e-culture: Free Film Screening Thursday, Siege Anniversary and Upcoming Events
July 19, 2004


IN THIS ISSUE

- Maria Full of Grace
- Nuestra Musica
- Travel Talk
- Seige Anniversary
- Island Adventure



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A Free Screening of "Maria Full of Grace"

Starring Catalina Sandino Moreno as Maria, and directed by Joshua Marston, "Maria Full of Grace" is the story of a young woman who becomes involved in drug trafficking on a journey from a small Colombian town to the streets of New York.

We have passes to the Thursday, July 22, 7:30pm screening at Greenway 3 for the first 30 people who reply to me with their address (passes will be mailed by the end of the day Monday so they will arrive in time for the screening).

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Nuestra Musica: Music in Latino Culture on KTRU

We will highlight the music of artists who were part of the Smithsonian Institution's Latino music initiative, Nuestra Musica: Music in Latino Culture, Monday, July 26 on the World Music Show. Tune in from 7:00 to 9:00pm on KTRU, Rice University Radio, 91.7FM.

During the program, we will sample the music of Jose Gutierrez y los Hermanos Ochoa, sones jarochos from Veracruz, Mexico; Viento de Agua, Puerto Rican plena and bomba music originally from "PR" and popularized in New York; Marimba Linda Xelaju, which features Guatemalan immigrants in Washington D.C.; Grupo Cimarron de Colombia, who perform the music of the plainsmen of Colombia on their CD "Si, Soy Llanero" (I Am a Plainsman); Eva Ybarra y su Conjunto, a great Tejana accordion artist we know well in Texas; Mariachi Los Camperos, featuring NEA National Heritage Fellow Nati Cano; Roberto Martinez, another NEA National Heritage Fellow, with his group Los Reyes de Albuquerque, performing the traditional music of New Mexico as is has been played for centuries; and many more great Latin American musicians and singers.


World Music on KPFT

The KPFT World Music Collective presents a new program, "Music Beyond Borders," an international music format, on weekdays from 1:00 - 2:30pm on KPFT 90.1FM.

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Travel Talk: An Informative Program for Travelers

We will look at travel for its cultural exchange and educational value during a lively informal program on Saturday, August 14 from 4:00 - 6:00pm during a presentation and workshop.

We will survey many diverse cultural aspects of our travels in Mexico, the Southwestern United States, and our more recent journeys to New York, Washington DC, and the Southeastern states, as well as offer travel advice and involve audience members in a productive workshop-oriented discussion. We will look at short series if images on the Colorado Plateau, Chiricahua Mountains, El Camino Real in New Mexico, the Texas Hill Country and more.

The free event will present a great opportunity to exchange travel ideas and advice, consider important issues throughout the region, and plan your own trips or get involved with ours. "Travel Talk: A Workshop for Anyone Who Enjoys Travel" will take place at the Eleanor K. Freed Montrose Branch of the Houston Public Library, 4100 Montrose Blvd at Colquitt.

Please let us know that you are planning to attend so we can provide some refreshments. Call 713-521-3686, or email us at info@houstonculture.org.

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Siege Anniversary and More Upcoming Events

On July 24, 1974, three convicts took 11 hostages, most of whom were teachers and librarians, in the education building at the state prison in Huntsville. What followed was an 11 day siege, that ultimately led to the death of two hostages and two of the convicts. The siege was the longest prison takeover in U.S. history. Although a major story in Texas, the event did not receive the national attention that it might have because of the Watergate scandal. In fact, the standoff began on the same day that the Supreme Court ordered President Richard Nixon to release his White House tapes.

Journalist William T. Harper provides a detailed account of what occurred in his book "Eleven Days in Hell; The 1974 Carrasco Prison Siege at Huntsville, Texas."

This Saturday, July 24 at 2 pm, Harper will lead a panel including former hostages, corrections officers, and lawmen in a discussion at the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville. Admission is free. For additional information, please visit the Texas Prison Museum website at:
http://www.txprisonmuseum.org

The Texas Prison Museum is located at 491 State Highway 75 North in Huntsville, Texas. The admission fee to the museum is $4.00 for adults.

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The Soul of the Caribbean

Much like the Caribbean sea itself, the work of Cuban-American fiction writer Beatriz Rivera shimmers with a provocative spirit distinguished by a wealth of influences and inspirations. Join Rivera as she reads from her latest novel, Playing with Light. Booklist praised Playing with Light, saying, "at first a straightforward story of Cuban-American women, it quickly becomes a fanciful blurring of life, art, and time."

Following the reading, Houston-based Venezuelan musical group Zaranda transports the audience to the Caribbean and beyond with a fusion of traditional and popular Latin American music in a wide range of styles, rhythms, and variations.

Thursday, August 12, 2004, 6:00pm
Brown Auditorium Theater
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Caroline Wiess Law Building
http://www.mfah.org

Learn more about the author:
http://www.artepublicopress.com

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An Island Adventure in Our Own Backyard

If July 31 sounds like the hottest day of the year in Houston, remember that it's often are a little cooler in Galveston, sometimes 10 degrees cooler in summer. We chose that day to escape the Houston heat and visit our historic island neighbor that Houstonians often overlook.

Here are a few of the things we plan to do on our day of island fun:

- At Pier 21 we will visit the Seaport Museum, Tall Ship Elissa and see the film, The Great Storm, about the 1900 Hurricane that devastated the island.
- Tour the Moody Mansion and Bishop's Palace
- Visit the Strand District, 1894 Grand Opera House and the Railroad Museum
- View historic homes in the Silk Stocking District and East End District
- See the 1880 Garten Verain, a German roundhouse, and visit the island's Cultural Centers
- Enjoy some of Galveston's great food!

We will leave from Dawn Donuts, 8057 Kirby Drive, near the Houston Astrodome at 9:00am on Saturday, July 31 for a fun and surprising educational day in Galveston. Let us know if you are interested. All it costs is one day of your time, plus the price of admissions and meals.


Thank you for supporting diverse activities in Houston.

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M  a  r  k @houstonculture.org


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