• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Iconography at HMNS

    Byzantine or bust: Exploring the Houston Museum of Natural Science's AncientUkraine exhibition

    Sarah Rufca
    Jul 23, 2011 | 1:15 pm
    • Blessing Cross, 1721, cypress, silver and gilding
    • The Nativity of Christ, early 16th century, tempera on wood with silvering
    • Garland, late-4th to early-3rd centuries B.C., gold
    • Descent into Hell, late 16th century, tempera on wood
    • Lion Statuette, 9th-8th centuries B.C., gilded bronze
    • Tabernacle, 1726, silver and gilding
    • Chalice, 7-9th centuries A.D., gold and blown glass
    • Amphora, end of 4th century B.C., pottery

    When you think of ancient civilizations, Ukraine isn't usually on the radar. There's Rome, of course, and Greece and the Persians before that, plus Babylon and ancient China.

    But the Eastern European region that makes up present-day Ukraine had large settlements at least 1,000 years before the better-known Mesopotamian civilizations arose, and later was the center of a Slavic empire in the middle ages known as the Kyivan Rus’. It's this history that's being explored in "Ancient Ukraine: Golden Treasures and Lost Civilizations," currently on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

    The Ancient Ukraine exhibit is actually organized into two exhibits in one. In one section, visitors take an archeological tour through thousands of years worth of Ukraine's history, via found objects from the Stone Age through the period of Greek and Roman influence. In part two, Sacred Images from the 11th to 19th centuries focuses on religious iconography and treasures from the Middle Ages through the 19th century.

    Pottery and animal sculptures dating back to the Trypilians in 5,000 B.C.E. leads to tools from the Bronze Age, jewelry with Greek and Roman influences, chalices from the Byzantine era and relics from the height of the Kyivan Rus’ civilizations at the turn of the last millennium. I'm not one to spend too much time on pottery or tools, but the the beauty and quality of the metalwork, particularly the delicate diadems and jewelry, was truly amazing to see.

    In the second part of the exhibition, the space I refer to as HMNS's "fancy room" (you might remember it from the Fabergé exhibit) is decked out with religious icons and their exquisite accessories, from silver altar gospels to a patterned silk bishop's robe, to ancient blessing crosses and chalices. The crosses are of particular interest. The cross of Mark the Cave Dweller, dating to the 11th century, is made of heavy copper, and so ancient and well-worn that the inscriptions on the bottom of the cross have completely rubbed off. Like another cross and two works of art in the exhibit, it was once a reliquary, or an object that held a holy relic, such as a piece of bone or strand of hair from a saint, or perhaps a piece of the original cross. What each held has been lost to history.

    The icons — which are referred to as being "written" and not painted, as they were drawn to tell biblical stories in an age of illiteracy — show several scenes and more than a few saints, but there's mostly just a lot of Jesus. There's a Jesus for everyone: Bearded Jesus, cute baby Jesus, abs Jesus, dreadlocks Jesus, awkward baby Jesus and black Jesus.

    The artistic element is interesting to watch, changing from a folksy style to the fluid baroque movement of the later centuries. I'm partial to the Byzantine style, which had a heavy and lasting influence on Ukrainian art, for its use of color and the flat way each figure or element in the work seems to be layered together, almost like a collage.

    This is an exhibit where it pays to asks questions of the volunteer curators, who can point out what makes each work different or special. In several places, icons that tell the same story are placed together to compare and contrast. Of two images that include a scene of Jesus with his disciples, one contains 13 disciples (and mountains that look strangely like feet) and another contains only nine.

    The icons aren't the most natural fit for a museum of "natural science," and the exhibit does feel a little more like something one would find in an art museum. But for those with an interest in history, anthropology, archeology or religious history, there's plenty to take in.

    "Ancient Ukraine: Golden Treasures & Lost Civilizations" is on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science through September 6.

    unspecified
    news/entertainment

    Concert News

    Iconic video games celebrated in new concert tour coming to Houston

    Alex Bentley
    Jun 17, 2025 | 10:45 am
    Astro Bot at PlayStation® | The Concert
    Photo courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment, GEA Live, and RoadCo Entertainment
    PlayStation® | The Concert comes to Will Rogers Auditorium on March 5, 2026

    Gamers will get to experience the music of some of their favorite games when PlayStation | The Concert comes to Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land on January 28.

    The multi-month tour is scheduled to begin in October 2025 and will hit at least 80 cities in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

    In addition to Houston, the tour will stop in Dallas on January 24, Austin on January 29, San Antonio on March 4, and Fort Worth on March 5.

    The production combines the music and visuals from nine PlayStation video game titles into one experience. Featured games include God of War, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon, Astro Bot, Journey, Helldivers 2, Bloodborne, and Uncharted.

    Audiences will be treated to a fusion of visuals from the games, immersive surround sound, and an all-star ensemble featuring classical and modern instruments.

    PlayStation® | The Concert is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, GEA Live, and RoadCo Entertainment.

    For tickets, tour dates, and more information, visit playstation.com/theconcert. Tickets for all five Texas dates go on sale Wednesday, June 18.

    concertsmusic
    news/entertainment
    Loading...