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Concert-goers attending events at Jones Hall will soon come face-to-face with new historically themed artwork as the result of a commission approved by Houston City Council.

One art installation will be a historical timeline going back to the start of the 20th century while the other concept will be a tribute to the performing arts venue’s namesake, Jesse Holman Jones.  

City Council this week authorized an agreement with Core Design Studio for the commission of the artwork. Jones Hall is a city-owned property under management by the newly created Houston First Corporation.

“Many areas of this wonderful building have architectural features that are particularly pleasing to our patrons,” said Vivian Montejano, manager of Jones Hall. “These new projects will add elements of interest on various levels of the facility, for our guests to enjoy. We think this artwork will add a new level of buzz that goes with a night on the town at Jones Hall.”

Houston Endowment, Houston Symphony and Society of the Performing Arts will provide much of the content for the timeline. Houston Endowment’s Steven Fenberg will provide the materials for the tribute to Jesse Jones, an influential civic leader in Houston as well as a national figure in the previous century.

Installation will begin in November and will not affect performances in the building. Work is expected to be complete by May 2012.

About Houston First
Houston First represents the consolidation of the City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department and the Houston Convention Center Hotel Corporation. Houston First is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and operation of more than 10 city-owned buildings and plazas, and underground and surface parking for nearly 7,000 vehicles. Facilities include Jones Hall, George R. Brown Convention Center, Wortham Theater Center, Miller Outdoor Theatre and the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel.

Contacts: 
John Harris  713/853-8109   Cell  832/588-8492
Pete Radowick 713/853-8077  Cell 713/376-0664

June 1, 2011 -- The City of Houston's Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department (CEFD) is consolidating with the Houston Convention Center Hotel Corporation to create a new entity that will operate Jones Hall for the Performing Arts and several other major municipal venues.

Houston City Council voted today to place the facilities under the new organization called Houston First Corporation, effective July 1.

In addition to Jones Hall, CEFD venues include Jones Plaza, Wortham Center, Theater District Parking, George R. Brown Convention Center, Miller Outdoor Theatre, Sesquicentennial Park, Root Memorial Square, and several smaller parks and performing arts facilities.

Mayor Annise Parker said the new structure will have a positive impact that will be felt for years.

"Long term, there will be operational efficiencies to be realized as a result of this consolidation, and the Houston First management team will be able to avail themselves of business practices that will make it easier to maintain and improve these facilities," Mayor Parker said.

Richard J. "Ric" Campo will chair Houston First's nine-member board. Campo is chairman and CEO of Houston-based Camden Property Trust, one of the nation's largest multifamily Real Estate Investment Trusts. Dawn Ullrich, currently director of CEFD, will serve as president.

"Fortunately, we won't be reinventing the wheel here," Campo said. "Each of these facilities already has an experienced management team in place. The role of the Houston First board, as I see it, is to look for opportunities to fine-tune operations."

Campo says that the consolidation with HCCHC, which already operates the Hilton Americas-Houston, will allow venues such as Jones Hall to benefit from the $30 million annual cash flow brought by the hotel.

April 18, 2011 -- Houstonians arriving for a night on the town have one less thing to worry about as they reach their destination in downtown Houston: Do I have enough cash to pay for parking?

That's because a credit/debit card acceptance system has been installed in the Theater District Parking garage for use during events. The goal is to provide greater convenience for those using the parking complex that serves Wortham Center, Jones Hall and other downtown venues.

Previously, cards were not accepted when the garage was operating in "event" mode, and patrons had to pay cash at the entrances. (In event mode, payment is required in advance to promote faster exiting after the show.) Now, however, those entering the garage enjoy the option of making credit or debit card payments. (Patrons may still pay the flat $7 fee with cash upon entry.)

"Many of our event parkers are season ticket-holders, and they use the garage regularly," said Mario Ariza, deputy director of the Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department, which manages Theater District Parking. "They tell us they appreciate the convenience of no longer fumbling for cash or having to make a stop at an ATM beforehand. Now it's just a quick swipe – no signature is required – and they're in."

Theater District Parking currently has six card-processing terminals in use at garage entrances and the use of "plastic" has shortened the entry process, Ariza said.

On days when the garage is not in event mode, those using the garage do not pay in advance and pay an hourly rate upon exiting. In these instances, credit and debit cards are acceptable forms of payment at the cashier booths.

July 26, 2010 -- Small performing arts groups and their patrons may now purchase tickets to events online, thanks to a new ticketing system established by the City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department.

June 7, 2010 -- Visitors to downtown Houston can learn about some of its best-known (and little-known) landmarks with free self-guided tours this summer. Two tours are available by using a mobile phone and three others via iPod.

Downtown Mobile Info, or DMI, the newest of the tours, begins at Wortham Center, but users can begin at any juncture by dialing 713-300-0892 and following the prompts. Signs at each of the 26 stops help guide the way, and there's a tour map at www.houstondmi.org. The tour is considered "intelligent" because visitors only hear the introduction once, on the first call, and the message isn't repeated at each stop.

Organized by the city Convention & Entertainment Facilities (CEF) Department, the one-hour tour focuses on the Theater District and points along Buffalo Bayou such as Sesquicentennial Park, the "Seven Wonders" pillars, Sabine Promenade, the "bayou bubble," Buffalo Bayou Art Park and Jamail Skate Park.

Sam Houston Park downtown, home of nine historic structures, also has its own mobile phone tour. As with DMI, visitors call a number and follow the prompt for each stop. There's a stop with a small sign for each of the structures, which include the oldest log cabin in the Houston area and the oldest house in Houston still found at its original location. See http://www.heritagesociety.org/hours.html for more information.

"With these tours, visitors can explore as much or as little of downtown as they choose, and all they need is a mobile phone. Or they can hear the tours again at home later, just by calling the phone number," said CEF Director Dawn Ullrich. "It's a fun way to check out downtown with your family or with visitors."

Three other downtown tours – a more extensive downtown walk, a Museum District tour and a Discovery Green tour – are available for download to an iPod or MP3 player or as a podcast on iTunes. Or visitors can rent iPods at the visitors' center inside Houston City Hall, at Discovery Green and inside the George R. Brown Convention Center. There's more information and a map at http://www.downtownhouston.org/guidedetail/audio-walking-tours/. These tours are offered by the Downtown District along with the city's CEF Department.