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Houston Institute for Culture at 10
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Happy Anniversary!
Help Us Celebrate the Next Ten Years of Houston Institute for Culture
Houston Institute for Culture turned ten years old on August 20, 2012. It incorporated in Texas as a non-profit organization on August 20, 2002.
As we look ten years into the future, most everyone will know the organization as the Houston Museum of Culture. This provident and visionary institution will significantly improve quality of life in Houston, define the city for the nation and the world, and secure its future as a leading international city.
The Houston Museum of Culture will interest all Houstonians, who see themselves as diverse cultures living in one great city - Houston, where they want the best possible futures for their children. It will define the most fascinating and important region of the U.S. for visitors from around the world.
Learn more at www.hmoc.org/10years.
Contact mark@houstonculture.org for more information.
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Canaval Cimarron by Ruben Duran
Carnival Connection thanks eveyone for their valuable support. Please contact us if you would like to participate in planning and sponsoring the event in 2014. We have some very big surprises in store.
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Presented with the support of the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance,
Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts
Contact mark@houstonculture.org for more information.
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Houston's Juneteenth Celebration
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Houston's Juneteenth Celebration
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Miller Outdoor Theatre
Since June 19, 1865 we have celebrated the abolition of slavery in Texas.
On this day, Major General Gordon Granger carried out the enforcement of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which mandated that slaves be freed as the Union army brought Confederate states under the control of the United States.
The nation divided over slavery in 1861, resulting in the Civil War. As the war concluded in 1865, with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee on April 9 and the declaration of the end of hostilities on May 9, the end of slavery in many Southern states was marked by the arrival of Union troops in Galveston, Texas and General Granger's June 19 reading of General Order Number 3 stating, "Slaves are free."
The date of Juneteenth is often considered controversial, since it took more than two years following the Emancipation Proclamation to free slaves in Southern states and over two months after General Lee's surrender to bring the news to Galveston, Texas. But its significance should not be taken lightly. The price of ending slavery was immeasurable. More than 600,000 lost their lives, including President Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated April 14, 1865. Over 400,000 were seriously wounded.
There was substantial turmoil in the days following the official conclusion of the Civil War, as shots continued to be fired. Confederate forces defeated Union troops at the Battle of Palmito Ranch in South Texas on May 13, 1865. Cherokee Brigadier General Stand Watie was the last Confederate general to surrender on June 23, 1865. Like slavery itself, the war was a scourge on all races.
Juneteenth celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation and is sometimes referred to as Freedom Day, since it freed 3.5 million slaves in Confederate states. The legal end to slavery in the United States came later that year, when the Thirteenth Amendment was adopted on December 6, 1865.
On June 19, 2013 we will commemorate the 150 year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and celebrate the end of slavery. Originating in Galveston and Houston, Juneteenth is now recognized as a state holiday or official observance in more that 40 states and the District of Columbia.
But it is critical to understand that, while slavery was made illegal in the United States through the horrific events of the Civil War, it still exists in modern forms. 27 million people, including children, live in slavery conditions worldwide; 200,000 in the United States.
You can learn more about ending slavery at: www.enditmovement.com
Be sure to join us on June 19, 2013 at Miller Outdoor Theatre for Houston's Juneteenth Celebration. Help raise awareness of this important historic event in our nation's history - the immense effort to outlaw slavery that culminated on June 19, 1865 - and help advance the achievements of one of the world's most important human rights policy documents - The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Houston's Juneteenth Celebration is produced by Houston Institute for Culture with support from the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
More information is available at www.houstonculture.org/juneteenth and www.june19.org. Contact Houston Institute for Culture at 832-429-4432, or by email at info@houstonculture.org.
Information and photos are available on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/houstonjuneteenth.
Call 713-667-6650 or contact mark@houstonculture.org for more information.
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Celebrate Houston Spring Golf Classic
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Celebrate Houston Spring Golf Classic
Monday, April 22, 2013 (Earth Day)
Join us for the Celebrate Houston Spring Golf Classic at Hermann Park on Monday, April 22, 2013 (Earth Day). The charity golf tournament will benefit the Houston Museum of Culture and city-wide youth programs. Individuals and teams of four may register.
Register online at www.hmoc.org/rsvp. For questions about the tournament, please contact Diedra Lizcano at 832-286-2284.
Learn more at www.hmoc.org.
Contact mark@houstonculture.org for more information.
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Youth Education Programs
Houston Institute for Culture provides excellent youth programs in school and afterschool to promote communication skills, civic engagement, community advocacy, self esteem and empowerment.
We provide activities like "Youth Voices" and "Media Makers", where students learn to produce media for radio, in-school closed circuit TV or for peer groups to raise awareness, discuss issues and develop interests; and, "Students for a Better Houston", where middle school student groups form into "13-year-old think tanks" to deliberate about the problems they see in their communities and their visions for the city in the future. They create important media messages or plan awareness events to make positive changes. Through the students' voices and the quality of their work, the results truly speak for themselves.
We are building our environmental education programs and implementing excellent, advanced environmental literacy projects to empower youth with greater knowledge and safety information in the region's most industrial areas. One of our most exciting new programs, "Houston Cool", uses math and science to empower students to improve their communities. They learn about the "heat island" effect of the urban setting and discover that they can make Houston cooler by planning green spaces and planting trees. They learn how much air is cleaned and how much ground is shaded by trees, as well as the role of trees in providing habitat for wildlife and protection from hurricanes.
