TTN Culture Collision: A Guide to Houston's Museums :: 테마여행신문 TTN Theme Travel News Korea

TTN Culture Collision: A Guide to Houston's Museums: 2014.06.08 18:24 입력

<div>21st century Houston is a thriving art nexus,
the home of world-class museums, acclaimed art galleries and a huge
community of talented artists. At the heart of it all: the <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=23096">Houston Museum District</a>,
whose 18 museums and 50-acre zoological park—all within walking distance of one
another and accessible by METRORail—form one of the largest cultural
districts in the country, with more than half a million square feet of
exhibition space. It's also one of the most vital in the nation, drawing seven
million visitors annually. Where to begin your tour? Follow our guide
through these must-see art spaces that help define Houston. <o:p></o:p>

Start your art trek at the <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=23268">Museum of Fine Arts, Houston</a>
(MFAH), pivotally sited at Bissonnet and Main Street. Founded in 1900, the
MFAH is the oldest museum in Texas as well as the most prominent. With the
opening of the $83 million Audrey Jones Beck Building in March 2000, the MFAH
is now the largest museum in the Southwest. Its dramatic expansion has made
possible an increasing number of blockbusters, including major
exhibitions featuring works from both the Museum of Modern Art and the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. <o:p></o:p>

In terms of its permanent collection, the
museum's photo holdings, thanks to a major 2002 acquisition, now exceed 20,000
images, propelling it to one of the top ten photographic departments in the
world. In 2001, MFAH founded a Latin American department, one of a handful
of U.S. museums to begin collecting in this field and produced the first
large-scale exhibition devoted to the emergence and development of avant-garde
Latin American art. In 2004, the museum acquired its first piece by Rembrandt
van Rijn, Portrait of a Young Woman, one of two Rembrandt paintings in
Texas. Also noteworthy: one of the most beguiling pieces of public art
anywhere, James Turrell's ethereal light tunnel, The Light Inside, connects
the Beck and Law Buildings.<o:p></o:p>

Diagonally across from the MFAH, the <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=28237">Contemporary Arts Museum Houston</a>
(CAMH) is the next stop. You can't miss its gleaming metal structure or
neighboring palm tree sprouting from a pyramid (actually a sculpture by
internationally noted Houston-born protagonist Mel Chin). Celebrating more than
50 years of exhibiting cutting edge contemporary art, the CAMH boasts
stimulating programming, bringing to Texas top tier visual all-stars. Famous
art world icons who've shown within its walls include Robert Rauschenberg,
Frank Gehry and Cindy Sherman (the CAMH was the first museum in the world to
exhibit her famed Film Stills). <o:p></o:p>

A jewel among Houston's museums is <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=22997">The Menil Collection</a>, a
five-minute drive from the MFAH and CAMH. Considered to be one of the
most important private art collections in the world, the perpetually graceful
Menil sits at the heart of a 23-acre green oasis in the Montrose area. <o:p></o:p>

Besides its sublimely simple two story wooden
structure, designed by Pritzker Prize-anointed Renzo Piano, the campus
encompasses the <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/museums/listing.details.php?category=12556&id=29260">Cy Twombly Gallery</a> (also
designed by Piano) and <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/museums/listing.details.php?category=12556&id=29261">Richmond Hall</a> , site of a
candy-colored rainbow of light sculptures by the late Dan Flavin. The
15,000-piece collection, assiduously assembled by the late John and Dominique
de Menil, is housed in Piano's serenely understated, light-infused
design. It offers an inspiring selection of art that spans the centuries.
Tribal, ancient, Byzantine and modern (including amazing Surrealist
masterpieces) are brought together in a compelling mix that reveals that great
art transcends the boundaries of time and space. <o:p></o:p>

Nearby, the <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=28239">Rothko Chapel</a>, functions as
chapel, a museum and a forum. It is a place where religion, art and
architecture intermingle. The Rothko Chapel has become a pilgrimage stop for
thousands of visitors who are drawn by its importance both as an artistic
masterpiece and as an ecumenical gathering place for people of all religious
beliefs. Students, art lovers, and scholars from all over the world visit the
Chapel for research and inspiration. <o:p></o:p>

Along the Main Street Corridor, the stunning
<a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=23265">Houston Center for Contemporary Craft</a>
(HCCC) celebrates the red-hot medium of contemporary craft. HCCC opened to
much fanfare in fall 2001 (with an inaugural show from New York's venerable
American Craft Museum) and has been a significant stop on the Houston art
circuit ever since. Its 11,000-square-foot space features lively programming
mixing regional and national talents, including such big guns as Dale Chihuly,
Wendell Castle and William Morris. Expect lush original creations in wood,
glass, metal, fiber and clay. Artists-in-residence are also on site to
share a "hands-on" studio experience.<o:p></o:p>

