It’s officially summer, so we’re back to featuring hot-weather destinations in our arts roundups. Our travel editors insisted that now was the perfect time to cover Houston, which set a new record for high temperatures during summer 2023.
Of course, the editors wouldn’t admit that they wanted to slow-cook our brains. They explained that Houston is our nation’s fourth largest city, that it is remarkably diverse and culturally vibrant, and that it has been an important city for modern art since the 1940s.
We hoped to invalidate the claims from the comfort of our air-conditioned office, but our editors were right, as our colleague who grew up in Houston explained. With the facts against us, we had no choice but to accept another sweltering assignment.
Fortunately, we soon discovered that Houston’s art and culture make it an attractive city to visit at any time of year. Here are some of the people and places that make Houston so amazing.
Houston Symphony (est. 1913)
According to the illustrious Encyclopedia Britannica, “Houston is one of the few American cities with a professional symphony orchestra.” The description may be accurate, but with due respect, we would suggest rephrasing – Houston is home to one of our country’s great orchestras!
In 2018, the Houston Symphony Orchestra (HSO) won a Grammy® for its recording of Wozzeck, an atonal opera by Alban Berg. Both the nomination and the win were historic firsts for the HSO. We were delighted to see another operatic tale of madness and murder, Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók, on the program for the current season. If you have more civilized taste, then you might prefer hearing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 or Brahms’ Violin Concerto, performed by the virtuoso Hilary Hahn.
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (est. 1932)
Much more than bull-riding draws spectators to the Houston Rodeo. People come to admire prize turkeys, cheer for competitors in the calf scramble, or squee at mutton bustin’, an event where 5- and 6-year-olds ride some rowdy sheep. Those cuties steal the show, because no feat requires more grit than tolerating a human child. (As doting aunts and uncles, we know!)
Besides the sporting and livestock events, the Houston Rodeo has many artistic attractions. There’s a juried exhibition of quilts, made with colorful fabrics. There’s a student art show, where winners can qualify to attend the Glassell School of Art or the Western Art Academy. As a final example, there’s a program of concerts by talented musicians, such as 2024 headliners Lainey Wilson and 50 Cent. The next Houston Rodeo will take place from March 4-23, 2025, so mark your calendars now!
River Oaks Theater (est. 1939)
This historic cinema was on the brink of closing permanently after the pandemic, but it received a timely investment from Star Cinema Grill, a Houston-based company that owns dine-in theaters in Texas and Illinois. Now, audiences can look forward to returning to the restored art-deco theater for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, film festivals, and more.
Suggesting that the grand reopening may happen soon, the River Oaks Theater hosted A Saturday with Richard Linklater on May 18. The promotional event including a sneak preview of the Houston-born director’s film Hit Man, as well as a tour of the under-construction venue. Like all cinema fans, we’ll be thrilled to have the River Oaks Theater back!
Brennan’s of Houston, Restaurant (est. 1967)
This restaurant began as an extension of Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, but it eventually helped to invent Texas Creole cuisine, according to the Gulf Coast Food Project at the University of Houston. (Now that is an academic program that commands our full attention!) In 1982, a new manager, Alex Brennan-Martin, steered the establishment toward more locally grown foods and Latin American flavors, creating a unique fusion that amounted to “more than a crawdad in a cowboy hat.”
Brennan’s offers an appetizing menu, which we made the mistake of perusing close to lunch time. The frozen burritos and mixed greens in our office fridge started to look much less exciting in comparison. When you dine at Brennan’s, you may recognize it – Garrett Breedlove (Jack Nicholson) and Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) go there for an unfortunate date in Terms of Endearment. We wish you better luck on your visit!
Rothko Chapel (est. 1971)
The Rothko Chapel is one of the most famous artistic sites funded by the de Menils, known to some as Houston’s Medici. In 1964, they hired expressionist painter Mark Rothko (1903-1970) to create 14 murals for a nondenominational religious space. He completed them in 1967 but died tragically before the chapel opened in 1971.
The commissioned canvases number among the artist’s last great works. They are also some of his most profound. Initially, the paintings look like dark monochromes. Under close examination, though, they reveal nuances of shade and texture, drawing viewers into an all but invisible world. Contemplating these paintings is a spiritual experience – one that visitors of any faith or no faith may enjoy.
Blue Willow Bookshop (est. 1996)
After a brief stint as a volunteer at Musabelle’s Books, Valerie Koehler bought the West Houston shop in 1996 and renamed it Blue Willow. She did such a terrific job of managing the store that Publishers Weekly recognized it as one of five finalists for U.S. Bookstore of the Year in 2020.
Of course, the quaint, comfortable store owes its continuing success to many talented staff members, none more so than Hospitality Manager Jacky Dawson. When she’s not greeting visitors or napping in a sun patch, the beloved dog keeps squirrels well away from the store. Thanks to her efforts, customers can peacefully browse a wonderful selection of books by local authors.
Space Center Houston (est. 1992)
Nothing excites the imagination quite like outer space. It’s strange, it’s vast, and it may ultimately be unknowable. That has not stopped brave explorers, whose heroic adventures and dire struggles have been overseen from NASA’s Johnson Space Center since the 1960s.
There are so many interesting things to see at the public museum, opened in 1992, that we’re tempted to echo Tom Hanks in Apollo 13: “Houston, we have a problem.” If we were half as brilliant as NASA scientists, we would find a way to take in every exhibit, much as the astronauts jury-rigged lithium hydroxide canisters to preserve breathable air on Apollo 13. (Okay, those things aren’t quite the same.) Learn more about that rescue mission in the Starship Gallery, and tour as many exhibits as you can!
Sawyer Yards (est. 2005)
You might not have thought of visiting the rail yards near downtown Houston, but more and more of the old warehouses have been converted into art studios, event venues, restaurants, and retail spaces. Transformation of the industrial zone began in 2005 when a 75,000-square-foot warehouse reopened as Winter Street Studios.
On a stroll through Sawyer Yards today, you can admire the murals of Art Alley and check out rotating exhibits of work by local artists. On Second Saturdays, numerous studios hold open houses, welcoming guests to connect with the artistic community. It’s easy to understand why the developers of Sawyer Yards proudly say, “We are Houston’s creative heart.”
That’s our roundup! We hope that we gave you plenty of reasons to visit Houston – even in the summer heat.
We’ll be back soon with another roundup, unless we drop everything to train for the rodeo, get lost in Rothko’s awesome murals, or set up an artistic encampment in Sawyer Yards.
Until next time, find some creativity wherever you can. Stay safe, and be well. #StandCreative
