3 Selena celebrations

3 ways to celebrate legendary singer Selena's 53rd birthday in Houston

Selena would have turned 53 next week.

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Nearly 30 years after her last legendary performance at the Astrodome, Selena’s cultural impact remains, and fans worldwide continue to celebrate her life and music. The Queen of Tejano would have celebrated her 53rd birthday on Tuesday, April 16.

In her honor, a few Houston restaurants and movie theaters are holding events to celebrate the life and legacy of the late, great Latina pop star and Houston favorite.

On Tuesday night at 7:30 pm, Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown will have a screening of Gregory Nava’s acclaimed 1997 biopic Selena, featuring Jennifer Lopez's unforgettable portrayal of the beloved singer. Attendees are invited to arrive as early as 5:30 pm to immerse themselves in the rhythms of Selena's music and other Cumbia and Tejano musicians, expertly spun by a live DJ.

If you can’t make that screening, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Katy will have a Selena Brunch on Sunday, April 14 at 11:15 am. Along with showing Selena, Alamo’s culinary team will feature a special menu, with themed drinks and movie-inspired food specials. Each special menu item is available to order along with Alamo’s full menu.

Alamo isn’t the only one having a Selena-themed brunch. On Saturday, April 13 starting at 9 am, all five of The Union Kitchen's Houston-area locations will celebrate Selena with a special brunch service. Chef James Lundy and general manager Rebekah Vera have created several dishes inspired by Selena's life and the vibrance of her music. DIshes will include the Corpus Christi Breakfast Tacos, a homespun riff on delicious carne guisada tacos from the windy, sparkling city by the sea. The "Dreaming of You" Churro French Toast Sticks pack a sweet punch, topped with caramel sauce and Nutella. Keeping it Gulf Coast-y, Dad's Campechana comes filled with sweet peppers, watermelon, and fresh coastal seafood.

Union Kitchen churro french toast strips The Union Kitchen is serving churro French toast strips.Photo by Dylan McEwan

Festive cocktails from the bar team include the Como La Flor, made with Empress Gin and blackberry jam, the lip-smacking spritzer Bidi Bidi Bom Bomand the big-bodied Cumbia King-Chelada – a Texas-sized michelada with an epic offering of garnishes that drinks like a meal.

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a beautiful mind

Houston Health Museum's new exhibit shines a light on dyslexia

Sarah Sudhoff created "The Reading Brain" in honor of her son.

Photo by Rose Tylinski

"The Reading Brain" replicates neuron activity in a dyslexic brian while reading

No, "The Reading Brain" isn't the title of a B-horror film from the 1960s. It's a brand new installation at the Houston Health Museum that explores dyslexia.

The piece was created by Houston-based artist Sarah Sudhoff, in partnership with Dr. Guinevere Eden, Director of the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University. Hanging from the ceiling of the Health Museum, it uses light-up colored circles to represent the frontal lobe activity of a dyslexic person while reading. MRI scans of dyslexic brains formed the foundation of the light activity. Sudhoff's own son has dyslexia, and she had to adapt her homeschooling of him to account for his neurodivergence. As much as 20 percent of the American population is dyslexic.

"The Reading Brain" grew out of a similar exhibit at the DoSeum in San Antonio. "Beautiful Minds: Dyslexia and the Creative Advantage" challenged visitors to see dyslexia not as a learning disability but as simply a different way some human brains work. The exhibit featured videos, stories, and art work by dyslexic individuals that show how they succeed and create, as well as a selection of brain puzzles used to teach dyslexic people.

“Even though your brain works differently, it still lights up and is beautiful to watch, a wonderful machine you have. It just means you have to navigate and pivot a little differently,” Sudhoff said.

Sudhoff's innovative bridge between science and art is a permanent part of the Health Museum's MindWorks exhibit. Like "The Reading Brain," MindWorks maps out thinking processes through light and hands-on activities. The exhibit will close on January 5, meaning visitors have a very short time to see Sudhoff's piece.

The Health Museum is a hidden gem in Museum District located a block away from the Children's Museum. It houses a variety of exhibits about the human body, such as a giant plastic colon that kids love to run through. Since opening in 1969, the museum has helped Houstonians and visitors from around the world learn about the way the body works as well well as public health protocols. As the only Smithsonian Affiliate Museum in the Houston Museum District, it has a high educational pedigree despite it's colorful and often whimsical offerings.

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