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Houston Area Events – August

Graceful as a swan: artists of Houston Ballet in Stanton Welch’s Swan Lake, which runs in 2014 at Wortham Theater Center. Photo by Amitava Sarkar.

Compiled by Marene Gustin

FilmPerforming ArtsArt/PhotographyRadioAnd Other ThingsHIV Testing • Ongoing _________________________________________

HOT TICKET

Theater District
Open house

It’s one-stop shopping at the 20th annual TransCanada Theater District Open House on August 25. Head on downtown to the Theater District for a Sunday of family fun and learn about Houston’s nine major performing arts organizations: Alley Theatre, Gexas Energy Broadway at The Hobby Center, Da Camera of Houston, Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, Society for the Performing Arts, Theatre Under the Stars, and Uniquely Houston. Enjoy backstage tours, live performances, a musical petting zoo, and chat with costumed characters. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, plus arts organizations are offering one-day-only specials on season subscriptions, and trolley rides are free between the theaters, although most are within walking distance. Based on past events, about 15,000 folks are expected to show up and support our fabulous downtown Theater District, the second largest in the nation. Find out more at downtownhouston.org. —Marene Gustin

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FILM

• August 3

Movie Night on The Strand. Grab your lawn chairs and blankets for a showing of the film The Muppets at Saengerfest Park in Galveston. Movie starts at 7 p.m.

• August 14–24

Free Movies at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Check out the free outdoor movie nights with such offerings as Secondhand Lions, a Grease sing-a-long, and the Men in Black trilogy. See milleroutdoortheatre.com for details.

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PERFORMING ARTS

• Through August 4

Agatha Christie’s The Hollow. This thriller is part of the Alley Theatre’s Summer Chills program. Get your tickets at alleytheatre.org.

• Through August 11

Wicked. This offering from Gexa Energy Broadway at the Hobby Center really is wicked. Get ticket information at broadwayacrossamerica.com/houston.

• Through August 18

Avenue Zoo. Daily performances of this puppet and live-actor show from Theatre Under the Stars about animals and conservation are held twice daily at the Houston Zoo. See houstonzoo.org for details and times.

• Through August 24

Tamarie Cooper’s Old as Hell! Yeah, you know this is gonna be funny as hell. Visit the company website at catastrophictheatre.com.

Little Nell, Orphan Girl. A fun summer melodrama by Theatre Suburbia. See theatresuburbia.org for details.

• Through September 1

The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns. Head back to 1958 and catch up with Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy, and Suzy as they look back on their final year in high school and ahead toward their bright futures (and a Wonderettes wedding) in song, of course! For more details visit stagestheatre.com.

• August 2–11

Houston Shakespeare Festival. The University of Houston’s annual festival presents Anthony and Cleopatra and As You Like It this year at Miller Outdoor Theatre. See milleroutdoortheatre.com for details.

• August 13

Chucho Valdez & the Afro-Cuban Messengers. A free concert at Miller Outdoor Theatre. See milleroutdoortheatre.com for details.

• August 14 & 15

Journey through China III. A free interactive dance event at Miller Outdoor Theatre presented by Dance of Asian America. See milleroutdoortheatre.com for details.

• August 16–18

Houston Young Playwrights Exchange. Alley Theatre stages new works by six local teens. See alleytheatre.org for details.

• August 25

Theater District Open House. Annual event for arts organizations downtown. Meet the artists, see the season calendars, buy tickets, and more. Details at downtownhouston.org. See lead article above.

• August 29–31

The Rite of Summer. FrenetiCore premieres this at Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater featuring performances by guest companies Psophonia Dance Company and Urban Souls Dance Company. See freneticore.net for more.

• August 30

Golden Dragon Acrobats. Free performance by this amazing troupe at Miller Outdoor Theatre. See milleroutdoortheatre.com for details.

• August 31

Mercury @ Miller. Mercury’s season kicks off with a free concert at Miller Outdoor Theatre. See mercuryhouston.org.

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ART/PHOTOGRAPHY

• Through August 17

Indo Mix (paintings of Muriel White) and Clouds, Pickups, and Coming Attractions (landscapes by Katie Maratta), both exhibits at McMurtrey Gallery. See mcmurtreygallery.com for details.

