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    The Arthropologist

    When paintings perform: Art becomes more and more theatrical — a little menaceincluded

    Nancy Wozny
    Oct 13, 2012 | 6:01 am
    • Jane Alexander, Frontier with Ghost, 2007
      Photo courtesy of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
    • Stacey Steer's Night Hunter
      Photo courtesy of Night House Hunter
    • Still from Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present
      Photo courtesy of Music Box Films
    • Dario Robleto, Defiant Gardens, (detail), Courtesy of Inman Gallery andCollection of the Mint Museum, Charlotte, N.C.
      Photo by Robert Wedemeyer
    • Maureen Nelson and Lisa Burrell, violin, Rene Salazar, viola, and RichardBelcher, cello, performing as part of Musiqa's Surveys Loft Concert in the midstof Jane Alexander: Surveys (from the Cape of Good Hope) at the CAMH
      Photo by Jonathan Mitchell

    I pressed a button and a painting performed for me.

    Gregorio Vardanega's painting Espaces Chromatiques Carrées en Spirale, part of the Constructed Dialogues: Concrete, Geometric, and Kinetic Art from the Latin American Art Collection, is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston until Jan. 6.

    It doesn't take much to mix the disciplines. Too many artists over blend, leaving a hodgepodge of layering that ends up feeling like a ball of gray Play-Doh. Even the word "multidisciplinary" makes me yawn. Been there, done that, enough already.

     

      The musicians were placed among Alexander's eerie animal/ humans. Her hybrid mutants seemed to guard the space, one even from above.  

    I prefer subtler concoctions, where an event crosses a fine line to become something else. My home is in the performing arts, so I tend to turn everything into a performance.

    As a byproduct of my dance training, I come equipped with motion detector. As an experimental theater lover, I look for the smallest whiff of theatricality. And, as someone continually perplexed by performance art, I seek every opportunity to understand its history and lineage.

     The artist is indeed present

    The roots of performance are probably on my mind because Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present is screening at MFAH on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. All Abramovic needs to do is lift her gaze to see the person sitting across from her, a two-inch movement of her head, and . . . boom, it's some of the most powerful theater I've ever seen.

     

      Too many artists over blend, leaving a hodgepodge of layering that ends up feeling like a ball of gray Play-Doh. 

    It should be said that Abramovic is the grandmother of performance art. Directed by Matthew Akers and Jeff Dupre, The Arist is Present chronicles the months leading up to Abramovic's MOMA retrospective. In a Skype Q&A after a prior screening, Dupre revealed that yes, her life is a performance.

    This film is required watching for anyone who hovers anywhere near performance art. There's much to learn in witnessing the restraint present in her work. She makes so much from so little. Lessons to learn here fellow art makers.

     Musiqa at the CAMH

    Last week, I witnessed Musiqa in Surveys, featuring music from South African composers amidst the CAMH exhibit Jane Alexander: Surveys (From the Cape of Good Hope). The musicians were placed among Alexander's eerie animal/ humans. Her hybrid mutants seemed to guard the space, one even from above.

    They let us watch. It's menacing, a quality later reflected in the musical selections. CAMH chief Bill Arning sat at full attention, while Musiqa artistic director Anthony Brandt sat on the floor to the side in repose. It was pure theater.

     

      "Our next concert will be also be very theatrical, since it's accompanying a performance art piece that features an unscripted Greco-Roman wrestling match." 

    "I also found it very theatrical, with the anthropomorphic figures surveying the musicians, and the barbed wire enclosure right beside the performance space," Brandt says. "It certainly changed the way one listened to the music, by placing it within such a strong and confrontational environment.

    "Our next concert will be also be very theatrical, since it's accompanying a performance art piece that features an unscripted Greco-Roman wrestling match."

    A Greco-Roman wrestling match? Brandt is referring to Musiqa's Radical Presence on Dec. 8, featuring performance artist Shaun Leonardo, in conjunction with the CAMH exhibition Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, which will run from Nov 17 to Feb. 15, and is a must see exhibit for anyone interested in this topic.

     Dario Robleto

    The first time I heard Dario Robleto speak at the Systems for Sustainablilty conference at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts it felt like a monologue. At first glance, we could look at the event as a visual artist giving a talk about his work with memory, science and time, yet there was something about his delivery that was out of the typical ordinary lecture style.

    He seemed more of a storyteller, unearthing the seeds of his work in such syncopated detail, the event even had musical qualities.

    So I wasn't surprised to see his next Mitchell Center event, The Boundary of Life is Quietly Crossed, set for 6 p.m. Oct. 25 at the University of Houston's Dudley Performance Hall, billed as a "part artist talk, part performance." The artist will source sound, story and image to examine loss and creativity in his idea of "deep time."

    Robleto's talk is presented in conjunction with The Art of Death and Dying symposium, organized by the University of Houston Libraries.

     Cinema Arts Festival Houston

    Every year, Cinema Arts Festival Houston (CAFH) takes one step closer to becoming a cinema and performing arts festival. From live documentaries to artists performing in their films, there's already been a bounty of healthy play between the arts.

