The parade will take place on the projectedly pleasant afternoon of Saturday, April 13 in downtown Houston sandwiched between a slew of events aimed at expanding the reach of the parade and further promoting the overall vision of The Orange Show Center For Visionary Art.
The art car parade is the perfect example of Houston’s diverse and creative community as Allen Parkway and nearby routes are filled with the creations ranging from intricate, fine craftsmanship designs to more outsider art and lighthearted themes created by schools and individuals to our one of our city’s greatest cultural exports, the slab cars bouncing up and down on their hydraulic systems.
A nice spread Houston slab cars represent our diverse city in the parade.
Photo by Danitza Ladwig & Morris Malakoff
“I think it's more about celebrating the spirit of creativity that the city of Houston has and it's such an incredible honor to be able to steward this celebration for the city,” says Executive Director Tommy Ralph Pace.
“I think it's more about celebrating the spirit of creativity that the city of Houston has and it's such an incredible honor to be able to steward this celebration for the city.”
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Since becoming a leader at The Orange Show Center For Visionary Art almost four years ago Pace, who relocated to Houston from Miami, has focused on growing the relationship between The Orange Show and the city that birthed the eccentric center and all of its projects with this weekend serving as a perfect vehicle for expanding the work of The Orange Show and proving again that ordinary people can make extraordinary things and art can be accessible to all.
Their plans to expand their campus, centered around The Orange Show Monument, Houston postal worker Jeff McKissack’s beautifully strange tribute to the fruit build in 1956, was announced last fall. The Orange Show Monument is located near the University of Houston’s main campus and is also adjacent to the mosaic filled Smither Park.
The monument is currently closed for restoration until 2025 but Smither Park remains open and hosts an array of events and workshops throughout the year. The Orange Show Center has also worked to preserve another unconventional work of outsider art nestled in the Rice Military neighborhood, The Beer Can House built by John Milkovisch in 1968.
“My responsibility and the reason for joining has been to grow the orange show and its programs, relevance and presence here in Houston and ensure that not only the art car parade is around for future generations of Houstonians but the amazing works of extraordinary imagination that we preserve annually,” says Pace.
The weekend kicks off with the Main Street Drag Routes throughout the day on Thursday, April 11 providing the opportunity to see some of the art cars participating in the parade to those who may not be able to travel downtown for the event as volunteers visit schools, hospitals and nursing homes all around the city.
The following day is the Legendary Art Car Ball, an evening with performances by exciting bands and artists including HeartByrne, a Talking Heads tribute band, The Free Radicals, Henry Invisible and Hiram along with performances by the Renegade Carnies.
“Every year we try to provide a platform for really fantastic talent and it is where you can come and really let your freak flag fly,” says Pace describing how the event sees attendees really baring their creativity and expressing themselves through their costumes, fashion and overall vibe with all of the proceeds supporting the work at The Orange Show.
The evening will take place on the grounds of The Orange Show campus and will feature some of the parade participants' amazing illuminated art cars and additional artwork by many of Houston’s imaginative artists including Input/Output, Hannah Bull, Patrick Renner, Paul Kittelson and more.
It will also be the first time that Houstonians can officially see the 35 foot Houston Temple created by David Best, this year's Artist in Residence. Best, a world renowned sculptor who has created multiple temples for Burning Man Festivals and to commemorate the losses due to COVID-19 and honor those in the Parkland shooting, has made a special piece for our city.
“David is a world renowned sculpture from California with deep ties to the Houston arts community,” describes Pace. “Anne Harithis was one of his long-time best friends and she is widely regarded as one of the mothers of the art car movement.” This will be the first time Best will build a sculpture for Houston.
Best has been working with students from The HUB High School, The Center for Pursuit and youth from the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department along with art car artists and other members of the community to build the large, interactive piece which like Best’s other sculptures, will be burned to the ground in a celebration this November.
“We invited him as our 2024 Artist in Residence, a program that really seeks to bring world renowned artists here directly to build something with our community and that's what we are all about,” says Pace.
The large work will be open to visitors weekly for vigil hours taking place on Thursdays, where people are encouraged to engage with the piece by telling it a story, a secret, leaving a written message or simply their energy only for it all to be put up in flames and released into the universe culminating into a cathartic event for those who wish to participate.
This will also be the first year for Saint Arnold’s founder Brock Wagner to serve as grand marshal of the parade. Wagner has been a longtime Art Car Parade supporter contributing personal art cars as well as the official Saint Arnold’s car and creating their signature Art Car IPA.
“It is the first time he's been asked to be grand marshal and it is because of his personal and corporate philanthropy over the years in support of The Orange Show and in conjunction with St. Arnold’s 30th anniversary as the oldest and longest running craft brewery here in Houston.”
All of the festivities will come to a close on Sunday, April 14 with the awards ceremony where over $15,000 in prize money will be awarded to participating artists which this year includes over 250 art car creations.
“Our mission at The Orange Show Center For Visionary Art is to celebrate the artist in everyone which means sometimes we've got to look around the corner or lift up a rock metaphorically to really search for those voices that have not been heard and need to be heard most through the creative process and that's what the art car parade embodies.”
The Art Car Ball will take place on Friday, April 12 at The Orange Show Center Visionary Arts, 2334 Gulf Terminal, $50-200. The Art Car Parade will take place on Saturday, April 13 on Allen Parkway between Bagby and Dallas with lineup beginning at 11 am and the parade at 2 p.m. The parade is free to attend.
