e-culture: Toothbrushes for Children, Walk for Peace, Silver City, Houston Events
September 17, 2004


IN THIS ISSUE

- Toothbrushes for Children
- Gloria's Walk for Peace
- Silver City Opens Today
- Upcoming Houston Events



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Toothbrushes for Children

We will return to Mexico at the end of September to continue our research and documentation of indigent communities and maquiladoras in the state of Tamaulipas. We are preparing educational materials about the health care needs, as well as unemployment and lack of education in five colonias in Reynosa and Rio Bravo, including 35 families who live in a trash dump on the Rio Grande. Conditions in several communities where we are working are so deplorable that we need to act urgently to provide for some basic health and education needs, and support the work of doctors and community advocates who are providing care in the region.

In addition to getting children into school with the proper uniforms, we need to provide shoes for some of the children in the trash dump, and toothbrushes and toothpaste for many more children. We have assessed several extreme cases of need, where families are doing much more than they are able to care for severely injured and sick loved ones.

In only a matter of days we will present the first of our educational materials and statistics on the economic conditions and health issues on the border, as well as features on Houston hospitals, doctors and health care professionals who are unselfishly, even heroically working to alleviate suffering in the Texas-Mexico border region.

We will continue to cover the issues in the foreseeable future, as unemployment and poverty continue to rise, and we will also try to increase the delivery of necessities and contribute to several local efforts by helping to build a community shelter in the trash dump and by donating goods to a children's breakfast program in another colonia. These efforts have been worthwhile as several communities where doctors have been providing health care and vitamins have seen tremendous improvement.

We appreciate the donations of toothbrushes, shoes, and stuffed animals to provide security for children, which have been given to this effort. If you are able to donate one of these items, or organize a collection center to help meet this growing need, please contact us.

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Gloria's Walk for Peace

In just a couple of days our friend Gloria Martinez Alcozer will begin her coast-to-coast 2,400-mile walk for peace beginning in Jacksonville, Florida. In route to San Diego, California, her personal pilgrimage is expected to bring her through Houston in mid November. Along the way we will update our readers on the status of her walk and tell you about her personal reason for the undertaking.

Gloria tells us, "This walk is not a whim or something that I fancied to do. I am doing this pilgrimage because I believe that everyone should have the power to choose how they let go of their precious gift of life. Peace is life."

If you would like to walk with Gloria on any stretch of her journey across Louisiana and Texas, please let us know. Gloria feels personally obligated to make this walk for peace and mourn the unnecessary loss of life around the world. Traveling with her will provide interesting conversation for you, motivation for her to keep going and needed safety as she sets out on her journey alone.

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Silver City Opens Today

Silver City, a political satire murder mystery
By Mark Lacy

John Sayles' film Silver City is like the child of the early American free enterprise-era films Milagro Beanfield War (1988) and Bob Roberts (1992), now slightly more grown up with even more complex issues, and a hint of romance and intrigue. Like many products of the 1980s, the film's main characters are sternly divided by their social conscience and their belief that they are entitled to all of the public assets of the nation.

The political satire in Silver City is drawn straight from the social issues and elitist resource control schemes explored in Robert Redford's Milagro Beanfield War and the deceptively nasty, feel-good campaign of Tim Robbins' Bob Roberts. The deep, eroding currents of this film are quietly flowing through the vast, unclaimed (if you don't count the public trust) American West.

Colorado gubernatorial candidate Dickie Pilager, played by Chris Cooper, stumbles through phrases like "environmental correctness" and "cultural equilibrium" when cornered by the press, while he is considered to be "user-friendly" by his mentor/land developer friend Wes Benteen, of the all-too-real, fictional Benteen Corporation. Played by Kris Kristofferson, Benteen is an iconoclast from Ronald Reagan's free enterprise championship derby that set its sights on all things administered by the public in America, from public lands to the airwaves and the last trickle of water.

Danny Huston plays private investigator Danny O'Brien, whose assignment is to make sure all the dirt that the Teflon-coated candidate has swept under the rug in his lifetime doesn't even think about coming out in the laundry during the campaign. Once a journalist who believed he could change the world, O'Brien's moral principles are working against him in the soul-for-hire game.

