Gish Picks: Weekend of October 19, 2012

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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 and please share. My business grows by word-of-mouth from people like YOU!

Art is on my mind this weekend, as it’s the opening of the second annual Texas Contemporary Art Fair and also “Heart Anthology: An Interfaith Women’s Art Event". I’ll have a piece in the “Heart Anthology” event and it promises to be an evening of music, art, and female fun. I hope you’ll join me! I feel exposing kids to art is so very important – so much so that I’ve started a tradition with my younger son, who is also an artist. We go on a monthly “Art Date” to various spots around town – this started when the Fine Art Fair was here last month. I took him to that on a whim and he ran around (literally!) looking at all the art joyously. I decided then and there to make it a regular date – our next date will be going to the Texas Contemporary Art Fair…and next month, we’ll be checking out Tony Feher’s interesting new show (art out of found objects such as pennies and soda bottles – your kids will LOVE seeing his creativity!) at the newly renovated Blaffer Art Museum. I can’t wait!

This Saturday, October 20, from 3-5pm is my workshop “What’s Your Purpose?” This is the class for you if you are looking for a way to be more in alignment with YOU. Are you looking for women in community? I’ve been having a great time with mamas and other women at our newly-formed FOLLOW YOUR HEART: A TRANSFORMATION CIRCLE and would love for YOU to join us! We meet on Mondays from 6-8pm at the lovely CoInside meeting space and so far, we’ve been busy plotting our dreams, finding ourselves, and laughing with new friends. It’s only $10 to get a focused exercise and more fun than a barrel of monkeys (drop-ins welcome…). How does it get better than that?!

Congrats to new GISH PICKS Facebook page LIKE-er Juliana Mazurkewicz, who won passes for dance classes at Planet Funk Academy, which offers a lively Saturday morning’s kids’ Hip Hop class as well as a slew of other funky dance ed. Want to win your own passes? Go to Facebook land, find GISH PICKS, and hit LIKE. I’ll pick winners from my new fans so good luck! (P.S. While you’re in Facebook land, please like my page for THE SUMMER BOOK: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS. Many thanks!).

Have a great week and GO.FIND.FUN.

BUFFALO BAYOU OFFERS TONZA KID FUN.

This Saturday, October 20, from 11am-3pm, join Buffalo Bayou Partnership and KBR for the 6th Annual “KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou.” The day will be filled with FREE family fun, hands-on educational activities, music, food, park performers, and boat rides on the bayou! Activity stations will include a showcase of bayou animals and insects, wildflower seed ball making, crab marsh, and numerous hands-on activities from over 30 Houston non-profit organizations partners. There will also be kayaking and skateboarding demonstrations, local entertainment (including Leah White singing her hits about historic Houston from the cd I co-produced, Our Roots are Strong, face painters and balloon artists. Pontoon boat tours ($2/person) will provide a unique perspective of Houston and Buffalo Bayou and there will also be a Halloween Costume Parade, so have your kids come dressed in their favorite costumes!

The schedule includes Leah White performing at 11:30am; the Halloween Costume Parade at 12:30pm; Healthy Eating Games with “Captain Kale” at 1pm; break dancing by Break Free Crew at 1:30pm; and several other dance groups, including Planet Funk Academy and Emotion Dance Company, from 2-3pm.

Food and drink will be available for purchase. This event takes place at the downtown Sabine Promenade (150 Sabine Street) between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive. Parking is available at City Lot H (next to Fonde Recreation Center at Sabine Street and Memorial Drive) and Lot C (Memorial Drive and Houston Avenue). Buffalo Bayou Partnership is the non-profit organization revitalizing and transforming Buffalo Bayou, Houston's most significant natural resource. KBR is a global engineering, construction, and services company supporting the energy, hydrocarbon, government services, minerals, civil infrastructure, power, industrial, and commercial markets.

THIS BAT-MAN IS SILENT, SORTA

This Friday, October 19 at 7:30pm Discovery Green and Houston Public Media present SILENT SHADOW OF THE BAT-MAN as part of the Houston Public Media Silent Film Concerts series. Each film in this series is accompanied by live music -- new, original scores by Texas musicians set to silent films from the 1920s, in this case, the musicians are Two Star Symphony. The film is a new compilation of vintage film clips by filmmaker Andre Perkowski, who will introduce the film -- a 1920s-style short depicting the origin of "The Bat-Man" and introducing his amazing skills and abilities (called “Bat-Man” since this is a new interpretation). Batman creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger drew on a lot of silent films and pulp to create Batman - here their stories are rearranged to tell Bruce Wayne's story and his crusade against crime. You’ll get to see the Joker, Oswald Cobblepot (AKA The Penguin), and Cat-Woman plus the Scarecrow and the scientific genius of R'as Al Ghul. It will be full of pulsepounding, teethgrinding excitement as "The Bat-Man" falls into the Joker's trap - literally.

The original score by Two Star Symphony promises to be unique. Since its inception in 2002, Houston’s unique string ensemble has played many venues from small bars to vast auditoriums, collaborated with local theaters and traveled to both coasts to perform. Two Star Symphony is Jo Bird (viola/toy piano), Debra Brown (violin), Margaret Lejeune (cello/harp) and Jerry Ochoa (violin).

This event is free and open to the public. SILENT SHADOW OF THE BAT-MAN is 50 minutes long and art cars will be there for the viewing (including mine, the Hubba Hubba Art Car). Picnics, blankets, and kids of all ages are welcome.

SKATESTOCK ROCKS THE BLOCK.

SKATESTOCK is coming to the Lee and Joe Jamail Skate Park this Saturday, October 20 from noon-9pm. This “peace, love and skateboards” event is a one-of-a-kind, FREE grassroots, all day event connecting the dots between skateboarding, music, art, and science. The park will be transformed into a massive open-air gallery featuring Houston’s best artists and photographers. Master of Ceremonies will be Houston’s own Chris Gentry of Pro Riders and there will be live music on two stages from groups such as Something Fierce, Sanctus Bellum, No Love Less, Hershel Berry and the Natives, DJ Brother Roo and many more. When the sun goes down, surfing videos will be projected on the ceiling of the World's Largest Cradle while skaters enjoy carving through it. In addition, unique physics experiments will be conducted on the skater's velocity and weightlessness by Professor Adrian Lenardic, Rice University Earth Science Department. Everyone is encouraged to get their hands dirty and make some art as there will be several interactive workshops taking place throughout the park all day and night. Cameras, skateboards, and curiosity are encouraged!

One of the primary goals of SKATESTOCK is to inspire and expose Houston’s young skaters to the world of art, music, and science. A portion of art sold will be donated to the Houston Parks Board for remodeling the Skater Alley section of the park.

HAIRCUTS THAT FIT YOU!

Melissa Noble has been my hair stylist for awhile now and she recently gave me another fantastic cut – but this time, she also cut my 12 year-old son’s hair and he’s looking snappy and stylish too! She is a multi-faceted and passionate independent hairstylist and make-up artist who has built a reputation and client base in the cultural community from word of mouth by sculpting each person’s hair to its natural movement as well as adding longevity with the shape and cut.

She truly understands any kind of hair - her specialty is her attention to the detail of precision cutting and “carving” each hairstyle while being sensitive to her client’s lifestyle needs as well as with color. She is always accountable and service oriented. I promise you’ll not only get full attention from her without all the noise or attitude of a large shop but you’ll also get great conversation as Melissa is actively involved in many local arts nonprofits, including KPFT-FM, DiverseWorks, and Project Row Houses; most recently she spearheaded this weekend’s electronics drive for the “WhatIF™ Campaign” (listed below).

Melissa operates in a quiet, serene, art-filled studio that overlooks a garden in the Montrose area where she was raised. For appointments, contact her at 713.520.5878, or at melissaenoble@gmail.com.

DON’T FILL OUR LANDFILLS…CREATE JOBS.

Community leaders asked a question.... "What if....instead of filling up our landfills with retired electronic waste, we donated it to create jobs for individuals living with disabilities in our community?" and UHY responded, "Why Not UHY? We can and will happily take the first step!" Thus began the “WhatIF™ Campaign,” a socially responsible community initiative that is creating job training and employment opportunities through the collection and donation of toxic electronic waste to Easter Seals Greater Houston. The mission of the campaign is to collect and responsibly recycle 500,000 lbs of electronics through a 60-day campaign beginning that ends on America Recycles Day, November 15, 2012. Proceeds from your donation of waste to Easter Seals Greater Houston will ensure a sustainable jobs training and employment program for people living with disabilities in the electronic waste recycling industry at CompuCycle, a R2 and ISO Certified company.

KPFT-FM is taking donation of acceptable goods on Friday, October 26 from 7am-2pm and HEB at 1701 W. Alabama is taking them on Saturday, October 27, 10am-4pm – ONE DAY ONLY for both sites. I’m bringing some old electronics – won’t you join me in this recycle revolution?!

GISH PICKS is a free weekly email in which 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.

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Sarah Gish GISH CREATIVE 1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116 Houston, Texas 77057 phone/fax: 713.482.7065 artist.mama.connector.changemaker. © 2012 Sarah Gish Designed by West of the World