Orange Show Foundation

Inspired by outsider art and artist-built environments, creative programming brings the community together to create, teach, observe, and appreciate performing and visual arts. Programming focuses on four mission-centered areas: Environments, Education and Outreach, Experiences, and Exhibitions. Examples include the Conservation Corps, a conservator-guided, artist-facilitated preservation and maintenance program for the Orange Show Monument and Beer Can House outsider art environments. The Mural Program unites artists from diverse backgrounds to transform our space with large-scale canvases, and we collaborate with at-risk youth on mural projects for their schools and neighborhoods.Continued on Schedule O. Performances at the Orange Show Monument feature unique, visionary talents and enliven the environment. The Happening, a free monthly performance art and open mic showcase, highlights some of Houston's most creative minds. Smither Park Sundays offers free concerts at the Lindley Fish Amphitheater, and site-specific exhibitions by Houston artists celebrate groundbreaking contemporary art as artists respond to our unique property.The Orange Show Monument: In the 1950s, retired postman Jeff McKissack began transforming an East End lot into a 3,000-square-foot monument to the orange. He crafted every inch of The Orange Show by hand as a testament to his belief in good nutrition and hard work. Adorned with gears, tiles, wheels, and mannequins, its intricate structure is considered one of the nation's most significant folk-art environments and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Each year, the Orange Show Foundation welcomes thousands of visitors from Houston and beyond to experience the Orange Show environment and visionary art through tours, workshops, and special events.The Beer Can House: In 2001, the Orange Show Foundation acquired the local folk art treasure known as the Beer Can House. Decades earlier, John Milkovisch had transformed his home and yard using more than 50,000 flattened beer cans, marbles, and pebbles. Consistently ranked as one of Houston's top attractions, the Beer Can House welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world. Private tours are offered year-round and have been arranged for senior citizen groups, civic organizations, and universities.

Smither Park is a creative urban space designed by visionary artist and builder Dan Phillips, in collaboration with visionary art collector and OSCVA board member Stephanie Smither, to honor her late husband, John H. Smither. This half-acre park features a fish-shaped amphitheater, pavilion, swings, meditation garden, marble-roll tower, and a sprawling 400-foot Memory Wall with over 60 mosaic panels. Each feature is adorned with intricate mosaic work crafted from recycled and found materials by more than 300 local artists in collaboration with community volunteers. The park has revitalized this historically underserved area, offering a beautiful space for community gatherings. Continued on Schedule O. The mosaic murals of Smither Park serve as both the setting and inspiration for events and workshops focused on imagination, skill development, and creative reuse.