'SPA' No More: Here's the Org's New Name — and Showstopping Lineup

Chris Becker

NOW HEAR THIS! As of April 12, the Society for the Performing Arts shall be known as Performing Arts Houston. The organization revealed the new name at its April 2 gala, The Kaleidoscope Ball, which raised close to $600,000 to support its education and community engagement programming and always high caliber concert multi-genre performance series. The rebranding, which pointedly drops the unintentionally contentious word “Society,” is meant to reflect the range and quality of the now 55-year-old organization’s vision as well as the “depth and breadth” of its upcoming 2022/23 season.

Small Steps, Big Gains! Nonprofit Raises a Glass — and a Record-Breaking $850K for At-Risk Preschoolers

Evan W. Black

IN RECENT YEARS, the importance of a quality education beginning with preschool has been made abundantly clear. One organization in Houston seeks to provide not only education but holistic support for at-risk preschool-age children in the Fifth Ward and Gulton/Sharpstown communities. The Small Steps Nurturing Center raised nearly a million dollars to further its mission at its annual Wine Classic, chaired by Kristy and Chris Bradshaw and Carolyn and Garry Tanner.

This Artist's Astroturfed Window Display Will Compel You to Dance!

Chris Becker

ARTIST, ANTHROPOLOGIST AND Rice University fellow and lecturer Lina Dib traces her interest in making art back to early childhood. At age three, while drawing, she would get frustrated that the pencils “weren’t doing what I wanted them to do,” and throw them across the room. “I was very adamant about using things in a way that I imagined,” laughs Dib, who is now the mother of a 17-month-old girl and expecting a boy in May.
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Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

How did you get to where you are today? I am a firm believer that hard work and having dreams that you strive to achieve will motivate and inspire people to achieve their potential. Working hard, dreaming, and making sure to take advantage of every opportunity is something I learned at a young age. I credit God and God’s grace firstly, but I know that success is a direct result of hard work. I tell my podcast subscribers and followers to continue setting goals, evolving, improving, and planning, and I practice what I preach. I am proud to have started my business in the fastest growing major city in the United States, and I attribute a lot of the success of Exclusive Furniture to the family culture we create in the best city — Houston’s diversity, philanthropy, and innovation have helped me achieve a lot of the milestones in the furniture business (and the “low prices”) you see today!

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Children’s Museum Supporters Go Goth-Glam at Million-Dollar Gala

Alexander's Fine Portraits

THE CORINTHIAN WAS the scene for a haunted happening benefiting Children’s Museum Houston. The decidedly adult bash was filled with dark allure, gothic glamour, and generosity to the tune of $1.14 million, the second-highest total in the event’s history.

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‘You’re the Inspiration’: Generous Donors Give $6.2 Mil to Kids’ Charity as Famous Band Takes Stage

Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group

Morris Smith, Tilman Fertitta and Toni Smith

THE HOUSTON CHILDREN'S Charity gala is always anticipated, thanks to the big-deal musical acts brought in to entertain; this year it was Chicago. But the headliners this year were the generous donors, who seemed to surprise even event organizer with their largesse, with a total till of $6.2 million, a record.

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