When a man’s life is cut short at a young age one wonders what his future might have been – especially when he had already accomplished notable things. This is the case with Donald Beauregard. “Who?” You might well ask. Beauregard was an artist most of us have never heard of, but one who might […]
Ima Hogg, despite her unfortunate name, stands among the greatest patrons of American art. Her philanthropic legacy is broad and varied, but Bayou Bay — her home, gardens, and American decorative arts collection — is perhaps the most tangible. […]
With a wink to Gene Autry and Tex Ritter who lauded the Lone Star state with the song, Deep in the Heart of Texas, I’m singing the praises of the Menil Collection, deep in the heart of Houston. In an idyllic tree-shaded art neighborhood covering 30 urban acres, the Menil campus includes five museum buildings, […]
Not unlike Grandma’s curio cabinet, a 16th- and 17th-century ‘cabinet of curiosity” was filled with a collector’s treasures. Although a small collection might have been laid out in a drawer, or arrayed on shelves, the term cabinet originally was defined as a room rather than a piece of furniture (think water closet and the Italian equivalent, gabinetto). It […]
“Do you have family or friends in Houston?” Hearing that we don’t, the inevitable “So why are you going?” conveyed real perplexity!
“You’re going to Houston for art? REALLY?” […]
Jules Andre Smith’s experimental artist’s colony is an aesthetic masterpiece, created over 22 years by his singular artistic vision. Now the Maitland Art Center, and one of the only remaining examples “Mayan Revival” fantasy architecture in the Southeastern U.S. Smith’s compound is must-see National Historic Landmark. […]
Nestled by a Central Florida lake, under magnificent ancient oaks draped with Spanish moss, is a charming small art museum whose appeal lies in the variety of genres and time periods in the art it exhibits. […]
The uncanny appeal of one of the premier folk artists in American art history is on view at the Mennello Museum of American Art, which holds the largest collection of Cunningham’s work in the nation. […]
Years in the planning, St. Petersburg FL’s magnificent MAACM is the only museum in the world dedicated to the American Arts and Crafts Movement. MAACM is a destination museum for devotees of the design and craftsmanship of the decorative arts in America in the decades flanking the turn of the 20th century. […]
Every three years, the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) highlights the creativity and skill of contemporary portrait artists in America with the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition and exhibition. This year’s finalists demonstrate the power of the genre and its capacity to make visual a broad range of life experiences. […]