Top Things To Do This Weekend: Oct 24–26
Visual Art
Claude Monet, "The Seine at Lavacourt," 1880. Oil on canvas.
Monet and the Seine: Impressions of a River
When we think of Claude Monet, it’s his water lilies that come to mind, but the great French Impressionist actually painted many more images of the Seine than of his famous lily pond in Giverny. This month’s exhibition at the MFAH brings together 50 of those river paintings from throughout the artist’s long career, allowing the viewer to trace the evolution of Monet’s interests and style over time.
Oct 26–Feb 1. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet St. 713-639-7300. mfah.org
Opal Hot Spring Quilt
Image: Courtesy of Ebony Porter
The Quilt Show
For the last 16 months, Australian-born artist Ebony Porter has been hand-stiching quilts that, like her minimalist paintings, feature bold geometric shapes and patterns. "There's a debate in the art world about whether quilts are craft or whether they're art," says Porter, who received her BA at Texas State and now lives in Houston. "I believe they're both. A quilt just comes to life in a different way than a painting on the wall—we stay warm with it, we lay on it, we use it to build a fort." You heard right, folks—you can make a fort with these artworks.
Oct 25–Dec 20. Opening reception Oct 25 from 5–7:30pm. Free. Art Palace, 3913 Main St. 281-501-2964. artpalacegallery.com
Opera
Otello
The Houston Grand Opera kicks off its new season with famed English director John Cox’s sumptuous production of Verdi’s classic (and penultimate) opera, based on Shakespeare’s tragedy about a Moorish general in the Venetian army manipulated by his evil officer Iago into believing that his beloved wife Desdemona is being unfaithful. Conducted by Patrick Summers and featuring New Zealand tenor Simon O’Neill as Otello and Italian baritone Marco Vratogna as Iago.
Oct 24–Nov 7. $30–325. Brown Theater, Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas Ave. 713-228-6737. houstongrandopera.org
Architecture
Image: Ben Hill
AIA Home Tour
The seven homes on this popular annual tour were chosen from a list of projects nominated by AIA's Houston members, which were then voted on by a panel of local and national architecture experts, the kind familiar with the requirements of residential construction in a hot, humid climate. They range from a modest 1,686-square-foot home built by kinneymorrow architecture to a 5,560-square-foot manse by studioMET architects. One of the homes, by Logan and Johnson Architecture, made Houstonia's list of the top 10 Houston homes of all time earlier this year. See our full story here. (Full disclosure: Houstonia is one of the tour's sponsors.)
Oct 25 & 26 from noon–6. $25; cyclists $20; single home ticket $10. aiahouston.org
FAMILY
Image: Shutterstock
Hocus Pocus Pops
Parents and children alike are invited to don Halloween costumes for this Houston Symphony concert of spooky music conducted by Robert Franz. Those with the best get-ups will be invited on stage, so start planning now.
Oct 24 at 7:30. $15 orchestra; free mezzanine & lawn seating. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands. 281-364-3024. woodlandscenter.org
