20 Reasons to Come to Houston in 2009November 4, 2008
Contact Information: Top Events, Exhibits and Expansions of 2009 HOUSTON (November 3, 2008)— Marie Antoinette, Afghanistan, azaleas and art on wheels seem disparate, but they all have one thing in common: Houston. We have compiled a list of the most important and exciting Houston happenings of the next year. ________________________________________ Max Ernst in the Garden of Nymph Ancolie, The Menil Collection www.menil.org What to expect This exhibition at the Menil showcases work by surrealist Max Ernst, focusing on his mural Pétales et jardin de la nymphe Ancolie. Accompanying the mural will be important and rarely exhibited paintings, drawings and sculptures by Ernst from the early 1930s to the late 1940s. Only in Houston Pétales et jardin de la nymphe Ancolie is the only existing mural by Ernst that has survived in its entirety, and The Menil Collection will be the first venue to exhibit the mural in its fully restored condition. You have to see… The Menil itself. Arts writer Philip Lopate praised the museum when he wrote, “There is nothing else like the Menil in America” in The New York Times Magazine. When to come Through Feb. 15, 2009 ________________________________________ 30 Years of “I Will Survive” – A Disco Evening with Gloria Gaynor and the Houston Symphony www.houstonsymphony.org What to Expect Gloria Gaynor, one of the biggest stars in America's musical firmament, makes her first-ever appearance with full symphony orchestra, when she joins the Houston Symphony. "I Will Survive" was released 30 years ago and remains one of the great anthems of the disco era. Ms. Gaynor's appearance with the Houston Symphony will also include special versions of some of her favorite songs such as "Killing Me Softly" and "Every Breath You Take." Only in Houston Custom musical arrangements have been created for this event, and the disco evening will also include a VIP After-Party with Gloria Gaynor, on stage after the concert. You Have to See… South Beach night club will host a theme party titled "I Will Survive" after the performance. When to come January 23, 2009 ________________________________________ Houston Grand Opera presents CHORUS! www.houstongrandopera.org What to expect Chorus! is a new production that combines 24 of the best known and loved opera and musical theater choruses and creates a fully staged and costumed production that is sure to please any music lover. Only in Houston While not a world premiere because all of these works are pre-existing, this is a brand new idea that fits 24 chourses together into a plot that explores the idea of the group verses the individual. This event is all about Houston Grand Opera. It will feature its world renowned chorus and orchestra which will be conducted by HGO music director Patrick Summers. The production is the creation of world renowned Austrailian director David Poutney. You Have to See… More than 85 voices, more than 400 costumes and music from Madame Butterfly to Sound of Music. When to come January 30-February 13, 2009 ________________________________________ Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston www.mfah.org What to expect This landmark exhibition presents nearly 230 extraordinary archaeological treasures from the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul, many of which were lost for decades. Only in Houston Most of these extraordinary artifacts are on view for the first time in the United States, and the MFAH is the only place to view the treasures in this region. You have to see… Gold objects from the famed Bactrian hoard, a 2,000-year-old treasure cache discovered in 1978 but hidden from view until 2003. When to come Feb. 22-May 17, 2009 ________________________________________ Marie, Houston Ballet www.houstonballet.org What to expect In February 2009, Stanton Welch will unveil a new full-length narrative ballet inspired by the life of the legendary French Queen Marie Antoinette, who was born an Austrian arch duchess in 1755, married the French King Louis XVI at the age of fifteen, and was executed by guillotine at the height of the French Revolution in 1793. London-based Canadian designer Kandis Cook will create the scenery and costumes for the production. Houston Ballet Music Director Ermanno Florio will arrange a score, featuring music by Dmitri Shostakovich. Only in Houston Stanton Welch’s Marie is a world premiere, and Houston is the first place in the world to see this historic performance. You have to see… The magnificent ballgown that the teenage Marie wears for her wedding to Louis XVI. While large, lavish and stunning, the dress is also restrictive like a cage – similar in many ways to the repressive world of the French court that Marie came to as a 15 year-old. When to come Feb. 26-March 8, 2009 ________________________________________ 77th annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ www.rodeohouston.com What to expect Visit the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ to see championship rodeo action, competitive livestock, horse shows and superstars in concert including performances in 2009 by the Jonas Brothers, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift. The full 2009 entertainer lineup will be announced in January. Experience the Show’s unique shopping and dining options, the thrills and chills at the carnival, educational exhibits, and exciting attractions. RODEOHOUSTON™ is the world’s richest regular-season PRCA rodeo, with cowboys and cowgirls riding and roping for their piece of the $1.4 million purse. Only in Houston Only in Houston can you be a part of Western heritage at its finest at the world’s largest livestock show and rodeo. You have to see... The heartwarming calf scramble is a crowd favorite, with 28 young Texans scrambling the floor of Reliant Stadium, trying to catch one of the 14 calves. When to come March 3-22, 2009 ________________________________________ 74th Annual Azalea Trail www.riveroaksgardenclub.org/AzaleaTrail.cfm What to expect This annual tour leads visitors through the magnificent gardens of Bayou Bend and Rienzi, in addition to private homes and gardens in the exclusive River Oaks neighborhood. Only in Houston Houston is one of seven Azalea Cities, certified by the Azalea Society of America. You have to see... Bayou Bend, Texas’ only historic public organic garden. The gardens at Bayou Bend form a fourteen-acre oasis in the midst of a modern metropolis. Bounded on two sides by the lazily curving Buffalo Bayou, from which the estate draws its name, the Bayou Bend gardens are a cohesive eight-part entity made up of natural woodlands and cultivated formal gardens incorporating imported plant material and native species. When to come March 6-8, 2009 ________________________________________ Buffalo Bayou Regatta www.buffalobayou.org What to expect See more than 300 canoe and kayaks paddling along the 15-mile racing route along Buffalo Bayou. Only in Houston The Buffalo Bayou Regatta is Texas’ largest canoe and kayak race. You have to see... The concrete canoes built by the University of Houston Engineering department. When to come March 7, 2009 ______________________________________ Children’s Museum of Houston Expansion www.cmhouston.org What to expect The Children’s Museum of Houston will be bigger and better than ever when its expansion project is completed March 14, 2009. Six brand new, state-of-the-art exhibits will complement the existing 14 action-packed ones. Only in Houston CMH is consistently ranked as one the top two children's museums in the country...and now that it’s got even more, it will remain the leader as the place where children learn as they play. You have to see… Kidtropolis, USA takes special debit cards for kids to spend money, but once they use it all, they have to get jobs to earn back what they spent. Also check out PowerPlay: this three-story exhibit looks more like an avant-garde art installation than an exhibit where kids leap up and down different levels. When to come All new exhibits will be completely functioning March 14, 2009, but the first one, FlowWorks, will splash into town fall 2008. ________________________________________ Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park 2009 www.bayoucityartfestival.com What to expect Houston’s spring art awakening held every March. The International Festival & Events (IFEA) Pinnacle Award-winning event showcases 300 juried fine artists, multi-cultural music and dance, and interactive art at this family-oriented festival. The nationally-ranked event attracts artists from throughout the U.S. and the world who represent 19 distinct art media, from photography to sculpture, jewelry and textile making to mixed media and wood working, and much more! Only in Houston Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park is the only festival to take place in Memorial Park, Houston’s premiere public park enclave. The Festival transforms the park’s tree-lined, 1.1-mile loop into a canopied outdoor art gallery, bursting with fine art and a festive array of “live” entertainment. You have to see Featured artist Larry Stephenson’s watercolors (three-time Watercolor USA Exhibitions award-winning artist), Capital One Bank Creative Zone with free art projects and activities for children, continuous multi-cultural music and dance on the Houston Arts Alliance performance stage, area high school students’ installations and 2-D art displayed amidst the pine trees (Emerging Artists program), plus hands-on, on-site art demonstrations. When to come Friday, March 27 (scope out the ‘territory’ before the big weekend crowds!) through Sunday, March 29, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ________________________________________ The Ten Tenors Performance AND Cast Party, Presented by Society for the Performing Arts www.spahouston.org What to expect Australia’s hottest tenor export makes its Houston debut with an eclectic program drawing from the classical tenor repertoire, Neapolitan ballads and rock classics! Formed in 1995 while studying at university for careers in opera, The Ten Tenors leapt to international attention in 2002 as the surprise guest artists at the Eurovision Grand Prix de la Chanson held in Kiel, Germany. Only in Houston See The Ten Tenors in concert and then join us for a post-performance party on the Jones Hall stage! An additional $100 puts you on the guest list. You have to hear... They sing it all – from Queen to Puccini. When to come Thursday, April 9, 2009 ________________________________________ Brief Encounter, Houston Grand Opera www.houstongrandopera.org What to expect Houston Grand Opera presents the world premiere of André Previn’s Brief Encounter, based on David Lean’s film. A compassionate examination of emotional infidelity, the opera follows Laura and Alec, a couple torn between love and honor, and Laura’s bewildered husband. Only in Houston An internationally recognized industry leader, Houston Grand Opera’s productions are exquisite: a world premiere will be no exception. You have to see… A world premiere calls for brand new sets—experience how stunning they are. When to come May 1-9, 2009 ________________________________________ Busting Down the Door at Jamail Skate Park www.aurorapictureshow.org What to expect Aurora Picture Show teams up with Jamail Skate Park to present a FREE outdoor screening of the film Busting Down the Door to families, film enthusiasts and surf and skate fans of Houston, under the stars. Only in Houston Aurora Picture Show brings Houston audiences experiential screenings where the setting is specially tied to the film content, and introduces Houstonians to films that would otherwise not be seen in the city. You have to see The story of a group of young surfers from Australia and South Africa who sacrifice everything to create a sport, and a film that Variety describes as a work that "looks and sounds sizzling from start to finish." When to come May 2 at 7:30pm ________________________________________ Houston Art Car Parade www.orangeshow.org What to expect 250 rolling works of art, from tricked-out tricycles to cars transformed into mechanical creatures. Entries come from all over the United States and abroad to perform before an enthusiastic crowd of 250,000 excited fans. Only in Houston Houston’s car-crazy culture and fiercely independent spirit collide in an explosion of creativity and color. Art Car Parade is the day Houston shows its wild side to the world! You have to see… Fire breathing metal monsters and illuminated art cars at Friday night’s Sneak Peek tailgate party, part of Orange Show Art Car Weekend. When to come May 9, 2009 ________________________________________ Existed: Leonardo Drew Exhibition, Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of the University of Houston www.blaffergallery.org What to expect Blaffer Gallery presents an exhibition featuring the work of artist Leonardo Drew, who creates emotionally charged sculptures and installations that celebrate the cyclical nature of life. Only in Houston This exhibition is the first mid-career survey dedicated to Leonardo Drew in a U.S. museum and will feature a new installation that will be Drew’s grandest and most ambitious piece to date. You have to see... How Drew uses everyday materials such as cotton, rope, rust, and wood to create works that are emblematic of the black experience, be it led in the fields of the antebellum South or in the streets of contemporary urban America. When to come May 16 – Aug. 1, 2009 ________________________________________ Saint Arnold Brewery—New Building and 15th Anniversary www.saintarnold.com What to expect Saint Arnold Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewery in Texas, will move into a new building at 2000 Lyons Avenue, a three-story brick building originally constructed in 1914. Only in Houston Approximately 50,000 people visit the brewery each year. In addition to the weekly Saturday afternoon brewery tours that have become a Houston tradition, Saint Arnold Brewing plans to offer weekday tours in the new facility. According to Nielsen data, the brewery’s seasonal line is the top selling craft beer sold in grocery stores in Houston. Statewide, both the seasonal line and Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer are among the top 10 craft beer packages sold in grocery stores. You have to see... The new brewery will feature a brewhouse (beer-making equipment) from a closed brewery in a monastery in Germany. The equipment is being refurbished, updated and automated, including the addition of a state-of-the-art energy-saving boiling and mashing system. The expansion into the new facility ultimately will allow for an over 400 percent increase in brewing capacity. The current brewery in Northwest Houston has an annual capacity of 22,500 barrels; the new brewery will have an initial annual capacity of 40,000 barrels expandable up to 120,000 barrels per year. When to come The new building will be open in time for the company’s 15th anniversary in June 2009. ________________________________________ Chevy’s Freedom Over Texas www.chevysfreedomovertexas.com What to expect Join the more than 100,000 revelers for a Texas-sized July 4th experience, complete with live music on four stages, including A-List headliners that will be announced in 2009. Only in Houston This is one of the largest Fourth of July festivals in the country. You have to see... The largest land-based fireworks display in the U.S., presented by Shell. When to come July 4, 2009 ________________________________________ International Quilt Festival www.quilts.com What to expect The world’s largest quilt show, sale, and Quiltmaking Academy attracts nearly 55,000 attendees annually, more than living up to its reputation as the “World’s Fair of Quilts.” Only in Houston Houston has been home to the International Quilt Festival since 1974. You have to see... The International Quilt Festival Collection, a fine collection of antique and contemporary quilts, which was featured in the book Celebrate Great Quilts! When to come October 15-18, 2009 ________________________________________ 21st Anniversary of the Galleria Ice Spectacular www.chevysfreedomovertexas.com What to expect The 21st anniversary of Galleria Ice Spectacular will kick off the holiday season. Only in Houston The ice rink at The Galleria, the home rink for Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski, will be the site of a show featuring a cast of professional skaters, fireworks and lots of holiday magic. You have to see... The 55-foot holiday tree with 100,000 twinkling lights and 5,000 ornaments. When to come November 2009 ________________________________________ Houston Cinema and Media Arts Festival http://cinemartsociety.org/ What to expect In 2009, the Cinema And Media Arts Festival will grow to be a week-long festival with concurrent events throughout Houston. Expect a wide array of live events integrating cinema, music, and performance, outdoor projections, interactive installations in galleries, and Internet-designed and generated movies, as well as theatrical presentations of international films and videos. Only in Houston The festival will be a multidisciplinary collaboration between both rising and established organizations that will reflect Houston’s status as an international art city and transform the Downtown Corridor into an unparalleled cinema and new media experience. You have to see... The works and performances of internationally renowned media artists like those of Lynn Hershman Leeson and Alex Rivera featured in the November 2008 preview festival. When to come November 2009 ### |
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