WHAT'S YOUR PICK THIS WEEKEND?

Greetings and welcome to GISH PICKS: A GUIDE TO CULTURAL ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES, a free weekly e-newsletter/blog I created as a service to the Houston community in 2003. Please enjoy!

As you may know, I love to support cultural activities – this newsletter is an example of that. I also love Houston, so back in March, I created a Facebook page, Houston Gems, to celebrate unique people, places, and things about Houston. Stop by and check out the Gems and feel free to add some of your own! This week I decided that I was tired of negativity on Facebook, so I created a public “event” called “Enjoy Life (every day).” If you’re on Facebook, you can see it here. It’s kind of a crazy idea – taking a concept (enjoying life) and turning it into an event – but it’s really caught on. Many people are not only “going to Enjoy Life” but they’re also sharing on the page HOW they enjoy life! It’s so much fun – I hope you’ll join us. And, remember, it’s not really an event – it’s a mantra!

One of the many hats I wear is as an artist. Being an artist and making art is not easy financially so I’m going to get right to the point here: I’m raising funds for an art project that will be at the Art Car Museum in the fall, so click here to learn more. No pressure here, I just wanted you to know about it in case you could help out.

Former First Lady Andrea White has a super cool online book project so read below to learn more about that. And Houston may have lost the bid for the 2012 Olympics but we have our very own Junior Olympics here right now…GO USA!

Raise your hand if you’d like a copy of THE SUMMER BOOK: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES! Ok, never mind, I can’t see your hands but if you “Like” my GISH PICKS Facebook page by this Friday and you Facebook message me with your mailing address, I’ll pop one in the mail to you. Summer ain’t over yet, so I believe you’ll still find my book handy. I’ve got camps listed in the back by date so you can easily search for the ones available in August. And even if you don’t want a book – and you just want to help out – please “Like” my page. Thanks!

Have a great week and GO.FIND.FUN.

HANDS-ON HOUSTON KID CRAFTS: NATURE-INSPIRED POLYMER CLAY MAGNETS.

This Saturday, August 4, from 11am-3pm, head on down to the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft at 4848 Main Street for artsy fun. Kids can create their own nature-inspired polymer-clay magnet, while learning about the properties of this versatile plastic clay. And they will get to watch as members of The Houston Polymer Clay Guild squish the clay through a craft pasta machine to combine different colors and create a marbled visual effect. They’ll get to choose their favorite-colored marbled slab to cut out the base of their magnet and create a collage on the surface, using polymer clay branches, leaves, flowers, etc. The creation will then be “cooked” in a small toaster oven for about 20 minutes.

While kids wait for the polymer clay to cure, families can check out the Museum’s current exhibition, Interstitial Spaces: Julia Barello & Beverly Penn, which is also inspired by nature. Families can complete a fun activity guide that includes sketching in the large gallery; then they can explore the Craft Garden, and look at all of the wonderful plants that can be used for fiber arts. After the fun exploring, families can then come back to glue a magnet to the back of the piece and take it home!

HANDS-ON HOUSTON is a free craft-activity open house on the first Saturday of every month. Each month, a teaching artist demonstrates a craft related to the current exhibitions. The Museum provides the materials, and the kids provide the creativity! Families and children of all ages are welcome. This program supports HCCC’s mission to advance education about the process, product and history of craft.

IT’S OLYMPIC TIME HERE IN HOUSTON!

Sure, some Olympics are going on across the pond, but we here in Houston are the host of games just for kids. The 2012 AAU Junior Olympic Games is the largest, national, multi-sporting event conducted annually for youth. For the first time, Houston will host the 2012 AAU Junior Olympic Games, which continue through Saturday, August 4. Approximately 15,000 participants representing the 50 states and U.S. territories will take part in 18 various sports, with AAU national champions being crowned in each one. With an estimated 30,000 spectators, the economic impact for the local host communities is estimated at over $60 million. 2,000 volunteers are needed for this prestigious, national event.

“The AAU Junior Olympic Games pride itself with the Nation’s most outstanding athletes year in and year out,” said Paul Campbell, Chairman. “This event provides a unique opportunity for youth athletes of different sports to come together. Founded in 1888, the Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer, multi-sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs for all ages. Over 500,000 participants and 50,000 volunteers share AAU’s philosophy of “Sports for All, Forever.”

MOVIES JUST FOR KIDS, BY KIDS, ABOUT KIDS.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Aurora Picture Show are busy showing fun films on their screens, keeping kids cool in the hot summer! “Reel Kids” features two films this week, starting with “The Adventures of Prince Achmed,” screening tomorrow at the MFAH at 2pm. Inspired by the Arabian Nights, this enchanting fairy tale follows the journey of a handsome prince who is tricked by a wicked sorcerer.

And this Saturday, August 4 at 11am is the “Aurora Boot Camps World Premiere,” also screening at the MFAH. Young filmmakers' visions come to life on screen at the closing screening of films made by the students enrolled in Aurora’s summer filmmaking boot camps (three sessions ages 9-12 and one session ages 13-17). Friends, fans and parents are invited to see the work of these future auteurs. This event is part of the Aurora Picture Show’s “Popcorn Kids” program. And later this month, the Aurora is hosting another “Popcorn Kids” production on Friday, August 24 at their site at 2442 Bartlett Street – the “I Can Do Anything!” film screening for kids which yours truly curated. We’ll have fun kid films and a warm up with Girls Rock Camp Houston.

All screenings listed above are free and open to the public.

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS CAN HELP ANDREA WHITE EDIT HER LATEST BOOK.

Award winning children’s author and Houston’s former First Lady Andrea White, whose fascinating futuristic novels attract middle school readers, has launched a unique interactive “e-book” that gives students the rare opportunity to become “Editors for a Day.” White’s online book, entitled Time Angel, which can be found at www.upcitychronicles.com, empowers young readers and at the same time, gives language arts teachers a simple, but elegant teaching tool and guest author/lecturer via Skype.

“It’s important for our school children to have enrichment projects despite budget cuts,” said White, who won the 2012 Middle School Spirit of Texas Award presented by the Texas Library Association. “I am donating my time, and the online text will be available for free download this fall.” In her online note to students White writes: “I have posted a draft of my new book, Time Angel. But I know I’ve made mistakes. I know you can help me tell the story better.“ White invites young readers to suggest a more creative plot, work on character development, and correct any punctuation, spelling or grammatical errors and even send illustrations.

“If your book club or class engages in this activity, I am happy to Skype with them,” White offers teachers, librarians and others whose sometimes-difficult job it is to get and keep kids reading. The first name and school name of all participating students will appear in the back of the book when it is published in the spring of 2013 by namelos publisher Stephen Roxburgh, the editor for Madeleine L’Engle and Roald Dahl, who has been involved with books for young readers for more than 35 years. White is also the author of several other books for kids, including Windows on the World, which can be purchased on Amazon.com.

Sarah Gish
GISH CREATIVE
1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116
Houston, Texas 77057
phone/fax: 713.482.7065
artist.mama.connector.changemaker.

© 2012 Sarah Gish

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