Learn more at www.houstoncool.org.
Another exciting new program is "Girls Excel", which pairs female mentors from area universities with middle school and high school girls in at-risk communities to provide mentoring and academic support. The students work together in small groups with their mentor to complete a media project, while having the support of a college role model, who is available on a weekly basis in the after-school program.
"Girls Excel" focuses on east and southwest Houston communities where dropout rates are highest and college attendance is low. The program aims to raise self-esteem, motivate and inspire academic interests, while empowering young women to take an active role in their community or be a voice for marginalized groups within the school or neighborhood.
Contact mark@houstonculture.org for more information.
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Houston Institute for Culture Youth Camps
The youth camp program provides students from at-risk communities with the "experience of a lifetime" to help them achieve success in their lives. Students are nominated by teachers to attend Camp Dos Cabezas, where they explore many interesting academic subjects and get first-hand experience as they hike through wondrous rock formations and archaeological sites.
Following their camp experience the students participate in a program that takes them on monthly field trips to museums, arts events and workshops, after which they learn to apply for a scholarship to attend Camp Chaco, which helps them experience and understand more complex fields of study. The advanced camp explores several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Mesa Verde National Park and Taos Pueblo. It helps students understand scholarships and how to apply for them, while it motivates them to attend college and develop lifelong interests.
Our goal for the camp program is to build a great adventure and education camp for kids by establishing a permanent site for the camp in New Mexico. Through the permanent site we can even host other non-profit organizations to increase the numbers of students who benefit from the camp. In addition to the current benefits, the permanent camp can utilize many environmentally friendly, low impact building techniques and sustainable practices, and provide very valuable cultural exchange opportunities for students from a wider region.
Learn more at www.doscabezas.org.
Contact mark@houstonculture.org for more information.
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Media Arts Programs
Houston Institute for Culture presents numerous film screenings, as well as talks and workshops by film directors. The organization produces significant media programs, documents and archives, and offers classes in production and management of digital media.
A major initiative is the Digital Story Resource Center, which will become the most comprehensive digital media resource in the region. The center promotes community uses of digital technologies to express ideas, explore issues, tell family stories and bridge cultural divides. The center will develop a multifaceted media series called 'Houston Story' and partner with the Artery Media Project and others to preserve unique historical and cultural interests.
Learn how to get involved at: www.visionforhouston.org
Contact mark@houstonculture.org for more information.
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Educational Travel Programs
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Houston Museum of Culture Educational Adventures explore the many fascinating subjects in the history, diverse ways of life and modern social fabric of the United States and Mexico. The tours utilize the very best historic events, cultural resources and attractions of the regions we visit to provide fun, interesting and highly rewarding adventures.
The tours are active, group-minded educational and cultural adventures for adults, 21 and over. They are designed for people who truly seek great experiences when they travel. Here are some of our upcoming adventures:
Yellowstone, the Black Hills and Rocky Mountains
August 1 - 11, 2013
Join us for an educational adventure to Yellowstone - America's first National Park - and the Black Hills and Rocky Mountains. We will experience geysers, geothermal pools, powerful waterfalls and abundant wildlife. We will visit Wind Cave National Park, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Devils Tower National Monument, Bighorn Mountains, Medicine Wheel, Grand Teton National Park, and more. From history and geology to natural beauty and unlimited opportunities for photography, this adventure has something for everyone.
Historic New Mexico - Holidays in Santa Fe and Taos
December 22 - 28, 2013
This is a perfect trip for an international student, artist, or anyone who would like to experience one of the most remarkable places in the United States during the holidays (at a very affordable price). Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico offer great historical, cultural and artistic interests. We will visit the historic Santa Fe plaza, Palace of the Governors, Museum of New Mexico (including the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum of International Folk Art, and New Mexico Museum of Art), Taos Pueblo, Chimayo, Canyon Road (lined with art galleries), and many more fascinating and interesting sites in the "Land of Enchantment". We will travel the Turquoise Trail through artist communities and historic mining towns, and visit several national historical sites and monuments.
Learn more at www.hmoc.org/travel.
Contact mark@houstonculture.org for more information.
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Houston Institute for Culture is working toward several important goals as part of our Vision for Houston 2010-2020. These include:
1. Establish and build the Houston Museum of Culture
2. Increase activities of the Digital Story Resource Center
3. Establish a permanent site for Camp Dos Cabezas
4. Extend youth programs to benefit more students
5. Increase public access to our traditional arts programs
Volunteers and donors are asked to support these important initiatives. Dedicated volunteers are needed to plan and facilitate the development of major programs. Most have excellent track records and established program histories, while others are in formation.
Founders and Founding Advisory Board Members are currently forming for the Houston Museum of Culture. Visionary leaders should visit www.hmoc.org to learn more about being involved.
Leaders may take on the fundraising needs for youth scholarships to help send children to camp and to provide safe and productive after-school activities the most marginalized children in our communities.
Learn more at www.visionforhouston.org.
Contact mark@houstonculture.org for more information.
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