• Through August 18

Byzantine Things in the World. Featuring works that date from circa 9,000 BCE to the present, but focusing especially on The Menil’s rich collection of Byzantine art, the exhibition juxtaposes more than seventy remarkable objects, reawakening a sense of how people in late antiquity experienced art and bringing Byzantium’s aura into the present day. See menil.org.

Kelly O’Connor’s Rock City. The Galveston Arts Center proudly presents O’Connor’s newest series of large-scale collages and totemic sculptures. Details at contemporaryartgalveston.org.

• Through August 25

Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop. Digitally altered photographs may be commonplace today, but they are nothing new. The ability to modify camera images is as old as photography itself—only the methods have changed. At the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. See mfah.org for details.

Late Surrealism. This small and focused exhibition constitutes a fascinating aspect of Menil Collection holdings, specifically some of the most stunning drawings by Arshile Gorky and Mark Rothko. Visit menil.org for details.

• Through August 30

Soo Sunny Park: Unwoven Light. A new installation by the American artist for Rice University Art Gallery is a suspended, undulating structure made from shaped sections of chain-link fencing. See ricegallery.org for more.

• Through September 6

In My Nature: Thirty Years of Work. A retrospective exhibition of Rice University Professor Emerita Darra Keeton’s work. See arts.rice.edu for details.

• Through September 8

The Tool at Hand. The exhibition showcases the wonder of the process of making and, at the same time, sparks an important conversation about the nature of skill, production, and tool use today. See crafthouston.org for details.

Ctrl + P. Recent economic reports speculate that a third industrial revolution, shaped by digital technologies, is under way. This summer HCCC investigates the implications of such technologies on the making of sculptural and functional objects in the 21st century. See crafthouston.org for details.

• Through September 22

James Turrell: The Light Inside. A special exhibit of Turrell’s light-based installations at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. See mfah.org for details.

• Through September 29

Self, Model, and Self as Other. Highlights about fifty self-portraits—spanning more than a century—that illustrate how photographic self-portraits reveal different innovative approaches to the genre, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. See mfah.org for details.

Graphic Design—Now in Production. The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston presents a major international exhibition that explores some of the most vibrant graphic design work produced since 2000, including posters, books, magazines, identity and branding, information graphics, typography and typefaces, and film and television title graphics. See camh.org for details.

• Through October 13

LaToya Ruby Frazier: Witness. A special exhibit of the artist’s work at the Contemporary Museum of Art Houston. See camh.org for details.

• Through October 27

Through Soviet Jewish Eyes: Photography, War, and the Holocaust. Holocaust Museum Houston exhibits six decades of work by Soviet photojournalists. See hmh.org for details.

Gifts from the Past: The Isabel Brown Wilson Collection. Presents over fifty artworks from the bequest of Isabel Brown Wilson, a lifelong supporter of the MFAH. See mfah.org for details.

• Through January 11, 2014

Daniel Anguilu and Aaron Parazett Mural. See this beautiful mural, called Skywriting, at Lawndale Art Center. Visit lawndaleartcenter.org for more details.

• August 2 & 9

Salon des Refusés 2013. Features two separate exhibitions curated from artwork rejected from Lawndale Art Center’s The BIG Show, at BLUEorange. See blueorangehouston.com for details.

• August 2–September 29

In Residence: Work by 2012 Resident Artists. Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) presents an exhibition of work created by the eight artists who began their residencies at HCCC in 2012. Details at crafthouston.org/artists/residents/.

• August 3–September 5

Wood You Believe It. Archway Gallery presents an exhibit by wood artist Paula Hayman. Details at archwaygallery.com.

• August 8–September 20

METRORail Arts in Transit Exhibition: Art, Architecture and Transit. Presented by Architecture Center Houston and AIA Houston. See gometrorail.org for details.

• August 24

Artwalk. Galveston’s art galleries and businesses open their doors to the public for an evening of art viewing and hors d’oeuvres amid the beautiful Victorian architecture of historic downtown Galveston. See galvestonartscenter.org for details.

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RADIO

After Hours: Queer Radio with Attitude features the QMZ (Queer Music Zone) with Jimmy Carper. Saturday nights, midnight–3 am. KPFT 90.1 FM. kpft.org • 713/526-5738.

