Portal:Houston/Music, Arts & Culture archive/2007
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ZZ Top is an American blues rock band formed in 1970 in Houston, Texas. The group members are Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard. They hold the distinction of being one of the few rock combos still comprising its original members after more than 35 years, and until September 2006 the same manager/producer, Bill Ham.
They played the first show in February, 1970 and toured almost continually for several years, but first gained wide acclaim with their third album on London Records, Tres Hombres (1973). It contained the classic song "La Grange", referencing the bordello that is the subject of the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. (September 30)
The Wortham Theater Center is a performing arts center in Houston, Texas. The center was designed by Eugene Aubrey of Morris Architects and built entirely with $66 million in private funds. It officially opened on May 9, 1987 with one of the inaugural performances being a modern dance program, Tango Argentino, in the Brown Theater and Robert Wilson and David Byrne's The Knee Plays, presented by the Society for the Performing Arts in the Cullen Theater. (October 5)
The Rothko Chapel is a non-denominational chapel in Houston founded by John and Dominique de Menil. The interior serves not only as a chapel, but also as a major work of modern art. On its walls are fourteen black but color hued paintings by Mark Rothko. The shape and design of the chapel was largely influenced by the artist. The chapel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. (October 16)
Destiny's Child was a Grammy award winning American R&B group originating in Houston and discovered by Grammy award winning Whitney Houston. Originally a duo and later a quartet, the group eventually became a trio. Destiny's Child have sold a combined 60 million albums and singles worldwide, and they are one of the biggest selling girl groups of all time. On June 12, 2005, they announced on tour in Barcelona, Spain, that they would no longer be performing together, instead pursuing individual careers in music, theatre, television and film. (October 29)
The ArtCar Museum is a private museum of contemporary art located in the Heights. The museum, nicknamed the "Garage Mahal," opened in February, 1988. Its emphasis is on art cars, fine arts, and artists that are rarely seen in other cultural institutions. The museum's mission is to elevate awareness of the political, economic, and personal dimensions of art.
The Holocaust Museum Houston, is located in Houston, Texas and was opened in 1996. The museum is located in the Houston Museum District. The museum is the fourth largest Holocaust memorial museum in the United States. The museum has the following mission: to make people aware of the dangers which prejudice, hatred and violence brought about during the Holocaust. It also endeavors to remind us that these dangers are still relevant today. The museum promotes understanding, remembrance and education with the goal that both students and the general population stay and become aware of the lesson of these tragic events. This lesson is that humankind must strive to live together in peace and harmony.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science is a science museum located on the northern border of Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, USA. The museum was established in 1909 by the Houston Museum and Scientific Society, an organization whose goals were to provide a free institution for the people of Houston focusing on education and science. Museum attendance totals over two million visitors each year. The museum complex consists of a central facility with four floors of natural science halls and exhibits, Burke Baker Planetarium, Cockrell Butterfly Center and the Wortham IMAX Theater. The museum is one of the most popular in the United States and ranks second only to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City in attendance amongst non-Smithsonian museums. Much of the museum's popularity is attributed to its large number of special or guest exhibits. (March 2007)
William Marsh Rice University, commonly called Rice University and opened in 1912 as The William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters, Science and Art, is a private, comprehensive research university located in Houston, Texas near the Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is particularly noted for its elite undergraduate division, as well as its strength in the applied sciences. The university has been a pioneer in the fields of nanotechnology, artificial heart research, structural chemical analysis, and space science.
At the undergraduate level, Rice placed at 17th in the 2006 U.S. News & World Report rankings of doctoral granting institutions. Further, in the Princeton Review's 2007 rankings, Rice was ranked third for “Best Overall Academic Experience for Undergraduates” as well as among the top 20 schools where students “Never Stop Studying.” Hence the expression: "Rice students never leave the hedges," referring to the plantings that both surround the campus and line the academic quad. The same publication also placed it as first in the nation for “Best Quality of Life” and “Lots of Race / Class Interaction.” (April 2007)
Houston is a multicultural city with a thriving international community supported by the nation’s third largest concentration of consular offices representing 77 nations. Officially, Houston is nicknamed the "Space City" as it is home to NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, where Mission Control Center is located. Because of this, "Houston" was the first word spoken on the moon. Many locals, however, prefer to call it the "Bayou City." Other nicknames include "H-Town," "Clutch City," and "Magnolia City."
About 90 languages are frequently spoken in the Houston area.[1] Some neighborhoods with high populations of Vietnamese and Chinese residents have Chinese and Vietnamese street signs in addition to English ones. Houston has two Chinatowns—the original located in Downtown and the recent developed is along Bellaire Boulevard in the southwest area of the city. The city also has a Little Saigon in Midtown and Vietnamese businesses located in the southwest Houston Chinatown. (May 2007)
Houston Dynamo is a professional soccer club based in Houston, Texas that plays in Major League Soccer and are the current MLS Cup Champions, by virtue of their victory against the New England Revolution in MLS Cup 2006. The team was created on December 15, 2005 when the San Jose Earthquakes were relocated, due to owner AEG's failure to secure a soccer-specific stadium. The name "Dynamo" refers to Houston's industrial economy, as well as two previous Houston soccer teams, the Houston Dynamos of the Lone Star Soccer Alliance in 1987-1991, and the Houston Dynamos of the United Soccer League in 1984. The official reason for the name is that "Dynamo is a word to describe someone who never fatigues, never gives up. The new name is symbolic of Houston as an energetic, hard-working, risk-taking kind of town." The team colors are orange, white, and "Space City" blue. (June 2007)
