|
Summer 2024
Hello, GISH PICKS reader!
I am Sarah Gish and I adore Houston, the most diverse city in the country. I have been writing this blog, subtitled CURATED CULTURE FOR KIDS & ADULTS, since 2004. In it, I focus on my passion to amplify unique Houston arts and culture events and organizations. I am an artist and writer and teacher and I am very involved with the art car community, having made 5 "daily driver" art cars including my current car, Iggy the Igniter. I also have an art project, Ignite Your Life!, which is at the center of all that I create and all that I do.
I love to ignite lives and create connections and my words and my art are some of the ways I do that.
Thanks for joining me on my explorations of creative Houston!
| |
|
Each week, I usually bring you KID PICKS and ADULT PICKS -- my PICKS of the best and most unique arts events
each weekend. However, this edition is different.
I decided to start taking the summers off a few years ago so that I can re-group and work on things related to my IGNITE YOUR LIFE! art project. I also want to mirror the calendar of our performing arts organizations -- there is much less going on in the summertime since their seasons tend to run September through May.
So I am signing off for now with this handy dandy SUMMER PICKS guide to Houston arts & culture. As you'll see, there are still plenty of fun summer happenings in all sectors of the arts -- and those are listed below. I'm sharing with you ideas that I use and I hope you will too! Print this up for easy use throughout these next 3 months or bookmark this page so you can return again and again. I promise you will enjoy loads of fun and loads of art.
| |
|
Doncha worry: I'll still be sending occasional notices of events or notes about whatever strikes my fancy! I suggest that you take the summer to get to know Houston's many arts groups. You can already get first dibs tickets for their upcoming shows and the 2024/2025 season. Pick your faves and hop on their websites. And in August, be sure to check for Houston Theater Week BOGO deals (Buy One, Get One). Click here later for the scoop.
Please take care in the coming days and enjoy it out there. Stay cool and curious and I'll see you online again soon!
| |
|
If this blog was forwarded to you or you read it online, please subscribe by clicking the "SUBSCRIBE NOW" image above. You won't want to miss a single edition!
Also -- please scroll to the very bottom of this email if you want to update your profile. I have 2 lists for GISH PICKS -- one for adults and one for families. Each list gets the same blog weekly -- both also get occasional separate targeted emails. You can be on both lists or just one if you wish -- it's super easy! Just scroll down and click on "Update Profile."
| |
SUMMER SOUP. Before I begin with my SUMMER PICKS, I want to give you 2 gifts: the first is my GISHpacho recipe. It's my signature, tried-and-tested hot Houston cold summer soup, and I make it every year. Click on the bowl and enjoy. | |
MY ROUND-UPS. My second gift to you is my many round-ups. I'm an "info-preneur" and I love to round up info for ya'll -- click on the images above for lists that I've created. Save money, eat well, enjoy the earth, expand your mind, and choose plants! | |
|
PERFORMING ARTS CALENDARS. If you’re looking for a variety of free-and-fab arts, click here to check out what Miller Outdoor Theatre is presenting. Be sure to also check out the calendars for Discovery Green (here) and MATCH / Midtown Arts and Theatre Center Houston (here) – there’s always something upon their stages too. And for a list of a variety of Houston arts events, check out the Houston Cultural Events Calendar by the Houston Arts Alliance.
HOUSTON NEWS. If you're looking for media that focuses just on Houston, check out City Cast Houston, Encore Houston, Houston Innovators, Houston Landing, Houston Matters, HouWeAre. Get instant updates from the City of Houston by subscribing to their CitizensNet service -- and if you are looking for any kind of help navigating Houston's resources, call 311 (this number works in major cities around the country and Canada!).
| |
|
JUNETEENTH. The end of slavery was announced in Galveston on June 19, 1865 -- and one year later, that event sparked celebrations starting in Galveston and spreading around the country. It became a Federal Holiday in 2021 and there are events all around Houston commemorating it (LOTS of events!), including a Juneteenth Freedom Fest on Sunday, June 16 at the Children's Museum of Houston for families.
