e-culture: Houston Events, At the Aurora, San Antonio Holidays, Travel Opportunities
December 2, 2004


IN THIS ISSUE

- Houston Events
- At the Aurora
- San Antonio Holidays
- Travel Opportunities



After Arafat: The Tangled Web of Responsibility, a talk by Milton Viorst
Presented by Houston World Affairs Council

A former correspondent for the New Yorker, Viorst has covered the Middle East for three decades. His op-ed pieces and articles have appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and The Los Angeles Times. He is the author of a dozen books, six of them on the Middle East, including the highly regarded "In The Shadow of the Prophet: The Struggle for the Soul of Islam."

Free for HWAC members, $20 non-members.
Thursday, December 2
Registration 6:00pm, program 6:30-7:30pm
Junior League Building
1811 Briar Oaks Lane
http://www.houstonworldaffairs.org

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Globalize Liberation

David Solnit will discuss and sign copies of "Globalize Liberation," a collection of essays he edited on grassroots struggles on three continents. Solnit is a twenty-year veteran of mass direct-action organizing and street confrontations. He helped organize the direct action at the 1999 WTO meeting in Seattle, and has helped popularize street theater and especially puppets as a form of resistance.

Thursday, December 2, 8:00pm
The Artery
5401 Jackson at Prospect (in the Museum District)
http://www.globalizeliberation.org

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An Evening of Music with Pianist, Calogero "Lillo" Di Liberto, First in the Impulse Series

Calogero "Lillo" Di Liberto, an Italian pianist, was the Grand prize winner of the 2001 Concurso International Compositores de Espana in Madrid. Mr. Di Liberto's career has taken him across Europe and throughout the United States. He has given recitals in France, Germany and Australia at the Grosses Saal of the Mozarteum, as well as in Milan, Taranto, and Palermo in his native Italy.

$10.00 suggested donation
Thursday, December 2, 2004, 7:30pm
The Rothko Chapel
1409 Sul Ross Street
Houston, TX 77006
713-524-9839
http://www.rothkochapel.org

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The Take

"The Take" is a political thriller about groups of Argentine workers who are taking over the countryıs bankrupt workplaces and running them without bosses. This film offers one answer to the defenders of predatory globalization who ask their critics what they would put in place of the current system.

$6 admission.
Friday, December 3 and Wednesday, December 8, 8:00
Rice Cinema
Rive University (Entrance 8 from University Blvd.)

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Matir Moina / The Clay Bird
Presented by Voices Breaking Boundaries, Border Crossings and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Set against the backdrop of the turbulent period in the late 1960s leading up to Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan, The Clay Bird tells the story of a family torn apart by religion and war. Anu, a shy young boy from rural East Pakistan (Bangladesh, as it is now known) is sent away by his father Kazi, an orthodox Muslim, to a Madrasah or Islamic school. Far from his family and the warmth of his region1s Hindu festivities, Anu struggles to adapt to the school's harsh monastic life.

As the political divisions in the country intensify, an increasing split develops between moderate and extremist forces within the Madrasah. Back in the village, these same tensions create a growing divide between the stubborn but confused Kazi and his increasingly independent wife, Ayesha.

Touching upon themes of religious tolerance, cultural diversity, and the complexity of Islam, The Clay Bird has universal relevance in a crisis-ridden world.

Dir, Tareque Masud, France/Bangladesh. 2002. 98 minutes. Color.

Admission: $6.00
Friday, December 3 and Saturday, December 4, 2004, 7:00pm
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Caroline Wiess Law Building
1001 Bissonnet
http://www.voicesbreakingboundaries.org

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston contact information:
http://www.houstonculture.org/listings/mfah.html

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Year End Group Exhibition Opening Reception
Friday, December 3, 6:00-9:00pm
Thornwood Gallery
1201 Birdsall
Houston, TX 77007
713-861-ARTS
http://www.thornwoodgallery.com

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Alejandro Chaoul, Tibetan Meditation, A Healing Body, Energy, and Mind
Sponsored by Asia Society, Rice University School of Continuing Studies, Ligmincha Texas Institute

Instructor Alejandro Chaoul will teach participants meditative techniques based on bringing together the mind and the breath, supported by specific body movements. Participants will also learn ways to connect to their inner wisdom and potential to achieve a relaxed yet aware state of mind and a healthier lifestyle.

