Gish Picks: Weekend of May 4, 2012

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WHAT'S YOUR PICK THIS WEEKEND?

I’ll be at so many events the next two weeks that my head is spinning (more than usual!). I hope you’ll come out to some of them so I can meet you.

First up is The Mommie Series Houston/Summer Edition tonight from 6:30-8:30pm at One Green Street, 5160 Buffalo Speedway. Tickets are $35/advance, $50/door and you’ll get to purchase THE SUMMER BOOK: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS from me and learn about healthy eating, saving money by going green, and more from experts in their fields. Tomorrow, come chat with me at the Central Library downtown at noon as I present "Gabbing with Gish," a series of short, interactive talks on select topics throughout May and June on Thursdays during the lunch hour. Bring a brown bag and let’s get fired up! Tomorrow’s talk will be about creating personal mission statements and finding your purpose and it will be inside the first floor sitting gallery. Each talk is free and will last 30 minutes to be followed by discussion and I’ll always have handouts. This Saturday, May 5, I’ll be at the Sustainable Living Fest (see deets below) from noon-6pm, where my art car, HUBBA HUBBA ART CAR, will be on view and I’ll be selling my BOTTLE CAP MAMA jewelry as well as THE SUMMER BOOK. We’ll also have a cool art activity for kids involving bottle caps and puzzles – join us in “Funky Art Town”! You can see art cars galore, including mine, this Sunday, May 6, at the Uptown Park Art Car Sneak Preview from noon-4pm. And then next Wednesday, May 9, check out the City’s new Green Building Resource Center (inside the City of Houston Permitting Center) during the event “Celebrate Green Houston,” a fundraiser for one of my fave organizations, Houston Greeters. From 6-8pm, you can join The Honorable Bill and Andrea White, Federico Marques of Ruggles Green, and Gordon Quan, Chairman of the Houston Greeters, to celebrate Houston's achievements in efficiency and sustainability. Tickets are $15/advance and can be purchased here or $20 at the door. There will be healthy bites from Ruggles Green, wine tastings, art exhibits, inspired fashion designs and eclectic tunes as well as tours of the Resource Center. I personally can’t wait to see this new building that I’ve heard so much about. My art car will be parked in front, so you can’t miss the party. And, finally, next weekend I’ll be participating in all the festivities for the Houston Art Car Parade. Check out the calendar and I’ll see you on the road!

I’m still posting (almost) daily about “Houston Gems” – places, people, and things that make Houston great – so follow me on twitter (www.twitter.com/sarahgish) or “like” my new Facebook page to learn about cool Houston each day. All my past gems are archived on twitter (search for #houstongems) and on the Facebook page, so you can grab them and EXPLORE! Today’s post was about the Astrodome and yesterday I got nostalgic about Marvin Zindler, one of the most colorful Houston Gems. While you’re in Facebook land, please slide over to my GISH PICKS site to like it too. Thanks so much for helping me spread the word on cultural activities for families.

There is so much to do so have a great week and GO.FIND.FUN.

“HANDS-ON HOUSTON” IS ROCKIN’ IT WITH PINCH POTS.

This Saturday, May 5, from 11am-3pm, drop by the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft for “Hands-On Houston,” a free, craft-activity open house on the first Saturday of every month. This month, HCCC celebrates the art of the bowl, in honor of the upcoming Empty Bowls Houston event on May 26. Experience the texture and feel of clay, while making pinch pots decorated with small colored rocks. Join Renee LeBlanc, local ceramist and representative of Empty Bowls Houston, as she guides you through this fun activity. Older children and adults may want to further the creative experience by adding clay coils and handles to their pots. The pinch pots will not be fired, so participants may take their bowls when they leave. All ages are welcome and materials will be provided. And as a special treat, throughout the afternoon, current resident artist John Zimmerman will do a live pottery demonstration. Watch John as he throws bowls on a potter’s wheel in the lobby!

Clay for this activity was generously donated by The Ceramic Store and the photo is courtesy HCCC.

“GISELLE” VENTURES INTO THE WOODLANDS.

