Warm Romance

Ama by Aisha
The newly minted Almquists savor a romantic and intimate “last dance” amid the chandeliers at the end of their reception.

The Dunlavy’s chandelier-bedecked space and bayou views provide a recipe for instant urban-glam. But Jacqueline Soussan and Aaron Almquist enlisted Pomp & Circumstance to infuse the venue with a hint of rustic romance for their September 2017 nuptials. Bronze and gold accents shimmered in the glass-encased room and on the wood-clad deck, offset by bright white arrangements courtesy of Flora & Eventi. Other warm touches included gold-calligraphied table numbers, a kids zone, complete with crayons and a coloring sheet, and comfort-food bites like donut holes. With their adorable, tux-clad infant son by their side for much of the night, which took place just three weeks after Hurricane Harvey, the Almquists toasted to new beginnings.


Special

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!)

Keep Reading Show less
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.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment