• 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

    starry nights, so many sunflowers

    Dazzling 'Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Houston' paints vivid and moving picture

    Steven Devadanam
    Oct 13, 2021 | 5:40 pm

    Did Vincent dream this way?

    One couldn’t be blamed for that immediate thought while floating though the lush, vibrant visuals in the new “Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Houston,” opening Thursday, October 14 at Lighthouse Artspace Houston.

    The converted, 16,500-square-foot warehouse space (1314 Brittmore Rd., just behind the Powder Keg outdoor outdoor bar) is a fitting easel for the hyper-visual experience made wildly famous in the Netflix series Emily in Paris. Madonna also counts herself a fan. With more than 3 million tickets sold nationwide, the show has outsold Taylor Swift.

    Not to be confused with the current Van Gogh interactive offering (though again, one couldn’t be blamed), this stunning — and original — show animates some of the most iconic works for Van Gogh, who is considered one of humanity’s most important and notable artists.

    Equally a star player in the production is the music, some by Italian composer Luca Longobardi, along with a classic from Edith Piaf, and even a tune from Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke.

    Masterpieces come alive via some 60,600 frames of video, totaling 90,000,000 pixels and more than 500,000 cubic feet of projections. But as anyone who’s studied the master’s works can attest, that detail is necessary to truly capture his creations.

    Giant walls dance with images of workers in fields, which then wipe to floral settings, or memorable imagery from Van Gogh’s instantly recognizable pieces such as Mangeurs de Pommes de Terre (The Potato Eaters, 1885), Les Tournesols (Sunflowers,1888), La Chambre à coucher (The Bedroom, 1889), and the unforgettable Nuit étoilée (Starry Night, 1889).

    Even the floor — lined with circles to stand or sit on for social distancing — is a piece of art. Visitors can stroll (highly recommended), space permitting, or sit, awash in Van Gogh’s dreamscape.

    “It’s really interesting you comment that this could be Van Gogh’s dream,” Vito Iaia, co-founder of Impact Museums and the event’s co-producer, tells CultureMap. “This is what Massimiliano Siccardi, the protection artist who created the work you see on the walls, believes went through Van Gogh’s head — right before he died.”

    Part art exhibit, part animated film, “Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Houston” marries the work of three different artists: Van Gogh (of course), aforementioned projection artist Siccardi, and Rowan Doyle, the creative director who created the scenic elements surrounding the venue.

    Those scenic elements include:

    • Sunflower pickup truck: A vintage Ford truck, parked outside the venue, gets a splash of sunflower yellow.
    • Van Gogh Chapel: Meant to be a love letter to Houston and specifically Rothko Chapel, this design is meant to be a contemplative space before entering the main gallery.
    • Van Gogh Timeline: As the name implies, this installation features pivotal moments of Van Gogh's career, with symbols harking to his short life.
    • Texas sunflower sign: Sunflowers dot the Texas state display, perfect for IG selfies.

    A bar and gift shop also add to the experience.

    At once stirring, playful, and poignant — even emotional — the experience is fitting for now, despite the artwork dating back to the late 1800s.

    “People ask why Massimiliano chose Van Gogh right now,” says Iaia. “And part of the answer is there’s probably no better time to tell Van Gogh’s story than right now. This is a reflection of what he went through as a troubled soul and the struggles people are going through today.”

    But it’s not all dark. “The bright side is, this is a great way to remember his work. The reception has been amazing. It’s giving him a new life.”

    Prepare for a serene, honest moment, but don’t be surprised to be affected — especially with the final imagery. “People are driven to joys, or tears, or thought,” says Iaia. I had someone come out and say, ‘I just saw God.’”

    ---

    “Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Houston”; 1314 Brittmore Rd.; Tickets start at $29.99 per child, $39.99 per adult; $109 for VIP. For more information, visit the official site.

    Sunflowers are a common theme.

    Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Houston
      
    Photo by Michael Brosilow
    Sunflowers are a common theme.
    inspirationtechnologyopeningsmediatrendsmuseums
    news/entertainment

    animal world avengers

    New Houston Museum of Natural Science exhibit celebrates extraordinary animals

    Jef Rouner
    May 23, 2025 | 9:00 am
    Houston Museum of Natural Science Extreme Animals Alive
    Photo by Mike Rathke
    Meet Eustace, a six-banded armadillo.

    The Houston Museum of Natural Science's new exhibit Extreme Animals Alive brings a group of super heroes to the museum's basement. It's made up entirely of animals with extraordinary abilities, and some of them are truly remarkable.

    Consider the humble sea cucumber, which can be seen in the museum's touch tank. The tank is so massive that it has to reside in the basement in order not to damage the floor. At first glance, sea cucumbers are not particularly interesting, looking like, well, cucumbers.

    However, under the presentation of Nicole Temple, the museum's vice president of youth education, these echinoderms become alien anti-heroes worthy of a Marvel movie. Did you know that they are untraceable? If a scientist tries to implant a tracking device, dye, or any other monitoring the technology, the cucumber will simply expel it within hours. Also, if they can't find any food to eat with their suddenly-appearing Lovecraftian tentacles, they will start eating their own brain until another meal comes along.

    That's just one example of why Temple frames her menagerie as a kind of educational Avengers. Each animal is presented with a massive, brightly-colored poster that resembles a comic book cover. Temple wrote all the captions, including several jokes, such as saying an animal's likes include harassing keepers and eating sand.

    "I find that, if you approach things with grace and humor, it works better than just screaming facts at people," she said in an interview during a press preview. "The more people know about the natural world, the more likely they are to protect it. We want to make sure that people see the animals that are affected by cutting down trees and leaving plastic everywhere."

    Extreme Animals Alive opens Friday, May 23, and will run for several months. However, it won't be a part of the permanent collection and requires an additional entrance fee between $20 and $35.

    Currently, the entire basement area is being reconfigured into a child care center with an ocean theme that will host visitors from toddlers to grade schoolers. Eventually, it will include the space currently being utilized by the exhibit. Ultimately, the touch tank will remain, but there will also be craft labs and other places for younger visitors to learn and enjoy the museum.

    Houston Museum of Natural Science Extreme Animals Alive
      

    Photo by Mike Rathke

    Meet Eustace, a six-banded armadillo.

    Until then, Extreme Animals Alive is a great chance to learn about the bioluminescence of the opossum, watch the frantic antics of fennec foxes, or try to spot all six of the mossy frogs camouflaged in their habitat. As the comic book aesthetic says, some of the ways animals have adapted are marvelous, from axolotls' regrowing limbs to the nigh-invincibility of the cockroach. It's a lighthearted, living tribute to overcoming nature's odds that should be fun for everyone.

    museumsopeningshouston museum of natural science
    news/entertainment

    most read posts

    Ben Berg's New York-inspired, fancy burger joint will soon shutter

    Winner of Ren Fest lawsuit plans to keep the event mostly unchanged

    New owner of Texas Renaissance Festival revealed in our top 5 stories

    Loading...