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Your weekly guide to Houston: Five (plus) don't-miss events — some are out-of-this-world

Lets launch into 2014 with a series of out-of-this-world events — literally. This week, feel what it's like to defy gravity, explore the world of sound, see the result of two dissimilar concepts coming together in art, eat for a good cause and laugh while learning to look at life a tad differently.

Houston Symphony Young Professionals Backstage hosts "Moon Walk" plus The Planets and The Earth

Goose bumps from blast off to orbit — that's how I felt when images of NASA's space explorations poetically weaved to narrate an abstract story of the vastness of the cosmos alongside powerful classical music. Filmmaker Duncan Copp's meticulous visual essay is remarkable as a stand-alone work, but when coupled with music by Gustav Holst, Richard Strauss and John Adams, the experience will leave you breathless.

Enjoy this fast ride with young professionals with a penchant for the finer things in life. Houston Symphony YPB's "Moon Walk" adds socializing fun to an enterprising multimedia project that has earned the Houston Symphony worldwide recognition.

The skinny: YPB event is on Saturday, 7 p.m.; Jones Hall and the Houston Club; tickets are $45. Concert is on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday; tickets start at $22.

DiverseWorks presents SonicWorks

Let's keep the aural theme going, shall we? With this exhibition, DiverseWorks goes beyond the genre of tuneful music to survey the world of sound — the medium of sound and the materials used to create it. The avant-garde presenter's curators have amassed a collection of installations and interactive works by well-known artists — such as locals The Art Guys, David Dove and Damon Smith plus international talent — that play with elements ranging from traditional to bizarre. What else would you expect from DiverseWorks?

SonicWorks will also present weekly live performances as part of DiverseWorks on Wednesday series.

The skinny: Opening reception is on Friday, 7 p.m.; DiverseWorks; free event.

Fresh Arts presents Seismic Atlas

Off we go from sound to movement, courtesy of Fresh Arts, a friendly army of art advocates that do their part to nurture local artists. What you'll find in the Winter Street Studios gallery is a number of large drawings by Katie Mulholland and Darcy Rosenberger, curated by Sapphire Williams, that somehow marries two concepts: The movement of the planet's tectonic plates with the organic rhythms of the human body.

How? I have no idea — but that's part of the excitement of discovering new art and new aesthetics.

The skinny: Friday, 6 p.m.; Fresh Arts; free event.

Galveston Restaurant Week

I hear that the weather is supposed to return to manageable levels this weekend. Perhaps an excuse to leave your igloo in search of a sniff of ocean life? Let's hope the forecasted rain holds off as Galveston Restaurant Week kicks off on Sunday, an opportunity to gallivant around the island sampling the fruits of the area's culinary stars.

Participating restaurants will offer special multi-course menus. You may be enticed by Number 13 Prime Steak and Seafood's crawfish stuffed beignets and 24-hour short ribs, or Brick House Tavern + Tap's cider pork chop . . . plus the recipes of 30 some other eateries.

Don't be afraid to take a break from your New Year's healthy eating resolution. Feel good about the calories as proceeds benefit the Galveston County Food Bank.

The skinny: Sunday through Jan. 25; Various restaurants in Galveston; prices range from $10 to $40.

Houston Premieres film screening: The Pervert's Guide to Ideology

Doesn't the title tickle your funny bone? It's often said that there's brilliance within the absurd, and you'll find plenty of that in this 2012 British documentary that deconstructs pop culture by suggesting what may be hidden in such films as The Sound of Music, Jaws, Taxi Driver and Titanic; products such as candy and Coca-Cola; Soviet and Nazi propaganda; and heck, mix in Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" for fun.

The main man of the film, Slovene philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek, isn't the type to shy away from expressing his views — no matter how quirky they may be. Watch the trailer here. Expect to be amused and bemused.

The skinny: Sunday, 5 p.m.; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; general admission tickets are $9.

Seismic Atlas marries two concepts: The movement of the planet's tectonic plates with the organic rhythms of the human body.

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MFAH expands

Houston museum acquires historic Masonic lodge property for new greenspace

Holland Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M./Facebook

The building at 4911 will be torn down for the new greenspace.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has acquired a prime parcel to expand its campus in the Museum District. On Tuesday, December 23, the museum announced it has purchased a two-acre parcel of land at 4911 Montrose Blvd that will bring its total footprint to 16 acres.

Located just north of the Glassel School of Art, the property will be developed as a greenspace that will serve as a community lawn as well as be utilized for future museum events and parking. MFAH has retained landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz — the firm responsible for work at Memorial Park and the recently-opened Ismaili Center — to create the design for the new greenspace.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston greenspace rendering A rendering offers a bird's-eye preview of the new greenspace.Image by by Cong Nie/Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

At this time, the museum does not have plans to build anything on the property, according to a press release.

To make way for the greenspace, the property’s existing building, Holland Lodge No. 1, will be torn down. Built in 1954 as a home for the oldest Masonic lodge chapter in Texas, the building features a sandstone mural facade. It has been for sale since at least 2005, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle.

Demolition on the site is expected to begin in spring 2026 with the greenspace opening in approximately two years, according to press materials. In addition to the Glassell School, the museum’s campus includes the Audrey Jones Beck Building, the Caroline Wiess Law Building, the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, and the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building.

“We are delighted to contribute to Houston’s greenspace access with this new initiative, which will expand the museum’s 14-acre campus to a thoroughly walkable 16 acres,” Gary Tinterow, director and Margaret Alkek Williams chair of the MFAH, said in a statement. “While the primary objective for the purchase of this property is to secure land for any potential future expansion of the museum, our priority now is to create a welcoming community lawn. Thoughtfully designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz, one of the leading firms in sustainable landscape practice, the site will serve as public greenspace and provide additional parking for museum visitors.”

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