Letยs face it: Art festivals can sometimes feel like outdoor malls, with the booths selling wares ranging in quality from great to what-the-hell? But itยs all about simple appreciation at this weekendยs Via Colori, benefiting the Center for Hearing and Speech. Walk around and admire artistsย work real-time as they use multicolored pastels to cover the ground with animals, portraits, landscapes, patterns, flowers and anything else they can conjure, in spaces as small as 16 square feet and as large as a hundred square feet. And just in case you get bored watching the artists ย which is highly unlikely, seeing as thereยs 175 of them ย there will be two music stages featuring live performances by groups like Two Star Symphony, Bourbon Street and Sideshow Tramps. Feel good about art, and about yourself ย the eventยs proceeds go to helping hearing-impaired kids learn how to speak ย today. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Sam Houston Park, 1100 Bagby. For information, call 713-523-3633 or visit www.centerhearingandspeech.org. Free.
Sat., Nov. 22, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 2008
This article appears in Nov 20-26, 2008.