The Orange Show Foundation

Schedule OOutreach Program: The Houston Art Car Parade (HACP) and weekend is the largest free public art and engagement event in Houston and one of the largest in the country. Introduced in 1988, HACP is regarded as an important factor in maintaining quality of life and a unique expression of Houston's creativity and spirit. The weekend includes events throughout the city. In the Main Street Drag, artists bring their cars to area schools, nursing homes, developmental centers and hospitals providing arts access to diverse communities as well as education and awareness to those who might not be able to attend the parade in person. Families and visitors can look at art cars up-close and meet the artists at the Sneak Peek at Discovery Green. The Art Car Parade draws over 250,000 spectators to see more than 250 dazzling mobile works of art in a celebration of the ubiquitous automobile that turns Houston's streets into an open-air museum. Free Art Car Workshops covering topics such as welding, painting, sculpting and K-12 curriculum integration are offered in the months leading up to the parade where attendees learn how to create art cars from previous artists. We partner with the Houston Independent School District's art car program to match sponsors with young artists. This program consistently creates outstanding mobile masterpieces which garner top awards.

See Schedule OOutreach program: Smither Park is a creative urban space designed by visionary artist and builder, Dan Phillips. Dan worked alongside visionary art collector and OSCVA board member Stephanie Smither to design the park in memory of her late husband, John H. Smither. The half-acre park features a fish-shaped amphitheater, pavilion, swings, meditation garden, marble-roll tower and a sprawling 400-foot Memory Wall with over 60 mosaic panels. Every feature is adorned with intricate mosaic work created out of recycled and found materials by over 300 local artists working in collaboration with community volunteers. The park has revitalized this historically underserved area and provides a beautiful space for community celebrations. The mosaic murals of Smither Park serve as the setting and inspiration for events and workshops centered on imagination, skill, development, and creative reuse.

Sechedule OOrange Show Outreach Programs: Inspired by outsider art and artist-built environments, creative programming brings our community together to make, teach, watch and view performing and visual arts. Programming is centered around four mission-focused areas: Environments, Education and Outreach, Experiences, and Exhibitions. Some examples include but are not limited to the following: The Conservation Corps is a conservator-guided, artist-facilitated preservation and maintenance program for the Orange Show Monument and Beer Can House outsider art environments. This year, the Orange Show was awarded a $500,000 Save America's Treasures matching grant for a $1 million restoration of the Orange Show Monument planned to begin in 2023. The Mural Program brings together artists from all backgrounds to activate our space with enormous canvases and we work with at-risk youth on mural projects for their educational facilities and neighborhoods. Performances at the Orange Show Monument activate the environment with events that feature idiosyncratic talents with a strong visionary streak. The Happening, a monthly performance art and open mic showcase, is free to attend and highlights Houston's most creative minds. Smither Park Sundays comes alive with free concerts at the Lindley Fish Amphitheater. Site-specific exhibitions by Houston artists highlight local groundbreaking contemporary artists as they respond to our property. The Orange Show Monument: In the 1950's, retired postman Jeff McKissack began turning an East End lot into a 3,000 square foot monument to the orange. He created every inch of The Orange Show by hand as a testament to his belief in good nutrition and hard work. Its intricate structure, adorned with gears, tiles, wheels and mannequins, is considered one of the nation's most important folk-art environments and is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. The Orange Show Foundation introduces thousands of visitors from Houston and beyond to the Orange Show environment and visionary art each year through tours, workshops, and special events. The Beer Can House: In 2001, The Orange Show Foundation acquired local folk art treasure, The Beer Can House. Decades earlier, John Milkovisch began transforming his home and yard with more than 50,000 flattened beer cans, marbles and pebbles. The Beer Can House is consistently ranked as one of Houston's top attractions and welcomes thousands of visitors from across the world. Private tours are offered throughout the year and have been arranged for senior citizen groups, civic organizations and universities.