Just The Beginning
Aug 16, 2010 Arts, Celebration, Fine Arts, Social Hour
Event: First Anniversary Celebration of Arts of India Gallery
Venue: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
Sitar was in the air and beautiful examples of Indian Art on display for select guests from the Indo-American community who were invited to join the Museum of Fine Arts (MFAH) staff and trustees in celebrating the first anniversary of the permanent Arts of India Gallery.
Special guests at the anniversary celebrations included gallery patrons Nidhika and Pershant Mehta, University of Houston Chancellor Renu Khator and Dr. Suresh Khator, Consul General of India in Houston and many other friends of the Indian community.
Tags: MFAH, Museum Of Fine Arts
Annual Indian Film Festival of Houston
Aug 3, 2010 Bollywood, Film, Non-Profit, Social Hour
September is just around the corner and that means it is time to gear up for the Indian Film Festival of Houston. “This will be the second Indian Film Festival and all I can say is that it will be bigger and better,” says Sutapa Ghosh, Festival Director.
The Indian Film Festival of Houston (IFFH) is a nonprofit organization devoted to creating a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing quality films that honor entertainment industry performers and film makers while promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian Diaspora through an annual event.
“We have received 75 submissions of feature films, documentaries and shorts of which 15 will be chosen to be shown during the festival,” added Ms Ghosh.
The second Annual Indian Film Festival of Houston (IFFH) will take place from September 22nd to 26th, 2010 at Studio Movie Grill, 805 Town & Country Lane, Houston TX 77024.
IFFH showcases a combination of features, shorts films and documentaries. The Festival provides programming and activities that no other film festival in Houston offers and serves a community of Indian and international filmmakers that has the potential of reaching a crossover audience. IFFH offers the Houston community a unique opportunity to learn about India’s multi-faceted culture and long history of filmmaking. During the weekdays there will be four showings and during weekends there will be eight.
The Award’s Night will be held on Sunday, September 26, 2010 at the Royal Oaks Country Club, located at 2910 Royal Oaks Club Dr, Houston, TX 77082.
Lights Camera Action will be there to capture all the details from the Opening Night Cocktail till the closing Night Gala.
For more information please call 713-260-9630 or visit www.iffhinc.org.
Tags: iffh
Fashion Meets Craft
Jun 8, 2010 Arts, Fashion, Social Hour
Event: The Paper Runway
Date: June 4, 2010
Venue: Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 4848 Main Street, Houston, Texas
I always knew that it took creativity to be fashionable. This actually came true when the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft presented The Paper Runway, an exhibition of extraordinary paper clothing and accessories.
At the opening reception held on Friday June 4, 2010 art and fashion enthusiasts experienced this extraordinary exhibition of nearly 50 stunning works of paper clothing and accessories. Featuring everything from handcrafted evening gowns to men’s vests, jewelry made from magazine pages, and a suit made from lottery tickets, each garment-inspired artwork is created from different types of paper.
Materials ranged from recycled cotton rags and coffee filters to various handmade papers, created from fibers like abaca (banana leaf) and kozo (mulberry bark). The featured works encompass a dazzling array of patterns, textures, colors and exquisite detail. Some pieces would look right at home on the couture runways of Paris; others are inspired by the wild beauty of nature. Some pieces are whimsical and innovative, and others have a deeply personal story to tell.
The selected works were created by artists from the United States and from countries around the world, such as England, Chile, Israel, Tibet, Japan, and Canada. Though most work included in the exhibition is for display only, The Paper Runway also presents the work of Deepak Shrestha, a renowned artist from Tibet who makes shifu clothing. Shifu is a craft specific to the Himalayas that involves creating wearable, functional garments out of paper.
A not to be missed free art exhibit. Located in the Museum District at 4848 Main Street, HCCC is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM, and Sunday, Noon – 5 PM. The exhibition is to be ongoing from June 4, 2010 to September 4, 2010.
Indian Inspired Ballet La Bayadère
Mar 1, 2010 Arts, Bollywood, Fine Arts, Social Hour
Venue: Brown Theater at Wortham Theater Center
Date: February -- March 2010
It is clear that anything Indian and Bollywood is now sure to create a stir, with the world premiere of Stanton Welch’s La Bayadère in Houston, Texas, India did not have to struggle much to be in the limelight.
La Bayadère opened in Houston on February 25th 2010 and will be playing at the Wortham Theater till March 7, 2010. A two and a half hour ballet set in the Royal India of the past, La Bayadère is a story of eternal love, mystery, fate, vengeance, and justice. The ballet relates the drama of a temple dancer (Bayadère), Nikiya, who is loved by Solor, a noble warrior. She is also loved by the High Brahmin, but does not love him in return, as she does Solor.
