Mitch Notes Archives - 01/25/2007 - 07/08/2007

July 8, 2007

Yale Street Arts Market Well, the night was interesting. The sun came out for the entire
time we were setting up and I a little sunburn. Then a 5:54 pm the sky opened up
and everyone just hung out in there tents. Connie Hemley yelled out loud enough for everyone
to hear, "What happened MITCH you said it wouldn't rain?!!!" I yelled back in my booming
voice 5 MINUTES. And six minutes later it stopped. At least to a light drizzle
for little bit. That's when the first round of patrons came through, and they were ready with
umbrella's in hand and raincoats on. Was wild. The artists rock, there work is amazing and attitudes
are just fabulous. Not one complaint, at least not serious! Duke brought his band, The Rocket City Jukes
and Amy his girlfriend got to play her first gig ever! You rocked girl! I have to go air dry some tents.
Catch y'all later. The following photos are by Jeanne Haner. Cheers!

Mitch with Emily of Ochid Obsession

The show must go on!

July 3, 2007

Birthdays - Corn Chowder - the Shiloh?

Howdy folks! Just a quick note to say hello. Seems like life has kept me busier than ever and it just
keeps getting faster! Gearing up for White Linen Night in the Hights is becoming seriously full time now.
It is a lot of fun though. I got Yellow Cab to sign on a few weeks back, and they will offer rides anywhere in the Heighs
not to exceed $6. Cool! You might catch me rolling around in the V.I.P. Yellow Cab Hummer!

Birthday- our buddy Walker has advanced in age once again ahead of me. The big 4-2, he does that every year.
At his request we had a beer on the deck at Shiloh on Studewood near our house. Carolyn and I used to joke that you couldn't
get in there until after "toothless thirty." So we're stepping out onto the deck and he asks me, if I frequent the place more
now. I say no, step onto the deck and see Molly and say "Hello Molly," she responds "Hey Mitch!" Walker just snickers, "Not often huh?"
Happend 3 more times before we finished our beer. Hey its close right! Whatever.

Had a great Corn Chowder at Berry Hill in the Heights Sunday afternoon. You know I really like that restaurant, its close,
there are always folks in there you know, and the service is fast and friendly. The fish tacos are still awesome too.

Gotta scoot, I'll see what I can do about getting back here quicker than 2 months! Cheers!

May 8, 2007

Ahem! Right. Hello there!

Around Jan/Feb 2004

Haven't had the writing bug lately, so how about a little history? When Carolyn and I first started the market we took it very seriously. Still do! That's me on the left walking with a measuring wheel loaned by our friend Gonzalo Comacho. Gonz helped me make a detailed map of the market area behind Kaplans. We knew exactly how many tents could fit there.

All that space seems so luxurious now! I love our new spot at Wind Water Gallery, but there are so many artists that can't show every month now. Does keep everyone on their toes though.

1965 Jeep Gladiator - as painted by Carolyn Cohen 1999

A few years before Carolyn and I dove head first into the Heights activities and the whole arts scene, we spent a couple months out of the year painting this truck, friends cars and other wheeled vehicles for the Art Car Parade. I think we entered a total of 6 or 7 times and actually participated at least 9 years in a row!

This photo shows the truck during its "Pet at Your Own Risk Jeep" stage. It was also the woody, the Flag Jeep, the Scary Jeep and the beginning of the flower jeep. I think now its a "Hunting Jeep." I sold it a few years ago.

If you click the jeep photo you can see the other versions on my flickr.com account.

The Art Car Parade is this weekend. I don't care what you are doing, you should change your plans and go! Details are online at www.orangeshow.org

Cheers!

March 11, 2007

Me & Jeanne Haner at M2

Wow 3 months since I last visited here! A lot has happened in that time. For one I got myself employed! First time since 1993, when I waited tables at Little Pappas Seafood on Sheperd. I still have my last paycheck which amounted to something like $22.00, that probably motivated me to talk Carolyn into starting our own business. Since starting the Yale Street Arts Market I've really taken a liking to marketing and PR. One day an email came requesting someone with the marketing skills and experience of all the things I do monthly for the market. Epiphany! "I could make a living at this stuff!" I wrote up a resume, and applied to exactly two companies. At the second company, a full fledged marketing firm, I was given two writing assignments; before I heard back, one of my references interviewed and hired me. Now I am the Media & Community Liaison at Karen Derr & Associates! The hardest part about that job is remembering how to spell liaison! Ha just kidding. Karen Derr & Associates Realty is a great company, "small" and professional. You'll be hearing more about them if I do my job right. And I fully intend too!

