Exploring the Source

Doménikos Theotokópoulos, the 16th-century artist better known as El Greco, incorporated artistic elements from Byzantine, Italian, and Spanish styles into his paintings. Those influences evolved as the artist moved from his native Crete to Venice and then to Rome before settling in Toledo, Spain. A dynamic contributor to the Spanish Renaissance, El Greco was noted for his elongated figures and unusual color choices. His work is widely considered a precursor to the 20th-century movements of cubism and expressionism.

Visitors to a new exhibit on display at the Onassis Cultural Center in New York can see 46 works, including pieces from El Greco's early period. The Origins of El Greco: Icon Painting in Venetian Crete looks at some of the artist's work, and on a larger scope, the relationship of Cretan painters with Western art in the 15th and 16th centuries. The exhibit, which brings together pieces from Greece, Europe, the United States, and Canada (many of which have never been displayed outside their private collections before), opens November 17 and runs through February 27, 2010. Admission is free. onassisusa.org

— Andrew Eitelbach

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The Movie Pictures

This month marks the first annual Cinema Arts Festival Houston, presented by the Houston Cinema Arts Society. Showcasing films by artists about artists, the festival takes place November 11-15 at multiple venues, including the Angelika Film Center, Miller Outdoor Theatre, Rice Media Center, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The centerpiece of the festival is Ant Farm 1969-1971: Early Underground Adventures with Space, Land, and Time, a documentary by Laura Harrison. The film is accompanied by complementary artworks created by architecture and media art students at the University of Houston. You can find a full festival program on the society's Web site. cinemartsociety.org

— A.E.

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Bringing It Back Home

With the addition of head coach Eric Mangini to the Cleveland Browns, fans have a fresh outlook on the 2009 season. After 14 years in the NFL, Mangini returns this season to the town where his career began as an assistant. He first joined the Browns staff in 1995, back before the original Browns moved to Baltimore to become today's Ravens.

Be sure to nab a seat at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Monday, November 16, when the rivalry with the Ravens continues, and cheer on Browns stars like quarterback Brady Quinn, wide receiver Braylon Edwards, and the longest-tenured Brown, kicker Phil Dawson. If you can't score tickets for Monday night, or, if you want to tune in to the team's away games, head downtown to the Gateway District and Winking Lizard Tavern, where big screens abound. The staff says big-time musicians, athletes, and local celebrities are often spotted enjoying a bucket of wings and a cold brew. Continental is the official airline of the Cleveland Browns. clevelandbrowns.com

— Jenn Snively

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Photographs: Giorgos Fagalis (El Greco); courtesy of Cinema Arts Festival Houston; Gregory Shamus/Getty Images (Mangini)