$79 for members of co-sponsoring organizations; for Rice alumni: $69; general audience: $89
Saturday, December 4, 2004, 10:00am
Rice University
713-348-4803
http://www.scs.rice.edu

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Aurora Picture Show's 1st Annual Winter Social and Bazaar

If visions of sugarplums dance in your head and you're looking to wear taffeta this December, then don't miss Aurora's December fundraiser at the Proletariat! Join Aurora for a winter prom-themed social featuring Santa pics, crafts, karaoke, and the ever-popular cakewalk. Entertainment and food provided by DJ TrickHips, MC Vinod Hopson and Camfield Catering. Suggested attire: holiday prom.

Bet your holiday bonus on incredible raffle prizes donated by: ADV Films, The Alley Theatre, Amy's Ice Cream, Angelika Film Center and Cafe, The Blaffer Gallery, Cutloose Salon, DiverseWorks, Edin Boutique, Eileen Maxson, Found Magazine, FreshArts, Gish Creative, Houston Center for Photography, Houston Masterworks Chorus, Houston Symphony, Infernal Bridegroom Productions, Inprint, Jubilee, KPFT, The Menil Bookstore, Mercury Baroque, Nia Moves Yoga, Opera in the Heights, The Orange Show, Sound Exchange, Stages Repertory Theatre, SWAMP, Wavelength Salon, White Lotus Day Spa, and others.

Admission: $10 non-members; $5 members; Raffle tickets: $1
Sunday, December 5, 5pm - 9pm
The Proletariat (903 Richmond Avenue)
713-868-2101, aurora@aurorapictureshow.org
http://www.aurorapictureshow.org

(See films at the Aurora Picture Show below)

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Watch What You Say: The First Amendment Project

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is presenting three short films about freedom of expression in contemporary America: "Fox versus Franken," about the Fox Network's laughable suit against Al Franken on the grounds that his use of "Fair and Balanced" in the title of his book satirizing network news violated its copyright; "No Joking," about the legendary career of taboo-breaking comic Lenny Bruce; and, "Poetic License," which explores the implications of state-supported art through the experience of New Jersey Poet Laureate Amiri Baraka, who was asked to resign after a performance of his controversial poem about 9/11 titled "Somebody Blew Up America." This showing is the first in a three-part series of documentaries called "Watch What You Say: The First Amendment Project."

Sunday, December 5, 2:00pm
Caroline Weiss Building Brown Auditorium
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonnet

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston contact information:
http://www.houstonculture.org/listings/mfah.html

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Candlelight Vigil for Homeless Youth

Covenant House-Texas' 14th Annual International. Every night, hundreds of homeless kids sleep on the streets of Houston. Come learn about ways to advocate for them. During the vigil, Covenant House-Texas will accept donations of new or gently used coats, blankets, raingear and other winter wear for youth.

Thursday, December 9, 6:30-7:30pm
Covenant House
1111 Lovett Blvd
713/523-2231, ext. 221

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Early and Late
Presented by Musiqa

Musiqa presents "Early and Late," works by major twentieth century composers which illustrate each composerıs unique artistic journey. With a commissioned poem by special guest poet Jennifer Grotz.

December 10, 2004, 6:30pm (pre show talk), 7:30pm (performance)
The Rothko Chapel
1409 Sul Ross Street
Houston, TX 77006
713-524-9839
http://www.rothkochapel.org

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A Special Tour of "Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World" for Asia Society Members and Guests

Alejandro Chaoul, instructor of Tibetan meditative practices and director of Ligmincha Texas Institute will lead the tour. The exhibit includes stunning examples of Tibetan sculpture, paintings and textiles, ritual Buddhist objects and beautifully crafted pieces made for Tibetan nobility. This historic exhibition provides Houstonians with a rare opportunity to experience Tibetan culture in a new way-through the finest quality art made for its most important leaders, centuries of Dalai Lamas and high-ranking Tibetan nobility. Several items in this collection came directly from the stunning Potala Palace, which was the home of the Dalai Lamas and also the center of government in Tibet. Alejandro Chaoul is a Ph.D. candidate at Rice University focusing on Tibetan religions. LIMITED group size, call now to reserve your place! Co-Sponsored by Ligmincha Texas Institute.

$10 members, $15 non members
Saturday, December 11, 2004 9:00am
Houston Museum of Natural Science
713-439-0265
txcenter@asiasoc.org

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston contact information:
http://www.houstonculture.org/listings/mns.html

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Fiesta Guadalupana Art Exhibit

If you have Virgin de Guadalupe artwork you would like to exhibit at MECA, please contact Clarissa L. Valdez at 713-802-9370, extension 26.

