Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathryn Brough, Erika Myers, Ray Miller, and Alessandra Pistone.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 1976, the Association of American-Italian Clubs of Houston was established, made up of 16 clubs. The association quickly grew to encompass 26 clubs and together they developed many projects and events to help the community and to preserve Italian heritage. By early 1977, they held their first meeting and realized that organized fundraising would be needed to make their dreams come true. 1978 marked the introduction of the Columbus Day Italian Festival, their first major fundraiser, now known 40 years later as the Houston Italian Festival.
The Association became a nonprofit organization with a 501(c)(3) status in 1983 and changed its name to The Federation of Italian-American Organizations of Greater Houston.
With the proceeds from its earliest fundraising efforts, the Federation purchased the historic Milford House in Houston’s Museum District in 1988 and became known as the Italian Cultural & Community Center.
Over the span of four decades, the ICCC has undergone many changes, from relocating the Houston Italian Festival multiple times to implementing new programs every year. We’ve been led by 12 wonderful Board Presidents and shaped into what the ICCC is today under the leadership of all who currently serve and have served on the Board of Directors.
We currently offer Italian language classes for all ages through our Italian Language School, which runs all year, in addition to sessions for conversational speakers and those who are traveling. Our events throughout the year range from wine tastings, cooking classes for adults and children, film screenings and guest speaker events. We also host events at major Italian holidays to bring the community together for some fun and to learn about traditions.
Today, it is our mission to advance, celebrate and preserve Italian culture and heritage. We actively serve all Houstonians who are interested in Italy and its culture.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The ICCC would not be where it is today without overcoming obstacles and challenges along the way. Festa Italiana, the annual Houston Italian Festival, is our best example of this. Over the years, it has moved around church grounds, multiple parks, the Houston Farm and Ranch Club, and the University of St. Thomas, where it has been held since 2009. The 2001 festival was scheduled just days after the horrific tragedy of 9/11, resulting in an extremely low turnout. The following year, 2002, the festival was rained out and had to be closed due to weather conditions. As the biggest source of income, these back-to-back unfortunate failures resulted in the festival not being held in 2003 and serious financial challenges. However, this also made the ICCC determined to seek out other means of income and develop the programs we now have today.
Most recently, 2017 was laced with obstacles to overcome in addition to celebratory moments. The landfall of Hurricane Harvey in late August resulted in some of our members losing homes and property, cancellations of events, postponed school sessions and contributed to a low turnout at Festa Italiana months later. In the aftermath of Harvey, the ICCC hosted a food drive to give back to the Houston Food Bank and those who lost everything in the flooding that occurred.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Italian Cultural and Community Center of Houston – what should we know?
The Italian Cultural and Community Center is the place for all things Italian in the city of Houston. We offer activities throughout the year to promote the traditions and heritage of Italy for all who visit. Our cultural enrichment programs focus on aspects of Italian culture and allow participants to spend a few weeks learning about the topic in depth, whether it’s Italian art or a wine seminar with a master sommelier. We produce multiple wine tastings in throughout the year in our “Come Wine With Us” series. “Il Sapore Italiano” (for adults) and “La Piccola Cucina” (for kids) gives participants a chance to have a hands-on culinary experience preparing authentic and delicious Italian dishes. The ICCC screens both new and old Italian films with English subtitles in our Contemporary Film Series, Festa di Ferragosto, Summer Italian Film Series, and various other theme nights. We are committed to celebrating culture through lectures and conversation events with special guest speakers.
Since 1990, our Italian Language School runs year-round and offers grammar classes for all ages, giving everyone a chance to learn Italian speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills created for their age and skill level. All students learn Italian from our teachers, who are from Italy and teach using their native tongue. We are also the only school in Houston to be recognized as the ente gestore or the “leading authority”.
In addition to our events, the ICCC awards annual $1,000 renewable scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are of Italian descent. As of 2017, we have given out $200,000 in scholarships since 2000.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
At the ICCC, the keys to our success have been the sense of community we build, being authentic in our programming, and celebrating together when we have opportunities for success. We pride ourselves in being a part of Houston, bringing Houstonians together to learn more about the traditions and culture of Italy, giving what we can back to the community around us, and celebrating all that is Houston.
We love that we get to be a place where people can unite with old friends or make new ones, share a meal or glass of wine together, and genuinely love the culture as a community. We are the leading authority for all things Italian. We want people to experience Italy without having to travel too far (we’d take a traffic-filled commute over having to fly across an ocean any day). We’re forever proud to be a part of what makes Houston, a diverse city full of life at every moment, great.
Pricing:
- Language & Cultural Enrichment Classes: $160 – 275/session
- Films, Lectures, and similar events: $5 – 20
- Wine Tastings: $55 for ICCC members, $65 for Non-members
- Cooking Classes: $50 for ICCC members, $60 for Non-members
- Kids Cooking Classes: $30 for ICCC members, $45 for Non-members
Contact Info:
- Address: 1101 Milford St. Houston, TX 77006
- Website: iccchouston.com
- Phone: 713-524-4222
- Email: info@iccchouston.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iccc.houston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iccchouston/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ICCCHouston
- Other: houstonitalianfestival.com
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