Art at Noon | Susanne Theis
Join Susanne Theis, Programming Director at Discovery Green and former Executive Director at The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art for a discussion of the exhibition Will Boone: The Highway Hex and how Boone is inspired by outsider artists as collectors. Learn more about some of the outsider artists who have found a home in Houston, Texas and the South.
About Susanne Theis
As Programming Director for Discovery Green since 2007, Susanne Theis has helped to establish the downtown park as a beloved Houston, Texas destination. Theis has overseen the wide-ranging schedule of more than 600 diverse events and multiple public art installations that allow 1.5 million people annually to experience some of the world’s best artists, the wonderfully authentic culture of Houston, and to connect with other Houstonians. The park, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2018, is considered one of the premiere public spaces in the United States, and to have had a catalytic impact on downtown development and green space in Houston. From 1983 to 2007, she served as the first executive Executive director Director of the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, where she helped to develop the Orange Show as an important place in Houston’s cultural landscape, . In addition, Theis helped create the Art Car Parade, preserve the Beer Can House, and list The Orange Show on the National Register of Historic Places. Theis has curated several art exhibits including Wind in My Hair at the American Museum of Visionary Art in Baltimore, Maryland, served on multiple national and local panels, and consulted on multiple park projects around the U.S. She is a graduate of the University of Houston, a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum, and serves on the Advisory Board of Kinder High School for Visual and Performing Arts. Theis is married to the writer David Theis.
©Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 2020.
Houston: Activities & Attractions (Gay Travel Video)
Houston activities and attractions that we (two gay boyfriends) saw and did featured in this episode of The Travel Tidbit! Next week we'll be showing the places where we slept and at (hotels and restaurants) at another LGBT friendly destination so subscribe if you're new to see that and more from our travels! Also come back on Thursday to see a more intimate vlog from our hotel room. ;-)
Every week we either showcase where to sleep and eat in a city that we've traveled to as a gay couple, or things to see and do in it - to help you plan your trip! See the previous destinations at
Featured in this video:
Houston City Tours:
The Orange Show:
Smither Park:
The Beer Can House:
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center:
The Menil Collection:
Thanks to Visit Houston for helping to coordinate this trip!
Everything in this video was shot on my iPhone 8 Plus! I'm a Team TELUS Advocate so they've got me covered with great gear and plans to document my travels and stay connected when I'm on the go!
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ArtCar follows Funk-tion
2005 extra footage montage -- this video is a companion piece to ArtCar is a state of mind 2005: five ArtCar short films.
(prod/dir filmed edited and music by erik kolflat. The Houston ArtCar parade Skate-Cam footage was shot courtesy of the Orange Show center for visionary art).
Scrap Daddy's Animal walks: the 2007 Houston ArtCar Parade
The long (HD) version of this is now on youtube. It is called Just some of Mark Scrap Daddy Bradfords ArtCars. For the latest HD uploads from Erik Kolflat go to FootageArtCar chanel.
...this video is a follow-up segment to Mark Scrap Daddy Bradford's 2005 ArtCars -- a documentary featuring the Houston based sculptor/ArtCar artist Mark Scrap Daddy Bradford, some of his early ArtCars, ArtCars he made for the 2005 parade & Amblin. Scrap Daddy makes ArtCars every year that are featured in the annual Houston art car parade -- from the documentary short film compilation DVD called ArtCar is a state of mind: 5 ArtCar short films
(prod/dir filmed edited and music by erik kolflat. The Houston ArtCar parade Skate-Cam footage was shot courtesy of the Orange Show center for visionary art).
5 ArtCar groups prepare for the 2004 Houston ArtCar Parade
this video is a companion piece to Just another day at ArtCar: 2004 Houston ArtCar parade. Music by Clouseaux.
(the skate-cam parade footage was shot courtesy of the Orange Show center for visionary arts)
Art Car Parade 2019 Tiki Macaw & Friends Part 1 Houston Texas
Art Car Parade 2019
Part 1
Houston Texas
Tiki Macaw
The Houston Art Car Parade, presented by The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, is the world’s biggest celebration of Art Cars and the largest free public art event in the city of Houston. Now in its 32nd year, the parade attracts over 250 cars and other entries from 23 states including Canada and Mexico and an audience of 300,000 spectators eager to see the weird and wild vehicular creations.
Reading: Pete Gershon - Pow Wow: Contemporary Artists in Houston 1972-1985
Pete Gershon, program coordinator for the Core Residency Program and author of Painting the Town Orange: The Stories Behind Houston’s Visionary Art Environments (History Press, 2014) reads from his work-in-progress Pow Wow: Contemporary Artists in Houston 1972-1985.
