Page 482 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

480  TEX AS

8 Houston Cézanne, Marlene Dumas, Jasper
Johns, Piet Mondrian, Andy Warhol,
* 1,953,000. k £ 902 Washington and other artists. The Menil Draw­
Ave. @ Greyhound Lines, 2121 S
Main St. n 901 Bagby St, (713) 437­ ing Institute, which will house this
5200. _ Houston Livestock Show collection, will open in early 2017.
and Rodeo (late Feb–early Mar); Art A short walk east from the main
Car Parade (Apr); Thanksgiving Day museum stands the ecumenical
Parade (Nov). ∑ visithouston Rothko Chapel, a spare concrete
texas.com space designed around a series
of large, dark­colored abstract
The story of Houston, a city paintings by the artist Mark Rothko.
of constant change and great Expansive gardens surrounding Ima Hogg’s Commissioned by the de Menil
diversity, is a typical Texas mansion, Bayou Bend family and completed by architect
success story. Founded in 1836 Philip Johnson in 1971, the chapel
in what was then a swamp, the E Menil Collection is open from 10am to 6pm daily.
city was named in honor of 1533 Sul Ross St. Tel (713) 525­9400.
Texas hero General Samuel Open 11am–7pm Wed–Sun. E Museum of Fine Arts
Houston (see p468) and served Closed Jan 1, Easter, Jul 4, Thanksgiving, 1001 Bissonnet St. Tel (713) 639­7300.
as capital of the Texas Republic Dec 25. 7 ∑ menil.org Open 10am–5pm Tue & Wed, 10am–
until 1839. A center for shipping One of the world’s better 9pm Thu, 10am–7pm Fri & Sat,
cotton, Houston’s fortunes assemblies of painting and 12:15pm–7pm Sun. Closed Thanksg.,
faded after the Civil War, but it sculpture, this collection was Dec 25. & 7 ∑ mfah.org
developed into a major port endowed by the family of The oldest art museum in Texas,
following the construction of a Houston philanthropist and one of the largest in the US,
shipping channel to the Gulf of Dominique de Menil, who died the collections here range from
Mexico. The discovery of oil in 1997. It is housed in a striking Greek and Roman antiquities to
turned the city into a major modern building designed by Wild West sculptures by Frederic
petrochemical producer, and it Italian architect Renzo Piano. The Remington. The striking Beck
has grown into the biggest city most extensive display here is of Building has European art of the
in Texas and the fourth­largest Surrealist paintings, notably by late 19th and early 20th century,
in the US. It has some of the René Magritte and Max Ernst. The with a survey of works by Manet,
world’s finest art museums. museum also has a world­class Pissarro, Renoir, and other
A sprawling metropolis that has collection of Cubist painting by masters. There are also galle ries
grown to cover over 600 sq miles Picasso and Braque in parti cular, devoted to works by artists from
(1554 sq km), Houston is a tho­ as well as a full survey of 20th­ Africa, the South Pacific, and the
roughly confusing place, lacking century American paintings by Northwest US and Canada.
in an overall plan. The frequent Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns,
chan ges in street names and Robert Rauschenberg, and Cy Y Bayou Bend
directions, and often heavy road Twombly. Separate galleries 6003 Memorial Dr at Wescott St.
traffic, can make getting around display ancient and medieval art Tel (713) 639­7750. Open 10am–5pm
difficult for a first­time visitor. The of the Mediterranean. Works by Tue–Sat, 1–5pm Sun. Closed Jan 1,
light­rail system is useful as it links Native peoples of Africa, the Thanksgiving, Dec 25. & 7 8
down town to the museum district. South Pacific, and the Pacific ∑ mfah.org
In short, to see Houston visitors North west region of North The largest public gardens in
should be prepared to drive, and to America are also represented. Houston surround the pink
get lost more than once. The main Modern and contem porary stucco mansion of oil heiress
attractions for visitors lie southwest works on paper is the fastest Ima Hogg (1882–1975), who
of downtown, on and around growing part of de Menil’s survived her somewhat
the Rice University campus. collection, with works by Paul unfortunate name to become

Houston’s Memorial Park, lying at the foot of the city
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp490–91

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Date 25th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm