Creative Houston

Earth Hour in Houston

Houston Chronicle: At 8 tonight, some Houstonians will go dark to be green, 2008-Mar-28, by Matthew Tresaugue: In the northwest suburbs, Jennifer Armentrout will host a lights-out party, which will include eco-friendly glow sticks for children. Her guests have committed to turning off their electricity before leaving for the party.Armentrout, president of Sustainable Living in Houston, a newly formed environmental organization, said she became interested in Earth Hour after reading about it online.

New Houston Hotspot

Houston Business Journal: Washington Avenue clubs handpick 'pretty people' crowds, 2008-Mar-28, by Allsion Wollam: Washington Avenue is slowly overtaking the Midtown area as the new clubbing hotspot. ...Citizen Lounge's Rodriguez compares the Washington corridor to Fourth Street or Sixth Street in Austin. He believes all of the new establishments can only help each other by attracting more people to the mix."Eventually, people are just going to park their cars for dinner and then just walk to all of the clubs in the area," he says.Van Delden agrees that Washington Avenue has the potential to become the next hotspot for nightlife in Houston."It's all about being unique, and this area showcases some of what makes The Heights so unique and also is close to several major freeways," he says.

Highest Standards for Coffee Entrepreneur

Houston Business Journal: Grounds for enthusiasm. 2008-Mar-21, by Susan Powell: By dedicating himself to not only brewing a fabulous cup of coffee, but also sharing his passion for premium coffee with the world, Mike McKim has turned an avocation into a full-time occupation....He is quick to point out that, while he does roast and sell Fair Trade coffee brands, his coffees exceed the requirements for receiving that endorsement. ...he meets face-to-face with coffee growers, walking treacherous mountainous terrain inspecting their plants in an effort to build partnerships with farmers who are willing to harvest fruit only at the peak of perfection....While Fair Trade guarantees associations of farmers about $1.50 a pound, McKim pays almost double that for premium handpicked and carefully processed beans.

Sam Houston Racepark Becoming Entertainment Complex

Houston Business Journal: Race Park, Live Nation ready to roll in the rock, 2008-Mar-21, by Greg Barr: Diversifying the entertainment options, boosting attendance at race park events and creating more awareness about the 300-acre facility was the mandate of Andrea Young, who was brought in as Sam Houston's chief operating officer in April 2007 by the park's majority owners, Houston-based Maxxam Inc.She concedes that the move to add music concerts had its share of growing pains while she began a hiring spree to boost the race park's sales and marketing staff, simultaneously adding more country music concert and festival events last year -- but is now ready to be a serious player in the region's competitive entertainment market....Young's game plan involves eventually adding a major annual music event with general admission tickets along the scale of the New Orleans Jazz Festival, which attracts some 200,000 fans over eight days, or the Austin City Limits Festival.

Physician Capital Group Growing Fast

Houston Business Journal: Venture funds bank on MDCoder. 2008-Mar-21, by Monica Perin: Physician Capital Group last month landed $13.8 million in funding from investor-entrepreneurs Rod Canion, founder of Compaq Computer Corp., and Jack Gill, founder of Vanguard Ventures, a top Silicon Valley venture capital firm. ... MDCoder technology is now being used by more than 3,000 physicians in 35 states. Meanwhile, Physician Capital Group has gone from 12 employees to 50, with plans to hire 75 to 100 more this year.

Houston Needs a Process for Change

In an opinion piece in the March 23, 2008 issue of the Houston Chronicle (no link), Pate Engineering Principal-in-charge Jeff Ross suggest some 'balm for Houston's growing pains': "Houston needs a predictable process to adapt to the changes in development patterns. Our flexibility to accommodate changes in demands is Houston's great advantage in the marketplace." Ross is a member of the Houston Planning Commission.

Houston's Matt Clark Strums for New Orleans' Glen David Andrews

Houston Press: Houston's Matt Clark Strums for New Orleans' Glen David Andrews, 2008-Mar-27, by John Nova Lomax: Andrews introduced him as "Matt Clark, from Houston, Texas." After the show, I handed Clark my card. A couple of days later, he called me back, and told me just how a white kid from upper-crust Houston found his calling in New Orleans in funky joints like the Candlelight Lounge, a landmark bar in New Orleans's fabled jazz nexus, the Tremé neighborhood.

