In the great city of Houston, you can find so many places that are considered “artsy.” We listed some places that will allow you to be creative and expressive in different areas of your life.
Rothko Chapel
Visit the Rothko Chapel for renewal and restoration. No matter your faith or background, you can go and experience prayer, meditation, religious services, lectures, concerts, or simply sit in silence among the magnificent Mark Rothko murals. They also offer different programs each season including Tai Chi and Yoga on the Plaza. They are open every day from 10am-6pm with free admission.
Cullen Sculpture Garden
Cullen Sculpture Garden; Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Enjoy art and nature at the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. See sculptures from artists of the 20th and 21st century and relax in a garden with a modern touch of concrete walls and sculptures surrounded by native trees, bamboo, and flowering crepe myrtle. They are open every day from 9am-10pm with free admission.
Art Car Museum
Did you know that Houston is considered the “Art Car Capital”? Find some of the most elaborate cars in Houston at the Art Car Museum! Learn about how the art car movement was influenced by personal expression and subject matter from popular culture. They are open every day (except Monday and Tuesday) from 11am-6pm
with free admission.
Biscuit Paint Wall
Take a picture at Montrose’s Biscuit Paint Wall and share your experience on social media. It is free and you can choose whatever time you want to go! And before you leave, go inside Biscuit Home and shop their elegant and modern bedding designs. Biscuit home is open Monday through Friday from 10am-6pm, Saturday from 10am-4pm, and Sunday from 12-4pm.
The Menil Collection
Don Glentzer / The Menil Collection
Discover the vast collection of art on the Menil campus. Founded by John and Dominique de Menil, the museum has seven separate buildings, two institutions, and neighborhood parks. You get to see paintings, sculptures, photographs, and more from the prehistoric days to the present. They are open Wednesday-Sunday from 11am-7pm with free admission.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Study Indian architecture at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. The Mandir is comprised of 2 types of stone (exterior Turkish Limestone and interior Italian marble). More than 33,000 individual pieces were carved by hand in India, and then shipped to the USA to be assembled in Stafford, TX. Their exhibition, the university of Hinduism, gives the public an idea of Hindu ethics and culture. They are open daily from 9am-8:30pm, weather permitting. They also offer different times for Sunday Activities, Daily Arti Ritual, and Murti Darshan.
Glazed Over Ceramics
Glazed Over allows you to select your pottery and pick out your tools to paint you piece, or you can melt colored glass into a glass base. They then glaze and fire your piece and have it ready in 7 days. They are closed on Tuesdays and open the rest of the week at 10am and 12pm and close at 7pm and 9pm, depending on the day.
The Orange Show
Photo credit: Nick De La Torre
The Orange Show’s philosophy is about promoting and sustaining self-taught art. The Orange Show Monument has an outdoor 3,000 square foot environment with handmade architecture. Enter the monument’s maze-like design that was built by Jefferson Davis McKissack from 1956 to 1979. It is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-5pm, weather permitting. Admission to the monument is $5.00. Admission for children under 12 is free.
Painting with a Twist
You may not believe that you can paint anything until you meet the franchise’s talented and enthusiastic staff! Painting with a Twist uses the idea of having an instructor present a piece of art that is easy to follow. Their artwork ranges from landscapes, abstracts and cityscapes, to renderings of animals, iconic buildings and florals. It’s $35.00 per person for a two-hour class and $45.00 per person for a three-hour class. The painting studio’s hours vary depending on the location.
Archway Gallery
Christie Coker, "Independence", Acrylic on paper; Courtesy of Archway Gallery
You can meet artists and directly buy their work at the Archway Galley. Their collection consists of sculpture, pottery and painting in different forms of media and styles. They are open Monday-Saturday from 10am-6pm and on Sunday from 1pm-5pm. Each month they feature their member artists. From March 4-March 30, 2017, Archway will present WILD featuring sculpture by Andrea Wilkinson and paintings by Christie Coker; together they capture the beauty of the wild world.
