SUNDANCE CINEMAS HOUSTON opened it doors on November 23 at Bayou Place. Sundance Cinemas has also been chosen to be one of the locations for the 2012 Houston Cinema Arts Society film festival. “We are excited to join Sundance Cinemas in a new era for film exhibition in Houston, medical and look forward to a great partnership for the 2012 Festival, recipe November 7–11, purchase ” said Trish Rigdon, executive director of the Houston Cinema Arts Society. “We always strive to be good neighbors, friends and supporters as we all share the same cooperative spirit,” said Sundance group president Robert Redford. “We’re proud to be affiliated with such a great group of local organizations that serve the arts and members of the community,” added Redford.
For more info:
www.sundancecinemas.com
IN JANUARY, THE MUSEUM OF Fine Arts Houston (MFAH) launches Documents of 20th-Century Latin American and Latino Art, a digital archive of some 10,000 primary-source materials, worldwide, available free of charge. This initiative, a decade in the making, promises to transform the field of Latin American and Latino art and cultural history, as it is taught to future generations of students, allowing a broader audience than ever before to study this material. The MFAH also received $98,325 in funding from Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to plan and design the learning lab for middle and high school students. The MFAH learning lab will be designed to improve digital literacy, and to engage young people in hands-on learning.
For more info:
www.mfah.org
SOCIETY FOR THE PERFORMING Arts (SPA) announced that Trinidad Hernandez has been hired as the organization’s Director of Education and Community Programs. Hernandez joins SPA as he is wrapping up his Doctorate in Education at the University of Houston. He began his career in education as a speech communication and theater teacher at Ball High School in Galveston.
For more info:
www.spahouston.org
THE CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEum Houston has named Dean Daderko as its new curator. Daderko has mounted curatorial projects in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Vilnius, Lithuania, among others. He’s organized shows for some of New York’s most well-known alternative art spaces, including Art in General, Artists’ Space, Visual AIDS at La MaMa La Galleria, and The Kitchen. According to CAMH Director Bill Arning: “Dean impressed us with his broad curatorial experience and global knowledge. He understands that the contemporary art world today is about making connections across great distances, and he comes to Houston with those networks in place. We’re excited to see the types of visionary projects he’ll contribute to CAMH’s over 60-year history of showcasing the world’s most innovative artists working today.”
For more info:
www.camh.org
VOICES BREAKING BOUNDARIES (VVB) received a $20,000 NEA grant to develop and produce living room art productions that explore and juxtapose the joys, cultures and struggles between Houston, Texas and Karachi, Pakistan. “Voices Breaking Boundaries has been creating urgent artistic work in Houston’s neighborhoods for over a decade,” said Houston Arts Alliance CEO Jonathon Glus. “Subverting the traditional concept of art, VBB uses performance and digital media to convert homes into art spaces while exploring histories and cultures.”
For more info:
www.vbbarts.org
FRENETICORE RECENTLY WAS awarded $10,000 from the Brown Foundation. Maggie Lasher and her group, China Cat Dance, is the next artist-inresidence. They will be performing a new, original light/fire themed dance performance in the spring at Frenetic Theater.
For more info:
www.freneticore.net
THEATRE UNDER THE STARS (TUTS) announced recently that Gina Sullivan has joined the staff as Director of Development. Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Davis. TUTS’ education program, The River, has recently received funding from two different corporations, The Boeing Company and Valero Energy. The River has served more than 13,000 children who have a broad range of disabilities, form mild to severe. The River, a program of TUTS Education, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to provide an accessible, affordable, fine arts education for special children, ages 2-19, who have disabilities, chronic illnesses, or are economically disadvantaged.