Liverpool Ups the Culture, Economy

Wall St Journal: The Next Barcelona, 2008-Mar-28, by Candace Jackson: Pinning a city's regeneration on the arts isn't a sure-fire strategy. Artists can be independent agents who don't always conform to tourism ambitions. "Managing culture is difficult," says Bryan Gray, the chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, an economic development group for the area, and the chairman of Liverpool's Capital of Culture organizing group. For several years though, the government has been trying to broadly revive the Liverpool area's struggling economy, which hit a low point in the 1980s as major industries like sugar manufacturing and coal mining shuttered and crime and violence grew.Encouraged by European Union funding and local initiatives, commercial development has been on the rise in the region. Growth industries include car manufacturing, biotech and digital technology (Sony has a videogame-development studio in Liverpool). The city is adding 30% more hotel rooms over the next 18 months.

Texas economy credited for cities' population boom

Houston Chronicle: Texas economy credited for cities' population boom, 2008-Mar-27, by Susan Carroll: The Houston metropolitan area ranked fourth in the nation for overall population growth between 2006 and 2007, according to new census data — an increase demographers attributed largely to the region's economy.

More Artists Work with Environmental Sensitivity

Houston Chronicle: Meet three Earth-friendly artists, 2008-Mar-25, by Eileen McClelland: Mychal Mitchell of Austin works with recycled papers and scrap leather to create hand-bound books.She says artists with green outlooks are increasingly easy to find."I have lots of friends who are doing interesting sculptures with recycled materials or found objects," Mitchell says. "I think there's a lot more consciousness because of the economy, as well. It makes sense to recycle."

21st Century Energy Companies

Houston Chronicle: Chevron executive touts conservation , 2008-Mar-25, by Brett Clanton: With more than 80 percent of the world's oil reserves owned by state-controlled companies, Chevron, Exxon Mobil Corp., BP and other international oil majors will be forced to differentiate themselves more by what they can offer than the reserves they hold, he said."The value of the international oil companies rests in how they integrate multiple technologies ... it's how they integrate skill sets and partners and factor in political dynamics; it's how they can operate in a remote location," Robertson said. "Nobody else can do all this ... yet."

Resisting Recession

Houston Chronicle: Houston realty agents stay on the bullish side, 2008-Mar-21, by Nancy Sarnoff: In 2007, the Houston/Sugar Land/Baytown area gained more jobs than any other U.S. metro area, according to a report by commercial mortgage banking firm Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, using estimates published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Houston accounted for more than 10 percent of the nation's net job growth over that period.

Taking advantage of spring migration at FeatherFest | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Houston Chronicle: Taking advantage of spring migration at FeatherFest, 2008-Mar-21, by Gary Clark: Galveston Island is hosting its sixth annual FeatherFest April 3-6, and I can't think of a better place for a spring birding festival.The 30-mile-long, five-mile-wide island hosts more than 100 birds throughout the year. But I've found that during spring migration that number more than doubles because Galveston lies along the migratory superhighway for shorebirds, swallows and songbirds.

Staub's houses changed the face of Houston | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Houston Chronicle: Staub's houses changed the face of Houston, 2008-Mar-22, by Maggie Galehouse: Says architectural photographer Richard Cheek, "His homes were beautifully proportioned but not showy. He really served as an arbiter of taste in a newly wealthy city."

Desigining Smarter Cancer Drugs in Houston

Houston Chronicle: Houston scientists developing 'smart' cancer drugs, 2008-Mar-16, by Eric Berger: Yet another generation of even smarter drugs is under development, researchers say. Among the latter is a drug developed in Houston that uses a two-stage approach to deliver its payload, much as NASA's Apollo launches used multiple stages rather than a single rocket to put men on the moon.The experimental drug uses a turtle-shell-like shield to deliver the medication past the body's defenses. In the second stage, particles are released that allow the drug to bust inside the tumor. "We actually took our inspiration from NASA's travels to the moon," said lead designer Mauro Ferrari, director of nanomedicine for the Brown Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

New Venture Capital Firm in Houston

Houston Business Journal: Australian-backed VC firm invests in Houston, 2008-Mar-14, by Mary Ann Azevedo: Houstonian Bridgette Penel is leading the U.S. office of Zikyn Inc., which she describes as a combination seed capital, incubator and venture capital firm.Zikyn, which has opened its first U.S. office at 11200 Westheimer, aims to provide seed capital and equity investment capital to emerging and growing companies.

Texas Monthly see Future in Charles Kuffner

Off the Kuff: Texas Monthly and me, 2008-Jan-23, by Charles Kuffner: It's quite humbling, and very flattering, to see my name along with people like Armstrong, Rafael Anchia, Cat Osterman, Will Harrell, and Chamillionaire. I wouldn't have included me, had I been the listmaker. But the good folks at Texas Monthly saw it differently, and I'm thrilled that they did.