Hired by win-at-all-costs campaign manager Chuck Raven, played by Richard Dryfuss, detective O'Brien strays off the path to sleuth the connection between an armed coyote and an undocumented migrant worker, who nearly ruined the candidate's day when he turned up dead in a pristine lake.

Grace Seymour, the owner of the See-More Detective Agency, played by Mary Kay Place, warns O'Brien not to see too much. It cost him his career in journalism and, at the very least, it might cost him his dirty job.

James Gammon, as the Timberline County Sheriff, returns to save the day (on All Souls' Day no less), but in an even more ambiguous role than he played in Milagro Beanfield War.

The grown-up offspring of Milagro Beanfield War and Bob Roberts now must face the issues of media consolidation, privatization, and tax-exempt, federally protected labor commodities.

For well-informed citizens, many of the film's connections between self-righteous class warfare and the struggle to survive as the little fish in the big pond may seem too obvious. But life isn't always about well-informed citizens, or politicians for that matter. Sometimes it's about dead fish.

Silver City opens Friday, September 17.
http://www.silvercitythemovie.com


Beatriz Rivera Reading
By Michelle Ong

Beatriz Rivera, a professor at Penn State University, offered a reading at the Museum of Fine Arts Brown Auditorium in August. The event was part the museum's Artful Thursdays, and was co-sponsored by Arte Publico Press, based at the University of Houston, which published Rivera's three books: Playing With Light; Midnight Sandwiches at the Mariposa Express; and African Passions.

Rivera is a Cuban writer from Miami. Her latest book, Playing with Light, deals with two concurrent stories. One centers on a women's reading club reading a book about 19th-century Havana, with the other about the characters within that book. During the reading, Rivera's voice accentuated emotion and delivered comedic lines succinctly. Her writing is vivid and intriguing, inviting you into a new landscape filled with characters that speak bits of Spanish mixed with English.

Following the reading, Houston-based Venezuelan group, Zaranda, played an upbeat set using a variety of instruments including the mandolin and maracas. They played songs from all around Latin America, jumping from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico to Argentina. Although most of their songs were instrumental, a few included a female singer, whose operatic voice was heavenly and powerful and reflected the passion of romantic songs. Members of the audience enjoyed the performance, many of them wiggling in their seats to the beats and rhythm. Zaranda has previously performed for KUHF and is planning a tour of Latin America.

More information on Arte Publico Press can be found at: http://www.arte.uh.edu


The next Artful Thursday, October 14, will feature the film "The Maharaja of Jodhpur-The Legacy Lives On."

We welcome book, film and music reviews with an emphasis on cultural and social interests.

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Upcoming Houston Events

Doug Ashford Lecture "Cultural Activism and Art: Group Material and Related Matters"

Co-presented by Aurora Picture Show and Lawndale Art Center in cooperation with The Core Program as part of the city-wide collaboration, The Voting Machine, http://www.votingmachine.org

Doug Ashford was a member of the artist collaborative, Group Material from 1981 to 1997 and is currently Director of the Vermont College MFA in Visual Art Program. Ashford brings over twenty years of politically and community-engaged art practice to this Houston lecture. Using the activities and experiences of Group Material as a guide, Ashford will outline artistic strategies for addressing complexities and contradictions within American cultural economies.

From the landmark AIDS Timeline to the Democracy Project, New York-based Group Material has become a model to collectives, such as Critical Art Ensemble, RTMark, and Temporary Services, who shun individual authorship, embrace political agendas and exhibit outside the defined art system.

Free admission
September 17, 8:00pm
Eleanor and Frank Freed Auditorium, Glassell School of Art
5101 Montrose Boulevard
713-639-7500

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8th Annual Museum District Day

Gather your family and friends to enjoy a free day in the Houston Museum District on Saturday, September 18 from 10:00am to 5:00pm. For added convenience, park once and ride on free METRO bus shuttles to each of the fourteen participating museums. METRORail offers visitors an easy alternative to driving. Simply pay $2 to park your vehicle at the Fannin South Park and Ride lot, purchase a $1 METRORail ticket and enjoy the ride to the Museum District. Start your morning at The Children's Museum of Houston with a special kick-off celebration with Snoopy at 8:30am. Plan to spend the entire day in the district exploring favorite museums and discovering new destinations.