Steps from the Houston Center for
Contemporary Craft, in a handsome 1930s Art Deco structure on Main Street, is
one of the most dynamic nonprofit art spaces in Texas—<a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=28236">Lawndale Art Center</a>.
Lawndale's mission is to discover and showcase emerging Texas talent. The
center has monthly rotating exhibitions in its four galleries that present an
avant-garde mix of visualists and a variety of media. The vitality of this art
center testifies to Houston's national position as a nexus for contemporary
artists. The city's celebrated duo, The Art Guys, debuted at Lawndale during
the early 1980s before the pair (Michael Galbreth and Jack Massing) catapulted
to international fame.<o:p></o:p>

The <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=22991">Holocaust Museum Houston</a> (HMH)
is one of the largest and most important institutions in the country dedicated
to remembering the significance of the Holocaust. HMH features the poignant
permanent exhibition Bearing Witness: A Community Remembers focusing on
stories of Holocaust survivors living in the Houston area. Side by side
changing exhibits cull art and photography, all reflecting upon aspects of this
horrific 20th century event. The museum's newest addition to the permanent
exhibit is a 1942 World War II railcar of the type used to carry millions of
Jews to their deaths. The railcar was formally dedicated and opened to the
public during HMH's 10th anniversary ceremony on March 5, 2006.<o:p></o:p>

A few
blocks away, the art of nature takes center stage at the <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=23267">Houston Museum of Natural Science</a>,
whose family friendly programming attracts all ages. Traveling exhibitions are
insightful and intriguing, ranging from the Dead Sea Scrolls to Gunther
von Hagens' BODY WORLDS: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies.
Exciting permanent features such as the Wortham IMAX Theatre, Burke Baker
Planetarium, Cockrell Butterfly Center and the Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals
(the top gemological collection in the world) make this the third most
attended museum in the U.S. <o:p></o:p>

New at
Houston Museum of Natural Science<o:p></o:p>

The
expansion of the museum’s paleontology hall is now finalized and has added an
area, the size of a football field, packed with prehistoric beasts. This new
exhibit does not have the same stagnant displays of ancient skeletons standing
in a row that many visitors are accustomed to seeing. Rather, the predators and
prey in the new paleontology hall will be in action — chasing, eating and
escaping as they struggle for life. Visitors embark on a "prehistoric safari"
that also includes the grand saga of human evolution — from tree-climbing
australopithecines to courageous mammoth-hunters.<o:p></o:p>

Within
easy walking distance, the <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=23261">Children's Museum of Houston</a>
(CMH) is a hands-on educational and entertaining family-oriented destination.  The Children’s Museum of Houston recently
inaugurated its $35-million expansion filled with education based entertainment
for all ages. The additional space made room for seven new permanent exhibits
including a hands-on, minds-on workshop called Invention Convention, the
three-story exercise adventure PowerPlay and Kidtropolis a kid-sized city.  The Children’s Museum of Houston is rated
5-star nationwide by Citysearch.com
and tied for the nation’s best in Child
magazine. <o:p></o:p>

On the next block, the whole family can learn
about health, wellness and the marvels of the human anatomy at <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=23269">The Health Museum</a>, the most
visited health museum in the country. Stroll through Jim Hickox Amazing Body
Pavilion, a 7,400-square foot gargantuanly-scaled model of the human body that
lets you discover the need-to-know inner workings of your insides. <o:p></o:p>

The <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=23423">Buffalo Soldiers National Museum</a>
preserves and promotes the history, tradition and outstanding contributions of
the Buffalo Soldiers. During the 1860s, soldiers of the 10th U.S. Cavalry were
nicknamed "Buffalo Soldiers" for their fierce fighting ability and
bravery. The museum displays historical artifacts, documents, videos, prints
and other historical memorabilia which detail the history of these brave men.<o:p></o:p>

<a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/listings/Asia-Society-Texas-Center/23296/">Asia Society Texas Center</a> is the
leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships
and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of the
United States and Asia. Asia Society Texas Center seeks to increase knowledge
and enhance dialogue, encourage creative expression, and generate new ideas
across the fields of arts and culture, policy and business, and education. The
38,000-square-foot building was designed by Yoshio Taniguchi and features an
art gallery, a 273-set theater, reception spaces, a cafe and more. <o:p></o:p>

