Houston didn’t invent the art car, but we invented the art car parade in 1988. The Orange Show developed it, but it now belongs to the city residents who decorate and build all manner of moving art works to participate. It’s now the largest art car parade in the country, attracting celebrity grand marshals like Cheech Marin and Dan Aykroyd. See more photos from Creative Houston below.
On the eastern edge of Memorial City, Houston architecture firm Studio Red built the Treehouse. Designed through collaboration, for collaboration, the MetroNational conference center has wowed the national architecture community. We all can visit the first floor restaurant, Liberty Kitchen.
One of the winningest art car paraders is Mark Bradford, known as Scrapdaddy. His 12-foot Mr. Green from 2012, 99% recycled materials, won the top prize. Bradford welds art and mechanical engineering, and his work has been featured in several exhibits. You can visit his Houston studio via video.
When visitors search for a unique place to stay in Houston, they are often directed to the Modern B&B, designed by Rodney Collins and run by Lisa Thompson. Long before AirBnB, they envisioned a bed-and-breakfast with modern styling and artwork. The Montrose location offers leafy views from many porches. See its architectural story.
Here are 6 more sparks of creative energy from Houston.
Living here drives us all to be more inventive. Not every spark lasts, but we all keep on coming up with new ideas and solutions.
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March 31, 2020
Housed in an industrial space in East Downtown Houston, Tout Suite offers diverse seating for remote working or meeting friends. The sophisticated menu is eclectic and on trend. The macarons are legendary. Plus they offer excellent coffee drinks, beer and wine… and lots of good Instagram opportunities.
Facts every Houstonian should know about Chloe Dao: 1) her parents are Vietnamese but she grew up in Houston, 2) she won the 2nd season of Project Runway, and 3) her first original design was her senior prom dress. Also, she attended UH and HCC but finally graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Why she moved back to Houston: “I researched the retail scene for two years. I was noticing that Houston was finally getting big press in fashion magazines. The market was totally growing, and the fashion scene was growing a little bit more. I decided to move home and open my boutique. The concept of the boutique was a small New York boutique in Houston, Texas.”
Since 2007, 42 artists have enjoyed a 9-month studio residency at Lawndale Art Center in the Museum District of Houston. They also receive $3000 cash and $5000 in direct support of their work toward public exhibition. Applications are available to artists working on the Texas Gulf Coast, and past participants include Hillberbrand + Magsamen and David Politzer.
Started in 2014 in Houston, The Next Seed, Inc. created the first online fundraising/investment platform where even non-accredited investors can find opportunities to support local businesses. With their growing team, founders Youngro Lee, Abe Chu, and Bob Dunton continue to develop new tools to fuel growth for entrepreneurs.
Built in 1898 and expanded in 1980, this striking Victorian bed and breakfast has long been the most popular in Houston. Sara’s is nestled in a walkable neighborhood only four miles from downtown, plus over 50 restaurants in a one-mile radius. Jihye and John Deveau have furnished it with plenty of Victorian style and modern amenities.
Creative Houston, PBC 