It’s a strange kind of gift, to be allowed to hug an elephant’s trunk.

In April 2018, exactly seven years ago, I traveled to Thailand with a close group of friends. One of those rare “let’s go to Asia!!” group chats that surprisingly turned into boarding passes. I found myself there for almost three weeks. My favorite city? The one I stayed the longest: Chiang Mai. It’s the city that introduced me to my favorite noodle dish, Khao Soi, and the first time I had butterfly pea iced tea. Like many tourists, I went to go see the elephants. 

The Great Elephant Migration spent the month of April in Hermann Park. It got here because Mac Dunwoody, a Houstonian with ties to the conservancy, saw the elephants when they were in Newport, Rhode Island. The public art installation, which is touring across the U.S., raises awareness about the complexities of co-existence between humans and elephants living in proximity, especially in India.

Each sculpture was crafted by hand by the Real Elephant Collective, a group of over 200 Indigenous artisans from southern India: Bettakurumba, Paniya, Kattunayakan, Soliga. These elephants aren’t random; they’re modeled after real living elephants with names like Soha and Alchemy. As you walk among them, it’s easy to forget you’re not in a museum, but a gallery. They’re actually for sale. $8,000 for a calf. $26,000 for a tusker. It raises the question in any art purchase or deal: are you buying an object, or a story?

I stayed overnight at Elephant Nature Park, an elephant sanctuary in Northern Thailand, hearing the sounds of the elephants and animals alike throughout the night. We fed them medicine balls, and we walked with them as if we had somewhere to be. Mostly, we just watched. Elephants are majestic creatures. Sometimes I say, half-jokingly, that when I retire my dream is to play piano for an elephant. (Houston Zoo’s own baby elephant, Kirby, will be a full grown adult—maybe I’ll play for her then?) So when I heard that a herd of life-sized, sculptural elephants had arrived in Houston, I went.

The herd will eventually head to Los Angeles this summer. They’ll have crossed more of the country than most Americans will this year. And in a moment when the country feels like it’s actively unraveling, it’s oddly comforting to stand among these hollow but heavy creatures with the Houston crowd. A reminder that the world is still full of things that deserve to take up space.

MAY LOOKING AHEAD

All of May

• Watch Das Barbecü at Stages

• View The Eternal Garden: Titanium Art by Aka Chen at Houston Museum of Natural Science

• View Tamara de Lempicka exhibition in MFAH before it leaves on May 26

May Events

• May 2-3: La Izquierda Surf Festival in Galveston

• May 7: Art House Houston features Wes Anderson’s & Richard Linklater’s next pick: The Crying Game at River Oaks Theatre

• May 8: Concert under the Stars featuring Sinatra at Marriott Marquis Houston

• May 8: Runway to Asia fashion experience at Post Oak Hotel

• May 10: AAPI Celebration at POST

• May 20: Watch In The Heights presented by TUTS at The Hobby Center. Playing until June 1.

• May 22: Cocktail Showdown at Hotel Zaza Memorial City

• May 22-24: Dancing’ in the Street Motown & More at Miller Outdoor Theatre

• May 24: Watch Emperor’s New Groove at River Oaks Theatre

• May 24: Watch Grease outdoors at Discovery Green

• May 24: Extreme Animals Alive! opens at Houston Museum of Natural Science

• *May 31: BADDLANDS FEST at The Podium at Porsche River Oaks

WEEKEND EVENTS

Thursday, 5/1

10am-10pm, Pickle Ball | Solarium’s grand opening is today! “Serve it up on our paddle and pickleball courts, watch the matches unfold from our private bays or The Perch, and settle in for chef-crafted bites and signature drinks.” See more info.

8pm, Film Screening | Watch Film Strip: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS with a live burlesque pre-show! “Spend the night with a mean green mother from outer space a whole bevy of talented performers!” $20. Buy tickets.

Friday, 5/2

6:30pm-10pm, Zoo Event | Houston Zoo presents “Feats with the Beasts”, an after hours zoo event. “Sample local cuisine from a curated list of Houston’s best restaurants while you enjoy drinks, live music across the Zoo, and exciting animal experiences after hours at our culinary event.” $149 GA. $299 VIP. Buy tickets.

Saturday, 5/3

11am-11:30pm, Derby | Experience the derby at The Kennedy. “Put on your best derby attire and enjoy a day filled with horse races, delicious food, refreshing drinks, and a 6 piece LIVE Jazz Band.” $20. Buy tickets.

11:30am-7:30pm, Make-up Pop-up | Glossier Balm Dotworld is stopping by Montrose Collective to launch their new Balm Dotcom flavor, Espresso! Free. See more info.

2pm-9pm, Festival | Houston Soul Music Flower Fest is taking over Discovery Green. It’s “one-day music Festival featuring National and Local Soul, R&B and Neo Soul Artist.” $10. Buy tickets.

*4:30pm-7pm, Pilates | SYNK is presenting their Pilates class at Bald Kitty that bridges a good workout and good music. “A 45 min Pilates class that's curated around an rnb playlist followed by a social hour with mocktails and a live dj.” $35. Buy tickets.

5pm-8pm, Art | Artist donne e perkins will be having their opening reception of Gone Awry at Archway Gallery featuring new works. Complimentary valet parking and light refreshments provided. Free. See more info.

Sunday, 5/4

11am-7pm, Make-up Pop-up | DAY 2 of Glossier Balm Dotworld is stopping by Montrose Collective to launch their new Balm Dotcom flavor, Espresso! Free. See more info.

3pm and 7pm, Live Music | Art Club is presenting May The Fourth with United Kins. “Enjoy a mesmerizing performance featuring covers of John Williams' soundtrack, all in celebration of one of the greatest science fiction franchises of all time.” $29. Includes access to museum. Buy tickets.

1pm-5pm, Outdoor Event | Orange Show Center presents Smither Park Sundays. “Music starts at 3 PM with Studded Left, The Blue Ladies, The Revolutionary Love Choir,” and more. Free. See more info.

*Sponsored. We only include events we genuinely think you’ll love.

Good reads in Houston

Wagner Meets Wagyu in the Houston Production of Opera Spoof ‘Das Barbecü’ (Texas Monthly)
If you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings trilogy like we are, then there’s a good chance that you might enjoy watching Das Barbecü at Stages sometime this month. Texas Monthly gives a good run down on what it’s about and the general vibe of it. In short: imagine if the Ring was set in Texas.

Where to Go for a Great Margarita in Houston (Houstonia)
The lore and legend of El Tiempo margaritas at Daikin are reaching peak mythical status right now. While not our drink of choice, we do believe it’s true you can almost never go wrong with a margarita anytime, anywhere.

How Houston Traffic Made My Marriage Stronger (The Barbed Wire)
Car culture is (unfortunately) overly ingrained in our society that we’ve become numb to the road violence and rage that permeates the driving culture daily. Still, sometimes there are good things about it. In this piece, writer Samantha Chavarria gets into how Houston traffic saved her marriage.

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