e-culture: Where's Janni? Where's Mark? Where's the Party?
April 24, 2002

IN THIS ISSUE Where's the Party? Upcoming Field Trips A Rolling Photo Class Auntie Janni Needs You!... Missing in Action Our Email Crisis

Hello to everyone from my new distant cyber home,


Let's start with the question everyone is asking.

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Where's the Party?

Houston culture really shines at the onset of summer, with great eclectic events, like the Art Car Parade, Cinco de Mayo, Dragon Boat Races and the Edward Albee Workshops. Mark you calendars.


The Art Car Parade
One of Houston's most unique and eclectic events, the Art Car Parade will take place this Saturday, April 27, beginning at 11:30am on Allen Parkway, near Interstate 45. The parade of rolling sculptures will motor through the Houston International Festival beginning at noon. The festival is pricey, and getting pricier each year, but the art cars can be viewed for free along Allen Parkway.

At the International Festival on Sunday, April 28, you can see Big Chief Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias. Learn more about the Mardi Gras Indians:
http://www.houstonculture.org/cr/indians.html

Stay tuned to our site for a photo essay on the Indians!
http://www.houstonculture.org/cr/sunday.html


Cinco de Mayo
Don't forget the annual Cinco de Mayo parade, which will be held in downtown Houston on Saturday, May 4 at 10:00am. Construction has forced the lively procession off of its usual Main Street route. Look for the parade on San Jacinto and Caroline streets between Congress and Polk. This will likely become a permanent parade route in downtown with the new rail line on Main Street.

Read more about this great tradition:
http://www.houstonculture.org/tour/texas4.html


Edward Albee New Playwrights Workshop
The Albee workshops are a great opportunity to see student theater creations produced under the guidance of three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee, for free! For information, call 713-743-2929.


Pauline Oliveros Foundation Houston Presents
The Satoko Fujii Quartet (from Japan)
Wednesday, May 1, 2002, 8:00pm
First Unitarian Universalist Church
5200 Fannin (at Fannin and Southmore)
For information and directions, contact Sound Exchange, 713-666-5555

For Immediate Release:
http://www.houstonculture.org/temp/pofh0205.html

Contact Pauline Oliveros Foundation Houston:
http://www.houstonculture.org/listings/pofh.html

Editor's note: Here you can see how effective our cultural listing resources are; people can get contact and general information for this organization, as well as a reference for other great Houston organizations. Cooperation in this simple process is all we're asking for. Remember our motto: Be like David Dove, Model Citizen!


Buffalo Bayou Regatta
Saturday, May 4
Canoes and "anything that floats" cruise along Buffalo Bayou, ending in downtown Houston in the mid morning, where they find music, prizes and food.


May is Asia Pacific American Heritage Month
http://www.apaha.org


Dragon Boat Festival
Sunday, May 5, 9:00am - 3:30pm
Allen's Landing, near Main Street and Commerce
http://www.houstondragonboat.com


Real social climbers are always in-the-know about regional cultural events. This could be you. Stay tuned to our monthly breakdown of annual events, including the Festival International de Louisiane, Fiesta San Antonio and the Houston International Festival.

http://www.houstonculture.org/cal/apr.html

We are creating this resource to help more people get involved with these great opportunities. Please help us improve these pages by submitting community and cultural events which occur on an annual basis, with reliable contact information.

And, if you like to play with words, help us dream up clever letter combos for our historic license plates.

http://www.houstonculture.org/cal

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Upcoming Field Trips and Fun Excursions

Fredericksburg, TX and a Wildflower Seed Farm

Experience German heritage and culture in the Texas Hill Country, as well as numerous state parks, like Enchanted Rock, and a visit to Wildseed Farms, a producer of wildflower seeds.
Saturday, April 27 - Sunday, April 28


A Jazz Funeral and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

We will attend a Jazz Funeral in honor of music legend Ernie K-doe. Other planned activities include the Los Islenos Cultural Center, Oak Alley and San Francisco plantations, the German American Museum in Gretna and live music at the New Orleans Jazz Festival.
Tuesday, April 30 - Sunday, May 5


Seminole Canyon Petroglyphs

Tour canyons with ancient writing on the walls in the desert land where the Pecos meets the Rio Grande.
May 25 - 27 (Memorial Day Weekend)


Let us know if you would like to join us on any of these adventures by sending an e-mail to info@houstonculture.org

Stay tuned for updates:
http://www.houstonculture.org/fieldtrip

There is still time to see some Texas Bluebonnets.
http://www.houstonculture.org/tour/texas5a.html

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A Rolling Photography Class and Workshop

Many people have contacted us about the schedule of photography classes, which brings us to the question of the day -- Where's Mark? Our extraordinary photography teacher has been away photographing in Fredericksburg on weekends, and Mexico on weekdays, with holidays in New Orleans! (Poor boy) Unfortunately, he has been too busy to offer classes since the last one ended in early March. The next scheduled class in Houston won't take place until the fall, when we plan to offer a fundamentals and advanced lighting course.