For more info:
www.tuts.com
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA (HGO) announces the appointment of Mena M. Hanna as their new dramaturg. Hanna has a Bachelor of Music degree in composition from Boyer College of Music, Temple University; Master of Music in Composition from Oxford University, Merton College and a D.Phil in Music Composition and Critical Writing also from Oxford University, Merton College, where he was also a Marshall Scholar. HGO has commissioned the renowned Iranian/American author Farnoosh Moshiri to write the libretto for our new HGOco commission, “The Bricklayer.” Farnoosh has written a number of best sellers about the Iranian revolution, notably, “The Bath House.” “The Bricklayer” chronicles a family’s escape from Iran and their new life here in Houston.
For more info:
www.houstongrandopera.org
DANCE SOURCE HOUSTON (DSH) will be programing Dance Days at Discovery Green again this year, and is looking for companies celebrating anniversaries. DSH has also forged a new partnership with DiverseWorks and the CORE’s Fieldwork Workshop to revamp 12 Minutes Max. “We’re looking for artists to take more risks, do something bold and have the time and feedback from the workshop to really develop an idea before it gets presented on the stage,” says Stephanie Wong, DSH’s executive director.
For more info:
www.dancesourcehouston.org
DOMINIC WALSH’S “LE SPECTRE de la Rose” has entered into Diablo Ballet’s rep. “This was the first work of mine performed in Italy, and the piece tours to Pompeii.” says Walsh. “Domenico Luciano is also guesting with them.” Japanese star ballerina Hana Sakai joins Dominic Walsh Dance Theater for the spring season. “Hana and Domenico where exceptional together in “Wolfgang,” and brought an undiscovered depth of character to the duet,” says Walsh. “I am thrilled to have her join us for our 10th anniversary season performances.”
For more info:
www.dwdt.org
DA CAMERA OF HOUSTON ARTIStic and General Director Sarah Rothenberg recently performed the New York premiere of Tobias Picker’s “Piano Quintet: Live Oaks,” with the Brentano String Quartet at Miller Theatre at Columbia University, as part of a composer Portrait of Picker. Commissioned by Da Camera, the performance was well-reviewed in the New York Times. “Handsomely performed by Ms. Rothenberg and the Brentano String Quartet, the quintet conveyed a stage-worthy sensation of tension and release.” Rothenberg also recently performed in the world premiere of a work by Danish composer Poul Ruders, known for his operas “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Selma Jezkova,” at Bridge Records’ 30th anniversary concert at Lincoln Center. Rothenberg and violist Hsin-Yun Huang performed “Romances: Six Short Pieces for Viola and Piano.” They have recorded the piece, which was co-commissioned by Huang and Da Camera, for release on Bridge in 2012.
For more info:
www.dacamera.com
INPRINT AWARDS $35,000 IN PRIZes to graduate students at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program in January. They also add a new manuscript workshop for teachers this spring as part of the workshop offerings. The workshop, taught by Lacy Johnson, is offered tuition-free for all Houston-area educators, thanks to underwriting support from the Kinder Foundation, and will give participants a space to focus on preparing larger projects for publication.
For more info:
www.inprinthouston.org
HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMporary Craft announces its call for entry for “CraftTexas 2012,” the seventh in a series of juried exhibitions showcasing the best in Texas-made contemporary craft. The exhibition is open to artists currently residing in Texas who work in clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood and found/ recycled materials. Applications must be must be completed by March 15, 2012.
For more info:
www.crafthouston.org
INTERACTIVE THEATER HAS REceived grants from Texas Commission on the Arts and Houston Arts Alliance for “The Frog & the Princesses” and “The Little Mermaid.” Both are original pieces written by Angela Foster and Robb Brunson.
For more info:
www.interactivetheater.org
THE CLASSICAL THEATRE COMpany (CTC) received a $10,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project. CTC’s Executive Artistic Director John Johnston says, “We are thrilled to be able to accept this critical funding from Pepsi. $10,000 will go a long way towards helping our company bring a high quality production of “Uncle Vanya” to our Houston audiences. We feel like paying people is the critical element to any artistic endeavor, and these funds will be used to compensate the artists and technicians who come together to work on our production.”
For more info:
www.classicaltheatre.org
