VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) hosts Martini Madness! a chic cocktail party featuring mad glassware, bottomless martinis, sizzling snacks, dancing, jazz, and a cash raffle. Thursday, September 17, 2009, 7:00 – 10:00 PM.

At the beginning of the evening, guests select a one-of-a-kind artisan martini glass to use and take home. Guests choose from an incredible array of glasses—all of which are handmade in a variety of styles and materials by craft artists from around the country.

“Mid-Century Cocktail Attire” (think fashions inspired by the ‘50s and ‘60s—a la “Mad Men” or “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”) is suggested for this fun, swanky soiree.

Martini glasses are available in a variety of price points while supplies last—guests are encouraged to come early for the best selection. Dancers from Arthur Murray Dance Studios River Oaks will perform a Latin ballroom dance routine at 8:30 PM.

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is a nonprofit visual arts center dedicated to advancing education about the process, product and history of craft. HCCC provides exhibition, retail and studio spaces to support the work of local and national artists and serves as a resource for artists, educators and the community at large. Located in the Museum District at 4848 Main Street, HCCC is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM, and Sunday, 12 – 5 PM. Admission is free. Accessible parking is available directly behind the facility, off Travis Street. HCCC is 1½ blocks south of the Wheeler Avenue MetroRail station on Main Street.

HCCC is funded in part by grants from The Brown Foundation; Houston Endowment, Inc.; the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance; and Texas Commission on the Arts. Continental Airlines is the official airline of Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. For more information, call 713/529-4848 or visit www.crafthouston.org.