Museum District Day will feature fascinating exhibitions, hands-on activities, demonstrations and performances throughout the day. Participating museums will waive their general admission fee to offer the community the opportunity to enjoy the district's diverse offerings of art, science, nature and history.

Saturday, September 18, 10:00am - 5:00pm
713-790-1020
http://www.houstonmuseumdistrict.org

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Gajamukha: A Temple Dance Ballet About Ganesh
Sponsored by Indo-American Association

The dream team of musicians and dancers presents this stunning dance-theater production as integrated episodes of the divine manifestations of Lord Ganesh. It is a choreographic masterpiece representing synergy of Bharatha Natyam, Kuchupudi and Mohni Attam as well as folk and contemporary dance forms.

Saturday, September 18, 2004, 8:00pm
Wortham Center
281-648-0422

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Spurring Change In Houston - APA leaders organize for social change

Asian Pacific American community leaders will come together to learn and create solutions addressing leadership issues concerning: political representation; community-based organizational capacity building; college student and young professional involvement in the community; and advocacy. The forum, "Spurring Change In Houston From The Ground Up" is co-sponsored by Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP), the City of Houston, and Council Member Gordon Quan. This event is also made possible by funding from Shell Oil Company Foundation.

Participants will choose 3 different workshops and panel discussions from any of the following tracks:
- Making a Difference Through Community Involvement
- Enhancing Our Ability to Serve Our Community
- Path to Personal and Professional Success

The workshops aim to help Houston's Asian Pacific American community build its leadership capacity by equipping its leaders with the skills necessary to effectively address issues that it is facing. The one-day event will kick-off with opening keynote speaker Bob Lee, former executive of SBC Communications and current Chairman of the Committee of 100. Other speakers include local experts, prominent government and community leaders and nationally recognized professional trainers. Asian Pacific Islanders (APIs) and those who work with APIs are especially encouraged to attend this event and join these leaders in mobilizing Asian Pacific Islander communities to work together for social change. Forum is free and open to the public.

Saturday, September 18, 2004
8:30am to 5:30pm
Houston Community College, Administration Building
3100 Main at Elgin
http://www.leap.org

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Houston Premiere: Jem Cohen's "Chain"
Jem Cohen at Aurora

"Chain" was shot using 16mm film over seven years, with a bare-bones crew or no crew at all. "I made a decision to focus on the corporate and commercial landscapes that I had previously "framed out" in my filmmaking, and to try to understand how these places were affecting the people within them. Wal-Mart, for example, opens a new store roughly every two days and yet the actual sites of such developments often take on a strange invisibility. Their presence can begin to seem inevitable and even natural. Rather than examining this phenomenon through the facts, experts, and arguments of the traditional documentary, "Chain" tells the stories of two women as this environment shapes their lives." -Jem Cohen

Admission $5, unless otherwise indicated
September 18, 8:00pm
Aurora Picture Show
800 Aurora Street
713-868-2101
http://www.aurorapictureshow.org

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"Benjanim Smoke," "Nice Evening," and "Transmission Down"
Jem Cohen at Aurora

"Benjanim Smoke" is the highly acclaimed documentary by Jem Cohen and Peter Sillen on legendary underground musician Benjamin. "Benjanim Smoke" follows the crooked path of this fringe-dweller, speed-freak, occasional drag-queen and all-around renegade living in the hidden Atlanta neighborhood called "Cabbagetown," and playing with his band Smoke. Bonus Screening of "Nice Evening" and "Transmission Down."

Admission $5, unless otherwise indicated
September 19, 3:00pm
Aurora Picture Show
800 Aurora Street
713-868-2101
http://www.aurorapictureshow.org

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Ezra Charles Live
Be sure and bring lawn chairs!