Holocaust Museum Houston is offering free admission on Juneteenth (June 19) from 10am until 7pm; on view is The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection (through June 23). Emancipation Park is hosting its annual Juneteenth Music Celebration (June 15), Houston Museum of African American Culture is hosting the exhibition Mami Wata Afrofuturism: 500 Years Back to the [Afro][F]uture (through June 29), Black Heritage Society, Inc. is hosting two Jubilee Festivals and Celebrations (June 15), Acres Homes Chamber is hosting the Juneteenth Cultural Arts Festival (June 19), and LetsDoThisHouston is leading a Juneteenth Black Bar Crawl Bike Ride (June 18).
Kindred Stories is hosting a Juneteenth Fish Fry & Flash Tatoo Party (June 15), Miller Outdoor Theatre is presenting Juneteenth: A Musical Journey through Eras (June 14 and 15); and Avenida Houston is presenting Juneteenth Culture Fest and Celebration of Freedom (June 16).
Houston-based artist Reginald C. Adams is busy with his Absolute Equality project featuring Juneteenth murals around the country, including one at the Houston Public Library African American History Research Center (a great place to explore!). And if you are in Galveston, be sure to see the year-round Juneteenth exhibit, And Still We Rise... at Ashton Villa.
| |
|
PRIDE MONTH. June is all about LGBT+ pride, and Houston is showing up with 2 (count 'em -- two!) Pride parades: Houston's New Faces of Pride Festival and Parade is on Saturday, June 22 and the Pride Houston 365 Festival and Parade is on Saturday,
June 29. Iggy the Igniter and other art cars will be in the June 22 parade.
I was honored to be asked to participate in another Pride event -- the Show Your Pride photo campaign. It's a super cool way to spread words and images of Pride, with photos by Chandrayee Soneja in collaboration with Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, Like Minds Communication, Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin, Houston Dynamo & Houston Dash and Cosmo Cool Concepts.
Also on the calendar are Station Theater's Pride Month shows (every Saturday in June); Houston Pride Band's final concert in their 45th season -- Winds of Summer, Rhythms of the Sea
(June 15), Discovery Green's Rainbow on the Green (June 28) and Big Queer Quiz Pride trivia night at Bad Astronaut Brewery (June 28).
Want more events? Check out OutSmart Magazine's list here, New Faces of Pride's list here, Pride Houston 365’s list here, and Visit Houston's list here. Want to hear stories of Pride? Houston Public Media has an impressive vault of "Pride Moments" recordings here.
| |
|
SUMMER SOLSTICE. The solstice is on June 21 and marks the longest day of the year as well as the official first day of summer. One of my favorite ways to celebrate the sun is at Rothko Chapel, which always hosts 3 meditational events -- morning, noon, and evening -- this year's program features music by Apollo Chamber Players (morning and noon) and Kaminari Taiko (evening). If you don't make it to the Rothko, you can enjoy a free solstice-inspired concert of contemplative music by Apollo Chamber Players at the Stratford Branch Library (June 27).
International Day of Yoga is celebrated around the world on June 21 to coincide with the solstice -- and Discovery Green is hosting a city-wide event organized by the Consulate General of India, Hindus of Greater Houston, and Union is Creation. There will be a labyrinth walk to close out the event from 8-9pm; I will guide the walk on a labyrinth made by my friend Jay Stailey.
| |
|
FOURTH OF JULY. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion hosts the Houston Symphony for their Star-Spangled Salute on July 3 and Miller Outdoor Theatre hosts the Houston Symphony for another Star Spangled Salute on July 4 (so catch it where you can!). The Lindale Park Civic Club is hosting their sweet Annual Fourth of July Parade -- I'll be driving my Iggy the Igniter art car with a group of her art car friends. The City of Houston is bringing back their 6-hour rockin’ fun patriotic festival, Freedom Over Texas, at beautiful Eleanor Tinsley Park. And the Children's Museum of Houston is hosting their annual Kidpendence Day (July 4).
And...if you'd like to hear the full Declaration of Independence -- as read by me and my friends -- click here. It's an antiquated document in some ways, but an important read because it is central to the story of our nation's birth.
| |
|
FILM. Everyone is talking about the River Oaks Theater, which is saved (yeehaw!) and will be opening soon hopefully! In the meantime, the Friends of River Oaks Theatre have been busy with monthly Mobile Movie Palace events so head to their website for news and happenings.
