CIS 2024 Gala Honorary Co-Chair Judy Tate, Co-Chair Lauren Brollier, Co-Chair Cassie Milam, Honorary Co-Chair Kirby McCool
Chaired by philanthropists Lauren and John Brollier and Cassie and John Milam, with honorary chairs Kirby and Scott McCool and Judy and Charles Tate, the magical evening supporting the valuable and impactful work of CIS of Houston begins at 6:30pm with a cocktail hour, then dinner and the program. Rounding out the event is live entertainment by the popular Houston-based band Klockwork. Guests can dance the night away, starting at 9pm.
The always diverse crowd makes for a dynamic event. Party-goers are encouraged to dress in “Wonderland Whimsy Cocktail” attire, with the goal of fun and festive. Cocktail attire is also a great option.
Don Friedell and emcee Lisa Malosky at a previous CIS Gala
Attendees at a previous CIS Gala
A full ballroom at a prior CIS Gala
CIS of Houston's Martha Montoya Sanchez with Northbrook High School seniors
CIS of Houston CEO Lisa Descant and CIS of Houston Dir. of Development Donna Watkins with CareSource Foundation
Special guest at the 45th Anniversary Gala is Rey Saldaña, President & CEO of Communities In Schools National in Arlington, VA. During the program, guests will view a powerful video about the life-changing work of CIS Houston, in addition to hearing heartwarming testimonials, bringing a personal touch to the evening.
Funds raised from A Night in Wonderland will support the CIS mission to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Currently serving 163 campuses across Greater Houston, CIS places at least one full-time CIS Student Support Manager on each partner campus to deliver comprehensive direct services including counseling, academic support and health and human services.
The chairs want to thank the event’s top-tier donors to date: Judy and Charles Tate; CenterPoint Energy; Sharon G. Dies; The Marie and James H. Galloway Foundation; Beth and Bob Gower; and Marathon Oil.
Tickets are going fast! They start at $500, and tables for 10 range from $5,000 through $50,000. Underwriting opportunities are still available.
Judy Tate (photo by Emily Jaschke)
Scott and Kirby McCool
Kit Detering, Cassie Milam, Carl Detering (photo by Jenny Antill)
Sharon G. Dies and Lauren Brollier
Paella Valenciana at Mi Luna
With moody environs, a DJ-spun soundtrack and an olive-oil martini that will keep you at the sceney bar for a while, Októ skews more Mediterranean rather than Israeli. The name means “eight” in Greek, a nod not only to the culture and cuisine of the new restaurant, but also its address: 888 Westheimer. The flavors show up in mouthwatering shareables like octopus skewers, and squid-ink linguine with crab and a buttery sambal sauce. And if you’ve eaten at any Sof concept, you know the bread service is not to be skipped. (Two words: pistachio butter.)
Elsewhere in Montrose Collective, similarly nightlife-savvy Mi Luna — which was a staple in Rice Village for decades — has been resurrected by its original owners. Fan-favorites like paella, empanadas and Gambas al Ajillo (lemon-garlic shrimp with peppers) remain; chef-kissed newcomers include whole roasted branzino, and Rabo de Toro a la Sevillana, which is braised oxtail with chickpeas. Expect flamenco performances on Friday and Saturday nights, and a sultry acoustic-guitar-accompanied brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-3pm, too.
And here’s another holiday tip: Italian-style steakhouse Marmo, one of Montrose Collective’s original restaurants, has a fun happy hour every day except Saturday from 3-6pm. Think glasses of wine and bubbly for $6 a pop, a $9 charcuterie board, and deals on an impressive spread of savory bites — meatballs with whipped ricotta; little bowls of veal bolognese. Lingering in the bar-slash-lounge area for nightly live music is recommended.
In fact, a progressive evening of tapas-style treats and live performances throughout Montrose Collective sounds like a festive (and delicious!) way to celebrate the season.
Okto G&T (photo by Becca Wright)
Octopus at Okto (photo by Becca Wright)
Happy hour at Marmo
Bill Viola’s ‘Ascension,’ on display as part of ‘Living with the Gods’ at MFAH
Gauguin famously — and somewhat controversially, as he’s often accused of cultural appropriation — enjoyed the latter part of his life in Tahiti, where he deemed himself free from European and Western influences and norms. The art created there is among his most iconic, “returning to the questions that haunted him as an artist — the challenges that he set himself and solved in his quest for his own identity,” says Loyrette.
The MFAH’s winter season also includes 150 Years of Design, a joint project with the Houston chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The organizations’ collaboration is the only one of its kind in the country; they’ve curated hundreds of architect-designed objects made beginning in 1880 — furniture, metalwork, ceramics, glass, lighting and industrial design. It runs through next summer.
Living with the Gods: Art, Beliefs, and Peoples, on view until Jan. 20, 2025, is another expansive exhibit, this one featuring ancient and contemporary works depicting humanity’s relationship with spirituality over the course of 4,000 years. Objects are displayed across 11 different galleries, transversing themes of the cosmos, light, water and fire; the mysteries of life and death; the divine word; and pilgrimage. Meanwhile, Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery explores a specific medium as a vessel, both literally and figuratively, for indigenous narratives.
Finally, a collection of contemporary images depicts the role of photography in social and political movements in Cuba from the 1960s to the 2010s. Navigating the Waves: Contemporary Cuban Photography, on view through Aug. 3, 2025, explores “individual identity, the body and spirit, Afro-Cuban heritage, and the margins of society, all while navigating the changing prescriptions and proscriptions of official cultural policy,” says the museum.
Meanwhile, at the museum’s Glassell School of Art, Dec. 6-8, visitors can shop artworks — jewelry, prints, ceramics, paintings and more — by talented students.
‘The Offering of a Sentient Cry,’ by Tuan Andrew Nguyen, from ‘Living with the Gods’
Adjustable table lamp c. 1951, part of ‘150 Years of Design’
Alberto Korda’s ‘Guerillero Heroico,’ from ‘Navigating the Waves'