friendly bird feeders to puzzling their way through the Migration Trail Maze. www.houstonzoo.org At the San Jacinto Museum of History, you can get a enjoy a view from the observation deck of the world’s tallest memorial column, tour the historic Battleship Texas, enjoy nature trails or look at more than 17,000 historical Texas artifacts. On March 19, enjoy a walk through hundreds of classic cars and picnic with the family during the Fords of the 50's Club 23rd Annual Old Car Picnic. On April 22, patrons can enjoy live entertainment and participate in the activities at the San Jacinto Day Festival, watch hourly screenings of the movie Texas Forever! and witness hundreds of historical re-enactors stage the Battle Re-enactment which won Texas’ independence in 1836. A new boardwalk will also make its public debut along the San Jacinto Marsh. www.sanjacinto-museum.org Visit Traders Village April 1-2 for the 11th Annual Bayou City Cajun Festival. From steaming hot “mud bugs” and gumbo to live music and Cajun-themed gift items, this is one of the biggest parties in the spring. Chili cooks from throughout Texas converge April 22-23 on Traders Village for a weekend of hot chili and hotter music during the 35th annual Houston Pod Chili Cook-Off. www.tradersvillage.com Splash into 40 acres and more than two million gallons of summer fun at Six Flags SplashTown in 2006. At Houston's largest and most diverse water park, families and thrillseekers alike will enjoy dozens of incredible rides, slides, chutes and floats. www.sixflags.com/parks/splashtown Do more on the weekend. Log on to www.visithoustontexas.com to plan a weekend close to home.

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