December 12, 2004, 5:00pm
MECA
1900 Kane St.
Houston, TX 77009
713-802-9370

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Third Annual Winter Bicycle Migration to Mexico

Bikes Across Borders heads south around this date, depending on weather conditions. Spanish speakers, biologists, anthropologists, musicians, social and eco-activists are especially welcome. Riders cross a highly militarized border to live in tune with nature and build alliances with native teachers, village collectives ("ejidos") and Mexican field biologists. Join all or part of the two-three month trip.

Friday, December 17
512-769-9691, edoishi@yahoo.com

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June Woest: Sculpture Installation and Lecture
Sponsored by Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

Inspired by a summer artist's residency in Jingdezhen, China, and describing herself as a lapsed potter looking for her roots, June Woest exhibits a site-sensitive installation, "Borrowed Hands and Artificial Flowers," at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. During her China residency she discovered a whole city hard at work, carrying on with clay like it had for the previous 1,000 years.

June says this about her work, "I am interested in the notion of space as unlimited, contained, and emblematic. My work references our industrialized cultural landscape as a cosmos functioning in tandem with the universe's invisible and infinitesimal particle landscapes. Modern science now sanctifies and permits us to see universal landscapes, but distressingly still, not to touch."

Free
December 21 - January 23
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
4848 Main
713-529-4848

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Pancho Claus

On the 23rd anniversary of Pancho Claus, what started as a children's play has evolved into a separate 10-piece rhythm and blues show band and a two week toy cruise throughout the inner city. There will be appearances at the Alley Theatre, George R. Brown Convention Center, Reliant Arena, and numerous performances at area schools and community centers.

For schedule information, contact MECA:
713-802-9370
http://panchoclaus.meca-houston.org

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Speak Truth to Power

The Rothko Chapel presents "Speak Truth to Power," a traveling photographic exhibit celebrating the power of justice. The exhibit of photographs by the late Eddie Adams, taken for the book "Speak Truth to Power" by Kerry Kennedy.

On display through December
The Station
1502 Alabama at LaBranch

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At the Aurora Picture Show (and Dean's Credit Clothing)

December 11, 8:00pm; December 12, 3:00pm
Cinema Bomar
Curated by Elizabeth Nelson and Paul Nelson

Those Nelsons, Houston's own 16mm film stockpilers, bring you another miscellany of educational and ephemeral films from the Cinema Bomar stash. Cinema Bomar 2003 packed the pews at Aurora and made us all the better for our knowledge of prepubescent toes, BBQ in the state of Maine, and the quiet revolution of 1970s housewives. This year's program promises an equally satisfying mix of films, and the comfort of knowing that Those Nelson's are collecting and keeping them safe:

The Protected School
Department of Defense Office of Civil Defense, 1965, 5 min
The entrance vestibule houses a unique feature - a decontamination shower.

Improve your Pronunciation
Coronet, 1972, 11 min
Our President may have been absent the day they showed this film.

Kissing the girls good-bye
Information Management Corporation, 1975, 13 min
Word processing is an instrument of women's liberation.

A Good Day's Work: Serving
Educational Communications Inc (2623 Kipling, Houston TX 77006), Late 60's?, 3 min
Does anybody remember Hill's Restaurant on the seawall in Galveston?
(This film was reclaimed from the HISD Region IV dumpster)

Kathy, Mike and Alcohol
Sid Davis Productions/ AIMS Media, Mid 70's?, 9 min
I always keep a little vodka in my purse - that's what gets me through the day.

Safety in the Slaughterhouse
Camfilm Productions (Australia), After 1975, 5min (abridged)
Abattoirs generally present a hostile working environment. Vegans and the squeamish may wish to take a brief intermission during this one.

Ein Wochenende Ohne Geld
International Film Bureau, Early 60's, 14 min
What do you do if you're facing a weekend without money - auf deutsch?

Breathe
Jay Capela, 1994, 14 min
"Knit clips from snipped flicks depict relationship transfixed, eclipsed, and nixed" (M. Crawford).
Elizabeth Nelson is a technical recruiter and film noir enthusiast. Paul Nelson is a software engineer who really needs someone to teach him how to fix 16mm projectors.

Admission $5, unless otherwise indicated
Aurora Picture Show
800 Aurora Street
Houston, Texas 77009
713-868-2101
http://www.aurorapictureshow.org

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Mondays in December at Dean's Credit Clothing (316 Main), 9pm

Synesthesia: Interviews on Rock & Art
With Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Alan Vega, Genesis P-Orridge, and Laurie Anderson
Directed by Tony Oursler

Aurora Picture Show is pleased to present Synesthesia: Interviews on Rock & Art directed by artist Tony Oursler on Mondays throughout December (12/6, 12/13, 12/20, 12/27) at Dean's Credit Clothing.

Synesthesia features interviews with legendary figures in the downtown NYC music, performance and art scenes. Conducted by artist Tony Oursler with help from Mike Kelley, the conversations focus on the intersection of underground art and music during the 1970s and '80s. Laurie Anderson, Kim Gordon, Genesis P-Orridge, Thurston Moore, and Alan Vega recount the excitement of a different era in NYC, and offer insightful anecdotes and musings on crossing genres, selling out, and their influence on new generations. Selected from a larger group of interviews initially created as a collaborative installation, The Poetics Project.

Following the screenings, from 10pm-12am, DJs K-Maculent & Miguel Pantalones will spin music related to the work of interviewee in Synesthesia.

December 6, 2004
Thurston Moore & Kim Gordon
Thurston Moore got his start as a musician in the late 1970s, playing in Glenn Branca's massed guitar ensembles, and went on to found the experimental rock group Sonic Youth, which continues to record today. A central figure in the New York music community, Moore's activities include the promotion of younger artists (including, famously, Nirvana), the management of his own record label, and a vigorous writing career that encompasses poetry as well as criticism.

Kim Gordon is bass player and vocalist for the experimental rock group Sonic Youth, a visual artist, and the founder of the clothing line X-girl. She has also played in the bands The Supreme Indifference, Free Kitten, and The Lucky Sperms. Her feminist lyrics, which address issues such as rape, eating disorders, and gender stereotypes, and her support of women musicians, have influenced a new generation of artists and musicians.

December 13, 2004
Alan Vega
Alan Vega, one half of the influential pre-punk synthesizer/drum machine duo Suicide (with Martin Rev), helped pioneer electronic music in the early 1970s. Vega, who began his career in New York as an artist known for light sculptures, also ran an art space that was a meeting ground for some of the most important artists in the underground New York art and music scenes.

December 20, 2004
Genesis P-Orridge
Genesis P-Orridge, performance artist and vocalist for the iconoclastic English industrial band Throbbing Gristle in the late 1970s, pioneered industrial music. P-Orridge, who went on to form the experimental band Psychic TV, continues to work in music, art, and performance in New York, and is undertaking a long-term "Pandrogeny" project involving a radical identity transformation.

December 27, 2004
Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson successfully works across cultural lines and disciplines, fusing a conceptual art framework with a firm grasp of popular aesthetics. In addition to exhibitions at word-class venues, she has produced commercial albums (garnering a hit single along the way), released a feature film, and created pieces for radio. Her large-scale theatrical productions, such as 1983's United States, synthesize visual effects, performance, music, and video.

713-868-2101
http://www.aurorapictureshow.org

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San Antonio Holidays

San Antonio offers many great Mexican and German traditional activities during the holidays. Following are our recommendations:

12/2/2004 through 12/5/2004
Hecho a Mano: Made by Hand
A three-day art and craft sale where visitors can find unique jewelry, ceramics, textiles, sculpture and other items all "made by hand." Admission.
Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center
210/271-3151
http://www.guadalupeculturalarts.org

12/2/2004 through 12/18/2004
Posada Magica by Octavio Solis
A family holiday play with live music. Posada procession becomes a magical experience for a young girl. Admission.
Guadalupe Theater
210/351-7787. info@guadalupeculturalarts.org
http://www.guadalupeculturalarts.org

12/4/2004
Kristkindlmarkt
Authentic German outdoor holiday market with seasonal music, food, drink, crafts and entertainment. Free.
Beethoven Halle and Garten
210/222-1521. hdkriese@swbell.net
http://www.beethovenmaennerchor.com

12/4/2004 through 12/5/2004
Fiesta Navidenas
Held the first three weekends in December. Includes children's choirs serenading visitors, children's folkloric dance groups, youth mariachi and visits with Pancho Claus. Free.
Market Square
210/227-4262. events@paseodelrio.com http://www.paseodelrio.com

12/10/2004 through 12/12/2004
Fiesta de las Luminarias
Experience the holiday serenity of the River Walk as you are guided along the banks of the river by luminarias. Free.
River Walk
210/227-4262
http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com

12/11/2004
Bazar Sabado
Just in time for the holidays, the best in folk art from Mexico is displayed for enjoyment and acquisition (on Saturday, of course). Admission.
San Antonio Museum of Art
210/978-8100
http://www.samuseum.org

12/11/2004
Annual Blessing of the Animals
The most popular event since the beginning of Fiestas Navidenas. A prayer is said followed by the blessing which honors the animals present at the first nativity. Free.
Market Square
210/207-8600

12/11/2004
19th Annual Bazar Sabado
Once again, unique items have been personally selected from around the world for this traditional Mexican market!. Admission.
San Antonio Museum of Art
210/978-8100. info@samuseum.org
http://www.samuseum.org

12/12/2004
Die deutsche Weihnachtsfeier
100th Annual German Christmas Candlelight Celebration with prayers, Scripture, and poetry in the German language, choral and congregational singing, and instrumental music, starting at 5:00 p.m. Free.
Margarite Parker Chapel at Trinity University
210/826-0255. jbculver@grandecom.net

12/12/2004
Deutsche Weihnachtsfeier
Annual German Christmas candlelight service entirely in the German language with prayers, scripture, poetry, choral and instrumental music, and congregational singing. Free.
Christ Chapell - Lutheran High School
210/826-0255. jbculver@grandecom.net

12/18/2004
Embracing Christmas' Past (An Ancestral Christmas)
Enjoy elaborate costumes, beautiful folklorico dances, and wonderful Christmas stories from various regions of Mexico. Admission.
The Carver Cultural Center
210/923-5362. saritasdance@sbcglobal.net

12/19/2004
La Gran Posada in Market Square
Capping off this most unique holiday season in Market Square, along with the many twinkling lights, will be the annual Gran Posada staged by San Fernando Cathedral. Free.
Market Square
210/227-1297

1/2/2005
Fiesta de los Tres Reyes Magos/Three Kings Day Celebration
Arts and crafts workshops for children; music and theater performances commemorate Three King's Day. Free.
Guadalupe Theater
210/271-3151. info@guadalupeculturalarts.org
http://www.guadalupeculturalarts.org

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Travel Opportunities

We are planning great educational adventures for 2005. Several more will be added as they are planned. Please contact us at info@houstonculture.org if you are interested.

A Winter Wonderland, December 23, 2004 - January 2, 2005

Winter and the Christmas holiday traditions of the Southwest are special in New Mexico. Following Christmas in Santa Fe, we will take off on a weeklong journey through the Pueblos and the Navajo Nation.


Multicultural New Orleans, March 16 - 20, 2005

We will arrive in New Orleans in time for St. Patrick's Day celebrations and the building St. Joseph's Day altars, tour the marshlands of Cajun and Native American southern Louisiana, and we will conclude this great multicultural experience with the Super Sunday parade of the Mardi Gras Indians.


Camp Dos Cabezas, May 28 - June 4, 2005

An educational youth camp in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. Please contact us at info@houstonculture.org if you are interested in serving as a volunteer.


The Land of Enchantment, August 6 - 14, 2005

On a tour of the culturally rich landscape of New Mexico, we will enjoy the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial and attend Matachines dances commemorating the Fiesta de San Lorenzo, on the anniversary of the Pueblo Revolt, at area puebloes. We will also visit Museum of International Folk Art and other units of the Museum of New Mexico, and enjoy great southwestern food.


DC Latino Music Initiative and NYC Adventure, July 1 - 9, 2005

We will set out for a Manhattan and Staten Island tour book-ended by two weekend adventures to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and great museums on the National Mall. We will enjoy two weekends in Washington, DC during the Smithsonian Folklife Festival Latino Music Initiative, visit the National Museum of the American Indian, take in a DC United soccer match (schedule permitting), and Caribbean Carnival in the nation's capitol. Taking the Amtrak to New York, we will tour the historic Lower East Side, enjoy international restaurants and traditional delis, hear Puerto Rican plena and bomba music in the parks, and enjoy some Italian traditions on Staten Island.


West Indian Celebration and NYC Adventure, September 1 - 6, 2005

If you can't get enough of New York when we visit Manhattan in July, you can join us for this tour of Brooklyn and Queens, as we go for the liveliest party in America, the West Indian Day Celebration. We'll enjoy West Indian roti shops on Liberty Avenue in Queens, museums in Brooklyn, and a great Labor Day weekend tradition, Coney Island.


El Dia de los Muertos, October 28 - November 4, 2005

We will experience Mexico's traditional Day of the Dead remembrances in communities around Taxco and in the state of Michoacan.


Thank you for sharing this information with others.

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M  a  r  k @houstonculture.org


History of Mexico:
http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico/states.html

Texas-Mexico Border Issues:
http://www.houstonculture.org/border

Latino Music Initiative:
http://www.houstonculture.org/musica