Peter Brown for Mayor

Houston is more than just a city for Peter and his family– it’s a way of life. It's why he's running for Mayor. As a successful businessman and proven leader, Peter Brown has the experience and vision to make Houston even better.

Peter Brown's story is a story of Houston. Peter’s grandfather moved here in the early 1900s, started a small lumberyard, and made a home for him and his family. They’ve been here ever since. Peter was born and raised in Houston. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from the University of Houston and pursuing advanced degrees in Architecture and Urban Planning. There, he served for six years in the active reserve before receiving an honorable discharge

Peter built his own small business into a successful firm. Building a national firm from the ground up, Peter knows how to get the fundamentals right – how to meet a payroll, repay his loans, and hire the best. He knows what it takes to ensure employees have health care and benefits, and how to develop and market a new product. More than anything, he’s learned how to keep costs low, improve services, and get the job done.

As a small businessman and architect, Peter helped build our city’s economy and its neighborhoods. Peter has worked building parks, police and fire stations, health clinics, and schools in more than 40 Houston neighborhoods. He's worked on projects in over 20 cities, including Miami, Oklahoma City, Denver, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin giving him a detailed understanding of cities, the people of Houston and their needs.

Thirty years of experience as a businessman working in cities taught Peter important lessons that will help him make city government more effective, efficient, and accountable.

Besides running his own business Peter has been a leader in Houston’s non-profit community, serving on the boards of Habitat for Humanity, Inprint, Trees For Houston, The Main Street Coalition, Blueprint Houston, The Park People, The Gulf Coast Institute, The Houston Grand Opera and many other non-profit organizations.

It’s this sort of commitment to serving the community and getting the job done right that led Peter to public service.

In 2005, he won an at-large position on the Houston City Council. Two years later he was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term. He is recognized as one of the council’s most effective members and a tireless advocate for economic development, governmental reform, safer neighborhoods and improving the quality of life in Houston. Along the way, he’s built a reputation as an independent straight-shooter who tells it like it is and keeps his promises.

As a City Councilman, Brown saved taxpayers millions by reworking city building plans, cutting government waste, and championing conservation efforts. He knows how to make a business thrive, and he knows how to get results.

As Mayor, he’ll use those skills to improve our city – protecting our tax dollars with a more effective, efficient and accountable approach to government. He’ll make smart investments to reduce crime, improve the quality of life, and attract more businesses and more jobs to Houston. Brown has the experience and vision to build an even better Houston.

Peter’s experience in business, in cities and in government has shown him how cities work, and how to get results. More than that, it’s given him the perspective to shape a vision and a blueprint for Houston’s future.

A dedicated family man, with five children and 15 grandchildren, Peter is deeply committed to building a safer Houston with expanded opportunity and a higher quality of life. An even better Houston in which to live, work, and raise a family. He has three sons - Hoyt, a civil engineer; Marlin, a CPA in Dallas; and Chris, who works for the City of Houston. His daughter Hilary is a successful attorney in Dallas, and his youngest, Catherine, has followed in his footsteps as an urban planner, working in Baltimore.

As Mayor, Peter will fight crime and make our neighborhoods safer with tougher, smarter policing tactics. He’ll expand economic opportunity and prosperity in our city with an Office of Economic Development and Job Creation, to help bring new businesses and good-paying jobs to Houston. And he’ll work to improve the quality of life in our city with smart infrastructure investments to eliminate flooding and cut congestion, improving standards and planning to improve and protect our neighborhoods. He’ll use his experience to make government work better for all of us: more efficient and effective, more accountable and transparent, and more responsive to residents.

Peter Brown has the experience, the vision, and the determination to make Houston even better.

Centennial Art Contest Larmar State College Port Arthur

Hello everyone,

Please forgive my absence and neglect of the blog. I have been very busy working on our new space. We are so proud of the work we have accomplished at the Heights Theater over the past two months. We will always do our best to bring you works and events of interest to Houston and the arts community.
Today I will be traveling to Port Arthur, Texas as Guest Juror for Lamar State College's first ever art competition. The competition is in celebration of the College's Centennial and marks the vision of one man.

John W. Gates of New York City, one of the founders of Texaco, established Port Arthur Business College in 1909, to train people for the petrochemical industry, then in its infancy. The college became Port Arthur Collegiate Institute in 1911, when the school was presented to the Board of Education of the Methodist Episcopal Church North, a forerunner of the present United Methodist Temple. The church operated the growing campus until 1918, when it was turned over to a non-profit Texas corporation. This corporation had no capital stock and was overseen by a self-perpetuating board of trustees. The name of the school was changed back to Port Arthur Business College and finally, in 1932, to Port Arthur College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur campus contains 22 buildings situated on approximately 40 acres. Most of these facilities were donated for the creation of the institution. The following is a listing of the institutions and organizations whose facilities contributed to Lamar State College-Port Arthur: Port Arthur College, the City of Port Arthur, the Port Arthur College Foundation, Southern Union Gas, the First United Methodist Church of Port Arthur and Daughters of the American Revolution.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur offers general academic courses leading to Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees. Courses for transfer to four-year institutions are offered in accounting, economics, anthropology, art, government, health, home economics, physical education, physics, history, speech, computer science, mathematics, psychology, biology, chemistry, geography, geology, sociology, criminal justice, music, drama, English and Spanish.
A student can complete two full years of course work and satisfy the majority of the general education requirements for a bachelor’s degree. In most majors, a student can complete virtually all of his or her freshman and sophomore course work in Port Arthur and be fully prepared to move into junior- and senior-level course work at Lamar University in Beaumont or another senior institution.
The technical education curriculum at Lamar State College-Port Arthur includes programs in accounting, administrative assistant, air conditioning and refrigeration, automotive technology, child development/early childhood, computer information systems, cosmetology, electronics, industrial instrumentation, legal assistant, legal secretary, management development, medical office administration, microcomputer support specialist, substance abuse counseling, surgical technology, vocational nursing and upward mobility (registered) nursing. Most of these are two-year programs leading to associate of applied science degrees. Certificates of completion are also available to those students completing one-semester and one-year programs of study in most of these fields. These programs are not designed for transfer to a university.

I am previlaged and honored to be part of such a vision.

More from me later,

Max

Open House

Tonight from five until 8PM there is an open house at the Houston Heights Theater. This is the debut of Houston's newest events venue. Gus Kopriva will be on hand for those who wish to thank him for his restoration, and re-opening of one of Houston’s jewels, “The Heights Theater.” Sharon Kopriva is working hard in Peru for the benefit of the Texas arts community overseeing the arrival of and installation of “Amistad II,” and will be unavailable for this occasion.
I am so excited to be a part of this. Today is the day, so I am off running; we hope to see everyone there

Not, at once, it happened.

Just, moved, from a 2,500 sqft facility to a 7,000 sqft. space.

WOW!

Last Night Was Fantastic

For those of you who do not know, last night was the reopening of Gallery M Squared. I cannot tell you how amazing the night turned out to be. First, the Kopriva's (Gus and Sharon) made it back into town in time to attend our first reception and were happy to see the Houston Heights Theater open for business. They bought the theater in 1988 with the intention of opening the space as an art gallery. I find it a bit crazy and surrealistic to wake up this morning and know that we, (Michael, and I) have had a hand in making this dream come true. It may have taken a few years, but the vision has come into focus and the Historic Heights Theater is once again a destination for anyone and everyone who wishes to escape reality and suspend disbelief for an hour or two.
The art works on display, (artist Edward N. Gafford) filled the room with their presence and brought the space to life. Thank you Edward, not only for your wonderful paintings but also for your friendship, time, and energy spent on making the night so magical. Mr. Gafford built the walls his work now hangs on and we are so grateful for his talents. Without your hard work, the space would have never come together and we would not have been able to complete even half the work necessary for such a beautiful exhibition. Color, texture, and thought provoking images envelop the viewers as they meander along a path of discovery. Around every corner a new surprise captured on canvas, telling if only in part, the story of a life, the story of a gracious man.
Walking beside is Mrs. Gafford, what can I say, thank you is not enough. You have been tolerant, and giving. Sacrificing time with Edward so he can follow his life’s dream, making his work complete. Step into the spotlight and take a bow, you are celebrated, in his every breath. We thank you sincerely; you enable great things, and keep them safe.
Huge hugs and thanks to Abbie Scott, Joyce Harlow, Elisa Fink, and so many others who make it possible for us to do what we do. Your devotion to the arts and community are appreciated and in thanks each of you gets a bag of princess points, (void where princess points are not applicable.)
Alma and Roy Lloyd – THANK YOU! You allowed Anya, (chicle de anya) to follow her dream and in doing so you have given each of us a gift. Your daughter is amazing as are her creations. I hope you had as much fun as I did.
The night flowed like silk in a gentle breeze, very dream like, warm, and smooth. All the attendees streamed past with smiles on their faces, real smiles, not the ones you see at the mall. So many smiles and then, a smile I have not seen in years caught my attention. My dear friend, Brenda Hall came from Austin to share in the joy. Her presence re-energized me and we hugged, and I cried. I cannot tell you how much it meant to me to see her. She told me she was proud of me for all my hard work and I informed her that Michael Kubis, made it all happen.
Michael- Without your tireless dedication and understanding for my passion there would be no reason in the madness. Thank you so very much.
I cannot, convey in words, my happiness and joy to the hundreds of individuals who made the night so fantastic, so I am left with only, “Thank You All.” I promise to work hard for each of you and whenever I get discouraged, I will remember how much you mean to me. I will remember, "The smiles."

Today at 10AM Gallery M Squared Reopens

After a month of being closed, moving, working on the new place, we are so excited to announce that today at 10AM we reopen. The space is huge and not 100% complete, but what is, right. Working on the new space, we have had time to think and rethink about how to serve the arts community. One thing we know is that the entire community should, (and will) be represented. The space is large enough for performances, film, visual art, installations, concerts, and even small festivals. This blog is about you the public. Please help us answer this question, "What would you like to see if you could curate a show just for yourself?" Do not hold back, this is an opportunity to inform us as to what it is you want. Comment as often as you wish and thank you in advance for all you do within the arts community.