Sunday, September 19, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Haak Vineyards & Winery
6310 Avenue T
Santa Fe, Texas 77510
409-925-1401
http://www.haakwine.com

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Queen of Dreams by Chitra Divakaruni

Chitra Divakaruni's highly acclaimed, award-winning novels have established her as a gifted storyteller, illuminating the immigrant experience. In her signature style she captures women caught between worlds and unravels the mysteries of love and identity. In her latest book, QUEEN OF DREAMS, Chitra spins a spellbinding tale of mother and daughter, of past and present, and of dream time and waking time. Books signing will take place after the talk.

Free and Open to the Public
September 21, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Brazos Bookstore
2421 Bissonnet
713-523-0701

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Tokyo String Quartet

Houston Friends of Music will open its 2004-05 season on Tuesday, September 21, with the Tokyo String Quartet. Regular performers here in Stude Hall, the Tokyo returns after two seasons of remarkable performances in its new configuration, consisting of: Martin Beaver, a silver medalist at the Queen Elisabeth competition, who was appointed first violinist in 2002; Kikuei Ikeda, second violinist since 1974; violist Kazuhide Isomura, a founding member of the Tokyo SQ, and Clive Greensmith, the former principal cellist of the Royal Philharmonic, who joined in 1999. Reviews this past year have used superlatives one expects of the Tokyo: for example, "This was quartet playing of the highest order, truly fabulous playing (London Times)." Deeply committed to teaching, the Tokyo is on the faculty at Yale during the academic year and at the prestigious Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in the summer.

The Tokyo's recordings of Brahms, Debussy, Dvorak, Haydn, Mozart, Ravel and Schubert have earned many honors, including the Grand Prix du Disque, "Best Chamber Music Recording of the Year" from Gramophone and Stereo Review, and seven Grammy nominations. The musicians perform on Stradivarius instruments ("the Paganini Quartet") named for legendary virtuoso Niccolo Paganini, who acquired and played on them during the 19th century.

$52/ $40/ $35 (Discounts: Seniors 65+; Full-time students with ID.)
Tuesday, September 21, 2004, 8:00pm
Alice Pratt Brown Hall, Entrance 8 off University Blvd.
Rice University
Advance Tickets by Phone:713-348-5400
Email: friends@rice.edu
http://www.houstonfriendsofmusic.org

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Filmmaker Christine Rose will speak and show her film "Liberty Bound"
A Cultural Narrative Art Speaker Series Presented by People for Progressive Radio and Voices Breaking Boundaries

"Liberty Bound" [http://www.libertybound.com] is a US Citizen's journey of discovery into the lies, oppression, and corruption that has invaded her country since 9/11. Liberty Bound explores the state of the union and its ostensible move toward fascism. This film is about historic events‹it is a film about courage and fear; propaganda and rhetoric. This is an exciting time in history, and we all can play a significant role. With the success of "Fahrenheit 9/11" and subsequent documentaries like "The World According to Bush," "Outfoxed," and "Liberty Bound," we have a real chance to educate the American people by showing them the information they don't get through the corporate media.

Thursday, September 23, 8:00pm
The Artery
5401 Jackson St at Prospect
http://www.arteryhouston.org

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"La Traviata" at Opera in the Heights

Dana Zenobi makes her Opera in the Heights debut as Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata." Set in Paris in 1850, the courtesan Violetta is a social embarrassment to her lover Alfredo's family. She does the noble thing and gives him up at the coaxing of Alfredo's father Germont. Her heart of gold broken, she succumbs to terminal tuberculosis in one of the most famous death scenes in all opera. Maestro William Weibel conducts. Italian with English surtitles.

Through September 25
Opera in the Heights
Lambert Hall (newly renovated)
1703 Heights Boulevard
For ticket information, 713-861-5303
http://www.operaintheheights.org

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Bayou City Live! Buffalo Bayou Canoe Clean-up

The Endangered Species Media Project (ESMP) offers you a day of canoeing along beautiful Buffalo Bayou and an opportunity to play an important role in its preservation.

Hosted by ESMP, the Bayou City LIVE! Canoe Clean-up, will be held Friday, September 24. The event will both start and finish on the northeast bank of Buffalo Bayou near the intersection of Memorial and Shepherd Drive.

