the orange show
the orange show
artist: jeff mckissack
(1902-1980)
McKissack, a postman who ventured into many side businesses,
started building the Orange Show around 1956, after he gave up on plans to
initially open a plant nursery, then later a beauty parlor.
He envisioned his new construction as a monument to health, good living, and specifically,
that Vitamin C-packed wonder, the orange. Using cast-off materials from scrap yards and Houston's
constant building demolition, McKissack began to piece together a rich collage of tiles & bricks,
stairs & corridors, wagon wheels & flags.
When he opened the Orange Show to the public in 1979, McKissack predicted that it would draw
thousands, rivaling the Astrodome as a city tourist attraction. Unfortunately, the crowds didn't come,
and he passed away just a few months later. Luckily, a group of Houston's leading art patrons saw
the importance of McKissack's creation and purchased the property from his nephew. Following a
renovation, the Show opened again, this time supported by a foundation that sought not only to
preserve the monument, but also to promote activities that would realize McKissack's dream of a citywide gathering place. Through its 20+ years of existence, the
Orange Show Center for Visionary Art has grown to become a major institution for visionary art awareness, supporting art
workshops, mural projects, lectures, films, the Eyeopener Tours program, as well as the
nationally-renowned Art Car Weekend,
held annually in May.
As a long-time volunteer, all I can say is, come to Houston and enjoy The Show.
built: c. 1956 - 1979
where: 2401 munger street, houston, texas
status: open to the public;
call (713) 926-6368 for tour info
orange show web link
Built in a working class neighborhood of east Houston, Jefferson Davis McKissack's
Orange Show is commonly described as a fun, colorful mini-amusement park dedicated to the power of
the orange. It is, in fact, one of the most architecturally sophisticated of U.S. folk art sites,
a multi-layered, multi-spatial, maze-like environment composed of the program elements of a classic Greek city
(theater, museum, agora, & temple).