For this project he draws upon primary archival materials, contemporary newspaper and magazine accounts, and extensive interviews with dozens of significant figures to present a creative non-fiction narrative that preserves and interweaves the stories and insights of the artists, collectors, critic, patrons, and administrators who transformed the city’s art scene. What were the highlights, the detours, the noble failures? How did the city influence these artists, and how did they in turn influence life in the city? How did contemporary art activity in Houston reflect, oppose, or presage trends in the regional and national arts communities? Was there really any such thing as a “Houston school,” and if so, what was it?
From Gershon: “In the 1970s and ‘80s, Houston emerged as a significant city for the arts, fueled by an oil boom and by the arrival of several catalyzing figures including museum director James Harithas and sculptor James Surls. Harithas was a pioneer in championing Texan artists during his controversial tenure as the impassioned, uncompromising director of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. He put the state's native artists on the map, but his renegade style was too hot for the museum's benefactors to handle and after four years of fist fights and floods (and of course, some truly innovative programming by both Texans and artists of international stature), he wore out his welcome. After Harithas’ resignation and departure from the CAMH, the chainsaw-wielding Surls established the Lawndale Annex as a largely unsupervised outpost of the University of Houston’s Art Department. Inside this dirty, cavernous warehouse, a new generation of Houston artists found itself and flourished. Both enterprises set the scene for the emergence of an array of small, downtown artist-run spaces including Studio One, the Center for Art and Performance, Midtown Arts Center, and DiverseWorks. Through it all, the members of formally and informally organized groups such as the Women’s Caucus for Art, the Urban Animals, and the Core Residency Program supported and challenged each other’s creative pursuits. Finally, in 1985, the Museum of Fine Arts presented Fresh Paint: the Houston School, a nationally publicized survey of work by Houston painters curated by Barbara Rose and Susie Kalil. The exhibition capped an era of intensive artistic development and suggested the city was about to be recognized, along with New York and Los Angeles, as a major center for art-making activity. The mid-‘80s oil bust temporarily sapped the scene of energy and resources, but the seeds had been sown for the vibrant community of visual art that Houstonians enjoy today.”
This project is funded in part by a grant from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.
Pete Gershon is the Program Coordinator for the Core Residency Program at the Glassell School of Art, the author of Painting the Town Orange: The Stories Behind Houston’s Visionary Art Environments (History Press, 2014), and the recipient of a 2015 Individual Artist Grant from the Houston Arts Alliance. For a year and a half, he worked closely with Bert L. Long, Jr. to document his artwork and organize his professional papers through the Creating a Living Legacy Project of the Joan Mitchell Foundation. Previously, he was the administrative coordinator at Nameless Sound and the founding publisher and editor of Signal to Noise: the journal of improvised and experimental music. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative journalism from Hampshire College in 1995 and his master’s in library and information science from the University of North Texas in 2015.
© Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 2015.
Art Car Parade 2017
The Art Car Parade is the highlight of a three-day celebration of the drive to create: Art Car Weekend. But it all began with a donated 1967 Ford station wagon and $800 worth of paint and plastic fruit. And now, 26 years later, it attracts 250+ vehicles (and other entries) from 23 states, Canada, and Mexico. Learn more about how it all began at
Highlights of Houston car parade
The Houston Art Car Parade has rolled through the city’s downtown last weekend. Nearly 250 vehicles of all sorts were at the event, marking 31 years for the Bayou City’s quirkiest procession.
The Greatest Show on Earth: the history and conservation of Jefferson Davis McKissack's Orange Show
The Orange Show is a folk-art environment located in Houston's East End and built single-handedly by Jefferson Davis McKissack, a Houston postal worker, between 1956 and 1979. Envisioned as a 3,000 sq. ft. educational environment advocating the benefits of oranges and steam power, the Orange Show includes an oasis, a wishing well, a pond, a stage, a museum, a gift shop, and several upper decks fit together to create a maze of paths and spaces. McKissack built the Orange Show of concrete, brick, steel and found objects including: gears, tiles, wagon wheels, mannequins, tractor seats, and statuettes.
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale Bellissima Gala
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale held its Bellissima Gala on Friday, February 5. The glamorous black-tie evening presented by Bulgari, celebrated the 30th anniversary of NSU Art Museum’s modernist building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes and the U.S. premiere of the exhibition Bellissima: Italy and High Fashion 1945-1968. The event brought together prominent figures from fashion, art, business and philanthropy and raised money for the museum’s education and exhibition programs.
RNASA Space Awards Gala 2017
Each year since 1987, the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) Foundation has presented the National Space Trophy and other awards honoring those who have contributed to our nation's space program, at a gala event in April in Houston, Texas. The 2017 award was presented on April 28 to Dr. John Grunsfeld, former NASA astronaut and associate administrator of the agency’s Science Mission Directorate, in recognition of his outstanding achievements in space exploration.
PDA 2012 Fall Welcome, President's Address & Keynote.mp4
President's Address: Dr. Frank Chong
Our keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Johnstone, is a senior research fellow for the Research and Planning (RP) group who served as an evaluator for the Aspen Institute Community College Excellence competition. Each year, 120 community colleges compete for this prestigious $1 million prize which recognizes community colleges with outstandingin academic and workforce development outcomes and improved performance over time. As an evaluator, Dr. Johnstone visited many of these outstanding community colleges, and he will share with us the practices that make them among the best in the United States.
How To Build Your Vision From The Ground Up | Q&A With Bishop T.D. Jakes
Bishop T.D. Jakes and Pastor Steven have an inspiring conversation about entrepreneurship and leadership. Learn how to build your vision from the ground up by making the most of your God-given opportunities.
Houston Life: May 30, 2019 | HOUSTON LIFE | KPRC 2
Today on Houston Life; a taste bud tempting Texas-style chili recipe you can duplicate at home. Plus, theater, dance, music and a whole lot more. We’ll showing you a look at the summer camp geared to sharpen your child’s acting skills. Also, Lego robotics? We’ll introduce a summer camp designed to develop future space engineers.
The 7 secrets of the greatest speakers in history | Richard Greene | TEDxOrangeCoast
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Never give a “Speech”, says Richard Greene. In this masterful talk, he explains how the great speakers in history use 7 secrets and how we can all become a great speaker by following these secrets and by not just giving a speech but rather creating conversations from the heart.
Richard has dedicated himself to creating new paradigms in Public Speaking, Politics, and even our understanding of God
Called The Master of Charisma by The Sunday Times, Richard quit his law practice to coach Presidents, Prime Ministers, Senators, Governors, CEOs, Royalty and celebrities in 44 countries. Chief Judge on TLC's The Messengers, Author, Words That Shook The World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events.
Richard Studied Political Science in The US and UK, ran for Congress in 1992, advises countless political leaders, hosted Hollywood CLOUT, a live Hollywood Meets Politics talk show on Air America Radio for 3 years, blogs for The Huffington Post, created the non-partisan, celebrity driven Choose YOUR America campaign and The 2014 Midterm Election 'Answer-Thon' to increase political engagement in America.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
Making A Mark - November 4, 2016 Session 1
4:00pm - Welcome and Introduction to conference (John Bodel and Stephen Houston)
Session 1: Marking Meaning (John Bodel presiding)
4:30pm - “Making the First Marks: Early Homo sapiens and the Development of Graphic Mark-making during the Late Pleistocene Period”,Genevieve von Petzinger (University of Victoria, British Columbia)
5:15pm - “Explaining the Curious Ubiquity of Graphic Numeration”, Stephen Chrisomalis (Wayne State University, Detroit)
Humans have an urge, even a compulsion, to mark meaning through visible graphs. These signs range from coats of arms to emojis, potter’s marks to gang signs, and Paleolithic graphs to ISOTYPE or other cross-linguistic vehicles for communicating ideas. All can project meaning directly, without necessary recourse to language. For all their importance, however, there is little of a comparative nature to probe their use, meaning, makers, setting, and variance, or what they share as an expressive potential of all humans. In this conference, specialists in diverse scriptural and semiological systems explore semasiography, the phenomenon of non-linguistic forms of graphic communication organized into patterned, often codified ways. Talks address the techniques and systems employed in such mark-making, the media and modes of representation, and the uses and limitations of symbols and graphemes. The overall objective is to underscore the vitality of such visible signs at all times and periods, and to delight in their wondrous variety.
November 4, 2016
Brown University
Inauguration of President Gregory L. Fenves
Gregory L. Fenves was formally inaugurated as the 29th president of The University of Texas at Austin on Sept. 17, 2015.
He also delivered his first-ever State of the University address, where he laid out his vision to build on the university’s excellence by more effectively merging its research and teaching missions and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and research.
President Fenves began his appointment as president of The University of Texas at Austin on June 3, 2015. Previously, he served the university as executive vice president and provost, and before that as dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering.
For highlights of the ceremony:
Berlin - City Video Guide
Berlin, the capital of Germany, lies on the banks of the River Spree.
The city has an eclectic mix of architectural styles; everything from the modern dome of the Reichstag to that of the old Berlin Cathedral.
The Chapel of Reconciliation is the spiritual heart of the Berlin Wall Memorial. The DDR Museum shows what life was like in East Germany during Socialist rule. Checkpoint Charlie was the Cold War's most famous border crossing; today the adjacent museum describes the clever ways in which Berliners defected from East to West.
Berlin's East Side Gallery is one of the largest outdoor art exhibits in the world. The Holocaust Memorial serves as a poignant reminder of World War II.
Rolling out before the Brandenburg Gate are the lawns and canals of the Tiergarten. Highlight here include the Victory Column, presidential Bellevue Palace, and Berlin Zoo.
find out more travel tips and information at