performing arts facilities, such as Bass Perfor- mance Hall in Fort Worth and the Meyer son Symphony Center, home to the nationally recognized Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Another major concentration of arts
facilities can be found in the Houston Museum District. A whole day could be spent just perusing the vast collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. It is one of the largest museums in the country with items dating from ancient times to today. T e Menil Collection exhibits the private holdings of John and Dominique de Menil, who assembled an impressive array of 20th-century art that includes collections of Surrealist and Cubist works. Visitors also can get a taste of the region’s contemporary art scene at the Lawndale Art Center and explore artisans’ creative processes at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craſt . T e Contemporary Arts Museum Houston hosts traveling exhibitions that focus on art produced in the past 40 years. Performing arts shine bright in Hous-
ton as well. T e city supports an active sym- phony, opera and theater companies. T e Miller Outdoor T eater, near the Museum District, also hosts a diverse selection of per- formances. T e Houston Ballet is praised as one of the top companies in the nation. Many performances take place in the Hous- ton T eater District, the downtown home of nine theater companies and touring Broad- way performances.
ARCHITECTURE While exploring the treasures inside these
facilities, you might also notice that even the buildings themselves are works of art. Prize-winning architects such as Louis Kahn (Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth), Renzo Piano (Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas and T e Menil Collection in Houston), Tadao Ando (Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth), I.M. Pei (Morton H. Meyerson Sym- phony Center in Dallas), Rem Koolhaas (Dallas Center for the Performing Arts’ Wyly T eater), Mies van der Rohe and Rafael Moneo (who both designed parts of the Mu- seum of Fine Arts, Houston), all contribute to the state’s creative landscape. Many com- munities also take pride in preserving the beauty of their historic theaters, such as T e Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston and San Antonio’s Majestic T eatre.
The Spanish Colonial-Revival house of founder Marion Koogler McNay forms the core of the McNay Art Museum—the first museum of modern art in Texas.
MORE TO SEE San Antonio’s rich heritage is refl ected
in its artistic off erings. Housed in a historic brewery along the River Walk’s “Museum Reach,” the San Antonio Museum of Art spotlights art from the Americas and Eu- rope. Just minutes away, the Institute of Texan Cultures in HemisFair Park highlight’s the state’s unique culture in visual arts, stories, and exhibits. San Antonio also happens to be home to the state’s fi rst museum for mod- ern art, the McNay Art Museum, which fea- tures stunning works by notable artists such as Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keefe and Raoul Dufy, among many others. Explore the local arts scene in the Southtown area, along South Flores and South Alamo streets downtown, for a more laid-back vibe. T is area hosts the First Friday Art Walk at the beginning of each month, where you’ll fi nd art and music spill- ing onto the sidewalks from galleries, bou- tiques and restaurants. Up the road, Austin is never at a loss for
how to express its creative spirit. T e Con- temporary Austin, Mexic-Arte Museum and many local galleries present exhibitions by artists from the region and across the nation. T e Blanton Museum of Art houses the nation’s largest university-owned and exhibited collection, ranging from classical
For more infor ma tion about Texas, visit
TravelTexas.com.
sculpture to modern and contemporary American and Latin American art. Also on the University of Texas campus, the Harry Ransom Center is home to signifi cant pho- tographic and literary collections, including an authentic Gutenberg Bible. Take in a show by the acclaimed Ballet Austin or a touring production at T e Long Center for the Performing Arts, which is close to all the dining and live music hotspots down- town. T e Paramount T eater also presents performances in its historic 100-year-old home on Congress Avenue.
LOCAL LEGENDS Don’t think the arts only thrive in the big
cities. T e small West Texas town of Marfa has long been a destination for minimalist art since artist Donald Judd chose the area to live and work in—today, the Chinati Foundation and various installations of contemporary art continue to build on his artistic legacy. Community art galleries and theaters abound with regional talent. Many cities host weekly or monthly “art walk” events that invite visitors to experience the local art scene. You might even fi nd the cre- ative spirit in some unexpected places, such as the intricately designed Festival Concert Hall in the hamlet of Round Top or the Old Chicken Farm Art Center in San Angelo. From classical art to the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, there’s plenty of room to let your imagination run wild. ★
PHOTO: WILL VAN OVERBEEK/TXDOT 19
S:10.375” T:10.875” B:11.125”
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