By now you have gathered from previous
Reflections that Houston is a city of significant
cultural diversity and this richness is evidenced
further by the strength of its various
neighborhoods, cultural attractions,
architecture, cuisine, etc. I would like to offer
my own personal experience at large with this
city I now call home. Like many Houstonians, I
was not born here. And, like many Houstonians, it
was a job that brought me here. Now that I have
been here five years, I could not imagine a place
that better combines big city attractions,
small-town eccentricity, Southern charm, and
Western expanse. Furthermore, being the largest
city in the state of Texas lends Houston a can-do
spirit that we take for granted here, but one
that simply does not exist in other cities.
The following is a list of my favorites of
Houston, a combination of the general and
specific. You are likely to bear witness to many
of these-and hopefully enjoy them in the great
capacity that I do.
1. Construction
Since 2000, eleven towers have been built and
eight major structures renovated in downtown, not
counting the explosion of nearby residential
complexes. In addition to the daring hi-rises by
signature architects, every neighborhood features
notable examples of Modern and contemporary
architecture that interest and excite. Indeed,
the liberating climate, progressive attitude of
this young city, and the financial resources to
make building projects come to light are a
combination of forces not found in many other
urban centers.
2. Transportation
The city debuted a 7-mile light rail system a
year ago, is doubling the width of many of its
freeways to accommodate its remarkable growth
(there are four peripheral loops around the city
to begin with), opened a new terminal at its
Intercontinental airport, and increased traffic
at the Port of Houston (one of the busiest in the
world).
3. Williams Tower and Fountain by Philip Johnson
Disputably the tallest building in the world
apart from a central business district, Williams
Tower offers a majestic façade of cascading
vertical edges and indents, while the
horseshoe-shaped Fountain ("Waterwall") presents
a crescent of falling water that is both tranquil
and exhilarating.
4. The San Jacinto Monument
Commemorating the victory of the Texans against
the Mexicans that avenged the loss at the Alamo
and heralded the birth of the Texas Republic, it
is the tallest monument in the U.S. Adjacent to
the Houston Ship Channel, it singularly showcases
Houston's history and industry with an Art Deco
sensibility.
5. Weather
Forty-five miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico,
Houston is at the confluence of cool dry air from
the north, warm dry air from Mexico, and the
humid Gulf winds (Galveston is one of the
windiest places in the country). With nearly five
inches of rain per month and a year-round growing
season, Houston has a subtropical climate similar
to Southeast Asia that results in very lush and
green environs-no tumbleweed here!
6. Spec's Warehouse Store
Owned and operated by the same Houston family
since 1962, Spec's Warehouse Store (not far from
the conference hotel) is a true destination
shopping experience as the crown jewel (of their
28 stores) with over 40,000 labels of wines,
spirits, liqueurs, and beers, filling all 80,000
square feet of selling space. It's a perfect
combination of the Houstonian entitlements to
low-priced liquor and commerce on a massive scale.
7. Geographical Location
Houston's location between the southeast and the
west gives it unique character. Its oak-lined
streets remind one of Savannah, while the
freeways are reminiscent of Los Angeles (except
our traffic actually moves). Its overgrown
tropical foliage and thriving gallery scene
remind one of Key West, while the bayous and
oil-field marshes are pure Louisiana. The pine
trees are straight out of Arkansas and the palm
trees, while not native, do survive the two weeks
of winter. The city's location is equidistant to
the east, west, and north coasts. Nowhere is very
far away by plane, as I recently had the pleasure
of flying non-stop to Brazil.
8. Cuisine
If I can't have Italian food every day (in my
mind the city's one blemish-that and Central Time
Zone), the abundant Mexican cuisine makes for a
happy consolation. Add to that traditional (and
nouveau) Southern cooking and New Orleans style
cuisine, and it's no wonder Houstonians
continually fight the battle of the bulge (I
haven't even mentioned barbecue). Red meat is
plentiful due to the cattle industry but so is
seafood straight from the Gulf-and none of it
need be expensive.
9. Menil Collection's Richmond Hall
While the collection in the main building is one
of the most impressive private collections in
North America, my favorite is Richmond Hall, one
of only two permanent site installations by
Minimalist sculptor Dan Flavin. An unassuming
former grocery store with Texas Art Deco
detailing, Richmond Hall has been emptied to its
shell to allow for a cavernous experience of
multi-hued fluorescent lights. Most Houstonians
probably don't know it exists, but it's a truly
fabulous hidden treasure.
10. Rice University
Sure, there's some bias, but it was founded as a
pseudo-socialist institute, modeled after the
great colleges of England and the Ivy League, and
originally designed in the Neo-Babylonian style
(with hanging gardens and reflecting pools). In
short, it's the university you'd design yourself
from reclaimed swamplands.
So please enjoy these and many other interesting,
unique, rewarding, and sometimes guilty pleasures
of Houston. I look forward to hearing many
post-conference details.
--
Mark Pompelia
Director, Visual Resources Center
Dept. of Art History
Rice University
PO Box 1892, MS 21
Houston TX 77251-1892
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
ph: 713-348-4836
fax: 713-348-4039
URL: http://arthistory.rice.edu
__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
For information about joining ARLIS/NA see:
http://www.arlisna.org//membership.html
Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
to [log in to unmask]
ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
http://lsv.uky.edu/archives/arlis-l.html
Questions may be addressed to list owner (Kerri Scannell) at: [log in to unmask]