There are many other screens lighting up around town -- click on my list of Houston Movie Venues and be sure to check out the offerings at Alamo Drafthouse La Centerra, Aurora Picture Show, and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which is presenting Jazz on Film until June 22. Rice Cinema has fantastic indie films too but they take a break over the summer.
The Houston Cinema Arts Society has screenings year round; click here for that calendar. Their next event is the Houston Media Conference, co-presented with Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP) from August 23-25. And the Houston Film Commission hosts monthly free First Thursday Short Film Screening & Filmmaker Mixers.
Yeah, it's hot -- but OUTDOOR MOVIES are cool at Rooftop Cinema Club, Discovery Green, Levy Park, Historic Market Square Park, Post Houston, and Miller Outdoor Theatre (check their calendars for specifics). And if you like old school movie adventures, check out drive-ins at Moonstruck Drive In Cinema (might be closed due to the derecho storm damage) and Showboat Drive-In Theater.
KID MOVIE CLUBS. If you have kids, there is plenty of film fun for them at special screenings hosted by Alamo Drafthouse La Centerra & Cinemark & Regal Cinemas & Studio Movie Grill. If you're looking for help deciding on which films are ok for your children, Kids In Mind is a great resource I've been using for years.
And one last thing: keep an eye out for National Cinema Day, which is usually in August or September. Movie tickets are cheap, cheap, cheap on that one day.
| |
LABYRINTHS. I'm a Certified Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator and I love to lead labyrinth walks around the city as they are a peaceful form of meditation, something we need more than ever. For each walk, I bring inspirational readings, hand-held labyrinths, and plenty of educational materials. This year I've been doing Labyrinth Explorers Walks, which are pop-up labyrinth walks at one of the city's over 20 spots. I have 2 sites picked out for summer walks and will let everyone know the specifics soon via this email list and on my Houston Labyrinth Walkers Facebook group page. I hope you'll walk with me! | |
|
THEATRE. It wouldn't be summer without the Alley Theatre’s annual Summer Chills -- this year it's And Then There Were None -- from July 19 through August 25, the Catastrophic Theatre production of Tamarie's Texas Toast from June 21 through
August 3, and the Houston Shakespeare Festival which is presenting A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo & Juliet at Miller Outdoor Theatre the first 2 weeks of August. Also on: Pullman Porter Blues at Ensemble Theatre (June 28-July 28) and the children's show Fancy Nancy at Main Street Theater (through July 28).
There are many other shows too -- click here for a handy dandy list from Broadway World. And if you're looking for ways to save money...be sure to check here in August for the Houston Theater Week BOGO deals and here for my list of ways to discount the arts in Houston (performing arts and visual arts).
One more thing: if you find yourself in the Theatre District, be sure to stop by the new-and-beautiful Lynn Wyatt Square, which is host to events from time to time.
| |
|
VISUAL ART. Click on this list of Houston ART MUSEUMS created by Visit Houston, which you can filter by free spaces, area of town, discounts, etc. The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft has 2 shows on their walls through August 24, as well as a family event, Hands-On Houston: Balance Sculpture, on Saturday, August 3. The Menil Collection is always free and I highly recommend it -- bring a picnic and enjoy the park too! Kids will have a blast at the Summer Escape at the Children’s Museum Houston through September 2 and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is hosting Summer Break at the Museum – free family art-making on Thursdays from 11am-2pm in June and July (and the museum is open for free until 9pm every Thursday!).
Summer is a great time to explore Houston's ART GALLERIES & OTHER WALLS and the Houston Art Gallery Association's list of member galleries is a great place to start. Archway Gallery is an artist-owned space and is hosting their 16th annual Juried Exhibition (through August 1); the Jung Center is hosting their annual Visions community show (through June 28); and the Art League Houston is hosting their annual ALH Summer Exhibitions (through July 22).
