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Going to NYC This Summer? Get Stuffed.

I was planning to write my next blog post about an artist I met in Detroit a few weeks ago, but I just returned from a short trip to New York City and I had another experience I couldn’t wait to share. And since there’s sort of a sell-by date to this story, I figured I’d better dazzle you now.

For the Love of Bunny

Just gonna block the sidewalk, bunny? How rude!

I’m a sucker for cute animals, especially ginormous cute animals. Luckily for me, Intrude is a thing. The brainchild of Australian artist, Amanda Parer, Intrude is a free, public art exhibition featuring giant, sculptural bunnies constructed of nylon. Visitors are even encouraged to touch! If you never made it to FAO Schwarz to snuggle the jumbo-sized stuffies, these bunnies just might fill that void.

When I found out Houston was one of only four US cities slated to host the bunnies, I knew I had to see them. With temperate weather and clear skies, this past Wednesday was the perfect night for it. Although the 40-ft bunnies are on view during the day, dusk until right after sunset is the time to go. Because they’re internally illuminated, the bunnies are at their most flattering in the gloom. The whimsical spectacle reminded me of a fairytale. If that fairytale is about an adorable woodland creature who eats an enchanted leaf and morphs into a humongous, man-eating beast.

This one DOES look a bit smug.

Seems my suspicion of the bunnies’ underlying malevolence was on point. When I read the exhibition description later, I discovered Parer’s bunnies are indeed “intruders.” Where most Americans equate bunnies with Peter Cottontail, Australians see bunnies as environmental behemoths that have nearly destroyed their ecosystem since being introduced to the continent in the 18^th century. Yikes. I also found it not a little ironic that the bunnies’ temporary Houston home is just in the shadow of what was once a looming, destructive force of a different kind — the old Enron building. Dun dun DUNNNNN!

Now, do you still want to hug the bunnies? If so, today is their last day in Houston before they invade Los Angeles. You’ve got until 9:00 p.m., so hop to it. 1600 Smith Street.

Burgers, Fries, and...Prince?

My first job was working the register at a restaurant called Cliff's Old Fashion Hamburgers. Customers ordered and paid with me and I handed them their fountain drinks. When their orders were ready, I called out their ticket numbers and they returned to the counter for their baskets of food. I also swept the floor and refilled the ketchup. Sometimes I even made milkshakes. Even though I went home every day smelling of old grease, it was a good first gig. I got discounted meals, the frings were delish, and my best friend worked there, too. On the weekends, there was table service, and if they were short-staffed, I might be called upon to waitress. Tips!

But the best part of working at Cliff's was the music.

Easy listening tunes were piped into the restaurant from a sound system. Each tape had about 10 songs and I quickly came to memorize the playlist and lyrics to all of them. There were songs that made me want to slit my wrists the minute I heard the first bars (No! I don’t like piña coladas and please don’t ask me again, man!), but most of the songs met with my approval. Since us lowly cashiers weren't allowed to control the music, I had no say over which tapes were in the rotation. Each 4-hour shift was a gamble. But when it paid off, the reward could be The Police, Luther Vandross, Simple Minds, The Isleys, or Spandau Ballet.

Or Prince.

Is It Too Late for Final Four Picks?

The 2016 Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, casually known as the Final Four, is in my city this weekend and I had no idea until a few days ago that it’s a competition for college teams and not the NBA. That’s the extent of what I know about this tournament and it reflects exactly how much I care. As you can probably imagine, for the next few days, I plan to stay far away from the areas of town where the games and related activities are taking place.

If you’re at all like me and don’t give a whit about basketball, you might be asking yourself what else there is to do in or around Houston for the next four days. Here are my Final Four Picks for other ways to spend your time this weekend.

1. Make yourself right at home

No-brainer! Catch up on that book you’ve been reading or start a new one. Watch movies. Binge television shows. Fire up the grill or sun bathe in your backyard with a margarita and a stack of magazines. But by all means, don’t get on the roadways. Houston traffic is enough of a beast when we’re not hosting a national basketball championship.

2. Instead of doing the wave, go watch some.

What about a quick jaunt to Galveston? It’s going to be a gorgeous weekend, just perfect for a long walk on the seawall or watching the sunset from the beach. The sound of surf and gulls trumps screaming sports fans any day.

3. Artfully dodge the basketballs.

The museums may see some increased foot traffic from out-of-towners this weekend, but don't let that stop you. Some exhibitions worth viewing are Statements: African American Art from the Museum’s Collection and Sculpted in Steel: Art Deco Automobiles and Motorcycles, 1929–1940, both at the MFAH. Also, The Menil Collection has Life Is Once, Forever: Henri Cartier-Bresson Photographs and FotoFest 2016 is happening now at various art spaces around town. Click here for a full list of art-related events.

4. Indulge in some deep patio sitting.

This time of year, there are few things I like more than a sun-drenched patio and a gin gimlet. May I suggest you find a restaurant or bar with a good plein air vibe, pick your poison, and settle in. Just make sure there's no television out there! Ibiza Food and Wine Bar is delightful for early evening chill and the martinis are solid. Backstreet Cafe is another oldie but goodie. Their quaint, verdant patio has rosé written all over it. You could also try a patio at one of H-Town's buzzy new joints. Find ideas here and here. 

 

However you decide to avoid the Final Four, just remember it’ll all be over in a few days! So may the best man win. Or woman. Or team. Or whatever.

Falling for Art

  

Seeing Kehinde Wiley's work for the first time. Image courtesy of Dion Hicks.

When I tell people I used to work for an art museum, their faces light up. “What was that like?” they ask. “Were you a curator?” Currrrator. Spoken with the same breathless awe usually reserved for astronauts and Master Sommeliers. You know, professions that are unfathomably cool and whose members one rarely meets in real life.

How disappointing for everyone involved that no, I wasn’t a curator. As director of the volunteer program, the only thing I “curated” was a corps of people willing to work for no pay. Value and aesthetics mattered not. My office wasn’t even in the museum proper, but in the basement of the administration building. Just another drone at a non-profit, that was me. Or so people think until I tell them what my job was really like.