THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON (MFAH) INTRODUCES ITS FIRST MASCOT AT THEIR "TARGET FREE FIRST SUNDAYS" ON SEPTEMBER 7.

This Sunday from 12:15-7pm, the MFAH is proudly introducing their new mascot: an elephant with a small antelope on its back, modeled after an early 20th-century Ghanaian sword hilt from the Glassell Collection of African Gold. This mascot will be a symbol of the MFAH's commitment to families and programming for children.

The introduction will take place as part of their monthly "Target First Free Sundays" family activities which will take place from 1-5pm. In the Law Building there will be art activities inspired by the African Gold collection, performances by the Intuitive African Dance and Drum Culture, and free family films at 2pm and 3pm in Brown Auditorium Theater ("Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears", "Not So Fast", "Songololo", and "Anna from Benin"). In the Beck Building, there will be a visit from the Houston ZooMobile with live African animals, collage-making focusing on sub-Saharan West Africa, and a Young Audiences of Houston performance of "A Village without Music", which explores the impact music has had on Africans and African Americans.

While enjoying the festivities, visitors may cast ballots to name the new mascot for a chance to win a MFAH family prize pack (the name will be announced at the October 5 Target Free First Sunday).

For more information, call 713.639.7300 or log onto www.mfah.org.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR "GEPPETTO & SON" COMING TO HOUSTON'S ZILKHA HALL SEPTEMBER 11-13.

ACT@TUTS' fifth annual production, Disney's "Geppetto & Son", plays next weekend at the Hobby Center. Combining the much-loved characters of the classic Disney cartoon Pinocchio (along with its familiar song hits "When You Wish Upon A Star" and "Got No Strings") with the popular Drew Carey television film "Geppetto", this new take pulls a few fresh strings for the most famous puppet in the world. With careful guidance by the film's composer, Stephen Schwartz, Disney's "Geppetto & Son" pairs the modern sensibility of Schwartz's "Wicked" with the traditional storybook tale for a fun and fresh result. Tickets for the show are $26-$31.

ACT@TUTS, short for the Apprentice Conservatory Training at Theatre Under The Stars, is an extension of the classes taught through The Academy at Theatre Under The Stars Humphreys School of Musical Theatre, with a focus on talented actor/singer/dancers 13 to 18 years of age. It aims to offer opportunities in complete musical theatre pieces with an emphasis on the performer, supplemented with some physical production and technical aspects.

Classes include Intermediate and Advanced Studies in such areas as Tap, Ballet/Jazz, Acting, Improvisation, Scene Study, Voice and Theory, Musical Theatre Workshop, and Directing. Academy students have numerous opportunities to put their training to work in performance, with final shows at the end of every session as well as student matinee projects and traditional seasonal events.

To purchase tickets call 713.558.8887 or log onto www.tuts.com.

For more about my marketing company, Gish Creative, and the services we offer, please click here. You are on this list because I thought this e-newsletter would be helpful to you or because you signed up for it. However, if you want off this list, click here and you're a goner. Please feel free to tell your friends to subscribe by clicking here.

My goal is to serve as an information resource for Houston parents through my various endeavors, including:

• GISH PICKS, which is online (www.thesummerbook.com/gishpicks_archive.html) and in print through the Houston Community Newspaper group (www.hcnonline.com);
  
  
• THE SUMMER BOOK®: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS (www.thesummerbook.com) which comes out annually on March 1 and is sold at bookstores all over Houston, including Barnes and Noble and Borders; and
  
  
• SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS, PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, AND ART PROGRAMS that cover topics such as summertime fun, passion-finding (for adults, children, and parents helping their children), marketing, historic preservation, art classes, and activism. All of these services can be tailored for any audience and budget.

The purpose of GISH PICKS is to help parents become aware of all the fun things they can do with their children in Houston and the surrounding area, so HAPPY TRAVELS! Please do give me feedback and ideas, as you are out there in the trenches also looking for interesting things for your family and I want to hear what you find. If you are having trouble getting to a website listed here, try hitting the “Ctrl” button and left-clicking on the web address, which should make it “live”.