Spring, or is it summer already, is finally here and despite the occasional downpours, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the outdoors before the heavy-duty heat arrives. This weekend's schedule is filled with a free viewing of a Texas favorite artist, Mayra Zamora, whose pop art and culturally infused works are on display at MECA. And after, if you're in the mood to soak up some more vitamin D, charge up your phone and head to the Bike Barn on Sabine for your scavenger hunt assignment. Round out your weekend with a trip to the theater to view director Rachel Dickson's latest work, Grand Concourse, at the Main Street Theater, playing now. Watch as the fifth character, forgiveness, unveils itself more abstractly than its cast-mate counterparts.




MECA presents a series of paintings by Corpus Christi-based artist Mayra Zamora. Zamora's colorful paintings are inspired by Chicano culture, pop art iconography, and the often psychedelic traditions of the Huichol and other indigenous cultures. Zamora is pure Tex-Mex at its most prestigious, being a master's graduate of Texas A&M and an outreach coordinator at the Art Museum of South Texas. Her works have been showcased throughout the nation and have now planted their feet here in Houston. Head to MECA this Friday to view her family-inspired pieces for yourself and let them transport you to the sight of your favorite stained glass windows at your abuelita's house.

Noon to 7 p.m.. March 31. Continuing noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. March 31 through April 28. MECA. 1900 Kane. For information, visit meca-houston.org/calendar.html. Free

Do you have more followers than a Kardashian? Social-media-savvy Houstonians are invited to test their mettle with the next Instagram Scavenger Hunt along Buffalo Bayou. Teams of four will walk the greenspaces between Sabine and Shepherd, exploring the landscape and solving clues. Post your pics to public Instagram accounts and try to take home the win in either the adult or the family category. And yes, there are prizes for first to complete the task. Buffalo Bayou Partnership and Rice Design Alliance put their brains together for this one, and it looks like previous winners were creative on those team names, including "Yes We Kahn," "Ham Sandwich" and "Minority Report." Now's the time to hit the white board and start work-shopping your team name for this Saturday. A few suggestions in case you get stumped: "Cash me ousside," "How Ba-You Doin'?" for the Friends fans and, of course, "Team Texans."

9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 1. Bike Barn, 105 Sabine. For information, visit ricedesignalliance.org/2017/instagram-scavenger-hunt-buffalogram. $15 to $25.


Tilting, twirling, tipping and swaying, the Rube Goldberg devices produced by kinetic sculptor Pedro S. de Movellán suggest that a master alchemist is at work. While his transmutations result in elegant works of art rather than gold, he has been known to work with gold leaf — as well as mahogany, maple, polished aluminum and carbon fiber — to create pieces that would make a Swiss watchmaker proud. Now, his latest are on view at Sicardi Gallery in “Grace: A distillation of current kinetic works.” The paint is barely dry on 2017’s Outdoor Conical Leaf, coated with a fire-engine-red finish. Allison Ayers, a partner at the gallery who was traveling when she emailed us, told us that the 96-inch-by-75-inch behemoth is “one of his large outdoor pieces.” That's an eight-foot-by-six-foot piece of work, large and in charge, but graceful and whimsical is the balance that de Movellán instills in his works. Set your GPS for the Sicardi Gallery this Saturday and see the large pieces of work for yourself.

An opening reception with the artist is 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Continuing 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. March 30 through May 18. 1506 West Alabama. For information, call 713-529-1313 or visit sicardigallery.com. Free.




In playwright Heidi Schreck’s Grand Concourse, a nun goes to work in a Bronx soup kitchen, but her faith seems to waver. The arrival of Emma, a college dropout and volunteer filled with initial enthusiasm, adds to the stress as she becomes more and more erratic. Local actor, director and professor Rachel Dickson directs the regional premiere at Main Street Theater and says she was attracted to the project because of its theme of forgiveness. “It deals with a universal issue whether you are part of a faith or not; forgiveness is something we all understand. And personal struggle is something we all understand.” The four-actor cast learned to navigate around a crowded kitchen onstage and even took a field trip to a food kitchen during rehearsals. Dickson cautions that some of the subject matter is better left to older teens and adults, so leave the youngsters at home this Sunday night.

7:30 p.m. Saturday. Continuing 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. April 1 through 30. 2540 Times. For information, call 713-524-6706 or visit mainstreettheater.com. $36 to $45.



Forget Carrie Bradshaw, the third annual Houston Lebanese Festival is bringing a souk to the city. During the three-day festival, you can stroll the open-air bazaar (or souk), stall to stall, perusing Lebanese arts and crafts to the strum of the Arabic guitar while stuffing your face with shawarma. You can take in a folkloric dance performance, or sip coffee and play no-holds-barred backgammon like they do in the cafes of Beirut. (Just don’t flip the board when you lose, remember to keep your cool this Sunday.) “We’re trying to re-create the feeling of being in the country,” says Hiba Elcroz, a board member of the presenter, the American Lebanese Cultural Center. Well, she laughs, “as much as we can at Jones Plaza.”

11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. 600 Louisiana. For information, visit alcchouston.org/houston-lebanese-festival. Free to $10.


Margaret Downing, Tex Kerschen, Katricia Lang and Susie Tommaney contributed to this post.