Welcome to this week's "Gish Picks", where I highlight family-oriented cultural events, products or services. Please note that I "highlight" events, but I don't know if they are appropriate for your particular children, so choose wisely based on age, maturity and interests.

I know many of you go to events based on GISH PICKS recommendations; PLEASE remember to tell the organization that you are there because of us. Word-of-mouth like yours helps our business to grow. In the same spirit, please also feel free to share GISH PICKS with friends and families.

Do you have something you would like to promote on Gish Picks? Advertisers can promote family-friendly events, products or services to Houstonians all over the city and the surrounding area who are active parents, involved citizens and great shoppers. We love doing this community service and want to keep it free for our readers but in order to justify the hours spent researching, writing and designing this newsletter, we need advertising support. If you'd like to learn more, please click below.

SUMMER'S ALMOST HERE. We're busy putting together THE SUMMER BOOK: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS, so if you are the director of a summer camp program, please check our website for details. The book will be available in bookstores March 1. Stay tuned for details!

TWEETIN' FOR CULTURE!  Hey tweet peeps! Follow me on Twitter and you'll get lots of PICKS of fun times in Houston – news you can use.  I look forward to being stalked by you!

Now, GO FIND FUN!

JAZZ IT UP WITH THE KIDS.

This Sunday, February 7 at 3pm, Da Camera of Houston presents a free family concert for music lovers of all ages by jazz bassist Ben Allison and his Man Size Safe quintet (cool name, but don’t ask me where it came from as I couldn’t find why anywhere!). Ben Allison has received accolades for his many projects, which include forming four bands, forming a Jazz Composers Collective in NYC, and his latest, The Think Free Project, which spun off from the release of his CD with the same name. Allison has been described as a “visionary composer, adventurous improviser, and strong organizational force on the New York City jazz scene” (JazzTimes). His Man Size Safe quintet mixes joyous exuberance with good-humored irreverence and textured grooves. The bassist is joined by Shane Endsley on trumpet, Jenny Scheinman on violin, Steve Cardenas on guitar, and Rudy Royston on drums. The concert is part of Da Camera’s annual Community Residency Project, a week-long residency with the artist in which they take part in interactive activities and public performances designed to enrich the musical and cultural life of Houston, particularly in neighborhoods that have limited access to chamber music and jazz.

This interactive event features a question-and-answer session with the musicians and will take place at the Jewish Community Center’s Kaplan Theater, 5601 S. Braeswood.

HE WAS GREEN LONG BEFORE WE WERE!

Join InterActive Theater Company as they present "George Washington Carver" this Saturday, February 6, for an 11am "Target Super Saturday" matinee. It's "Black History Month" so InterActive pays homage to science with a celebration of one of the first environmentalists, Dr. Carver. The story begins as he returns to the secret garden of his childhood to visit old friends Birdy, Miss Amaryllis and Poet-Tree. With help from children in the audience, Dr. Carver mixes the "perfect" soil, reuses and recycles trash on the farm, and teaches everyone how to grow where they're planted. Kids in the audience will actively participate on stage while learning how to plant seeds, reuse and recycle, and some valuable life lessons along the way. This production is appropriate for ages 5+, runs approximately 1 hour, and is chock full of the company’s signature interaction with the audience.

Tickets are $6/each and are half-price this Saturday and on Saturday, February 27 at 11am, which is the last day of the show.

KIDS CAN MAKE PINS AT THE CRAFT MUSEUM.

This Saturday, February 6, from 11am-3pm, join the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft for “Hands-On Houston”, a free craft-activity open house for the whole family on the first Saturday of every month. This month’s featured art is “Faux Enamel Pins” led by artist Jason Kishell. Visitors will get to create beautiful, colored pins as a brooch or badge. Using a simulated enamel technique on metal foil, participants will make unique compositions to wear and take home. All ages are welcome and materials will be provided.

Before or after the activity, get inspired by the current exhibitions celebrating the metal arts and jewelry: “Iron: Forged, Tempered, Quenched”; “eXtreme Tea” (tea implements), and “Transmutations: Material Reborn” (plastic and resin jewelry).

Valentine’s Day is almost here, so check out their Asher Gallery gift shop, which has perfect, one-of-a-kind gifts for Valentine’s Day.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is located at 4848 Main Street in the Museum District. Admission is always free and group tours for adults or school groups are available by appointment.

THIS WEEK'S ATTRACTION...BUFFALO SOLDIERS NATIONAL MUSEUM. For more attractions, go to www.gishcreative.com/attractions.htm.

A visit to the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is a great way to kick off “Black History Month,” especially since kids learn best by touching, seeing, and hearing history up close. “Buffalo Soldier” was a term coined by Indians upon seeing blacks (they called them “Wild Buffalo”) in the late 1800’s and later became a generic term for all African-American soldiers. It is now used for U.S. Army units that trace their lineage back to the historical 9th and 10th Cavalry units who fought in the Civil War. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum offers its patrons a complete look at African American military history from 1770 to 2000 (Revolutionary War to the Persian Gulf War) and provides fun, interactive, multi-media educational exhibits. Among its many outreach programs, the museum participates in parades, gives historical lectures, and created a youth drill team and a summer high school ROTC internship program. In addition, the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum is an active participant in national veteran projects, such as the Veterans' Registry Program.

The Museum is located at 1834 Southmore and will be relocating to 3816 Caroline Street later this year. The Museum opens and conducts tours Monday through Friday from 10am-5pm and on Saturdays from 10am-4pm. The Museum is closed on Sundays.

JCC OF HOUSTON HOSTS ONLINE EVENT TO BENEFIT CHILDREN.

JCC of Houston is hosting an online auction with hundreds of items for you and your family to enjoy. Proceeds will benefit more than 300 children from all religious and ethnic backgrounds in need of financial assistance for infant care, day care, after school care and summer camp, as well as special needs programming. Start your bidding TODAY by visiting http://auctionstar-online.com/JCCH2010.

Here is a taste of what you will find: Spend a day at any one of a number of spas and salons. No time to relax? Make time for yoga or pilates classes. Are the kids bored? Purchase a fully stocked library to keep them learning. Need a space for your next firm party? Rent the Gremillion Annex for a fraction of the price. A teenage party at Dave and Busters can be yours with a push of a button. Need to find a great gift for your significant other's new job promotion or your anniversary? Purchase a full year golf membership to be used at any of the Redstone Golf courses, including the Houstonian, without having to pay the $30,000 membership fee or the monthly dues for a year. Do you have pre-teens in love with the Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber or Selena Gomez? We have got sold out club level seats for these shows. Plus there are many, many gift certificates to all of those family restaurants that you already go to anyway such as Beck's Prime as well as many, many gift certificates to those "date night" restaurants you dream of going to from Marks to Tony's. No plans for Spring Break? Fly Continental to Washington, DC and visit the Whitehouse, US Senate and House and the Holocaust Museum with a special tour. Need a great gift for your sports fanatic? They have prime autographed sports memorabilia. Want to get away from it all? Fly to California and enjoy a weekend at the magnificent Cal-A-Vie spa.

WHY WAIT? Log on now to http://auctionstar-online.com/JCCH2010 and get those items you want and need! The best part? You will be helping a great cause at the same time.

Sarah Gish
Gish Creative
1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116
Houston, Texas 77057
phone/fax: 713.532.1173

email: sarah@gishcreative.com
web: www.gishcreative.com
and: www.thesummerbook.com
and: www.saveourlandmarks.org

© 2010 Sarah Gish

Designed by West of the World