Off the Beaten Path
Houston's Beer Can House and Other Unique Spaces

At first glance, visitors to Houston will see a sophisticated city, a friendly and hospitable city, a city with an abundance of lush, green space. Houston is also a diverse city, with eccentric neighborhoods like Montrose, filled with artists, galleries and vintage clothing stores. Some of Houston's best loved gems remain under the radar for even Houston's most loyal visitors. People willing to explore will find folk art museums, art that is presented through moving vehicles and beer cans and a community that embraces all of Houston's unique spaces.

Beer Can House
The story goes that John Milkovisch hated to throw anything away, and after years of drinking, both his attic and garage were bursting with empty beer cans. In 1968, he got the bright idea that the cans would make good house siding, and a folk art legend was born. Milkovisch didn't stop with the house. He blanketed the lawn with concrete blocks inlaid with bits of colorful glass. He drilled holes in the redwood fence, filling the spaces with marbles. With the cans' pull-tabs, he created clinking curtains that he hung from the front porch and eaves. More beer cans, wire and found objects became mobiles and lawn art. Altogether, Milkovisch spent 18 years decorating. These days, the house is a folk art gallery/workshop owned by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art—they estimate it's made up of more than 50,000 beer cans.

Art Car Museum
The Art Car Museum is a private institution dedicated to contemporary art and an exhibition forum for local, national and international artists. Its emphasis is on art cars, other fine arts and artists that are rarely, if ever, acknowledged by other cultural institutions. Its conceptual origins are the 1984 Collision Show at the Lawndale Art Center, which saw the unveiling of Larry Fuente's Mad Cad, which has since been featured in museums and cultural institutions across the country. As a result of the popularity of this show, art car workshops were founded in Houston, which eventually precipitated the Art Car Parade, held each year in May, and the Art Car movement as we know it today. 

National Museum of Funeral History
Only in Houston can you find a coffin shaped like a Mercedes Benz and a 4,500 lb. hearse that is eight feet high and 19 feet long. The National Museum of Funeral History was founded in 1992 to educate the public and preserve the rich heritage of the funeral industry. Visitors to the museum can explore a 1900s casket factory through original design plans and photographs, or they can learn more about embalming during battle in the Civil War Embalming exhibit. As the museum states in its tagline, "Every day above ground is a good one."  

Orange Show Monument
The Orange Show is Houston postman Jeff McKissack's creation in honor of his favorite fruit.  It illustrates his belief that longevity comes from hard work and good nutrition. The result is an architectural maze of walkways, balconies, arenas and exhibits decorated with mosaics and brightly painted iron figures.

Flower Man's House
Cleveland Turner's gaily painted house peeps out from beneath a riot of flowers, vegetation and decorations that cover every inch of space available. Cleveland, known to Houstonians as 'The Flower Man,' embellishes his gardens with Christmas lights, tinsel and ribbons, woven among the trees and adorning his front gate. Mirrors and painted bedposts sprout among the tangle of plants, and carpet covers the sidewalks. The bright array clambers up elevated beds and balconies, spills out over sidewalks and radiates hope and good cheer into the neighborhood beyond. 

Aurora Picture Show
Aurora Picture Show was founded in 1998 by two Houston-based media artists who recognized an increase in the number of artist-made films and videos and identified a need for exhibition opportunities for these works. Through volunteer labor and equipment donation, they converted a 1924 church building, located within a multi-ethnic neighborhood, into a 100-seat film and video theater. The first Aurora screening on June 20, 1998 was met with such enthusiasm that the audience stomped the floor. Individual and in-kind donations sustained the theater for the first year. In June 1999, Aurora Picture Show received its 501(c)(3) non-profit status, and has since been awarded grants from the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County, Texas Commission on the Arts, and Houston Endowment. Aurora regularly collaborates with renowned arts organizations including the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; DiverseWorks; and Blaffer Gallery and hosts some of the most distinguished media artists in the country.

DiverseWorks
DiverseWorks is one of the leading contemporary art centers in the United States. Known for its groundbreaking artistic education programs and distinguished by its financial stability, DiverseWorks serves as an open venue for artists, a training ground for future arts administrators and a model for arts centers across the country. DiverseWorks remains notable for its commitment to artists who are exploring inventive and successful earned-income ventures. 

Buffalo Bayou ArtPark
The Buffalo Bayou ArtPark (BBAP), located along Houston's historic waterway, offers a place for Houstonians and visitors to explore public displays of art 365 days a year. The Buffalo Bayou ArtPark is the only organization in Houston devoted solely to the placement of public art in the open areas of the Houston community. For fifteen years the organization has offered exhibition opportunities to local, national, and international artists. More than 250 works created by artists have been exhibited by BBAP. 

###