A must see for ballet lovers or any one with a good taste for music, dance and extraordinary costumes and grandeur. As the audience enters the hall they are treated with a gorgeous Indian palace-like backdrop with domes reminiscent of the Taj Mahal. The sexy Bollywood inspired costumes with fantasy like images and decor gives the ballet a fresh look.
Tags: Ballet, La Bayadère
Indian Film Festival of Houston 2009
Nov 11, 2009 Bollywood, Film, Gala, Non-Profit, Social Hour
Event: Indian Film Festival of Houston Closing Night Gala
Venue: Intercontinental Hotel, Houston, Texas
Date: September 26, 2009
Highlights from the first Indian Film Festival of Houston. Interviews with Deepti Naval, Manisha Koirala, Iqbal Khan, and Sonu Nigam.
Celebrating Indian Film Festival of Houston
Sep 29, 2009 Bollywood, Celebration, Film, Fund Raiser, Gala, Non-Profit, Social Hour
Event: Indian Film Festival of Houston Closing Night Gala
Venue: Intercontinental Hotel, Houston, Texas
Date: September 26, 2009
Report: Ruchi Mukherjee
Photography: Ajay Sarpeshkar
Houston finally concluded a week long celebration of Indian cinema with a celebrity gala held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Houston,
Ruchi M with Actress Manisha Koirala
Texas on September 26, 2009. After ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ made a mark at the Oscars, Houston based film maker Sutapa Gosh felt that the time was right to give Houstonians a taste of Indian cinema. The film festival kicked-off with a reception party at Hotel Sorella Citycenter and showcased a few selected Indian films at Studio Movie Grill from September 21-25, 2009.
The Indian Film Festival of Houston is a non-profit organization devoted to creating a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by show casing quality films. The First Annual Indian Film Festival of Houston brought the best films made in different regional languages. A feast including ten feature-length movies, short films and documentaries. Screenings included Smile Pinki, an award-winning documentary about an impoverished girl whose life is changed by free surgery, bengali film ‘Janala’, Deepti Naval’s ‘Do paise ki dhoop Chaar aane ki baarish’ and Student Academy Awards Winner ‘Kavi’ by Gregg Helvey.
Gregg Helvey winner of the film Kavi
The festival was enjoyed by an international audience that featured question and answer sessions with directors, cast and the audience.
Friday evening saw the biggest crowds as Deepti Naval, Manisha Koirala and others showed up at Studio Movie Grill. The week wrapped with a star studded red carpet high profile celebrity gala which had 400 plus in attendance. The main highlight of the evening were the fashion statements of the guests at the gala.
Dr. Carolyn Farb’s mauve attire ‘lehenga’ (an Indian outfit) was quite a show stopper. Joanne King Herring who as usual never failed to impress with her warm personality and exotic costume. Dressed in gold, Joanne not only turned many heads but honored the theme of the celebrity gala. However, the very beautiful bollywood actress Manisha Koirala who charmed the guests with her personality did little with her outfit and looks. “It seems like she just rolled out of bed” says an onlooker. Deepti did maintain her directorial personality with a classy Indian saree.
Pretty in Mauve Carolyn Farb
Others present at the gala were Pop singer and India’s best playback singer Sonu Nigam, and model/television actor Mohammed Iqbal Khan.
Proceeds from the festival and gala will benefit the Indian Film Festival of Houston and MediSend International, that supports under resourced hospitals in developing countries with a multi-dimentional approach to improving community health.
Nidhika and Pershant Mehta Arts of India Gallery Opening in Houston
Jun 12, 2009 Arts, Fine Arts, Social Hour
Event: Arts of India Gallery Opening in Houston
Venue: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
Date: May 15, 2009
The new Nidhika and Pershant Mehta Arts of India Gallery will be the only space in Houston devoted to Indian arts and culture, and is the third in a series of five permanent Arts of Asia galleries planned for the museum and located in an Arts of Asia wing now in development on the first floor of the Caroline Wiess Law Building. The naming of the gallery in the Mehtas’ honor recognizes their extraordinary $500,000 leadership gift to the museum. A series of public programs, including a Bollywood film festival, lectures, and activities for families, will take place this spring and summer as part of the Nidhika and Pershant Mehta Arts of India Gallery celebrations.
The evening was well attended by the who’s who of the Indian American community in Houston. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett also spoke that evening and expressed his connection with India with his son studying Vedanta there for many years.
Tags: Arts
Bayou City Art Festival, Spring Happy Hour
Jun 1, 2009 Arts, Celebration, Fine Arts, Fund Raiser
Event: Bayou City Art Festival, Spring Happy Hour
Venue: Capital One Building, Houston, Texas
Date: May 27, 2009
The Board of Art Colony Association (ACA) and Capital One Bank City President Annella Metoyer hosted a celebratory “Double Rewards” evening May 27, to present Nonprofit Partner appreciation payments totaling a record-breaking $129,501! And, for the first time ever, the Festival honored each organization’s “Top Ten Volunteers.” 