The Future from Houston

The February issue of Texas Monthly identified "35 Texans Who Will Shape Our Future," including Houstonians Chamillionaire, Cat Osterman, Charles Kuffner, Marcos Witt, and Matthew Simmons. Texas Monthly Chamillionaire, 2008-Feb: Do you think that the Houston rap scene has come and gone or is the industry still focused here? It came and went in the perception of the media. Everybody counts you out when your movement is not doing the sales it's supposed to do, but I feel like Houston still has a chance. It's a big movement. I don't think all these guys are gonna go broke. They still have their hustle in them to go put out their music.

Houston Rap Artist puts Success in Perspective

Texas Monthly: Interview with Bun B, 2008-Mar, by David A. Herron: UGK has always received universal love. Why do you think you're so respected worldwide? I think because we've always shown respect to everyone. And the fact that everything that UGK has achieved they've achieved by their own standards. We've never compromised ourselves just to gain a few more sales and make a little bit more money. We've always tried to maintain the integrity of not just the group but us as individuals and as artists. And the fans and our peers have always given us our due respect for that.

Great Houston Homes Past and Future

Although not yet available online, Houston Home & Garden has two richly illustrated articles: "The Splendid Houses of John F. Staub: Tour six houses in Houston this month by an architect considered the finest of his generation in Texas" and "The $99K House" which presents all five finalists in the competition to design an afford Gulf-Coast home for the future--in their own words and with their renderings and floor plans. The Staub article is excerpted from Rice University professor Stephen Fox's new book, The Country Houses of John F. Staub.

Challenges for Renewable Energy Fueling Houston

Houston Business Journal: Face to face with...Jenny Ligums of Standard Renewable Energy, 2008-Feb-22, Casey Wooten interview of Jenny Ligums: Texas is not far off from the leading states of California and New Jersey, but we are not there yet. The main factor holding us back is financial incentives. The critical component to widespread renewable energy adoption right now is the ability of the state, city and/or local utilities to provide some sort of rebate program to the customer. If our state is not ready to take proactive steps toward a statewide rebate program then major cities like Houston and Dallas need to pay attention to what's going on down the road in cities like Austin and San Antonio, where local utilities are offering substantial solar rebates of $4.50 and $3 per watt respectively. Incentives like these help defray over half of investment costs.

New Model for Malls

WSJ: Score One for Challenger In Phoenix's Mall Bout, 2008-Mar-13, by Kris Hudson: Related's Mr. Himmel is considered one of the pioneers of the new retail strategies that try to make shopping centers destinations that people want to visit even if they don't feel like buying. His projects have helped to revitalize downtown areas in Chicago, Boston and West Palm Beach, Fla. Most recently he designed the retail space in Related's Time Warner Center in Manhattan.At Phoenix's CityNorth, the "sense of place" will stem from two parks, one with a water fountain and a cascading "water curtain." In addition, CityNorth's central boulevard will bracket a row of restaurants with rooftop dining and adjacent plazas. Tree-lined streets will crisscross the site.

UH Wants a Jump on Carbon Trading

Houston Chronicle: UH course aims at training on carbon trading, 2008-Mar-11, by Tom Fowler: A joint venture between the C.T. Bauer College of Business and the UH Law Center will offer a course in carbon trading beginning next spring, aimed at preparing the local work force for what many expect will become a huge business with deep Houston ties.

More Green Energy from Houston

Houston Business Journal: Houston cashes in on Dallas GreenHunter, 2008-Mar-7, by Ford Gunter:  After spending 90 percent of 2007 capital expenditures on a renewable fuels campus in Houston, Dallas-based GreenHunter Energy Inc. is sending another significant chunk of change south.The company's 2008 capital budget of $170 million earmarks $65 million for the Houston campus -- a biodiesel refinery and surrounding infrastructure and storage.

Alley's Edge is its Resident Company

Houston Chronicle: Team players: Alley's ensemble share vision, passion, 2008-Mar-9, by Everett Evans: While the Alley hires other actors as needed, some of whom become virtual semiregulars, the 12-person core troupe is viewed by everyone at the theater, and many observers beyond, as perhaps the company's greatest asset....Teresa Eyring, executive director of the Theatre Communications Group (the service organization for nonprofit professional theaters), estimates only about 10 maintain a resident troupe at all, and few of those have as large a group as the Alley does...."I think the Alley's resident company is extraordinary in terms of its talent," New York-based director Scott Schwartz says. "Absolutely top-quality actors by any measure, all making a home here in the same place."

Discovery Green Planned to Attract Diverse Users

Houston Chronicle: Park mojo, 2008-Mar-9, by Lisa Gray: "Urban parks are hard to get right," admits Guy Hagstette, president of the nonprofit Discovery Green Conservancy. "It's not just 'If you build it, they will come.'...For help, Hagstette turned to Project for Public Spaces...Project for Public Spaces argues that to be successful, a big urban park like Discovery Green needs to pack in activities that will attract lots of different kinds of people, because those people will attract other people.

