METRO's Cultural Connections
Wednesday, April 25, 2007 2:20 PM
Books and buses are a natural fit. For me, one of the best things about riding public transit is the chance to catch up on my reading.
Now METRO has made its link to reading and books formal by partnering with The Big Read, a community-wide reading program of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Harris County Public Library and the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Association were chosen to participate in this program - and the kick-off event is this weekend at The Houston International Festival, which showcases China this year.
On May 28 and 29, the H-E-B Cultural Stage at iFest will feature a scene from the award-winning novel,
The Joy Luck Club by
Amy Tan. The mini stage show will occur between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on both days. Thousands of free copies of The Joy Luck Club will be given away while supply lasts. Spanish-language editions will also be given away.
METRO is promoting the event at its kiosks and RideStores, distributing brochures, buttons and bookmarks about it.
"METRO is excited to be involved with an initiative that promotes reading, culture and the arts," said Nicole Adler, METRO's project manager for The Big Read.
If you want to catch the movie version of The Joy Luck Club, attend a free screening of the 1993 film at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston on Tuesday, May 22, at 7 p.m.
Families can learn about Chinese culture on Saturday, May 20, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Youngsters will be able to mold ancient warriors from clay and create paper dragons with curves that imitate those of the Great Wall.
Families can also enjoy the beautiful and unique exhibit, The Great Wall of China: Photographs by Chen Changfen.
The first U.S. exhibition of work by Chen Changfen, this Chinese photographer has devoted 30 years to exploring and capturing his vision of the Great Wall. In 1989, Time magazine chose him as one of the top 10 photographers in its retrospective of 150 years of photography.
"With these works, Chen demonstrates what it means to really understand a subject and to see it, artistically, as it's never been seen before," said Peter C. Marzio, MFAH director.
The exhibit will be on view through Aug. 12.