064 VIRGIN AUSTRALIAMAY 2017
The Orange Show received a muted response
when it first opened in 1979, and McKissack
withdrew and sufered a stroke, passing away
before he could witness its popularity.
Next door to the Orange Show lies Smither
Park, created in the memory of local arts
patron John H Smither to honour Houston’s
culture of outsider art, and to encourage a new
generation of Milkovisches and McKissacks.A GOOD IMPRESSION
If the city’s art scene is a testament to the
American century, Smither Park may hold
some clues to its evolution in the 21st century.
Artistic director Dan Phillips says the park has
been designed as an antidote to a world “where
there’s a recipe and a formula for everything”
— a place to bring out the best in humanity.
Set a picnic and watch artists at work creating
murals and sculptures by employing whatever
materials are at hand. If you happen to visit the
city in April, the park is also the best vantage
point for the annual Houston Art Car Parade.
After immersing yourself in so much of
Houston’s distinctive and often extravagant
art, the nearby Rothko Chapel is a tonic
for the eyes and the soul. It is a theatre of
spirituality and a rare opportunity to indulge
in silent contemplation. “We are cluttered
with images,” said patron Dominique de
Menil at the chapel’s opening in 1971, “and
only abstract art can bring us to the threshold
of the divine.” The 14 paintings that adorn its
walls were created specifically for the space
by abstract impressionist Mark Rothko, a giant
figure of American art who abandoned form
for colour and shape in the post-war years.
The chapel has a vast calendar of activities,
including talks, concerts and tai chi, as well
as interfaith ceremonies on religious holidays.
Open most days of the year and host to more
than 100,000 visitors annually, the chapel bills
itself as a fusion of art and spirituality open to
all religions and belonging to none.
If the natural light isn’t strong, ask an
attendant if they can turn up the house lights to
help you appreciate the subtleties of Rothko’s
new wave minimalism. Don’t be afraid to get up
close to his paintings either: the artist believed
that the emotion of his distinctive style is best
captured by standing back 45 centimetres —
a mode of appreciating art that could very much
be labelled the Houston way.GETTING THERE VIRGIN AUSTRALIA OFFERS FLIGHTS
TO HOUSTON WITH ITS CODESHARE PARTNER DELTA AIR
LINES. TO BOOK, VISIT WWW.VIRGINAUSTRALIA.COM OR
CALL 13 67 89 (IN AUSTRALIA).STAY
The iconic 1920s Warwick
Hotel has been remade into
Hotel Zaza (5701 Main St; http://www.
hotelzaza.com). Lacquered
with original art and loans
from the owners’ private
collections, the hotel is a
gallery within itself. Ask to
view one of the imaginatively
named concept suites on
the 11th and 12th floors. For
something more cosy, Sara’s
Inn on the Boulevard ( 941
Heights Bvd; http://www.saras.com)
is a family-run bed and
breakfast in a Victorian
cottage in the upmarket
Heights district. Neoclassical
stunner Hotel Icon ( 220
Main St; http://www.hotelicon.com)
harks back to the decadence
of the turn of the 20th
century when the oil
boom came to the city.The peaceful
grounds of
Rothko Chapel.
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Sample fresh
seafood at Caracol;
the startling exterior
of Beer Can House;
a waiter serves wine
at Caracol; David
Adickes’ 10-metre
-tall sculpture of
Charlie Chaplin.DETAILS
Art Car Museum 140 Heights
Bvd; http://www.artcarmuseum.
com. Art Car Parade http://www.
thehoustonartcarparade.com.
Beer Can House 222 Malone
St; http://www.beercanhouse.org.
Big Bubble 510 Preston St;
http://www.houstontx.gov. David
Adickes Studio 2401 Nance
St; +1 281 636 1361. Eclectic
Menagerie Park 2838 West
Belfort St; http://www.texaspipe.
com. Orange Show 2401
Munger St; http://www.orangeshow.
org. Rothko Chapel 3900
Yupon St; http://www.rothkochapel.
org. Smither Park 2441
Munger St; http://www.orangeshow.
org/smitherpark.