The POST has a groovy new exhibition, Solar Dust, on view through October and the Moody Center for the Arts' summer show is Resonant Earth: Contemporary Perspectives on Land and Body, on view through August 17.
| |
|
MUSIC. Make Music Day Houston is a vibrant festival on June 21 around the city on the longest day of the year; it's part of a worldwide ode to music, Make Music Day. The Texas Music Festival is here through June 22. The Houston Symphony is busy with their free Summer Concert Series at Miller Outdoor Theatre and Summer Sounds concerts at the Hobby Center that include hat tips to Jurassic Park and the Rolling Stones. Get your live music fix at 713 Music Hall, Anderson Fair (closed July & August), Dan Electros, The Heights Theater, Mucky Duck, and the White Oak Music Hall -- as well as other places listed in this CultureMap article. Some of those venues livestream their shows so look for that if couch-listening is your thang. If you want to shop and listen, check out the events happening at Cactus Music. If you want an easy music calendar, click here for the Blueshound/KPFT one.
An event that I'm really excited about is SoberFest, an alcohol- and drug-free music fest at White Oak Music Hall on Sunday, June 30 from 10am-6pm. I've been sober since 1985 so you know I love that!
| |
|
LITERARY EVENTS. Inprint is busy with all kinds of events, from poetry readings (including their long-running First Fridays) to writing workshops to author talks! There are also poetry events galore around the city and many groovy indie bookstores.
There are many book clubs around town, including the virtual Inprint Book Club - their next event is discussing Wandering Stars on Sunday, June 23 at 4pm. Other book clubs are hosted by Blue Blue Willow Bookshop, Brazos Bookstore, Compassionate Houston, Frame Dance, and Kindred Stories. The Houston Public Library has all kinds of book clubs -- they also usually organize a One Houston, One Book event, but the 2024 one is not online yet so keep an eye on your local library to see if it is happening. And if you're still wanting something else, I found this list of loads of Houston book clubs!
If you're wanting to learn to be a wordsmith, there are creative writing workshops presented by Grackle and Grackle as well as creative writing workshops presented by Writespace.
KID READING PROGRAMS. There is the annual summer reading program organized by the Houston Public Library, a Read Strong All Year Long program organized by the Children's Museum of Houston, and CYCLE has created a new summer literacy challenge that involves Little Free Libraries. And each summer brings the Space City Slam Weekend for teen poets - this year it's June 28 and June 29. Fun, fun!
| |
GROOVY PASSES. Want to see local attractions at a reduced fee? Check out HOUSTON CityPass. And if you want to try out Houston hotel pools for a day (or pools and spas around the country!), check out Resort Pass. | |
|
BEACH IT. It’s summertime so head to Galveston! Be sure to put on your sunscreen first (check out these tips from Great Day Houston) and if you are there the weekend of September 21, stop by the
AIA Sandcastle Competition.
| |
|
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOUSTON. Why oh why did the Allen Brothers (pictured) have to found Houston in the hottest month of the year, on August 30, 1836? Nevertheless, take some time to celebrate with The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park; check this page later for all the scoop. Celebrating our city is a great way to end your summer!
And if you want to celebrate Houston in a fun way, party on 713 Day -- July 13! That's Houston's original area code and a day to play.
| |
|
HIRE ME! If you want to learn ways of getting centered -- or igniting your life -- or getting your creative juices flowing...I can help. Check out my list below and let's get started!
If you want to ignite your wardrobe, be sure to check out my IGNITE YOUR LIFE! t-shirts and sweatshirts shop. Click on the image above and let the fun colors start your ignition mission.
| |
-
Virtual IGNITE! Sessions: we will meet via Zoom to explore what makes your heart sing and you'll leave with a personal mantra I'll write to guide you in igniting your life. Those are $100/one hour and $50/thirty minutes. I'm also doing sessions in person at Body Mind & Soul most Mondays from noon-6pm; book online or call the store at 713.993.0550 for an appointment.
-
Virtual or in person meditation & mindfulness lessons for individuals or groups. You can see some of my teachings in my seventeen Meditation Chats and in my interview with Debra Duncan on Great Day Houston about how to meditate with household objects. The fee varies based on what we are doing, and all ages are welcome.
To book me for anything, please call me at 713.492.1173
or email me. I'd love to help you find PEACE anytime.
| |
|
Here's to a great summer...and to many adventures exploring Houston's arts & culture!
| |
P.S. I have 2 lists for GISH PICKS -- one for adults and one for families. Each list is sent the same blog weekly -- both also get separate targeted emails. You can be on both lists or just one if you wish -- it's super easy! Just scroll down and click on "Update Profile" (see pic above). | | | | |