But, what's an eager student to do in the mean time? Well, we are all paid up on our search and rescue fees in the beautiful state of Utah, so we thought we might offer the next photography course and combined landscape workshop on the road (and lake) in the canyonlands this summer. If you want to improve your photographic abilities and explore cultural and social documentary in the most dramatic settings in America, consider joining us on this big adventure. Check out the tentative itinerary:

) Boating and Photography in Slot Canyons, including Choal Canyon,
  West Canyon and Antelope Canyon on Lake Powell
) Hiking in the Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks
) Camping, Touring and Photographing Yellowstone National Park
) Hiking to the Blue Lakes high in the Rocky Mountains
) Touring the San Luis Valley and Santa Fe, New Mexico

Learn more about course instructor Mark Lacy:
http://www.houstonculture.org/lacy

PS: I will add transcripts of interviews I conducted with Mark in January. Look for the additional information to be posted by early May. I think you will find the discussion very interesting.


We will hold a meeting on Tuesday evening for anyone that might be interested at 7:30pm, May 7, at Napoli Flying Pizza at 4820 West Bellfort, about one block east of South Post Oak. They are located in the Meyer Park Shopping Center, across from Randall's Food Market, just south of Meyerland.

Their phone number at Napoli Flying Pizza, in case you need directions, is 713-726-1166.

Contact us at 713-521-3686 for more information. Stay tuned for updates:
http://www.houstonculture.org/meeting

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Auntie Janni Needs You!...

Uncle Sam might want you to pay your taxes, but Auntie Janni needs you to contribute your time, energy and more tangible dues to society, to help spread Cultural Literacy and make Houston a strong arts community.

Information we gathered before and after September 11, 2001 shows that a decreased number of people (particularly when measured by percentage) volunteer to support important causes, but in the months after the tragedy, more people want to participate in cultural and charitable activities. Making a real commitment to the organizations that take action, or make events and education happen, is the shortcoming of many people.

In my own experience, I can say this is definitely true. Compared to Chicago (where I am from), Houston has greater potential to be a vibrant city of arts and cultural events, but many of its people are extremely apathetic. While cities like Nashville, Atlanta and Chicago are benefiting from their increased focus on arts and diverse cultures, Houstonians seem content to live with a few previous successes (some of them are listed above). With the exception of a few major arts and theatre organizations, many Houston artists and organizations operate in a well-protected shell, or with the competitiveness of a cricket match. Many cannot see that an improved level of participation in general will benefit all organizations and ultimately promote their specific areas of interest. There is too little cooperation or focus on improving community involvement among the concerned parties in Houston. In our work, we have no one to compete with, nothing to sell, and yet we struggle to get information from organizations whose events and activities we are helping to promote.

I feel I can speak my mind now that I have moved and no one can come find me! Even our own organization needs to see greater involvement by volunteers. Our most active volunteers are now on four continents and those in Houston will have to do some of the hard work. Around here, we joke that it is easier to work for the Peace Corps than the Houston Institute for Culture. Or possibly, it is easier to be distracted by less meaningful things in your life when you are in a big continuous shopping mall like Houston.

An editorial related to this subject written by HIFC director, Mark Lacy was recently published in the Art Directors Club of Houston newsletter, Slant. View a transcript of that editorial:
http://www.houstonculture.org/archive/newman.html

You will find more interest in this subject in our annual report to volunteers (March 2002). We removed it temporarily to resolve some conflict-of-interest issues with statements about KPFT and KTRU. Some of our volunteers work as volunteers at those stations. Look for it to be reposted in late May.


If you would like to participate in some worthwhile activities, or develop programs that you can value just a little more than an item on your resume, here are a few of our projects you can get involved with.

