Kickoff Cool!

Spring’s busy social season continued with kickoffs galore, like the one for JDRF Houston’s Promise Ball. Supporters hit Hotel ZaZa for light bites, cocktails and a preview of the 20th anniversary gala. … Northwest Assistance Ministries’ (NAM) two-pronged annual fundraising initiative Jeans & Jewels — a luncheon followed by a gala later in the year — launched at the Champions Golf Club. … And the Latin Women Initiative’s popular fashion show and luncheon, which takes place on May 17, kicked off at IW Marks.

Sharon Torres, Elia Gabbanelli and Maritza Gonzales at ‘Latin.'
Sharon Torres, Elia Gabbanelli and Maritza Gonzales at ‘Latin.'


Ernest Hunter at ‘JDRF.’

Party People

David Ansell, Bennie Flores Ansell, Thuy Tran and James Tiebout

THE ROTHKO CHAPEL held its Inspirit fundraiser — a celebration of the power of art and activism — at the industrial-chic Astorian. The evening featured cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and an onstage conversation with actor Cheech Marin, one of the world’s foremost collectors of Chicano art; 2023 Art League of Houston Texas Artist of the Year Vincent Valdez; and legendary civil rights advocate Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers of America with César Chávez. (She’s 93, by the way!)

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Art + Entertainment

Cheech Marin reflecting outside of The Cheech (photo by David Fouts)

WHEN YOU TALK to Los Angeles-born actor Cheech Marin, regardless of how serious the subject, you can’t help but smile. His pop-culture presence is infused with an astute awareness of politics and history, and a “can do, make do, find a way to move ahead” spirit he connects to the word “Chicano,” a derogatory term that came to signify resilience, creative thinking, and social consciousness. “My dad, who died at age 93, always described himself as a Chicano, because it described him,” says Marin.

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Art + Entertainment