Houston's unique places

At first glance, visitors to Houston, Texas, will see a sophisticated city, a friendly and hospitable city, a city with an abundance of lush, green space.

But some of Houston's best loved gems remain under the radar even for Houston's most loyal visitors. Motorhome travelers willing to venture off the beaten path will embrace Houston's unique places …

Art Car Museum
The Art Car Museum is a private institution dedicated to contemporary art and an exhibition forum for local, national and international artists. Its emphasis is on art cars, other fine arts and artists that are rarely, if ever, acknowledged by other cultural institutions.

The museum’s conceptual origins are the 1984 Collision Show at the Lawndale Art Center, which saw the unveiling of Larry Fuente's Mad Cad, which has since been featured in museums and cultural institutions across the country.

As a result of the popularity of the Collission Show, art car workshops were founded in Houston, which eventually precipitated the Art Car Parade, held each year in May, and the Art Car movement.

ArtCar Museum
www.artcarmuseum.com

National Museum of Funeral History

Only in Houston can you find a coffin shaped like a Mercedes Benz and a 4,500-pound hearse that is 8 feet high and 19 feet long. The National Museum of Funeral History was founded in 1992 to educate the public and preserve the rich heritage of the funeral industry.

Visitors to the museum can explore a 1900s casket factory through original design plans and photographs, or they can learn more about embalming during battle in the Civil War Embalming exhibit. As the museum states in its tagline, "Every day above ground is a good one."

National Museum of Funeral History
www.nmfh.org

Orange Show Monument

The Orange Show is Houston postman Jeff McKissack's creation in honor of his favorite fruit. It illustrates his belief that longevity comes from hard work and good nutrition. The result is an architectural maze of walkways, balconies, arenas and exhibits decorated with mosaics and brightly painted iron figures.

Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
www.orangeshow.org

Aurora Picture Show

Aurora Picture Show was founded in 1998 by two Houston-based media artists who recognized an increase in the number of artist-made films and videos and identified a need for exhibition opportunities for these works.

Through volunteer labor and equipment donation, they converted a 1924 church building, located within a multi-ethnic neighborhood, into a 100-seat film and video theater. The first Aurora screening on June 20, 1998, was met with such enthusiasm that the audience stomped the floor. Individual and in-kind donations sustained the theater for the first year.

Aurora regularly collaborates with renowned arts organizations and hosts some of the most distinguished media artists in the country.

Aurora Picture Show
www.aurorapictureshow.org

Buffalo Bayou ArtPark

The Buffalo Bayou ArtPark (BBAP), located along Houston's historic waterway, offers a place for Houstonians and visitors to explore public displays of art 365 days a year.

The Buffalo Bayou ArtPark is the only organization in Houston devoted solely to the placement of public art in the open areas of the Houston community.

For 15 years the organization has offered exhibition opportunities to local, national and international artists. More than 250 works created by artists have been exhibited by BBAP.

Buffalo Bayou ArtPark
www.bbap-houston.org

Infernal Bridegroom Productions

Infernal Bridegroom Productions (IBP) was formed in 1993 to explore the strange, funny, tragic condition faced by human beings living on this planet.

If this sounds a little weird, it's because the company likes it that way. Having presented works in such far-flung locales as an abandoned strip mall and a school bus, the troupe recently found a cavernous home in a former nightclub on the south side of downtown.

With a reputation for bold and sometimes shocking theater, IBP may not be for the light-hearted, but few will argue that this rowdy group has successfully filled a void in the Houston performing arts scene.

Infernal Bridegroom Productions
www.infernalbridegroom.com/home.html
 

More info links:

Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau
www.visithoustontexas.com