Reporter

Drum Roll Please. The Tulsa Artists' Coalition announced the awards chosen by the jurors for Tulsa Taboo.

Best of Show Award: Anna Muselmann's "Façade"

Juror's Choice Awards: Romy Owens' "The United States of Corporatocracy"; Talon Micco's "Andrew Jackson"; and Julie Strauss' "High Beams."

Strauss' "High Beams" also received the People's Choice Award which was voted on by the public at the opening reception. Tulsa Taboo, a juried group exhibit resulting from an open call for entries, continues through Saturday, July 30. Admission is free and open to the public. Viewer discretion is advised due to the mature content of some of the artwork.

Call 918-592-0041 or visit tacgallery.org for more information.

Down Boy. A recent survey conducted by AAA and Kurgo, a maker of pet travel products, found that 56 percent of respondents have driven with their dog at least once a month in the past year, and that many of these drivers do things that take their attention away from the road.

Behaviors such as petting the dog and keeping the dog in the lap of the driver can be distracting and increase the risk of a crash. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that looking away from the road for only two seconds doubles your risk of being in a crash.

Eighty-three percent of respondents acknowledge that an unrestrained dog in a moving car can be dangerous but only 16 percent use a pet restraint. Using a pet restraint can aid in limiting distractions and help protect pets and passengers.

Eighteen percent of respondents who drive with a dog in the vehicle also have children under the age of 13 who ride with them. Seven in 10 of these motorists have driven with a child and an unrestrained dog in the vehicle at the same time.

Giddy Up. World Renowned horseman Dick Pieper will demonstrate his horsemanship skills at Tulsa Boys' Home's Second Annual Mane Event on Saturday, July 30.

The TBH's Mane Event begins at 9am at the Sherman E. Smith Arena located at 2727 S. 137th W. Ave. in Sand Springs. Pieper, a master horseman, will demonstrate and teach horsemanship skills appealing to both novice and expert riders.

The Pieper Ranch in Marietta, Oklahoma is home to AQHA reigning world champion, Texas Kicker, and leading cutting horse performer and sire, Playgun.

Proceeds from the Mane Event benefit Tulsa Boys' Home. For more information, go to tulsaboyshome.org

Healing Hostel. Hospitality House of Tulsa will more than double the number of medical families they serve through their "H2 -- Hospitality to the 2nd Power" expansion campaign.

Hospitality House of Tulsa is a faith-based non-profit organization whose mission is to offer a 'home away from home' for families caring for loved ones in medical crisis. Their programs provide lodging, meals, prayer support and community support services to hundreds of families each year that must travel to Tulsa to receive specialized medical care.

With over 25,000 patients per year traveling to Tulsa in medical crisis, the need for their services is evident within the healthcare community. In 2006, Hospitality House of Tulsa opened its first facility, a lease donation from Hillcrest Medical Center for one dollar per year. This facility includes 7 family suites, serving approximately 550 people per year. The suites are full every night, and the organization maintains a waiting list that averages 14 families per night.

The expansion campaign will provide funds to operate, furnish and remodel the second facility. Within just 17 months, Hospitality House reached 70 percent of their goal of $1.3 million. They began renovations on their second facility in June 2010, which will include six additional family suites as well as a Day Room. The Day Room will serve the families on the waiting list immediately by providing them with a place to shower, nap, eat, let their children play and receive prayer support.

Visit tulsahospitalityhouse.org for more information.

Precious Resource. Denim to Diamonds 2011 gala benefiting the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Tulsa, Inc., will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Saturday, July 30 at 6pm.

RSVP of Tulsa, Inc., celebrating 40 years of community service, will host Sharon King Davis as the honorary chair and Karen Keith as the celebrity emcee for the event. The live and silent auctions highlight the evening along with a Diamond Dig.

Live and silent auction items include American Airlines tickets, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa package, Wine Tasting from Stone Bluff Cellars and more. Visit rsvptulsa.org for more information.

Looking Ahead. On Wednesday, August 3 at 7pm, Transcendent Man: A Conversation About the Future will be broadcast live from Lincoln Center in New York City. The event will allow people across the country to participate in a discussion about the possibility of immortality becoming reality by 2045, as well as other implications of accelerating technologies.

The evening will begin with a brief presentation by inventor and futurist, Ray Kurzweil, followed by a provocative panel discussion, which will incorporate clips from the critically acclaimed documentary Transcendent Man.

Tulsa theaters participating in the live broadcast are Cinemark Broken Arrow, 1801 E. Hillside Dr., and Cinemark Tulsa, 10802 E. 71st St. Visit fathomevents.com for more information.