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

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Now, GO FIND FUN!

FIRST SATURDAY ARTS MARKET.

Mitch Cohen has got to be proud as he celebrates the fifth year of his “First Saturday Arts Market” in the Heights, which will take place this Saturday, September 5, 6-10pm. When he founded it in March 2004, the arts market was located on an unused lot behind the Kaplans-Ben Hur Department store at Yale and 21st Streets. After finally establishing name recognition the market was forced to move when Kaplans closed after 85 years. Now located just two blocks south at 548 W. 19th Street in the parking lot of Wind Water Gallery, the market was renamed for the date it occurs rather than its location. The market is now open year round on the first Saturday of each month (October-May from 11am to 6pm and June-Sept from 6pm to 10pm). All the restaurants and stores on 19th Street are open for the fun and there’s even an ice cream truck right in front to make the little ones scream for ice scream! The market has a fun celebratory atmosphere and features all original art by artists including jewelers, painters, stained glass, pottery, photography and fiber arts as well as vendors from area farmers’ markets that make homemade products such as soaps, breads and preserves.

DISCOVER BRAZIL THIS SATURDAY.

The Brazilian Arts Foundation encourages you to “Discover Brazil” this Saturday, September 5 from 4-10pm at their 2009 Houston Brazilian Festival, Houston’s first and only festival dedicated to exploring and celebrating the art, history, life and culture of Brazil. The festival was created and is hosted by the Brazilian Arts Foundation to further its mission of promoting education, good health, vibrant culture, and history of the fifth largest and most populous country in the world. This year’s Festival will showcase dance, art, history, cultural performances and cuisine from across the country and is always family-friendly. The Brazilian Arts Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing cultural education and building community through the preservation and sharing of Brazilian culture. They provide low-cost classes in Capoeira, samba, language, and music, as well as performances across the city and events that promote education, good health, and vibrant culture. Their headquarters are in the Heights.

Tickets are $10/general admission.

BHUTANESE CHILDREN'S ART.

Be sure to visit the Houston Institute for Culture and see "The Story of A Travelling Home: Bhutanese Refugee Children's Art Exhibition" which is on view through next Thursday, September 10. "The Story of A Travelling Home" is a collection portraying memories of Bhutan, Nepal and Houston as seen through the eyes of Bhutanese refugee children. In case you aren't familiar with the Kingdom of Bhutan, it is the only country that officially measures happiness with a Gross National Happiness (GNH)! It's a small, landlocked nation in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalaya and used to be one of the most isolated nations in the world. The Houston Institute for Culture is a nonprofit organization that is located at 708-B Telephone Road in a 1929 building two miles southeast of downtown Houston. It is part of a complex of businesses and organizations located in the Tlaquepaque Market that are working to elevate cultural programs and community services in the historic East End. The Institute presents and co-sponsors meaningful events in conjunction with many other organizations.

THIS WEEK'S ATTRACTION...HOUSTON'S FAVORITE 50 BUILDINGS. For more attractions, go to www.gishcreative.com/attractions.htm.

As a preservationist, I often notice the wonderful architecture in our city (and notice it disappearing all too often…) so I was pleased to see the promotion of fifty Houston buildings in the Central Library Art Gallery that were chosen in consultation with AIA Houston, Houston Chronicle writer Lisa Gray, and Houstonians. This exhibit of “Favorite 50” is on view through September 11 and is a treat to behold: not only are there crisp images of the buildings, but also a historical write-up on each one. The buildings span time periods and styles – from the Galleria to the Cotton Exchange Building as well as the Children’s Museum, Minute Maid Park, Bayou Bend, and the Hilton Americas. The number one building? The 1965 building that was once heralded as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, the Houston Astrodome. This is great news for Astrodome Studios, a project of the Greater Houston Global Management Group, LLC, which plans to take that 740,000 square feet of space and turn it into a massive motion picture, media, and sound production facility (see www.astrodomestudios.net). Visit the show with your kids and then see the buildings themselves as a great learning tool. They’ll never look at our architecture the same way again!

PARLEZ FRANÇAIS AT THE ALLIANCE.

The French Alliance is starting up a new series of French classes for children next Saturday, September 12. Their children’s program immerses children ages 4-15 in the French language, allowing them to learn in a natural way, through visual, kinetic and auditive experiences. Classes meet in seven-week sessions on Saturday mornings at either 9:30am or 11:15am. Tuition is $175 for the 7-week session. Registration must be in advance or a $25 late fee will be assessed and there is a one-time registration fee of $15 for children. You may register by phone anytime using a credit card.

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

© 2009 Sarah Gish

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