Shelby About Town

Houstonians party and play across the country; tennis star works out in H-Town

Escaping the torrid temps of July in Houston, a handful of Houston Grand Opera patrons recently made the annual sojourn to Santa Fe, N.M., for a round of parties and performances.

In between gathering under the night sky at the Santa Fe Opera house for performances of The Marriage of Figaro, The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein and La Donna Del Lago, they engaged in Santa Fe-style socializing.

HGO board chair Beth Madison got the ball rolling by hosting a welcome reception at the Eldorado Hotel's Agave Lounge. The partying included a dinner hosted by Santa Fe summer residents Donna and Robert Bruni at The Compound Restaurant where their special guest was international star mezzo-soprano Susan Graham.

Janie and Wayne Patterson rolled at the welcome mat at their swankl La Tierra Nueva home while Connie and Byron Dyer hosted a brunch at the Las Campanas Log Cabin, where guests swooned over the spectacular vistas of the Sangre de Christos and Jemez mountains.

The HGO group included managing director Perryn Leech, Bobbie-Vee and Jerry Cooney, Kate and Greg Robertson, Cynthia Parish, Avery Huddleston, Bill Guest, Gwyneth Campbell and Robin McCorquodale.

Polo season

While Houston's polo ponies are taking their own summer respite from the heat, the ponies have begun kicking up the divots in Santa Barbara, where the season has just kicked off. Among the serious polo fans there are Houstonians Carol and Mike Linn, who became enamored of the sport last summer after buying a vacation home in Montecito.

For the start of the season, the Linns hosted Sheridan and John Eddie Williams for a long weekend in the cool California setting. The Linns and Williamses took in not only the polo but also the newest and rarest Lamborghini, the 2013 Aventador Roadster, along with the 2013 Maserati Gran Tourismo convertible, presented by the Auto Gallery. Joining them was Dallasite Charles Ward, summers in Santa Barbara as the Bombardier Polo manager.

Keeping the Lone Star spirit going through the season, which ends Sept. 1, are polo patrons Scott Wood of Houston and John Muse of Dallas.

Game, set, match!

Italian tennis pro Francesca Schiavone, 2010 French Open women’s singles champion and finalist in 2011, was a surprise guest at the West University Place home of Souad Nassar where he hosted a fundraising party for the Houston Tennis Association National Junior Tennis & Learning program. That non-profit which provides free tennis lessons and educational opportunities to at-risk Houston area youth.

Schiavone is in Houston to work on her game with Peter Lundgren, tennis pro at the Galleria Tennis and Athletic Club. Tennis club member and National Junior Tennis League committee member Sonia Goodrum met Francesca the day of the event and invited her to the party — a win, win for all.

Sight 'ems

Kristina Hornberger and Paul Somerville, Carol and Dr. Gary Gartsman, Lucinda and Javier Loya and loads more filling Tony's to the rafters . . .

Former Texas Gov. Mark White, Charles Hurwitz, Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff, Shelly and Doug Masterson, Dr. Romy Mitchell and Tod Eason, Jessica Rossman and Gordon Bethune and Dominique Sachse and Nick Florescu among those tyring out the newly-refurbished steakhouse The Palm.

Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, center, joins Donna and Bob Bruni in Santa Fe during a Houston Grand Opera dinner.

Houston Grand Opera in Santa Fe July 2013 Donna Bruni, Susan Graham and Robert Bruni

Photo by © Wilson Parish

Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, center, joins Donna and Bob Bruni in Santa Fe during a Houston Grand Opera dinner.

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Get inspired

Noted Houston street artist paints vibrant new mural at downtown venue

Photo courtesy of Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

GONZO247 poses in front of his new mural, "Houston is Inspired" inside Hobby Center

Visitors to the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts can now see an incredible new mural by one of Houston's most iconic street artists.Mario Enrique Figueroa, Jr., known as Gonzo247, debuted his piece, "Houston is Inspired" on Friday, December 12.

“This piece is all about capturing the energy that makes Houston, Houston," said the artist in a statement. "It’s that raw, vibrant hustle — the music, the culture, the stories we’ve been telling for generations. I wanted to create something that pulls people in, gets them hyped for what they’re about to experience. Every color, every shape, every detail is telling a story, a vibe. This ain’t just a mural or a piece of art — it’s a journey. It's about the grind, the growth, and the inspiration we pass on to each other, on and off the stage.”

The piece is called "Houston is Inspired," after the program at Hobby meant to showcase local performers by offering them week-long residencies on a prestigious stage. This season includes CJ Emmons's one-man comedy musical show I'm Freaking Talented; a rhythmic interactive storytelling experience called Our Road Home by Jakari Sherman; and Lavanya Rajagopalan's combination of music, dance and verse, Kāvya: Poetry in Motion. Information about all three shows, including ticket prices and availability, can be found at TheHobbyCenter.org.

The last show (debuting May 1) was a particular inspiration to Gonzo247. Viewers may notice a pair of hands in a traditional Indian dance pose, a direct reference to Rajagopalan's show.

The Houston is Inspired program was launched launched in the 2023-2024 season. In addition to the residency in Zilkha Hall, artists are given a $20,000 stipend for production and marketing costs. It is now a permanent fixture of the Hobby season. Applicants for future seasons can submit here.

Known for his original "Houston is Inspired" mural in downtown's Market Square, Gonzo247 has been an active force in Houston art for 30 years, including producing the video series Aerosol Warfare about the street art scene in the 1990s and 2000s as well as founding the Graffiti and Street Art Museum. He also served as the artist liaison for Meow Wolf's Houston installation. If anyone's visual vision is perfect to welcome audience members to shows highlighting homegrown talent, it's him.

“Art’s all about telling stories, but it ain’t just what you see — it’s what you feel," he said. "This piece speaks to the heart of everything we’re about: culture, rhythm, struggle, and triumph. When you walk into the space, you gotta feel the anticipation, the energy building up. That’s what I wanted to capture — the vibe of the whole city, the passion in the work, and that next-level hunger to rise up and create something fresh. It’s like the beat drops, and everything just connects.”

visual-art downtown mural gonzo247