Queer Voices. Features, news, music, interviews, reviews, and commentary. Monday nights, 9–11 pm. KPFT 90.1 FM. kpft.org • 713/526-4000.

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GALAS & PARTIES

• April 5

4th Annual Palm Springs Summer Splash Cocktail Challenge. F Bar is the place to be to see bartenders throw down as they compete and create their own signature Palm Springs-infused cocktail using Stoli Vodka. See fbarhouston.com.

• April 7

Citywide Yom HaShoah Commemoration. Free event at Congregation Beth Israel in memory of all who died in the Holocaust and to pay tribute to those who survived. See hmh.org for details.

• April 9

Houston Press 11th Annual Menu of Menus Extravaganza. It’s all about good food and drink at this event at Silver Street Station. Check out menuofmenus.com for ticket info.

• April 20

OMG Music Fest. It’s an all-day, all-ages show featuring some of today’s biggest teen stars and performers sponsored by Houston radio station Hot 95-7 at Warehouse Live. See omgmusicfest.com.

• April 27

Celebrating 20 Years of Avant-garde Theater in Houston. In the spring of 1993 Jason Nodler, Tamarie Cooper, and a group of friends got together to put on Nodler’s musical play In the Under Thunderloo in a punk rock club—and they have been freaking out Houston audiences ever since. Join the party at Last Concert Café and celebrate. See catastrophictheatre.com.

• May 4

La Valiente 2013. Gala for Voices Breaking Boundaries to honor founders Marcela Descalzi, Jacsun Shah, and Sehba Sarwar. Visit vbbarts.org.

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AND OTHER FUN THINGS

• August 3

Seaweed Art Contest. Head out to the Stewart Beach pavilion and vote on your favorite work of seaweed-inspired art, while picking up special giveaway items from the Galveston Park Board. See galvestonparkboard.org for details.

• August 17

Student Collage Workshop. The Galveston Art Center offers a workshop by collage artist India Coleman. See galvestonartcenter.org.

• August 18

Rainbow Fishing Club. Get ready for an all-day fishing spree from this LGBT club. Hop aboard a double-decker deluxe fishing boat that heads out into the Gulf of Mexico for fun and fishing. For reservations or information and to get on the mailing list, e-mail [email protected] or call John at 713/523-6381.

• August 30 & 31

Brewmasters Craft Beer Festival. More than 400 craft beers with a celebration showcasing award-winning brewmasters at two signature events: the BrewLicious Beer & Food Pairing and the BrewHaHa Grand Tasting. At Moody Gardens on Galveston Island. Details at brewmastersbeerfestival.com.

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HIV TESTING

• Daily (Sun.–Fri.)

HIV Testing. Planned Parenthood offers free, anonymous, or confidential testing at clinic locations throughout the area. To speak with an HIV counselor: 1-800-230-PLAN. Dickinson: 281/337-7725. Fannin: 713/831-6543. FM1960: 281/587-8081. Greenspoint: 281/445-4553. Huntsville: 936/295-6396. Lufkin: 936/634-8446 x223. Rosenberg: 281/342-3950. Stafford: 281/494-9848.

• Daily (Mon.–Fri.)

HIV Testing. Free HIV testing, with no Gold Card or donation required or requested. 9am–1pm. HCHD Thomas Street Clinic, 2015 Thomas St. • 713/873-4157 • 713/873-4026.

• Daily (Mon.–Fri.)

HIV Testing. HACS, 2150 West 18th • 713/426-0027.

• Daily (Mon.–Fri.)

HIV Testing. Legacy Community Health Services provides free rapid HIV testing with results in 20 minutes at the following locations on a weekly basis. MONDAYS: Legacy Montrose Clinic (1415 California St.), 11am–6pm; Legacy Lyons Clinic (502 Lyons Ave.), 1–5pm; George Sports Bar, 6–9pm; EJ’s, 9pm–12am • TUESDAYS: Legacy Montrose Clinic, 11am–6pm; Legacy Lyons Clinic, 1–5pm; Midtowne Spa, 5–9pm; 611 Hyde Park Pub, 6:30–9pm • WEDNESDAYS: Legacy Montrose Clinic, 11am–6pm; Legacy Lyons Clinic, 1–5pm; Walgreens–Montrose, 4–8pm; Club Houston, 6–10pm; Crystal Night Club, 10pm–2am • THURSDAYS: Legacy Montrose Clinic, 11am–6pm; Legacy Lyons Clinic, 1–5pm; Walgreens–Lyons, 2–5pm; Midtowne Spa, 5–9pm.; Guava Lamp, 6:30–9pm; Ripcord, 6:30–10pm • FRIDAYS: Legacy Montrose Clinic, 11am–4pm; Club Houston, 1–4pm; Legacy Lyons Clinic, 1–5pm; TC’s Showbar, 4–8pm Tony’s Corner Pocket, 4:30–8:30pm. • Legacy Testing Calendar: http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/calendar.php?crd=legacytestingservices&

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ONGOING

• Weekly (Sundays)

The Women’s Group, a feminist group for all women. 10:15am. First Unitarian Universalist Church’s Sojourner Truth Room, 5200 Fannin St. • 713/529-8571.

• Weekly (Mondays)

EMBody: Whole Health, Wellness and Resiliency peer group. 2pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

LBT Breast Cancer Survivors Support Group. 5pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

EMBody: Introduction to Yoga. 6pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

Depression Bipolar Support Group. 7pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

Helping TransGenders Anonymous, a facilitated support group for all transgenders, supporters, family, and significant others. 7pm. 604 Pacific St. • tgctr.org.

Fathers First. Houston’s original gay fathers group supports gay dads who are dealing with coming-out issues, and family and life challenges after being married to a woman. Meets every Monday except holidays. 7:30pm. Bering Memorial United Methodist Church, 1440 Harold St., Room 230 • fathersfirstofhouston.com.

• Weekly (Tuesdays)

EMBody: Mindfulness, Well-Being, Stress Reduction. 11am. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

HIV Support Group Lunch Brunch. 11am. Bering Memorial UMC, 1440 Harold, Room 214 • 713/526-1017, ext. 202.

HATCH’s Transgender Support Group and Speak Out for Youth. 5pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

• Weekly (Wednesdays)

Gulf Pride for Youth, a support group for GLBTIQA youth ages 13–20. 6–9pm. 707 23rd St., Galveston • gulfprideforyouth.org.

HIV Support Group BSSG. 6:30pm. Bering Memorial UMC, 1440 Harold, Fellowship Hall • 713/526-1017.

Zumba exercise class with Crystal Wall. 6:45pm. House of Deréon Media Center, 2204 Crawford St. • 713/772-5175.

Houston Pride Band seeks all brass, woodwind, and percussion players of all skill levels for rehearsal. 7:30pm. Bethel UCC, 1107 Shepherd Dr. • 713/315-2525 • houstonprideband.org.

• Weekly (Thursdays)

Center HIV Support Group. Facilitated support group for HIV-positive individuals. 6pm. Houston GLBT Community Center, Historic Dow School, 1900 Kane St. • houstonglbtcommunitycenter.org • 713/524-3818.

Southern Country, a country-and-western dance troupe, offers free dance lessons. 8:30 p.m. Brazos River Bottom, 2400 Brazos St. • southerncountryhouston.com.

• Weekly (Fridays)

HATCH Youth Group. 7pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

• Weekly (Sundays)

HATCH Youth Group. 6pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

• Semi-monthly (1st and 3rd Fri.)

Positive Brothers United, a social/support group
for GLBT, HIV-positive men of color. 6 pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • [email protected] • 713/454-7548.

• Monthly (1st Sun.)

Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Houston provides educational presentations of LGBT topics, small-group confidential discussions, and supportive fellowship. 2pm. St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5501 S. Main St. • pflaghouston.org.

• Monthly (1st Thurs.)

OutLater. Gay fathers meet to discuss parenting, divorce, family, dating, relationships, and more. • facebook.com/outlater • [email protected].

• Monthly (1st Sat.)

First Saturday Arts Market. Local artists display and sell original works of art. 11am–6pm. Wind Water Gallery, 548 West 19th St. Free admission. yalestreetmarket.com.

