Mother's Day Weekend 2007 - Houston, Texas

Houston has a large art community. The sponsor of many artistic projects in Houston is the Orange Show. Here's one project they sponsor:


This is the Beer Can House. Apparently the owner liked his beer. He also liked it cheap, you know, so he could have more beer! He took the empty beer cans and, in some cases, flattened them out and used them for siding on his house. Others became parts of his fence. I'll just let the pictures explain.









Art Cars. Have you seen them before? Do you know what they are? Do I know what they are? Um....no! I suppose they can be classified as automotive canvases for the expression of personal freedoms and beliefs. I say they are just plain weird! The Art Car Parade is also sponsored by the Orange Show. I'll explain a little more later on about what the Orange Show is. For now, here comes some "art":













Since there were nearly 300 entries, I won't show more. Suffice it to say there was a lot of vehicular imagination on display!

Now, The Orange Show. What is it? Their web site ( www.orangeshow.org ) says, "The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is a non-profit organization, founded in 1980, to preserve and present works of extraordinary imagination and provide people the opportunity to express their personal artistic vision. Our programs for children and adults include hands-on workshops, music, storytelling and performance, the award-winning Eyeopener Tour program and Houston's most popular public art event - the Art Car Parade & Festival. Our internationally acclaimed stewardship efforts preserve two of Houston's most famous cultural icons The Orange Show Monument and the Beer Can House. Our archive and library are used by students, scholars, the media and artists."

To most the Orange Show looks like a house in a residential part of Houston. Here is a shot looking south on Sanders street towards Munger Street where the Orange Show is:




Yes, it used to be the residence of a Houstonian family. The house has been drastically modified (re-sculpted in cement - by the eccentric owner) and he made it almost into a concrete fun house! The owner (now deceased) was a fanatic about oranges and their nutritional value. Hence, "Orange Show."



See? Anyway, it is now a non-profit organization that sponsors artistic ventures in Houston.

After two days full of fun, we headed home. On the way, we stopped off at a statue of Houston's namesake, Sam Houston. Like all else in Texas, it's large! I'm standing below the "H" written on the platform upon which the statue stands!