The event, which filled Capital One Bank Plaza’s Main Lobby with Festival fans, food, cocktails and music, was abuzz with accolades, including official thank you’s from Houston City Council Member-At-Large Peter Brown. ACA Board President Joe Pogge presented appreciation checks to the Nonprofit Partners, which brought the Art Colony’s overall contributions to NPP organizations, the City and its parks department to $2.5 million over the past 38 years.
Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park 2009 Nonprofit Partners include Art League Houston, Bering Omega Community Services, City ArtWorks, 
DiverseWorks, Downtown YMCA, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston Center for Photography, Lawndale Art Center, MECA, Memorial Park Conservancy, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, Several Dancers Core, SNAP, SPARK and TALA.
Tags: Bayou City Art Festival
Bayou City Art Festival
Apr 7, 2009 Bollywood, Fine Arts, Music
Event: Bayou City Art Festival
Venue: Memorial Park, Houston, Texas
It was perfect weather for an outdoor art festival as Houston celebrated the 12th Annual Bayou City Art Festival at Memorial Park and transformed the 1.1-mile trail of the park into a one-of-a-kind outdoor gallery.
The festival kicked off on Friday March 27 through March 29, 2009. The festival witnessed the perfect marriage of art, culture, and cuisine. On the closing day of the festival, India was highlighted with performances by SAMSKRITI, Society for Indian Performing Arts. The students performed bharatnatyam (Indian form of dance) and the finale was ‘Jai Ho’ from Oscar winning movie ‘Slumdog Millioanire’.
The weather did play a vital role in keeping the enthusiasm going for onlookers, the parking situation however, was a big turn off. The directional signage also left a lot to be desired.
The festival showcased spectacular artwork with high flying price tags but that did not slow down the visitors, as the festival had many other attractions. The center stage thrilled the audience with all kinds of performances. From Bollywood dancing, fusion of Latin and Jazz grooves to Belladonna Dancers.
Exhibit of Treasures from Afghanistan
Event: Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from National Museum, Kabul
Venue: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Date: March 1, 2009
Acclaimed touring exhibition of Ancient Treasures from Afghanistan opened at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Afghanistan’s hidden treasures from National Museum, Kabul was organized by the National Geographic Society and the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Extraordinary artifacts uncovered in modern day Afghanistan, once the heart of the Silk Road linking cultures from Asia to the Mediterranean, were long thought stolen or destroyed during some 25 years of conflict. In 2003, a dramatic announcement was made of their existence. More than 200 of these precious objects will be on view in Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from National Museum, Kabul, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) from March 1 through May 17, 2009, as part of a national tour that has generated critical acclaim.
However, according to some onlookers the exhibit was not very impressive as some felt it appealed more to the women as it was a display of gold and accessories. What has got a buzz is MFAH and their growing interest in different cultures and traditions.
Tags: Afghanistan, Arts, Museum Of Fine Arts
Children’s Museum of Houston presents Parents and Families Luncheon
Mar 4, 2009 Arts, Fund Raiser, Non-Profit
Event: Children’s Museum of Houston presents Parents and Families Luncheon
Venue: Hilton Post Oak, Houston, Texas
Date: Febuary 23, 2009
The Children’s Museum of Houston presented the 2009 Parents and Families Luncheon featuring Katherine Center and her new book ‘Everyone is Beautiful’.
The book is about love, marriage and chocolate. In her interview she mentions how she felt the world is coming together via books, movies and music referring to the recent success of Slumdog Millionaire.
Tags: Everyone is Beautiful
Art Exhibition | Jimmy Engineer
Event: Art Exhibition
Venue: Shangri La Art Gallery, Houston, Texas
Date: Feb 8, 2009
Shangri La Art gallery hosted an art exhibition by famous Pakistani artist Jimmy Engineer. Jimmy’s art has been sought after by museums and private art collectors from around the world including in Italy, France, Switzerland, Russia, India, China, England, USA, and the Middle East.
In Pakistan, his works are on permanent exhibit at the National Gallery, Islamabad and the Alhamra Permanent Gallery, Lahore. Several postage stamps have been issued of his paintings. Jimmy paints a variety of themes and has done landscapes, still life paintings, cultural paintings, religious paintings seascapes, calligraphy, philosophy of colors, miniatures, abstracts, historical paintings, and self-portraits.
The current exhibition features art from his architecture, civilization and abstract series. He has been considered a messenger of peace.
Tags: Art, Jimmy Engineer
