Art – Page 9 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Culinary Passport: Unveiling the Tastes of Indonesia

Michelle Cardenas

Last week, we had the privilege to attend an event hosted by the World Affairs Council as part of their Culinary Passport Series. This time, our gastronomic adventure took us to the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Houston.

This event was especially fitting as it coincided with Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the rich heritage and contributions of the AAPI community.

The event began with the Consulate General, Andre Omer Siregar, who graced us with his welcoming remarks, sharing his pride in Indonesia’s rich cultural diversity and dynamic growth. He expressed his excitement to be among a group of people eager to learn more about his home country.

The main presentation offered us an overview of Indonesia and highlighted some of its best qualities. We learned about Indonesia’s current Democratic style of government and how it became home to a vibrant population and a robust economy. The Economic Affairs team, represented by Ita A. Puspitasari and Aswidya Indririsk, highlighted Indonesia’s economic innovations and the growing trade relationship with the United States. Their enthusiasm and pride in their country were evident, and it was inspiring to hear about the strides Indonesia is making on the global stage.

A part of the presentation I found particularly interesting was the mention of Indonesia’s representation in international media, with films such as “Cigarette Girl” on Netflix showcasing Indonesian culture and storytelling. Cultural representation matters, and it is clear that this is a source of immense pride for Indonesians and an exciting development for global audiences.

As the program drew to a close, we were introduced to an array of traditional Indonesian dishes.

The Consulate staff explained that hosting and preparing lavish banquets is an integral part of Indonesian culture, especially on special occasions. We were presented with a buffet-style dinner laid out for us, featuring a mouthwatering selection of dishes such as Nasi Goreng, Rendang, Sate Ayam, Gado-Gado, and Lontong.

Each dish was a testament to Indonesia’s rich culinary heritage, bursting with savory flavors and spices.

For many of us, this was our first encounter with Indonesian cuisine, and it was an experience we won’t soon forget.

Sampling these dishes was not just about tasting new flavors but also about gaining a deeper appreciation for the culture and traditions of Indonesia. Events like this enrich our understanding of the diverse world we live in and prepare us for future travels and cultural explorations.

We left with full stomachs and a newfound appreciation for the hospitality and warmth that Indonesian culture embodies. It was a perfect celebration of AAPI Month, fostering cultural exchange and culinary delight.

Visit Huntsville: Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Presidential Library

by Olivia Discon

Welcome back to our “Visit Huntsville” blog series, where we uncover the gems that make our city truly special. This month, we’re thrilled to highlight the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library. This historic site not only celebrates the life and legacy of one of Texas’s most influential figures but also serves as a vibrant cultural hub for our community.

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the museum with my dad. My dad is a history enthusiast, and sharing a piece of Huntsville’s rich heritage with him was an experience I’ll treasure.

The museum itself houses an impressive collection of artifacts and exhibits that paint a vivid picture of Sam Houston’s life. My dad’s favorite artifact of them all was Sam Houston’s dapper jaguar skin vest!

Walking through the museum grounds, we couldn’t help but feel the strong sense of history and reverence that permeates the site. One of the most poignant moments of our visit was seeing the Steamboat House, where Sam Houston passed away.

Photographer Mark Burns, Capturing the Steamboat House

This tangible link to the past brought history to life for both of us. My dad, being the history nerd that he is, was so moved that he even called my mom to show her the Steamboat House over the phone!

At the time of our visit, LEAP’s photo exhibit, “From the LEAP Lens,” was featured in the gallery of the Walker Education Center. It was a wonderful opportunity to share a photo I took while visiting my first state park, Palo Duro Canyon.

I was very proud to have captured a very special moment, and I was even prouder to share the photo with my dad, among the many other fantastic photos in the exhibit!

The Sam Houston Memorial Museum is more than just a museum; it’s a central component of our community. It provides a space for education and connection. The museum regularly hosts events that bring people together and celebrate our Huntsville community.

They have wonderful exhibits regularly, including the work of John Rogers (whose work we also saw at the Smithsonian)…

…a community photo contest…

Former LEAP Ambassador Miranda Estrada identifies her favorite photo in the SHMM Community Photo Contest

…an opportunity for fun…

…and, of course, the preservation of key artifacts, the celebration of which often brings in hundreds of people, including VIPs from all over the state.

The LEAP Ambassadors had the chance to enjoy the “Sundown at Sam’s” music series, a fantastic way to start the summer, wind down, and enjoy the arts in a new way with our favorite people. It was a beautiful testament to how the arts and history intertwine to better our lives today.

Currently on display is the Cafe Raven exhibit, which Cinthia Villarreal and I recently had the pleasure of attending (and participating in) the opening reception.

This exhibit shines a light on a historic Huntsville business that holds a special place in the hearts of many residents.

The attention to detail and the stories captured in the exhibit transported us back in time, allowing us to appreciate the rich tapestry of Huntsville’s past.

In my eyes, the exhibit is a testament to the museum’s dedication to preserving and celebrating our local history.

If you haven’t yet visited the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Presidential Library, I highly recommend taking the time to explore this community jewel. Whether you’re a history buff, a music lover, or simply looking for a peaceful place to reflect (with the exception of the occasional rooster), the museum offers something for everyone.

It’s a cornerstone of our community, a place where the past meets the present, and where we can all find hope for the future.

Stay tuned for next month’s edition of “Visit Huntsville,” where we’ll uncover another local treasure that makes our city unique. Until then, happy exploring!

PLS Spring Social: Legal Fun

by McKenna Nonnenman

With the semester drawing to a close, the Pre-Law Society hosted its Spring Social, a fun-filled evening with a lot of snacks. What’s better, we held it at the Wynne Home, where we surrounded by its beautiful art!

Although the evening was designed with fun in mind, the activities we all law-themed. Thus, we have a debate tournament based on childhood cartoons such as Scooby-Doo and Sponge-Bob SquarePants, the latter of whom was charged with a DUI in our retelling.

Then the jury groups switched with prosecution and defense for the next case: the murder of Scooby-Doo (spoiler alert: Velma did it with poisoned Scooby-Doo snacks in the kitchen). All groups reviewed their charges….

…and were given a four-minute time frame to explain key points of their positions and a one-minute rebuttal. The jury from both cases decided on the best arguments for both cases choosing the two teams to go head-to-head for the final debate: Texas v. Bradley.

Both teams argued very well, and the jury decided Emily Albright, Lillie Bourgeois, Katherine Burnett, Nicole Erazo, and Natalie Mujica won the debate, with good sportsmanship shown all around.

Next after a long break of Italian soda and snacks…

…our members played a game of Jeopardy. If our debate game did not bring out our members’ competitive sides, our game Jeopardy game certainly did! The question consisted of information about past Pre-Law Society Meetings, “Is it legal”, Sam Houston University, The Wynne Home, and Spring. After lots of debating, yelling, and cheering…

…Neehal Ahmed, Chrisi Biello, Olivia Discon, Mark Harkrider, and Isaac Mokrane won by a landslide!

Our members finished out the night with chips, cookies, and Scooby-Doo snacks (not poisoned of course) and shared funny stories from home and or work.

This social brought out the competitive sides of all our members who attended, forged new bonds, and created new friendships. Thank you to the Wynne Home Arts and Visitor Center for providing us with a space to host our social; and thank you to our Spring 2024 Semester Planning Committee for creating these activities and a fun-filled night.

A Picture Perfect Rotary Meeting

Morgan Robertson

As our readers might guess, the LEAP Ambassadors are huge fans of the Huntsville Rotary Club and its members. So when given the chance to attend a Rotary meeting as guests, we always ‘leap’ at the opportunity!

Typically, Huntsville Rotarians meet at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum (SHMM) in the Walker Education Center conference rooms. However, this week the meeting location was moved up one floor to the exhibit gallery, which just so happens to be where our exhibit, Photos from the LEAP Lens, is on view. Rotary President Michelle Lyons reached out, and asked if we would join the meeting and provide more detail about our exhibit.

Olivia, Michelle, Jessica, Cinthia and I accompanied Professor Yawn as the guest speakers for the lunch, and we were welcomed, as it typical for the hospitable Rotarians, with open arms and smiling faces.

Following the official business of the meeting, Derrick Birdsall, Director of SHMM, gave a wonderful introduction and explained how Photos from the LEAP Lens came into being.

Rather than describe each photo in the exhibit and explain the exact conditions that made such a photo possible, which would undoubtedly bore everyone in the room, photographer or not, Professor Yawn chose a few photos that best incapsulated the LEAP principles and model. Our very own Olivia stepped into be Vanna White for the hour, and did a great job impersonating the TV personality.

From the New Mexico trip, Professor Yawn Cinthia’s version of the famous Rancho De Taos. Not only did the group rise at 4am for the chance to get this shot, but they were also able to draw connections to Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe who both famously provided their perspectives of Rancho De Taos.

One of the most favored photos from the exhibit was Olivia’s Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Much to the surprise of, well everyone, this photo was taken from Olivia’s first time in a state park! As all LEAP Ambassadors, past and present know, it’s impossible to be in LEAP without experiencing some firsts.

While most of our photos are of the outdoor and nature sort, a few exceptions can be found in the exhibit, one of which is the New York Skyline from a few years back with some LEAP Alum. Interestingly enough, this site was where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr dueled, tying both history and photography for perfect LEAP educational experience. Professor Yawn used this photo to describe some of the mechanics of LEAP trips.

The last two photos were from the recent DC trip, where Olivia, Cinthia and Michelle attended the National League of Cities Conference, and many other wonderful sites. In preparation for the trip, Olivia read a book called “A Rift in the Earth” by James Reston, which goes into the processes and controversies surrounding the erection of the Vietnam Memorial. During this part of their visit to the National Mall they were met with the amazing surprise of actually meeting the artist of the Memorial herself, Maya Lin.

The second was an amazing shot of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in Virginia. On this trip, the Ambassadors visited their first 3 presidential homes and were able to experience history first hand.

This academic year, we’ve had the privilege to attend Rotary three times in various capacities. Each time we depart Rotary meetings after snapping selfies, or hugging our friends, we are grateful to know that we have become part of such a wonderful community.

“Photos from the LEAP Lens” is on view until May 12, 2024, in the exhibit gallery at Katy & E. Don Walker, Sr. Education Center, located at 1402 19th Street in Huntsville.

Water Song: An Artistic Exploration of Water’s Journey

by Olivia Discon

The Wynne Home Arts & Visitor Center is one of our favorite places in town to visit, and it took little prompting for Chrissy Biello and I to assist at the opening reception for for Kahne Smith’s “Water Song” Exhibit. Featuring dozens of works, mostly pastels, the exhibit was probably my favorite since moving to Huntsville.

A Board Member of the International Association of Pastel Societies, Smith is both a studio and plein air artist. With a focus on landscapes, her work, especially her plein air, call to mind key aspects of the Impressionist Movement, with a style that is all her own.

The art works evoke a sense of the profound, and this sense is echoed by captions that include quotations from famous Western artists, writers, and poets, such as Norman McLean and Andrew Wyeth.

With a healthy audience on hand, the Wynne Home Program Coordinator, Angela Robinson, introduced the show…

…followed by Smith’s husband, George, introducing the artist…

…which was, in turn, followed by an eloquent and brief discussion by the arts.

The brief remarks offered a chance for more exploration of the artwork…

…discussions with Smith…

…mingling…

…and sampling of the food provided by Friends of the Wynne.

It was a special evening for us, so much so that we purchased Ms. Smith’s books so that we could return to her beautiful images.

We are beyond grateful to have experienced this beautiful collection at the Wynne Home Arts & Visitor Center and look forward to future exhibitions that continue to enrich our lives and our community.

Shear Madness is Sheer Fun!

by Cinthia Villarreal

As LEAP Ambassadors, we do our best to maximize our experiences. This means taking as many opportunities as possible in a given location. So, following a day of conference sessions, we took advantage of a free evening to see “Shear Madness” at the beautiful Kennedy Center.

As we entered the building, a majestic, jaw-dropping hall with worldwide flags hung from the tall ceiling greeted us…

…and at the end, windows from top to bottom with a red dragon on it allowed us to see into the Potomac River.

To add to it, the sun setting on the other side of the building gave us an amazing reflection inside the hall and an awesome view of the D.C. skyline.

While wandering around the building, we were able to recognize the artists of the various art pieces at the patio. Throughout the trip, we have seen numerous works of Lichtenstein so, even though not a fan favorite, we still felt proud to recognize his art.

This trip we have learned and gotten to know the work of Joel Shapiro. Using rectangular abstracts of human figures, Shapiro captures movement of the human body.

Olivia and I saw Debra Butterfield’s work on our Southwest trip at the Texas Tech campus and were ecstatic to see her work again, and in the other side of the country, too.

As we entered the Kennedy Center’s lobby, beautiful chandeliers showed the way into the theatre…

…and we were ready for the play to begin.

The play takes place in a present-day Georgetown in retro styled beauty salon where Tony Whitcomb and Barbara DeMarco, the hair stylists; Mrs. Shubert; Eddie Lawrence, an antique dealer; and Nick O’Brien, an undercover police officer, are introduced to the public.

As Tony and Barbara are at work, they get sidetracked and wrapped in current gossip, frequently unbothered about their costumer’s time or even safety. Suddenly a piano starts playing and Tony begins to complain about Isabel, the upstairs elderly neighbor who is also a worldwide recognized pianist.

Suddenly, the group is told that Isabel has been mysteriously murdered and everyone becomes a suspect to an open crime. As the interrogations begin, the crew starts acting suspiciously and begin to throw each other under the bus with the police in order to not be the main suspect.

What truly made this experience one-of-a-kind, is when Officer O’Brien turned to the public for their insight on the case. With this, the play became interactive, and the crowd begins calling the actors out for lying, covering each other, or acting suspicious. He then invited the public to ask questions, which forced the actors to come up with the answer impromptu, and consequently, start improvising with jokes about current affairs and even about the audience.

