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Franco Valobra, Louisiana’s New Honorary Italian Consul, Honored at Grand French Quarter To-Do

Franco Valobra, Louisiana’s New Honorary Italian Consul, Honored at Grand French Quarter To-Do

Franco Valobra, Hon. Helena Moreno, Chris Meek

ONE OF HOUSTON'S favorite personalities and businessmen — Franco Valobra, who divides time between here and New Orleans — recently celebrated a high honor in his other home state of Louisiana. He was named Louisiana’s Honorary Consul for Italy, and he threw a grand party at the new Italian Honorary Consulate in the French Quarter to celebrate.

“The Italian-themed celebration at the new consulate on Royal Street included lot of Franciacorta toasting and two ribbon cuttings,” said a rep for Valobra. A red, white and green ribbon was cut by the Italian Consul General of Houston, the Honorable Mauro Lorenzini, and a blue ribbon, meant to represent the state flag of Louisiana, was cut by Helena Moreno, president of the New Orleans City Council.

Among other special notes, a car with an interesting history was parked outside. The 1966 Fiat 600 Multipla originally served as the official vehicle for the mayor of Firenze in the 1960s.

Dignitaries from both the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans turned out to toast Valobra. New Orleans City Councilman Eugene Green, and Judge Kevin Centanni of Jefferson Parish Court were among them. Honorable Consul members of Uruguay, the Phillipines, Latvia, Iceland, Albania, South Africa, Dominican Republic and others also attended.

The festivities continued at an after party at Brennan’s nearby.

Alberto Gonzales, Patti Murphy

Alexander Monteleone, Gabrielle Dupuy, Greer and David Monteleone, Euan Monteleone

Ashley Davis, Peter and Peggy Breslin

1966 Fiat Multipla

David DeLeon, Franco Valobra, Cecil and Katrina Arnim, Roxanne DeLeon

Franco Valobra, Mary Ann and David McKeithan

Lacey and Gibbons Monteleone, Gabrielle Dupuy, Alexander Monteleone

Mark and Lisa Ammerman

Tucker Crawford and Giorgio Valobra

promoted

Fall Philanthropy Report: Children’s Assessment Center Touts ‘Healing’ for Child Abuse Victims

Fall Philanthropy Report: Children’s Assessment Center Touts ‘Healing’ for Child Abuse Victims

What is your mission? The Children’s Assessment Center (The CAC) provides healing services to over 6,300 child sexual abuse victims and their families each year. We offer forensic interviewing, family advocacy, mental health services, medical care, and court services at no cost. We facilitate community outreach and prevention training to raise awareness about child abuse in our community and how to keep children safe. Last year, we provided prevention training to over 35,000 community members, including 23,500 children in schools.

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art

Five Fabulously Diverse Exhibits Are Arriving at Museum of Fine Arts Houston

Bill Viola’s ‘Ascension,’ on display as part of ‘Living with the Gods’ at MFAH

THE ARTIST WHO ushered in the expressionist movement in the early 20th century was not, in fact, Picasso or Matisse. It was Paul Gauguin, whose career spanned the decades just preceding the turn of the century. The French painter is the subject of the Museum of Fine Arts’ latest exhibit, Gauguin in the World, which was organized by Henri Loyrette (formerly of the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris). The show, just one of the museum’s diverse winter season shows, debuted in Australia in June and will be on display through Feb. 16, 2025, at the MFAH, the only U.S. venue for the survey.

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Cirque du Soleil's 'Echo'


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Art + Entertainment