Bayou City LIVE! Canoe Clean-up registration begins at 7:30am. Participants will be shuttled to Woodway Drive to begin their canoe trip. Participants will be cleaning debris from the Bayou on their trip back to Shepherd Drive.

Friday, September 24, 2004, 7:30am
http://www.bayoucitylive.com

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China National Day Celebration Gala
Sponsored by Chinese Civic Center and over 40 Chinese Organizations in Houston

Eight hundred business and community leaders, public officials, diplomats and Artists of all walks of life come to the gala. Silent Auction of beautiful Chinese Arts works, traditional Chinese Cultural performances, Former Dinner and meeting with important community and business leaders. People join this annual event to celebrate Chinese culture, promote friendship and trade between the United States and China, and honor distinguished friends of China.

Saturday, September 25, 2004, 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Westin Galleria Hotel, Galleria Ballroom
713-772-1133

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Houston Partnership Walk
Presented by the Aga Khan Foundation

Grab your walking shoes and join in the fifth Houston Partnership Walk for a day of fun for the whole family. Bring your friends to enjoy free entertainment and educational exhibits. Be part of the solution to end global poverty. 100% of the funds raised go directly to the projects. Lunch will be provided to all registered participants. There is no cost to register, walk or form a Walk team; however, donations are appreciated. For more information, call (877) 774-WALK or (713) 771-3890. Visit the web site to register on-line.

Sunday, September 26, 2004, 8:30am - 4:00pm
University of Houston Central Campus
http://www.partnershipwalk.org

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Gopika Krishna - A Dance Drama
Sponsored by SAMSKRITI

A traditional dance drama in the Kuchipudi style by one of the world's greatest choreographers, the internationally renowned Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, "Gopika Krishna" is a perfect work of art, bringing to life a mythological story with lively dancing, excellent music, and beautiful costumes and sets.

Sunday, September 26, 2004, 4:30pm
Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
281-265-ARTS, or 832-275-9656

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Pee Wee Bowen Live
This will conclude our Sunday afternoon concert series for 2004. Be sure and bring lawn chairs!

Sunday, September 26, 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Haak Vineyards & Winery
6310 Avenue T
Santa Fe, Texas 77510
409-925-1401
http://www.haakwine.com

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YMCA Dragon Boat Team Challenge
Sponsored by South Montgomery County YMCA & Winstead

A weekend packed with a variety of events to enjoy, including the famed dragon boat races and other team-building events such as Human Foosball and Bounce Volleyball. With an expected 88 teams participating, the theme of this event is teamwork in order to reach a single goal of having FUN!

Free and Open to the Public
September 26th, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Northshore Park in the Woodlands
281-367-9622

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A Diplomat's Perspective on the Middle East by HE Swashpawan Singh
Sponsored with The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston

$10 Members for sponsoring organizations, $15 for non-members
Monday, September 27, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Westin Galleria
5060 W. Alabama, Regal Suite, 24th Floor
713-439-0265
Email: txcenter@asiasoc.org
http://www.asiasociety.org/tx

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Indonesia's Role in the World Today
Sponsored by The Indonesian American Business Association

The five member Indonesian delegation is headed by Ali Alatas, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. The panel will discuss the recent Indonesian elections and predict the future of Indonesian politics. The other panelists are Eugene Keith Galbraith, BCA's President Commissioner; Yuli Ismartono, Executive Editor of the English edition of TEMPO; Agus Widjojo, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies; and Fu'ad Jabali, Lecturer at the post-graduate studies at the State Islamic University.

FREE, registration required
September 29, 7:30am - 9:00am
Four Seasons Hotel
1300 Lamar, Downtown Houston
713-439-0265
Email: txcenter@asiasoc.org
http://www.asiasociety.org/tx

For more event listings, please see:
http://www.houstonculture.org/events


Thank you for supporting diverse activities in Houston.

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M  a  r  k @houstonculture.org


Traditions of Mexico:
http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico

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

Texas-Mexico Border Issues:
Special Report coming soon!