The <a href="http://houstonmuseumdistrict.org/museums/museum-african-american-culture/">Houston Museum of African American Culture</a>
(HMAAC) explores stories inspired by themes of opportunity, empowerment,
creativity and innovation and cultural interrelationships through the lens of
the African American experience. The Museums seeks to engage visitors of every
race and background through discovery-driven learning and preserve African
American history.<o:p></o:p>

The <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=28238">Jung Center of Houston</a>, a
nonprofit education institution, houses one of the Southwest's finest
collections of work in psychology, spirituality and comparative mythology. Founded
in 1958, the Jung Center offers more than 100 courses, programs and conferences
every year that address the critical social and spiritual issues of our time,
as well as the need for personal growth and development. <o:p></o:p>

Another educational organization, the <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=28240">Houston Center for Photography</a>
(HCP) deepens the understanding of the photographic arts. Through exhibitions,
publications and educational programming, the center supports emerging and
mid-career artists and their audiences. The center provides a forum for the
exchange of ideas and promotes the study of photography, both as a medium of
expression and as a tool of cultural investigation.<o:p></o:p>

A project of the Weather Research Center, <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=23919">The Weather Museum</a> provides a
facility for people of all ages to learn about the weather, its history and
public safety. Exhibits include: Weather Wizards Corner; Touch a
Tornado; Rain Rain Go Away and What Meteorologists Do. The
museum also houses a computer classroom to allow visitors a chance to
surf the Internet for past and current weather information, a video room for
meetings and weather safety seminars, and the Clayton B. Crooker Library so
visitors can research weather information from more than 100 years ago.<o:p></o:p>

The <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/museums/listing.details.php?category=12556&id=23641">Czech Center Museum Houston</a> celebrates
the culture of Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia and Silesia with events and
exhibitions. The center features language classes, a museum, archives,
genealogy resources, event facilities, library and an ecumenical chapel.
Exhibits include Czech crystal, glass, porcelain, pottery, antique furniture,
jewelry, folk costumes and fine art.<o:p></o:p>

An
exciting live animal adventure set in a 55-acre tropical landscape, the <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=27210">Houston Zoo</a> adds adventure
and animal magnetism to the Museum District. A popular feature, the Wildlife
Carousel, has 64 hand-carved animals representing endangered species. Make
sure to visit Natural Encounters, featuring meerkats, otters and until
recently the long awaited return of the Zoo's vampire bats. The <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/museums/listing.details.php?id=27210">Houston Zoo</a>
ranked in the top 10 best zoos in the nation for kids by Parents Magazine in May of 2009.<o:p></o:p>

Two other unique venues, the <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=28258">Art Car Museum</a> and The
Station are sited respectively near the Houston Heights and in the
midtown corridor (between the Museum District and downtown). These lively,
privately funded museums showcase the adventuresome and the avant-garde. The
Art Car Museum is dedicated to the fun, funky and outrageously exuberant Art
Car movement (Houston's spring parade is the oldest and largest in the
country). It's also the only museum in the country where you'll find vehicular
attractions such as Rex the Rabbit or Swamp Mutha. Art Car's
sister space, The Station, highlights Texas, national and international artists
whose art tackles tough political issues.<o:p></o:p>

A shining example of urban renewal, <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=28229">Project Row Houses</a> is located
in the heart of Houston's historic Third Ward, minutes from the Museum
District. Its restored, turn-of-the century shotgun-style houses occupy a once
blighted inner-city neighborhood. No more. Twice yearly they're transformed
into art installations as internationally prominent artists join with Texas and
Houston-based talents to create site-specific works that challenge traditional
notions about art being confined to elite cultural institutions. <o:p></o:p>

The award-winning Project Row Houses has been
profiled by The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and CBS Radio and
is now a model for similar programs around the nation. In addition, four
Project Row Houses artists were featured in the 2006 Whitney Biennial.<o:p></o:p>

After you've ventured to all of the above,
you can't leave Houston without visiting one of the most fabulous—and
famed—folk art environments in America. The <a href="http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/multicultural/listing.details.php?id=22999">Orange Show Monument</a> is a
Houston postman's creation that extols the virtues of his favorite fruit. The
outdoor 3,000-square-foot monument is maze-like in design and includes an
oasis, a wishing well, a pond, a stage, a museum, a gift shop and several upper
decks. <o:p></o:p></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>▶ Like Now and Get Korea Travel News Easily! : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themetn" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themetn</a></div><div> </div>