e-culture: Holiday Gift Ideas, Festivals of Lights, Houston Events
December 8, 2004


IN THIS ISSUE

- Holiday Gift Ideas
- Festivals of Lights
- Houston Events
- At the Aurora
- San Antonio Holidays


During the long holiday season, which for us extends beyond Christmas and Kwanzaa to the lunar new year, we try to advocate cultural gift giving - ideas that support independent arts of local and international cultures, and inspire creativity and critical thinking.

We've assembled a great list of suggestions and we will continue to update it with new ideas over the next couple of months. Here are just a few:

- 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD, "When the Maintains Tremble", about political turmoil in Guatemala and the rise of a humble Mayan Indian, Rigoberta Menchu, to become the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

- Cultural documentary books, Moko Jumbies: The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad by Stefan Falke and Geoffrey Holder, and A World of Decent Dreams Photographed by Ellen Kaplowitz, who presented her work in Houston at a St. Thomas University/Asia Society event this fall.

- Regional histories, such as Mary Margaret McAllen Amberson's highly recommended book set in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, I Would Rather Sleep in Texas, published by Texas State Historical Association.

- Great recordings from our region that have been unavailable, like I Found a Dream by legendary Houston folk and blues man, John Vandiver, and the early 90s San Antonio funk and soul sound of Mickey and the Soul Generation.

- Cross cultural masterworks from Cuban master pianist, Bebo Valdes, and flamenco vocalist extraordinaire, Diego El Cigala, as well as the Indian Ocean Creole blend of Rene Lacaille.

- Great dub experiments for innovative music lovers and world pop collectors, from Federico Aubela and 60 Channels.

- Eighties music special editions, featuring Brenda Fassie, The Clash and Talking Heads

- Unique ideas for hip hop fans, such as a collection of African Rap, where the American artform is set to the many innovative and distinctive styles of African pop music on World Music Network

- Latin recordings, like Somos Boricuas: Bomba y Plena en Nueva York, by New York Puerto Rican collective, Los Pleneros de la 21, as well as several Brazilian pop choices.


More great gift ideas can be found in our 2004 Holiday Gift Guide:
http://www.houstonculture.org/main/gifts2004.html

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Festivals of Lights

Take advantage of holiday traditions this month and enjoy luminarias, Christmas lights, and bonfires on the bayous, whether you are in Houston, or out of town in Louisiana or New Mexico.

The Heights will hold its annual Lights in the Heights event on Saturday, December 11, from 6:00 - 9:00pm.
http://www.woodland-heights.org

The Christmas Boat Parade will take place through Clear Lake Channel on Saturday, December 11, beginning at 6:00pm.
http://www.clearlakearea.com

Holiday Lights at Hermann Park and the Winter Wild Festival of Lights at the Houston Zoo are going on December 10 through 12 and December 17 through 23, beginning at dusk.
http://www.houstonzoo.org

The Filipino American Council of South Texas (FACOST) will hold its second annual Filipino Christmas Lantern Festival
http://www.facost.org

Visit our friend Gloria Jones most any night of the week as she greets sightseers in Scott Terrace, Scott Street south of Old Spanish Trail.
http://www.houstonculture.org/gloria


OUT OF TOWN

Lutcher, Louisiana celebrates Christmas Cajun style with the Festival of the Bonfires, Friday, December 10 - Sunday, December 12. Bonfires are lit at 7:00pm on the Mississippi River levees along the River Road in Lutcher.
http://www.festivalofthebonfires.org

Galveston's Moody Gardens Festival of Lights is on display nightly, from 6:00 - 10:00pm, December 16 through January 2.
http://www.moodygardens.com

The San Antonio River Walk lights up with luminarias through Christmas.
http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com

Luminarias on the Plaza in Old Mesilla, south of Las Cruces, New Mexico on Highway 28, on December 24 at dusk.
http://www.las-cruces-events.org

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, caroling by bonfires and farolitos (luminarias) takes place along Canyon Road on Christmas Eve. Santa Fe and surrounding towns line streets and sidewalks with farolitos for the holidays.

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Houston Events

I. J. Gosey at the El Dorado Ballroom

Project Row Houses as part of its Eldorado Ballroom Series, invites you to come hear and enjoy the great I. J. Gosey in a rare solo appearance, featuring music and interview from a Duke-Peacock studio veteran, one of Houston's most versatile and experienced master guitarists.

Free admission
Wednesday, December 8, 2004, 7:30pm
Eldorado Ballroom
2300 Elgin Street at Dowling
Houston, TX
713-526-7662
http://www.projectrowhouses.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.
Wednesday, December 8, 8:00pm
Rice Cinema
Rive University (Entrance 8 from University Blvd.)

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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 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:

12/10/2004 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


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