December 31, 2012: Last Chance to Make a Donation to Your Favorite Arts Group

You can do more.

Today you're either at home or barely going through the motions at your office, hoping your boss will let you off early for your big or little celebration tonight.

So while you're busy not being busy, why don't you write a check? And while Art Attack knows there are a lot of good and worthy causes to support, vying for your attention, let us suggest one more: the arts in the Houston area. After all, you're on this Web site, so you must care something for them, right?

For instance, Barnevelder Theatre says due to losses in rental and grant income, it needs an infusion of cash to keep presenting groups like Suchu Dance. Operating for more than 13 years and hosting all sorts of alternative arts groups, it now finds itself in the weeds, struggling to stay open. It needs about $7,000 in rent money, it says.

So go to the website set up by the theater to take donations or mail it to their mailing address at 448 W. 19 St. #448, Houston, Texas 77008. Checks can be made out to their parent nonprofit, Suchu Inc, Barnevelder Theater or Suchu Dance.

Main Street Theater has started up a capital campaign to finally fix up its stage. This company, winner of several top honors at last year's Houston Theater Awards, deserves our support for last year's The Coast of Utopia alone.

Or how about ongoing efforts to keep kids involved in the arts? Think Alley Theatre, where you can designate your dollars to subsidizing students who can get cheaper seats to their shows. I'm not talking about the high dollar stuff that gets you fancy seats on the side. They'll take lesser amounts and be glad of them and get them to the right place.

Or the Houston Grand Opera's HGOCo that spends each year going into the schools, offering performances and working directly on an ongoing basis with students from some inner-city schools. And commissions new operas.

Writers in the Schools since 1983 has been going into schools and encouraging kids to discover their creative writing side. And they aren't just in the schools; they go into hospitals, community centers and parks as well.

The John C. Freeman Weather Museum, our winner for Best Museum in the 2012 Best of awards, does its best not to get overshadowed by the bigger, more well funded institutions that surround it in the Museum District. One thing that sets it apart -- Weather Museum has a Cyclone Room. Kids can create a bona fide whirling, twirling cyclone in a special chamber. Yes, it's on the tiny side, but it's still an absolute blast to watch.

Got a favorite arts group whose needs you'd like to throw in the ring today? Add it to comments with how to make the donation and we'll update.