Another Houston Bioscience Firm Funded

Houston Business Journal:OrthoAccel polishes up business plan with state funding, 2008-Mar-7, by Monica Perin: A Houston bioscience company that is seeking to market a technology for straightening teeth has received a $750,000 award from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund....Last November, OrthoAccel won the 2007 Michael E. DeBakey Life Science Award and a $25,000 cash prize at the Texas Life Science Conference, which was sponsored by BioHouston and the Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute....OrthoAccel and the Celerect technology were developed at the University of Illinois at Chicago and acquired in February 2007 by Houston entrepreneur Chris Wasden, founder of SimplexityMD, a business development venture company that focuses on medical devices.

Financing a Moon Venture

Houston Business Journal: Electricity entrepreneur creates sparks with moon venture, 2007-Mar-7, by Ford Gunter: Google is offering up to $30 million to the first team to put a human on the moon. And Adil Jafry, a Houston-based former Enron Corp. employee, was one of the first in line to sign up.... Jafry's business background is what initially attracted Google. "They asked me to join because of my background in finance," he says. "Most teams have very strong technological backgrounds, but very few are trying to look at it from a business plan standpoint."

Entrepreneur Reaches Back to Houston

Steve Papermaster may have moved to Austin but he's reaching back to Houston by acquiring Iconixx Corp., reunited with old friends from BSG Consulting. Read more at Houston Business Journal: Tech Sale Goes Back to the Future, 2008-Mar-7, by Mary Ann Azevedo (subscription required).

Taking Care of the Community

HoustonPress.com: Strapped-a-Lot, 2008-Mar-6, by Shea Serrano: Music magnate James Smith, better known as Rap-a-Lot CEO J. Prince, is [branching out]. After the 5th Ward native watched a close friend of his wither and ultimately pass away after contracting HIV, Prince became inspired to fight it by founding condom company Strapped. "We're trying to reach the street demographic, those immediately affected by HIV," says Wilson.

Kovacic Going Back to Carnegie Hall

AlchemistPiano.com: Loreta Kovacic is currently preparing for her 2nd solo concert at Carnegie Hall , scheduled for June 28 of 2008. She will play music of Mozart, Mussorgsky, as well as her own compositions. Loreta actively composes music and teaches at her Alchemist Piano Studio in Houston. Large portions of her opus are songs composed for children. After immigrating to the US, as a young pianist, she completed her Doctorate Degree in Piano Performance at Rice University in Houston. Her solo debut at Carnegie Hall in 1997 brought her other engagements such as “cultural ambassador” at the Croatian Economic Summit in St Paul, followed by her first solo CD release featuring Prokofiev’s “Fugitive visions”.

Why Creative People Cluster

Fast Company: In Praise of Spikes, 2008-Mar, by Richard Florida: Creative people cluster not simply because they like to be around one another or prefer cosmopolitan centers with lots of amenities (though both things tend to be true). They cluster because density brings such powerful productivity advantages, economies of scale, and knowledge spillovers.

Top Medical Center for Performing Artists

Houston INTOWN: The Art of Medicine, 2008-Mar, by Marene Gustin: Houston has the third-largest number of working artists in the nation, and it's one of only a handful of cities to support a fulltime ballet, symphony, opera, and Tony Award-winning theater. Luckily for all those performing artists, Houston's also home to the world's largest medical center and a unique facility dedicated to artists. "Ours is the only institutionally based center for performing arts medicine in the country, says Dr. Richard Strasney. "To be backed with the full resources of The Methodist Hospital makes us unique."

Skipping Grand Prix in 2008

Houston Chronicle: Officials cancel this year's Grand Prix of Houston, 2008-Mar-3, from Michael Lanigan: ''We are saddened and disappointed to have to make this decision, but we remain optimistic that we will have the opportunity to bring the American Le Mans Series and the Indy Racing League to Houston in 2009." Houston, like 11 other cities on the Champ Car schedule, was not chosen for the 2008 IndyCar schedule when the two series merged.

Rallying for the Bungalows

Houston Chronicle: House speaker, 2008-Mar-2, by Lisa Gray: In 2006, Sterling calculated that, according to the city demolition and sewer permits, the Heights was losing 2.7 houses per week. At that rate, Sorvari proclaimed, every historic house would disappear within a decade.

Houston Music Scene Struggling

Fitzgerald's: S.O.S. HOUSTON: We, at Fitzgerald’s, are extending the invitation to all musicians, any age, and any genre, from all over the city to join us here at Fitzgerald’s on Sunday, March 9, 2008 to have a local artist summit of sorts. There will be club owners, booking agents, and managers from across the area here to discuss possible causes and the obvious effects of what is going on in the Houston Music Scene.