Memorial Day

This somewhat unique patriotic sculpture is located within Lynn Eusan Park on the campus of the University of Houston.

Elvis... Has Left the Blog.

This will wrap up the images for last week's Art Car Parade. Yes... two hours of fun and a week's worth of blog posts. Hopefully, they captured the atmosphere of one of Houston's big events.

That's all folks!!

A Few Of My Favorite Things...

Here are a few of my favorite images from last Sunday's 2011 Art Car Parade. How can you not enjoy a cute bunny... with large, sharp, pointy teeth?

Or a car covered with synchronized singing fish?

... and this. I have no explanation, but this last image summed up the afternoon.

Some People Just Can't Wait

We've had cars and bicycles and now something inbetween. Using go-karts instead of an automobile does leave more room in the garage.

Unless, of course, its your ladder.

On A Bicycle Built For...

Dr. Seuss?? Cars weren't the only thing participating in the Art Car Parade. There were plenty of people representing the 2-wheeled versions.

Some... a little more enthusiastic than others.

Some... a little more diabolic.

Some... were thinking out of the box a bit.

and others... well... your guess is as good as mine.

The Gang's All Here!!

A big part of the Art Car Parade is having fun, and that was quite obvious as several of the entries were "groups". I'm not sure what the affiliation or connection was, but this group of Zebras definitely were having a BLAST

Even the kids got involved!!

Welcome To The Machine

As I mentioned yesterday, several of the entries in the Art Car Parade over the weekend were very impressive combinations of pieces of machinery and art.

Well... most of them were.

Talk To the Animals

The 2011 Art Car Parade had over 250 entries. Some were automobiles with fancy paint jobs, some were simple projects, some were over-the-top works of art.

Several took an animal theme.

Then there was a Trojan Chicken. Which... was for sale, if anyone is interested.

Some took a more mythical animal theme.

...and then there were...

um... well...

Your guess is as good as mine.

In Case You Were Wondering...

This... is an Art Car.

And today was the annual spectacular that is the Art Car Parade. 300,000 of my closest friends lined Allen Parkway soaking in the over 250 entries that made up The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art's 24th parade.

I'll spend the next several days re-visiting today's action, so tune in to see what sort of craziness ensued.

Roundabout...

Nothing fancy... just a capture of a local pipe supply yard. One of several supplying the many oil and gas industries in the area.

Points of Light

Texas born sculptor James Surls' "Points of Light" is located right in the middle of the newly renovated Market Square.

In Bloom

The Stroud Rose Garden is in its prime. Located within the Houston Garden Society on the edge of Hermann Park, it holds a special place for me as it is located directly aross the street from the hospital where both of my children were born.

Ooooops!!

What looks like a parking mishap, is actually just a clever ploy to draw attention to a downtown parking garage in the courthouse district at the corner of Fannin and Franklin.

Play Me a Song?

Another of David Adickes' sculptures resides in front of the office building The Lyric Centre. "The Virtuoso" joins the other works of his that were shown HERE and HERE

Sabine Street Bridge

Designed by W.W. Washburn and completed in 1924, the Sabine Street Bridge offers the perfect opportunity for snapping a photo of Houston's downtown skyline.

Dots Mark the Spot

Located just outside The Children's Museum, highlighted yesterday, is this lamp post which seems to have become a tradition of sorts, as it is simply covered with museum attendance stickers from those that visited the museum.

A Playground for Your Mind

We could call use that from time to time, couldn’t we? Housed in the whimsically Robert Venturi-designed building, The Children’s Museum of Houston is 90,000 square feet of interactive fun for our younger citizens. Voted the best children’s museum in the country by Parent’s Magazine it houses several permanent exhibits, and is a VERY popular destination for birthday parties.

BIG Surprise!!

Dance Across the Street

The new Houston Ballet Center for Dance opened its doors recently and the new facility includes this stainless steel skybridge for access directly to the Wortham Center.

Dolphin Fountain

While most photos of a large city feature the well-known landmarks, today’s is not the case. Located in the small neighborhood Lamar Park in Neartown this fountain is one of many hidden secrets tucked away in our city.

Set In Stone

Well... basically concrete. This is just one of the many concrete street markers seen throughout the older neighborhoods of Houston.

Popular several decades ago, it is no longer the case.

Your Carriage Awaits

A favorite of local children, this Cinderella Carriage is located in River Oaks Parks. I can’t seem to find anything on the “history” of it, which is a shame because I was hoping to find a really cool story behind it.

Subliminal Suggestion??

I discussed the art car phenomenon briefly HERE, and here is just another example found one Saturday afternoon. I’m curious though… I wonder if there is an underlying message to this one.

Only Time Will Tell

It might not look like it, but this is actually one of the City of Houston’s prize historical artifacts. The Louis and Annie Friedman Clock Tower houses the original clockworks of the city’s fourth city hall that was located on Market Square.

Originally crated up after the old City Hall’s demise, the clock somehow ended up in an amusement park in East Texas. The city brought it back to Houston in 1988 and in 1996 paired it with a 2800-pound fire bell that survived the 1903 City Hall fire. The 65-foot tall tower now stands watch across from the newly re-developed Market Square.

Fill 'Er Up...

Located at the corner of Alabama and La Branch St. sits this display of public art.

Air is much cheaper than gasoline these days.

Heritage Plaza

My favorite building of the downtown skyline is the very visible Heritage Plaza. With 53 floors, it’s not the tallest building, but its Mayan pyramid inspired stepped granite cap is what makes it so unique.

May Theme Day – Mail Box

This month’s City Daily Photo Community theme is “Mail Box”.

I’ve featured photos of John Milkovisch’s Beer Can house before… HERE and HERE, but today’s features… Yes, you guessed it. The mail box.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants