| Project Row Houses founder speaks for Architecture Lecture Series
Artist Rick Lowe, founder of Project Row Houses in Houston, will speak about his work at 6:30 p.m. April 13 in Room 458 of Louderman Hall as part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts' spring Architecture Lecture Series. The talk, titled "Toward Social Sculpture," is free and open to the public. The Architecture Lecture Series is sponsored by the College of Architecture and the Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design. Established in 1993, Project Row Houses is an arts and cultural community located in a historically significant inner-city neighborhood in Houston's Third Ward. Encompassing 22 now-renovated shotgun houses, the project is inspired by the work of African-American artist John Biggers — whose paintings celebrated the shotgun house — and combines aspects of neighborhood revitalization, low-income housing, education, historic preservation and community service.
Kerry Hart: The danger of interdisciplinary arts education
Wouldn't it be great if we could read a couple of books on brain surgery and be ready to perform an operation? In arts education, that is the type of miraculous feat we often expect from our teachers. Every academic discipline requires a unique intellectual function — from quantitative reasoning to philosophical inquiry. The arts are no different. Dance requires a physical-kinesthetic brain function; music requires an auditory function; visual art requires a visual-spacial brain function; and drama incorporates a combination of several, including the verbal-linguistic function that is important to the literary arts. The college and university curriculum in each arts discipline is rigorous and, indeed, it takes a lifetime to acquire mastery in one subject area. Yet when it comes to teaching students who do not have a background in any of the arts, we create interdisciplinary arts courses that provide a superficial overview — usually from a historical perspective.
'Big day' focus of annual fashion show
Sue Thompson, Mercersburg, is getting married on June 28 and said she fell in love with a navy blue dress from J&B Bridals and Tuxedos that was modeled in the fashion show. Thompson and her friend Karen Blair were very impressed with the exhibitors, saying that they provided essential information, giving good input without being pushy. The ladies enjoyed many aspects of the bridal show, including the atmosphere, models and music. "It really brightens your spirits and makes you want to have a wedding all over again," Blair said. Thompson said she has a church and reception hall booked for her wedding, on a $4,000 budget. She and Blair have been friends for over 30 years. They said that the wedding, though priced low, will still be very nice with help from friends and family, who make the day special.
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