Bridging our Future: Lee HS Cultural Meet & Greet and Luncheon

 Our 2015 series on education, and partnership with HISD, kicked off with a student luncheon and cultural meet & greet on Saturday Jan 31st at Lee High school. The event began with food followed by icebreaker games between the volunteers and students, where

they got to interact and learn about each other. A discussion and Q&A was presented afterwards by the students about their experiences in the public school system, and shared their thoughts on education, from what they have seen both at Lee High School and across the nation.

The meeting allowed for students and Vox volunteers to exchange contact information as part of the years mentorship program. For questions in regards to the mentorship program or about potential participation, contact crystal.koo@voxculture.org.

"Bridging our Future" 2015 series on Education begins

For 2015 Vox Culture shifts gears as it turns its focus from 2014's Proclaiming Humanity to this years feature cause, education. The theme for our eduction series, "Bridging our Future," begins in January and will extend to November of this year. Officially partnering with HISD, Vox Culture will be specifically tackling literacy in HISD schools with the primary focus and case study being Lee High School. 

Be sure to follow our newsletters and see the latest happenings of the year via our facebook page to see the progess that is being made. If you would like to be a volunteer and help mentor some of the students that we will be working with - in the areas of guidance, college applications, and literacy, please contact humeira.akbar@voxculture.org.

New Year, New Resolution on Education

Happy New Years!!! I hope everyone’s holidays have been filled with friends, family and loved ones. I know mine was, a lot of consuming especially during the Christmas time, more than I anticipated. On Christmas morning I even felt my stomach still digesting from the night before. Sadly, it is back to reality and time to put those New Years Resolutions into work, right? On behalf of Vox Culture, we once again would like to thank everyone who attended and participated at our end of the finale event, Proclaiming Humanity: Beauty in Courage Fashion Show benefitting the Tahirih Justice Center. This year we will be working with the Houston Independent School District, with our emphasis on education. We would like to proudly announce that we will be working with the kids at Lee High school focusing on literacy. 

-Crystal

Beauty in Courage Event

Monday we hosted our grand finale event in Proclaiming in Humanity: Beauty in Courage with a fashion/social mixer and artist bazarr that benefitted the Tahirih Justice Center. The show opened with a performance by Sugar Joiko, followed by the fashion show. The designers that were featured were Rammy Kaur, Emelia Natalicchio, Virginia Colao, Umair Khan, Elle Milady, Damari Rubio, and Danny Nguyen. I would say my 2 favorites from the show were Emelia’s and Danny’s designs. I felt Emeila’s pieces were catered towards my style, elegance with a hint of grunge chic. Danny’s gowns were stunning with his meticulous detail and use colors. After the show Rocko Stedy performed followed by the auction and raffling of items. Overall the event was a success and many of our guests had a great time. 

The runway

Booth being set up

-Crystal K

The Future of Art

  Last Wednesday I was invited to see Chairman Jane Chu of the National Endowment of the Arts give a talk at the Asia Society. For those who are not familiar with the NEA, it is an independent agency of the federal government that provides grants for artistic individuals and communities. I was delighted to hear the Chairman give her insight on how art plays a vital role in our society.

  After hearing her perception, it gave me a moment to realize why I studied art during my undergraduate career. Since moving to Texas, not too many people were aware of my art background and I do not acknowledge it unless asked, mostly to evade that pause of judgment. How I view art is an outlet for not only creative expression, but also an opportunity to stimulate conversation. Being raised sheltered and shy I often found myself awkward in social situations especially when it came to communicating my feelings verbally. The Chairman’s words on art’s vitality to our society expose how art is a necessity. I would say most of the general public view art as something decorative and low end, in terms of the job market, (hence the term “starving artist”). But there is more that meets the eye and what the general public is aware of. Art plays an essential role to our daily life; it fosters innovation, contributes to our economic growth, and significantly, nurtures our education. Art allows us to explore and create different divisions. We see it diverging in to other categories such as writing, dancing, and acting. It continues to expand and contribute to our health by offering methodologies such as music and art therapy. The Chairman mentions Project Row Houses, based in Houston, as a communal art project that transforms battered houses in to art studios and affordable homes. "There's no dollar value that can measure the energy of an empowered community and the re-emergence of beauty and hope." In words of the Chairman, "we need to expand the approaches that we take to connect people to the arts.”

Some pieces I did during undergrad:

-Crystal Koo