Being new to the theater world, I never thought I would find the theater so captivating and humorous. It was amazing to witness the true skills needed for improvisation and I seriously admire the actor’s professionalism and readiness for staying in character without knowing what was to come.

In a small way, it’s like being a LEAP Ambassador, grabbing opportunities as they come, even when we don’t know what might be around the corner!

Exploring America Through Art–A Day at the Smithsonian

Michelle Cardenas

After exploring several museums in Washington D.C., it was time to stop by the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). This museum is well known for housing the National Portrait Gallery and its collection of presidential portraits, while also having an impressive collection of works by both established and emerging artists.

Upon entering the museum, we were immediately greeted by the works of renowned artist Gilbert Stuart. Stuart is mostly known for his presidential portraits, including his famous depiction of George Washington found on the dollar bill.

Additionally, the museum featured pieces by other notable artists such as Thomas Sully, who did the famous work of Andrew Jackson…

…and Norman Rockwell, who softened Richard Nixon in his official portrait.

A standout highlight of SAAM is Amy Sherald’s remarkable portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama. Sherald’s portrayal of Mrs. Obama was intriguing. She captured the persona of the former First Lady but also challenged traditional portraiture.

Other notable portraits include Kehinde Wiley’s depiction of Barack Obama, Peter Hurd’s portrait of LBJ, Chuck Close’s complex mosaic of Bill Clinton; and Elaine de Kooning’s atypical portrait of Kennedy . It was wonderful to see how different artists envisioned our past and present presidents in a painting.

And, of course, we would be remiss if we did mention seeing a bust of “our very own” Sam Houston!

But the Museum does not exclusively reflect portraits of presidents and other notables. They are an American Art Museum as well, and I was able to see a work by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a personal favorite of mine, whose work I admired only online before visiting the museum. We were also fortunate enough to reinforce our knowledge and recognition of Alexander Calder.

We saw Edward Hopper works…

…a work by one of Professor Yawn’s favorites, Thomas Hart Benton…

…and pieces by artists as diverse as Grandma Moses, Georgia O’Keeffe, Fredric Remington, Samuel Morse, and Luis Jimenez.

One of the pieces we saw was by John Rogers, and his work is also owned by the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library.

We also saw a piece by Sam Houston alum James Surls…

SAAM’s diverse collection reflects all the changes of American life and its history. Through these portraits and artworks we gained a deeper understanding of our history while connecting it to art.

Whether we were in awe of presidential portraits, or discovering new favorites among the museum’s vast collection, or encountering iconic works by beloved artists, we sure enjoyed our time at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

World Affairs Council: Passport to Korean Culture

by Olivia Discon

The LEAP Ambassadors recently stamped their first country in the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston’s Global Young Professionals ‘Culinary Passport’ series, starting with Argentina. This time, we made our way ‘around the globe’ to experience Korean culture at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Houston.

The Three Post Oak Central Office Building, where the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea conducts business, was a spacious and elevated venue. In fact, the building itself is LEED Gold certified!

We had the pleasure of trying various Korean street food items, such as Korean Bao, Tteokbokki, pan fried dumplings, and Korean fried chicken. This was a delicious way to immerse ourselves into the culture we would be exploring in tonight’s lecture.

The Consul General of Korea, Young-Ho Jung, started the night off by providing some opening remarks. Consul General Young-Ho Jung took the opportunity to highlight Korea’s remarkable success and encouraged us to consider visiting the country on our own someday. This honor was not lost on us, and truly set the scene for an immersion into learning more about Korea’s cultural impact worldwide.

Following his remarks, Jinaeng Choi, a professor at the University of Houston, took the podium to deliver a lecture titled “Mobilities in and of Korean Literature and Media: Rethinking Korean Cultural Product’s Global Rise.” Choi’s lecture provided fascinating insights into the global impact of Korean literature and media, highlighting the ways in which Korean cultural products have transcended borders and captured the attention of audiences worldwide.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Choi’s lecture was her discussion of the intersection between Korean and Latin American literature. She broke down immigration patterns and found that many Koreans migrate to Latin America, leading to a rich exchange of cultures and literary traditions between the two regions. It was here that she provided many instances of this intersection of cultures, such as literary magazines, short stores and poetry, and novels. Professor Choi even brought a personal copy of one of these books, which was translated in both Korean and Spanish. Depending on which way the book was flipped, you could choose which language to read!

Learning opportunities such as these emphasize the depth and complexity of cultural exchange. In the heart of one of the most diverse cities in America, this experience exposed us to new facets of the disciplines, such as literature, film, and music, that we have all enjoyed in various capacities.

The evening was a rich and immersive experience, offering us a taste of Korean culture through its food, art, and intellectual discourse. We left feeling inspired and eager to continue our exploration of the diverse cultures that enrich our global community.

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