CultureMap Bolsters Event Listings and City Guide With Hiring of Joel Luks as Listings Editor

HOUSTON, Jan. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In addition to being the industry leader in local lifestyle news coverage in Houston, CultureMap.com also boasts a fully curated events calendar highlighting the very best of the Bayou City's dynamic landscape of social, arts, sports, and civic functions; and a cutting edge city guide that serves as the ultimate insider resource for the very best in dining, drinks, museums and much, much more. To maintain its various components and keep the listings informed, hip, and up-to-date, CultureMap has turned to Joel Luks, an insider's insider in Houston's arts and entertainment community.

"Bringing Joel on our team affirms our commitment to building our strong, full-time editorial team with talent from the community who bring an unparalleled passion for Houston and all that goes on in this great city," said CultureMap President Nicolas Phillips,  "I look forward to seeing a significant expansion in our curated events listings and Joel's unique viewpoint on Houston lifestyle in the coming months."

Luks was born in Lima, Peru in 1975. He later relocated with his family to Toronto, Ontario Canada in 1989. Having learned to play the piano at a young age and eventually migrating to the flute, Luks enrolled at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in flute and a Performance Certificate in 1999. Luks also earned a Certificate in Arts Leadership by receiving a fellowship to participate in an entrepreneurship program focusing on the business of the arts in addition to music performance – graduating magna cum laude. 

In 2001, Luks was one of two scholarship candidates accepted into Rice University's Shepherd School of Music Masters program in flute, earning a Masters in Music in 2003 with high accolades while helping diversify the school's outreach component. Following his academic career, Luks took a position with Young Audiences of Houston working with over 100 artists across multiple disciplines to create arts and education programs designed for underserviced schools. "I became heavily involved with Houston's myriad of arts organizations, big and small," he recalls. "It also gave me the opportunity to explore the city's underground arts scene."

Before joining the CultureMap editorial team – the city's largest lifestyle editorial team – in January 2011, Luks worked as a sales and marketing professional in the real estate industry for Newark Homes. "Houston has an incredibly diverse art and lifestyle scene," Luks says. "Having been a part of it in different aspects, from a presenter and participant to a volunteer and supporter, I am excited to have the unique opportunity to highlight our city's best offerings. From the large and established institutions to the one-of-a-kind solo ventures, we can all look forward to helping CultureMap readers get to know Houston more intimately." 

ABOUT CULTUREMAP

CultureMap (www.culturemap.com) is a revolutionary daily digital magazine that delivers real-time coverage, breaking news, analysis and opinion on the arts, fashion, dining, music, events, politics, sports and society. It combines a highly regarded editorial team with a cutting-edge web and mobile publishing platform to offer unique intelligence and insight. CultureMap does not simply report on the communities it covers, it fosters real-time conversation. CultureMap's newsroom of experienced editors, photographers and writers is complemented by a team of passionate contributors — all of whom bring insider expertise in each market CultureMap serves. 

SOURCE CultureMap