Camp Dos Cabezas
Our Cultural Crossroads Youth Education Program:
http://www.houstonculture.org/camp

September 11 Cultural Literacy Project
In September, Mark Lacy will make a multimedia presentation for the University of Houston, tentatively titled "Travels with Shivas and Angels", followed by a panel discussion. We will arrange additional events featuring cultural performing artists at several area universities. Please see the office page where you will find more details posted by May 7:
http://www.houstonculture.org/office

Houston Institute Promotional Brochure
We are preparing to print a publication that will more effectively promote our educational programs and community resources. This publication will benefit the entire Houston community.

Cultural and Community Listings
We will begin to link photos from our event files to listings for cultural arts organizations. In order for us to create a listing, artists/organizations will need to provide the necessary information:
http://www.houstonculture.org/listings

Please find more programs listed in the organization overview:
http://www.houstonculture.org/office/overview.html


Potential volunteers should attend our general interest meeting:
Tuesday, May 7, 7:30pm
Napoli Flying Pizza (713-726-1166)
4820 West Bellfort (about one block east of South Post Oak in the Meyer Park Shopping Center)

Contact us at 713-521-3686, or send an e-mail to info@houstonculture.org, for more information.

Stay tuned for meeting updates:
http://www.houstonculture.org/meeting

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Missing in Action

If you've had even the slightest contact with our organization in the past, you've surely met the director, Mark Lacy. He manages nearly all of our travel programs, classes and cultural events, and until recently, he was the only volunteer who knew how to create our extensive cyberspace presence. He produces ten times more than anyone I've ever met, in the corporate and nonprofit world. But he can't do it all.

We've experienced a great labor deficit as Mark has become a virtual recluse (last I saw him, he looked like one of Herman's Hermits with his John Lennon hair), as he is busy working on a book and getting little sleep.

Many of you on our list of friends (as I know many of you work in public relations) will be especially interested in the characters of the book. They quit their meaningless PR jobs and set out to answer the most important question in the world. One knows what it is and the other must find out. Though the historical-fiction book is largely centered around cultural integration in Texas, there are many political angles, as well, and strange real-life characters, like Alex Supertramp and the Chicken Man.

From diverse settings, the independent Lexington Street music scene to New Orleans' Ninth Ward traditional events, and important issues, the KTRU lockout and the historic "Black Wallstreet" massacre, this book truly will be "the only book that matters" to many of us for at least the next year. If the subject really interests you, please get in touch with Mark@houstonculture.org. He needs someone to test read (as I was doing before I moved) and a little help confirming the research. He is also making some appearances at regional universities to discuss the issues with student groups as the writing progresses, and you may have the opportunity to attend one of those programs over the summer.

For those of us sitting around on our hands, the book will be worth waiting for.

More importantly, we need several people to take up the slack in some of our most important projects. It only requires a high level of self-motivation and a clear understanding of the importance of cultural education and arts-related activities.

If interested, you are encouraged to attend our next general information meeting:
http://www.houstonculture.org/meeting

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Our Email Crisis

We have received thousands of emails since September 11. The largest numbers came in February and March, while many of our most reliable volunteers were traveling and moving for jobs. Needless to say, we fell far behind in our efforts to respond to people seeking information about regional culture and events. Additionally, we have had very little success forwarding some of the messages to specific organizations that profess to specialize in certain topics.

We would like to provide this valuable resource to the community, and to do it reliably. Some time ago we called for volunteers with some areas of expertise to help with this and simultaneously found ourselves under the current landslide of emails. Sadly, we had not even responded to all those who volunteered to help us respond to emails. Please contact us, or recontact us, and let us know which organizations and community efforts you are involved with, and other areas in which you may be able to assist those who are interested. Remember, they are potential members and patrons.

With more than 2,000 visitors per day (over 10,000 hits per day for those of you who like to think in those terms), we are certain to continue to receive many inquiries from people interested in cultural issues and activities. With the level of attention we are receiving on the Internet, this is a great opportunity for organizations to connect with potential participants through our additional efforts to support artists and organizations:

Cultural and Community Listings
http://www.houstonculture.org/listings

Annual Regional Events Resource
http://www.houstonculture.org/cal



There will be no more news delivered by e-mail until the end of summer, so be sure to check our Internet site for updated and interesting information. For those planning summer vacations, recent Travelogues and the Four Corners Travel Planner, as well as many updated travel resources, are among the projects to be completed in May.

Thanks for your interest and support.

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J  a  n  n  i @houstonculture.org


Send cultural and community event listings, and general inquiries:
info@houstonculture.org

Send organization name and mission to be included in our resource listings:
listings@houstonculture.org

Send comments about the current newsletter:
janni@houstonculture.org

Volunteer to edit or contribute to future newsletters:
mark@houstonculture.org