    This year, Cinema on the Verge aims to take a step further with six media installations at 4411 Montrose, which also houses CINEMA 16, a special screening room for experimental films. Expect performative elements in installations by Phil Solomon, Vanessa Renwick, Stacey Steers, George Griffin, Joanna Priestley and The Light Surgeons (who will also be performing SuperEverything* at the Asia Society on Nov. 9 & 10).

    I'm looking forward to Eve Sussman's WHITEONWHITE:ALGORITHMICNOIR on Nov. 9 at Aurora Picture Show, a part of Cinema on the Verge's satellite exhibitions. Edited live in real time by a custom programmed computer called the “serendipity machine," Sussman's film is a narrative in flux, created from 3,000 clips, 80 voice-overs and 150 pieces of music. It runs forever and never the same way twice.

    The Cinema Arts Festival runs Nov. 7 to Nov. 11 at several venues. More details will be rolling out soon.

    CINEMA 16 kicks off on Nov. 8 at 4:45 p.m. with a Warhol Walk from Rob Pruitt's The Andy Monument at the CAMH to a Rare Warhol program at 5: 30 p.m.

    So there you have it, we will all be performing!

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    weekend event planner

    Here are the 15 best things to do in Houston this 4th of July weekend

    Craig D. Lindsey
    Jul 2, 2025 | 6:30 pm
    Shell Freedom Over Texas
    Courtesy of Shell Freedom Over Texas
    The city has revealed the performers for its July 4 celebration.

    The 4th of July lands on a Friday this year, which means things will get especially patriotic this weekend.

    We’ve already listed all the fireworks celebrations and restaurant specials that’ll be popping off on Friday. (Don’t forget about the screenings of Independence Day at River Oaks Theatre, Rooftop Cinema Club and Marriott Marquis Houston.) But there are also other must-see events happening this weekend, including a LEGO convention, the second anniversary of a Third Ward eatery, the return of a Stanley Kubrick classic, and an outlaw music festival featuring Willie Freakin’ Nelson and Bob Freakin’ Dylan!

    Thursday, July 3

    Brick Rodeo
    Brick Rodeo is a family-friendly event that features hundreds of custom models and displays made from LEGO bricks. Creators from Texas and around the country will be available to talk about their creations. Fans who want to display their own creations, attend workshops, and participate in all the activities should purchase an All Access Pass. Families and individuals who want to spend a day viewing incredible custom creations, talking with builders, and shopping with vendors should purchase a public exhibition ticket. 9 am (8:30 am Friday-Sunday).

    City Place presents Young Audiences of Houston: Painting with Watercolor Pencils Art Workshop
    This free art workshop, hosted by Young Audiences of Houston teaching artist Judy Malone Stein, transforms City Place’s central waterfront plaza into a classical art studio with easels and other essential supplies. Participants are introduced to the medium of watercolor pencils and will learn basic color theory which includes the color wheel and primary and secondary colors, along with complimentary colors. They will also focus on creating compositions, using traditional visions (portraits, landscapes, still life) as their subject matter. 9:30 am.

    Improv Houston presents Dustin Ross
    Dustin Ross is a NAACP Image Award-winning host, writer, and producer. Fans of The Read podcast may know him as a longtime guest/friend to the show. These days, you can hear him on two pods: The Friend Zone, with co-hosts Hey Fran Hey and Assante; and Holding Court, with Eboni K. Williams. He has also hosted seasons of Bet on Black, REVOLT TV’s competition series, Bet On Black. As an on-air contributor, Ross has appeared on multiple platforms, including MTV, BET, Bravo TV, HBO, FUSE TV, GLAAD, Fox Soul, and more. 7:30 pm.

    Friday, July 4

    Freedom Over Texas
    With an average of 50,000 people in attendance, Freedom Over Texas has become Houston’s annual, signature July 4th celebration. The live, televised event will feature local, regional, and national entertainment, headlined by Ashley McBryde and Lee Brice, and will be capped off with a musically choreographed, “Texas-sized” fireworks finale. It also features a unique non-profit component, as the event will donate a percentage of food and beverage sales to the Houston Food Bank. 4 pm.

    Ensemble Theatre presents The Tap Dance Kid
    Over at The Ensemble Theatre, The Tap Dance Kid is about a 10-year-old African-American kid named Willie who doesn’t want to be a lawyer like his well-to-do strict father, and dreams of becoming a dancer like his talented Uncle Dipsey, an aspiring Broadway choreographer. The final production in the theater’s 2024-25 season, this musical is filled with imaginations of stardom that keep us tapping along. Through Sunday, July 27. 7:30 pm (2 and 7:30 pm Saturday; 3 pm Sunday).

    Dan Electro’s presents The Broken Spokes & Oliver Penn 4th of July Party
    Freedom, music, and a 4th of July Party will be going down at Dan Electros. The show will feature a performance from traditional Texas country band The Broken Spokes, a well-seasoned outfit that’s put in the time honing their craft in honky tonks across Texas,. Also performing will be Rhode Island-born, Houston-based country singer Oliver Penn, who has shared the stage with Charley Crockett, Shakey Graves, Randall King, The California Honeydrops, and Shinyribs. 9 pm.

    Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra presents Graveyard Shift: Attack the Block
    Guy Fawkes Night in London is a time for fireworks, fooling around, and an occasional surprise or two. But when vicious extraterrestrials decide to crash the hellraisers’ holiday, a time for making merry quickly turns scary. Writer-director Joe Cornish also ensures it’s frequently humorous as well. This frisky, vigorous 2011 spoof — propelled by an insistent electronic score by Steven Price & Basement Jaxx and a star-making lead turn from John Boyega — shows a similar sensibility in its breezy blending of goofiness and gruesomeness. 10 pm.

    Saturday, July 5

    Rado Market 2 Year Anniversary Celebration
    Chef Chris Williams’ market and cafe at the historic Eldorado Ballroom will celebrate its two-year anniversary with a celebration that’s free and open to the public. The event will include complimentary champagne during the first hour, food specials from chef Jaden Gaines, and live music from a DJ for the first two hours. Guests can also browse and shop from a curated lineup of local vendors offering various products for sale, including Posh Body, Ambrosia Nectar, 77 Stash, and Juxx. Patrons can also enter two raffles featuring Radiant Aura samples and other giveaways. Noon.


      
     
     
     
     
     
     
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    Winnie’s presents Labubu Face Tattoo Korean Corn Dog Karaoke Party
    Never has an event’s name been a more complete description of what’s happening at the Midtown sandwich shop/cocktail bar on Saturday. Artists from Rodeo Tiger will be tattooing Labubu, the must-have accessory that feels destined to become the Beanie Babies of 2025 ($25 minimum, $50 for both sides, and $100 for full face custom work). While you wait, snack on a Korean corn dog created by chef Jennifer Hoffman. Karaoke starts at 8 pm. 1 pm.

    The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Barry Lyndon
    This weekend, catch the 50th anniversary screening (in glorious 35mm!) of Stanley Kubrick’s lavish, Oscar-winning 1975 adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray’s 18th-century novel. Forced to leave Ireland after killing an English officer in a duel, young Redmond Barry (Ryan O’Neal) seeks his fortune as a soldier in Prussia, as a spy, and then as a gambler living among the elite of Europe. He changes his name and marries an aristocrat (Marisa Berenson) for her wealth, but will he finally gain the acceptance he seeks? 5 pm (2 pm Sunday).

    Kings Harbor Waterfront Village presents “Fireworks on the Pier”
    Looking for a post-4th of July throwdown this weekend? Kings Harbor Waterfront Village in Kingwood will have its annual “Fireworks on the Pier” celebration, a patriotic evening of family fun, live entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display. Festivities include family-friendly games like Connect Four, a balloon artist, face painting and bubble stations for kids. Local restaurants will be serving up a variety of delicious food and drink options throughout the evening. A dazzling fireworks show over the pier will begin around 10 pm. 7 pm.

    Movies at Miller: Wicked
    We know there is a lot of y’all who can’t wait for Wicked: For Good to drop in multiplexes this winter. Before that happens, head over to Miller Outdoor Theatre and revisit the Oscar-winning Broadway musical adaptation that set it all off. In the magical Land of Oz, Wicked covers the first act, following Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her friendship with Galinda (Ariana Grande), the future Glinda the Good Witch. The audience is encouraged to come in costume. 8:30 pm.

    Sunday, July 6

    Eldorado Ballroom presents Ball N’ Parlay
    Dubbed “A 1st Sunday Vibeout,” Ball N’ Parlay is a vibrant, Third Ward day party that’s going to be held outside the legendary Eldorado Ballroom. They’re really hyping this one up, calling it “the Sunday you’ve been waiting for, where music, community, and culture meet.” We’re just psyched that some of our favorite DJs will be doing live sets, including DJ Elevated, Maiya Papaya, Alist, and DJ Bloom. 3 pm.

    Outlaw Music Festival
    If you grew up going to Cactus Music and picking up the latest issue of No Depression, looking for the latest in outlaw country releases to scoop up, a fest full of iconic, guitar-strumming banditos will be making a stop at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion this weekend. The 10th anniversary tour of the Outlaw Music Festival will feature an unparalleled lineup of legends and superstars, including Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, The Mavericks, and Tami Neilson. 4:05 pm.

    CONCACAF Gold Cup Final
    As of this writing, we don’t know who will be playing in the final match of the soccer championship known as the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, going down this weekend at NRG Stadium. What we do now is that the winners will be determined on Wednesday night, when the semifinal matchups – the USMNT vs. Guatemala and Mexico vs. Honduras – will take place. This also marks the first time the Gold Cup Final will be held in the state of Texas. 6 pm.

    Freedom Over Texas
      
    Courtesy of Freedom Over Texas
    The Freedom Over Texas celebration takes place on the Fourth of July.
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