This Friday, May 4, at 7:30pm, journey into the beautiful world of love, ghosts and mystery with Houston Ballet’s “Giselle,” presented onstage along with the famous lakeside scene from “Swan Lake” and the spectacular showpiece, “Le Corsaire (The Pirate)”. The ballet takes place at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. “Giselle” is the story of a peasant girl deceived by Count Albrecht, her transformation into a Wili (the ghosts of women betrayed on their wedding day), and her forgiveness of her errant lover which results in his salvation. This new staging by celebrated Russian ballerina Ai-Gul Gaisina harkens back to the Russian productions of her childhood. “Giselle” is one of the oldest ballets of the Romantic era still performed.

Families can come early and enjoy pre-performance activities in the Fidelity Investments Plaza beginning at 6:30pm featuring Payne Academy of Performing Arts performing scenes from Swan Lake Acts II & III, as well as The Pavilion Partners Arts & Crafts booth, Fidelity Investments, Woodforest National Bank and Chick-fil-A. Guests are welcome to have a picnic in their seat or on the hill but please keep in mind that beverages cannot be brought into The Pavilion.

Tickets are $20/orchestra seating and free/mezzanine and lawn seating (tickets are not required for free seating).

IT’S CINCO DE MAYO AND TIME TO CELEBRATE.

This Saturday, May 5, organizations around Houston are celebrating the Mexican holiday “Cinco de Mayo.” My friends at the Houston Press did a roundup of Houston's Cinco de Mayo events so check out their list for lotsa fun. And if you’re wondering what the celebration is all about, Wikipedia has a great write-up: “Cinco de Mayo is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called “El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla.” The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Contrary to widespread popular belief, “Cinco de Mayo” is not Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is actually celebrated on September 16.” Viva Mexico!

LET’S LIVE SUSTAINABLY!

Celebrate sustainable living and Houston’s green community at the Sustainable Living Fest 2012 at Market Square Park this Saturday, May 5 from noon-6pm. The Festival has been organized in partnership with the Downtown Home Tour and promises to be a full day of eco-education and solution-based, interactive events as the park transforms into small “towns” to showcase the best and brightest Houston has to offer in sustainable living. Each town focuses on a particular product, for example, Earth Town will be all about the goodness of dirt, Casa Town will tout green home comfort, and Go Town will show Houstonians alternative modes of transportation. Stageville will rock the “village” with local musicians playing throughout the day as well as showcase the Festival’s first recycled fashion show featuring a fantastic array of dance, theater, music and spoken word. A special treat will be the announcement of the City’s new Bike Share Program, Houston B-Cycle, at Market Square Park by Laura Spanjian, City of Houston Sustainability Director, and a Family Friendly Bike Ride by The Green Bicycle Initiative of Houston from 11:30am-12:30pm. Houston B-cycle is a bike-sharing program that currently has stations at George R. Brown Convention Center, Market Square Park and City Hall. Ultimately, bike share will make getting around town a whole lot easier and is perfect for trips that are too far to walk, but too short to drive.

Sustainable Living Fest started a few years ago at Georgia’s Market West Houston as a health and sustainability expo in conjunction with Earth Week and is now a collaborative effort between Houston Green Scene, KWIRX Creative, City of Houston, Downtown District and Georgia’s Market. The festival will “walk the talk” and be a near zero-waste event with water stations and onsite recycling.

The performance schedule is as follows; all shows take place at “Stageville”.

1pm – The Wheel Workers – A socially-conscious band in the same genre as The Flaming Lips, Arcade Fire, and The Pixies.

3pm – Runaway Sun – Texas rock quartet dripping with whiskey and blues. The band’s debut LP, The Bridge, was recorded at Houston’s legendary SugarHill Studios.

4pm - Recycled Fashion Show - Houston’s first recycled fashion show, featuring eco-fashion trends.

5pm– Honky Tonk Blood Brothers – Cast from the film Honky Tonk Blood, Houston’s own rock royalty converge on Stageville to close out the Fest with John Evans, Southern Backtones’ Hank Schyma, Craig Kinsey of the Sideshow Tramps & Emily Bell.

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Sarah Gish Gish Creative 1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116 Houston, Texas 77057 phone/fax: 713.482.7065 GISH AT THE MOVIES GISH PICKS: A GUIDE TO CULTURAL ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES THE SUMMER BOOK: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS HOUSTON: OUR ROOTS ARE STRONG © 2012 Sarah Gish Designed by West of the World