More later...

 January 25, 2007

Mitch, John, Gordon, and Terrence - flickr.com

What's New?

Happy New Year! Good thing I don't get paid to write this column or I'd have been fired months ago. Been a little inconspicuous lately for some odd reason and just haven't had the "go" to sit down and write. Then again, I can't say I've been out and about enough to tell you much. Then again I'm always out doing something, and you just might think that's enough! So with out further adieux, my notes and whereabouts since October 13, 2006.

I want to start with this website and some of the recent changes and additions. First the Events page now has a form that makes it SO easy to add your own event. It is moderated, but only to keep the rif raf out, I try to check it every day. Gordon Tillman set it up for us. Thanks Gordy! One note about the listings is the end date of shows is also when the listing will automatically delete itself. So go and promote yourself, Art Valet is still a favorite with the search engines. The sidebar links is now the same on all the pages except music. That's next.

FUN! Some fun websites to report to you this week. Starting with your first time. That's right I said your first time and I am not talking about THAT! Your first "art time." www.ArtIsGoodForYou.com is a site set up to tell your story about your first experience with art. I've got something I'll be sending in. There is also a fun set of links on the site all grouped together, and the visitor is encouraged to just pick one at random. Try it! THEN, there's a classified section that may just give Craig's List and eBay a run for there money. It's called www.WhoIsMyArtist.com, and both patrons and artists are invited to describe the artist/patron they are looking for and contact info. I like that one, Carolyn posted something. I might be interested in posting a request for a patron to cover this years living expenses. What kind of response do you think I'll get out of that?

Hmmm. Ah the Heights! As a regular at many of the finer establishments in this 100 hundred plus year old neighborhood, news is afoot. The Squash Blossom Shop in the Yale St. Grill is closing its doors forever. (at least there) Proprietor and good friend Kathy R. is now engaged to marry, and is packing it in and moving to L.A. We're gonna miss you Kathy, you'd better come back and visit! I haven't heard that the other tenants plan to take over the lease so, if you need a large retail space.......call them! The Yale Grill is the old Yale St Pharmacy. It's pretty tasty and they even have a soda fountain! You can usually find me there on Sunday mornings at Max and Michael's table. If you don't see me, at least say hello to Barbara at the cashiers desk! And try the gravy! (Got Gravy? www.GravyBalls.com)

Where you've missed me lately: The Glass Wall, The Shiloh, Boom Boom Room... OH listen, a bunch of us went to the Boom Boom after the Go Figure show and Jackie's husband Wally was at the piano. MAN 'O MAN that guy is good! Friday and Saturday nights, I highly recommend seeing him. And try the Martini Paninis. If you have to ask, just trust me on this one. ... The Heights Library on Heights at 13th St. (we love going to the library, did you know they have wireless now?) The A...uh...that place....damn! Okay on Westeimer almost across the street from Brazil coffee and pretty much next door to Galerie Mado Chalvet is this awesome coffee house/bar! It has a Greek name and I don't. think I've ever seen it because I'm always driving on Westheimer, and if you take your eyes off the road in the Montrose, a Kia or Scion or scooter is liable to run you down. This day Carolyn, Cindy and I were walking though and just stumbled right in. It has vines growing all over the front gates so you can barely see it walking. Aegean? Help me out here will ya? Great place for a happy hour, but I think we'd better show up happy already, seem to recall the beer prices were kinda high. Everything is painted to look like old stone and marble. Fun! Where else.....Katz's Deli and Kenny & Ziggy's too. Had a run of colds in our house and had to get some good ole Jewish food and soup. I'm telling you it works. Just watch out for those fried pickles at Katz's, they can't be good for you.

Okay. I need a break now. But I'll be back to add links and correct my spelling and all that.

Cheers! -Mitch

Update- Christine of Fresh Photography has informed me of the following-
... the name of the place with the Greek name on Westheimer?
Agora. "A gathering place, esp. an ancient marketplace [Gk]" - if that
is the right place, they have a stone like plaque on the door that says that.
-Christine www.FreshPhotography.com

 Thanks!  Mitch January 25, 2007, at 07:51 PM

Mitch writes about his travels throughout the vast neighborhood known as the Houston Heights...
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