First Saturday Queer Bingo benefits Houston GLBT Community Center. 4:30pm. Houston GLBT Community Center, Historic Dow School, 1900 Kane St. • houstonglbtcommunity center.org • 713/524-3818.

• Monthly (2nd Tues.)

Free Legal Consultations for PWAs. AIDS Foundation Houston and Katine & Nechman L.L.P. offer 30 minutes of free legal consultation on any legal issue to persons with HIV and AIDS, by appointment. Katine & Nechman, 1111 North Loop West, Suite 180 • lawkn.com • [email protected]  • 713/808-1000.

• Monthly (2nd Thurs.)

Ryan White Planning Council. 11:30am. 2223 W. Loop South • rwpchouston.org • 713-572-3724.

SPRY Potluck for Seniors. 4pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

National Leather Association–Houston. Movie night. 7pm. Montrose Center, Room 106 • 832/744-8607.

• Monthly (2nd Sat.)

AssistHers helps lesbians coping with life-threatening illnesses by providing non-medical assistance. Volunteers meet for fellowship and education followed by lunch at a local restaurant. 9:30am–noon. Bering Memorial United Methodist Church, 1440 Harold St. • assisthers.org • 713/521-4628.

National Leather Association–Houston. Leather craft class. Noon. $20+materials. Locations vary. [email protected].

• Monthly (3rd Sun.)

LOAF Meet and Greet. Lesbians Over Age Fifty meet for munchies and fellowship. 2–4pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • loafhouston.org • 281/467-2578.

• Monthly (3rd Tues.)

Affected Community Committee of the Ryan White Planning Council. Noon. rwpchouston.org • 713-572-3724.

• Monthly (3rd Wed.)

Log Cabin Republicans. Theo’s Restaurant, 812 Westheimer • facebook.comgroups/102199491979/?fref=ts.

• Monthly (3rd Thurs.)

HIV Testing. 1pm. Houston GLBT Community Center, 1900 Kane St. • houstonglbtcommunitycenter.org • 713/524-3818.

SPRY Counseling Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

EMBody: Understanding Mental Health Issues. Rotating topics: addiction, depression, anxiety, bipolar. 5pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

EMBody: To Cook or Not to Cook. Demystifying raw foods. 6pm. Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. • montrosecounselingcenter.org • 713/529-0037.

Share with PFLAG Houston in a safe, confidential setting. 7:30–9pm. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church’s Chatham Room, 1805 W. Alabama • pflaghouston.org.

• Monthly (3rd Fri.)

Triple D: Dykes, Dinner, and Discussion offers dinner and conversation about health, family, dating, equality, community awareness, and freedom of speech. 7pm. Houston GLBT Community Center, 1901 Kane St. • houstonglbtcommunitycenter.org • 713/524-3818.

• Monthly (3rd Sat.)

Discovery Green Flea by Night. Local music, kids’ activities, bicycle repair workshop, and 40+ vendors selling vintage clothing, antiques, collectibles, jewelry, and more. 6–10pm. Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney St. • discoverygreen.com • 713/400-7336.

• Monthly (4th Sun.)

Share with the Clear Lake satellite of PFLAG Houston in a safe, confidential setting. 2–4pm. Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church Fellowship Hall, 17503 El Camino Real, Clear Lake • pflaghouston.org.

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Have an event to submit? [email protected].

Info needed for your event listing: a few lines of info about your event; date/time; cost; location/address; organization name; and two phone numbers—one for OutSmart to reach you for questions and one for OutSmart readers to get more info on your event (can be the same number). Mail info to: OutSmart Magazine, 3406 Audubon Place, Houston 77006.

NO CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS CAN BE ACCEPTED AFTER AUGUST 10, 5PM.

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Marene Gustin

Marene Gustin has written about Texas culture, food, fashion, the arts, and Lone Star politics and crime for television, magazines, the web and newspapers nationwide, and worked in Houston politics for six years. Her freelance work has appeared in the Austin Chronicle, Austin-American Statesman, Houston Chronicle, Houston Press, Texas Monthly, Dance International, Dance Magazine, the Advocate, Prime Living, InTown magazine, OutSmart magazine and web sites CultureMap Houston and Austin, Eater Houston and Gayot.com, among others.

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