Social Planner

5 great reasons Houstonians should attend the next CultureMap Social

CultureMap Social, March 2016, Sheila Shtepani, I. Maria Calderon, Gresa Baboci, Christine Shtepani

Look how much fun these women are having at CultureMap Social.

Our CultureMap Social series returns Thursday, October 6, and we agree, it’s been too long since we’ve hosted a young professionals happy hour — the last one was so sizzling that the Houston Fire Department showed up!

This one takes place at West Ave, and honors the Top Texans Under 30, an exciting group of Houstonians who are making thing happen.

Tickets are normally $25, but if you use the code SOCIAL5, you can save $5 (and 100 percent of sales will be donated to non-profits). Read on for five reasons to attend the CultureMap Social.

1. You get to meet the Top Texans Under 30.
This is the first year for our Top Texans Under 30 program, in which we celebrate the twentysomething trailblazers making stuff happen across the state — and, in some cases, the world. We can’t wait to introduce you to Houstonians —Andyshea Saberioon, Ricky Johnson, Dakota Carter, Kathleen Perley, Mariame Aana, and Mohamad Maarouf — six of the 26 winners. Worth noting: You don’t have to be under 30 to attend this shindig. Which is a good thing, because I’m not.

2. You can partake in fancy food and drink.
Sample great fare from West Ave restaurants Cru, Eddie V’s, Del Frisco’s Grille as well as light bites from Caswell Catering. For dessert, Ann Sacks is hosting champagne and cake balls while Dr. Roth is sponsoring treats from Petite Sweets. And wet your whistle with beer from Alaska Brewing Co. and a Woodford Reserve whisky tasting hosted by Suitsupply.

3. You get to experience our famous party tricks.
We could just dial it in, serve some good food and drink, and call it an evening. But that is not our style. We like to keep our guests entertained and engaged. This round, that means a succulent bar from Pop Shop America, numerology readings, and a pop-up performance by Red Bull Flying Bach.

4. You could win a cool gift card.
One lucky guest will win a $100 gift card from all participating West Ave retailers, including Ann Sacks, Azur West, Bang & Olufsen, Cru, Del Frisco's Grille, Dr. Roth, Eddie V's, Flor, Ligne Roset, Milk + Honey Spa, Moroso, Q Custom Clothier & Rye 51, Revolution Studio, Tootsies, and Suitsupply. Register while you're at the party at Tootsies.

5. You contribute to charity just by attending.
All ticket sales go to charities selected by our Top Texans Under 30. So you get all of the above, and the following nonprofits reap the rewards:

PledgeCents, selected by Andyshea Saberioon and Ricky Johnson
Live Consortium, selected by Dakota Carter
Girls Inc. Houston, selected by Kathleen Perley
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, selected by Mariame Aana
KIPP Houston High School, selected by Mohamad Maarouf

Round up your friends, and RSVP now. We’ll see you there.

top-texans-under-30 event-planner

Standing Ovation

Inside the elegant dinner celebrating Jones Hall’s transformation

Photo by Dave Rossman

Judy and Don Fernbach; Robert and Kate Eubanks; Amanda Clayton and Kaitlyn Hunt.

For nearly six decades, Jones Hall has hosted standing ovations, curtain calls, and goosebump-inducing performances. On May 4, the spotlight shifted from the stage to the people and institutions who helped usher Houston’s cultural living room to its next act.

More than 40 guests gathered inside the renovated Jones Hall lobby for an intimate dinner celebrating the donors, stakeholders, and arts leaders behind the Foundation for Jones Hall’s sweeping $67.5 million facelift. Attendees in cocktail attire mingled over a red-carpet reception while pianist Jayoung Hong provided a charming soundtrack appropriate for an evening about Houston’s performing arts future.

As guests settled in for a dinner by City Kitchen, Foundation for Jones Hall board chair Barbara McCelvey reflected on the project’s decade-long journey, one that weathered Hurricane Harvey, a pandemic, and the delicate balancing act of renovating an active venue without dimming the marquee. She acknowledged the support and partnership of the Houston Symphony, Performing Arts Houston, Houston First, Houston Endowment, and management consultant Kim Sterling.

Lead donor and building committee chair Chuck Davidson spoke candidly about the project’s evolving ambitions, noting that the original $25 million vision eventually expanded into a far more comprehensive undertaking focused on acoustics, accessibility, technology, infrastructure, and audience experience. The result is a reimagined Jones Hall with enhanced patron spaces, improved sound quality, updated backstage operations, additional lounges and restrooms, and expanded accommodations for guests with disabilities.

Foundation for Jones Hall executive director and renovation project manager Robert Eubanks offered heartfelt thanks to the many partners who shepherded the project forward.

“More than 400,000 people come to Jones Hall annually,” Eubanks said. “Thank you for making this possible.”

He also recognized incoming foundation chair Brad Corson, arts patrons and sponsors Nancy and Chuck Davidson, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Jane Cizik, Janet Clark, Barbara Burger, Mary Lynn Marks, ConocoPhilips, and Elisa Villanueva Beard and Bao-Long Chu of the Houston Endowment.

CultureMap seen were Gary Ginstling, Meg Booth, Deborah Lugo, Judy and Don Fernbach, Kate Eubanks, Amanda Clayton, Kaitlyn Hunt, Ginger Clark, Melanie Cizik, Jennifer Renner, Khao Dao, and Pat McCelvey.

Photo by Dave Rossman

Judy and Don Fernbach; Robert and Kate Eubanks; Amanda Clayton and Kaitlyn Hunt.

fundraisers jones hall performing-arts