Houston View » Art

The Homesick Texan Cookbook

HoustonView Staff — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:12:07 +0000

When Lisa Fain, a seventh-generation Texan, moved to New York City, she missed the big sky, the bluebonnets in spring, Friday night football, and her family’s farm. But most of all, she missed the foods she’d grown up with. After a fruitless search for tastes of Texas in New York City, Fain took matters into her own hands. She headed into the kitchen to cook for her friends the Tex-Mex, the chili, and the country comfort dishes that reminded her of home. From cheese enchiladas drowning in chili gravy to chicken-fried steak served with cream gravy on the side, from warm bowls of chile con queso to big pots of fiery chili made without beans, Fain re-created the wonderful tastes of Texas she’d always enjoyed at potlucks, church suppers, and backyard barbecues back home. In 2006, Fain started the blog Homesick Texan to share Texan food with fellow expatriates, and the site immediately connected with readers worldwide, Texan and non-Texan alike. Now, in her long-awaited first

Sale Price:$13.48

Houston Classic Mexican Recipes

HoustonView Staff — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:12:04 +0000

Buen provecho! from Houston’s best Mexican kitchens. With close ties to Mexico, it’s no wonder that Houston offers such a peppery punch when it comes to flavorful Mexican cuisine. From Lobster Enchiladas from Cyclone Anaya’s and Poblano Soup from Molina’s to Tamales from Taco Milagro, Pork Belly Torta from Haven, and Wedding Cookies from El Bolillo, each entry in this vibrant addition to Pelican’s Classic Recipes Series represents the favorite flavors from the best and most beloved Mexican restaurants in

Sale Price:$7.96

Via Colori

Cathy Stucker — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:36:25 +0000

Did you like to make chalk drawings on the sidewalk when you were a kid? Houston’s Via Colori street festival takes drawing on the sidewalk to new levels, as guest artists create temporary works of art right before your eyes on the streets on downtown Houston.

This year’s Via Colori festival takes place Saturday, November 19, 2011 and Sunday, November 20, 2011. Events will take place around Downtown Houston; Sam Houston Park & the streets of Allen Parkway & Bagby.

Admission to the festival is free, but there are several optional activities (including bungee jumping!) available for a fee. All proceeds benefit The Center for Hearing and Speech, which has helped thousands of children develop listening, speaking and literacy skills needed to succeed in the mainstream hearing world.

The video below introduces some of the artists who will be drawing at the 2011 festival.

The Via Colori Street Scene features beer and wine sampling, live music, light bites provided by Carrabba’s, and even a festival-wide scavenger hunt with prizes. Tickets for Street Scene are available for $20 at http://viacoloristreetscene.eventbrite.com.

Here are some photos from previous years’ festivals.

Photo Credit: Ed Schipul http://www.flickr.com/photos/eschipul/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo Credit: Linda MacPhee-Cobb http://www.flickr.com/photos/herselfsphotos/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo Credit: Ed Schipul http://www.flickr.com/photos/eschipul/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Houston International Quilt Festival

Cathy Stucker — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 20:28:17 +0000

More than 60,000 quilters and fans from around the world attended the Houston International Quilt Festival, and this year’s festival promises to be bigger and better than ever.

The 2011 Quilt Festival will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Downtown Houston, Texas on November 3 – 6, 2011, with a preview on November 2, 2011.

The festival includes juried competitions, 1000+ vendor booths offering fabrics and other supplies, and more than 400 courses on all aspects of quilting. Class registration is available onsite. A complete listing of classes is available at the quilt festival website.

Even non-quilters can enjoy viewing the amazing works of art on display. More than 1,500 antique and contemporary quilts, original cloth dolls and wearable art will be displayed at the quilt festival.

Photo credit: Big Bang Quilt by zephrene, on Flickr

Daily admission is $10 with a discounted rate of $8 for seniors and students. Children 10 and younger are admitted free with a paying adult. A pass for the entire festival is $35.

Location: George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston, Texas, 77010 USA
Dates and Times:

Thursday, November 3, 2011, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday, November 4, 2011, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 5, 2011, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, November 6, 2011, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For more information about the show:
Call: 713-781-6864
E-mAIL: shows@quilts.com
Website: http://Quilts.com/

Art-o-mat Art Vending Machine at DiverseWorks

Cathy Stucker — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 03:41:46 +0000

Have you ever wondered what happened to all of those old cigarette vending machines, now that smoking isn’t cool? Well, several of them (more than 90, at last count) have been converted to Art-o-mat machines that dispense small works of art for just $5 each. The machines are in locations in 29 states across the U.S., plus one in Canada and one in Austria.

During a recent visit to the DiverseWorks gallery here in Houston, I purchased two very cool Art-o-mat artworks from the machine located there. One is a wire necklace, made by artist Mirtha Aertker, and the other is a mixed media photo collage by artist Giovanna Carrola. My friend Julie Howell was with me, and you can read her take on the Art-o-mat at her SkyJules blog.

To buy art from an Art-o-mat, you simply insert a $5 bill into the vending machine then pull the lever. Although you won’t know exactly what you are buying until it is in your hands, many of the slots are marked with the name of an artist and the type of art so you can choose a painting or drawing, wooden art, jewelry, glass art, etc. The surprise when you pull your art from the machine is part of the fun of the Art-o-mat experience.

