Blast 3.4



Andy Warhol’s Evolution as an Artist Spotlighted in New Downtown Exhibit

INSTANTANEOUS BEAUTY, CURRENTLY on view through April 6 at UH Downtown’s O’Kane Gallery, is an intriguing exhibit of pop artist Andy Warhol’s photographs and related artworks, with a focus on his prescient and very business-minded fascination with high society and celebrity culture.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Bows in Montrose with Wild New Chef-Driven Flavor — You’ll Go Bananas!

NOW THAT THE sun is finally shining, we can start screaming about ice cream. Van Leeuwan Ice Cream is continuing its expansion by scooping up hot spots around Houston. The latest opening, and the first food establishment in the new Montrose Collective, includes a collaboration on a new flavor, Bananas for Cheese, with Masterchef winner Christine Ha. Chef Ha, who is legally blind, was recently picked as a Best Chef (Texas) semifinalist with partner Tony J. Nguyen of Xin Chao for the upcoming 2022 James Beard Awards.

Post-Harvey and Covid, HGO Reveals a Delightfully ‘Normal’ 2022-2023 Season

Chris Becker

ON FEB. 28, INSIDE the Houston Grand Opera’s new costume shop, which houses a dedicated team of designers who saw several decades-worth of wigs and other hand-sewn regalia washed away by Hurricane Harvey, HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor and Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers introduced the company’s 2022-2023 season to a small group of journalists.

What’s the Secret to Biz Success? ‘Show Up with Kindness,’ Says Bianca Bucaram

How did you get to where you are today? Passion, persistence, and faith, and a little bit of luck. I graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Political Science and Spanish, on the track to be pre-med. Little did I know that a journey to help my younger sister would set my course to sail in PR. I had no background in communication, except my raw talent, and was fortunate enough to have a family member who needed her story to be told! I was helping tell my younger sister (one of the most recognized influencers in the online vegan community) @fullyrawkristina’s story, and it all blossomed from there.

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Beth Muecke, Justin Garcia

HANDSOME HOUSTON ARTIST Justin Garcia held a homecoming of sorts at Downtown’s Z on 23. He’s been on a world tour with Orphaned Starfish Foundation, the nonprofit that helps orphans, survivors of trafficking, and refugees break their cycles of abuse and poverty. Garcia is traveling to all 80 of the foundation’s programs around the world, creating unique art pieces that aim to capture each program's unique feel with color, shape and words.

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Art + Entertainment

Diana Madero, Thea Pheasey, Alejandra Peterman, Hillary Jebbitt

EIGHT CHEFS, THIRTY years — and one big dinner! Urban Harvest rang in its fourth decade of community gardens, farmers markets and food access at their annual farm-to-table dinner cooked up by some of the most notable chefs in town.

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Parties