All of the artworks must be the proper size to be vended by the former cigarette machines. Some are packaged in a box the size of a cigarette pack, while others are created on or attached to a wooden block the size of a cigarette pack.

Currently, Houston has just the one Art-o-mat art vending machine at DiverseWorks. There was a second, several years ago, but no one seems to know where it ended up. And if the rumors are true, there will be another Art-o-mat installed at the new Whole Foods store at West Dallas and Waugh when it opens in 2011.

Meanwhile, the only place in Houston to get your own $5 nicotine-free art is DiverseWorks. The machine is just inside the front door, but go ahead and walk through the galleries. There are ever-changing exhibits of many types of art, and the gallery often hosts music, dance and other performances.

If you are an artist who would like to see your work in an Art-o-mat, there is information on how to apply at the Art-o-mat site.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

Cathy Stucker — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:45:47 +0000

The purpose of the Center is to advance education about the process, product and history of craft, with an emphasis on crafts made of fiber, metal, glass, clay and wood. There are two exhibit galleries, a retail gallery and studio space for use by artists in residence. The exhibition galleries feature changing exhibits in many media. The retail gallery features one of a kind objects by artists from around the country, including local artists. Hands-on workshops are offered for all ages.

Docent-guided tours can be scheduled Tuesdays – Fridays between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. These tours are approximately one hour long. Visit the current exhibitions, talk to on-site Artists-in-Residence and see art in action. Tour groups also have the opportunity to explore the Craft Garden, where artists grow plant material used in craft making.

All tours and workshops are limited to forty people. There is no fee, however, donations are always appreciated.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
4848 Main Street
713-529-4848
Open Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. Noon-5 p.m. (Closed Sundays during the summer.)
No admission charge. Donations accepted.
http://www.crafthouston.org

Take Main Street southwest from downtown. Turn right into the parking lot, just before Rosedale Street and the Lawndale Art Center.

Image Credit: Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

Jim Sanborn Light Sculpture – A,A

Cathy Stucker — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:21:39 +0000

The official name of this artwork is A,A. Artist Jim Sanborn took more than a year to complete the work, and it is composed of portions of poems, novels and prose written in many different languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Russian and Arabic.

Located on the University of Houston campus, the sculpture is most interesting after dark, when a projector casts lights through the copper and bronze piece, causing the text to appear on the outside walls of the M.D. Anderson Library.

The project was completed in 2004, and cost nearly a quarter of a million dollars. In addition to A,A, the library contains two other pieces by Jim Sanborn. In the library’s third-floor reading room, bronze panels display portions of poems and other literature, and a 24-ft. bronze scroll detailing the history of papermaking hangs from the ceiling to the first floor.

One of Sanborn’s most famous works, Kryptos, includes four encrypted messages. Three of the four have been deciphered, but the fourth remains a mystery. Kryptos is, appropriately, displayed on the grounds of the Langley, Virginia headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The A,A sculpture is located on the University of Houston campus, outside the M.D. Anderson Library. It is visible 24 hours a day, and there is no admission charge.

From downtown, take I-45 South to Spur 5 South. Turn right on University Drive (the first stoplight). To obtain a visitor parking permit, visit the Information Center at Entrance 1 on University Dr. or the Information Center on Cullen Blvd near the Athletics/Alumni Facility.

Image Credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15279949@N02/ / CC BY 2.0

Houston Neon

Cathy Stucker — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:04:34 +0000

You can find neon in unexpected places around Houston, including a church founded by freed slaves.

Here are some Houston neon photos to give you a peek at some of the neon you can find around town.

You can see lots more Houston neon photos in the Houston Neon photo group on flickr.

Houston Carnival

Image Credit: Cordey | CC BY 2.0

Blue

Continental Club, Houston
Image Credit: Cortney Martin82 | CC BY 2.0

Neon Museum Exhibit

A model of a petrochemical plant in the Houston Museum of Natural Science
Image Credit: Tom_Adams | CC BY-SA 2.0

Neon Crackle

A detail shot of the museum exhibit in the photo above
Image Credit: Chris Denbow | CC BY 2.0

Holder’s Pest Control Neon Roach

Neon Palm

Image Credit: Eschipul | CC BY-SA 2.0

Project Row Houses

Cathy Stucker — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:59:57 +0000

Project Row Houses renovated 22 shotgun houses in the Third Ward and created programs to serve the community. The Project has since grown to 40 properties from the original 22, including twelve artist exhibition and/or residency spaces, seven houses for young mothers, artist residencies, office spaces, a community gallery, a park, low-income residential and commercial spaces.

Project Row Houses has also renovated the historic Eldorado Ballroom, and holds concerts and other events at the location, known as a hot spot to see great African-American entertainers during the days of segregation. Great Houston-born musicians such as Sam “Lightning” Hopkins and Johnny “Guitar” Watson got their start at the Eldorado. The ballroom is at 2310 Elgin at Dowling, near the Project Row Houses.

Project Row Houses
2521 Holman St. Houston, Texas
713-526-7662
Open Wed.-Sun. Noon-5 p.m.
No admission charge. Donations accepted.
http://www.projectrowhouses.org

From Richmond and Montrose, go east on Richmond (which becomes Wheeler), and turn left on Dowling. Go about nine blocks, and turn right on Holman.