photos continue
from previous post
only not next door "green" Smither Park
it's Orange House/Orange Show/The Orange Show...
on with the show
the orange show
sometimes too there really is a show
but a concert maybe
instead of what was imagined when the postman lived here
one idea for a show
in the center ring filled with water
would be something like a squirrel water skiing
which he'd seen before
and I actually vaguely recall seeing a photo of such a thing
the kid's I'm sure woulda loved it
link to Twiggy's Wiki--the (not necessarily one & only) water skiing squirrel...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twiggy_the_Water-Skiing_Squirrel
(note: there are of course YouTubes galore...)
link to Twiggy's webpage...
http://www.twiggyskis.com/
(Twiggy was touring in 2010, but don't see anything after that date...)
a lot of objects whirl in the wind
not just metal blue birds either
not just carnival/circus parts
to the Orange Show/House/Monument
but there is love, there are (a lot of) hearts
there are a lot of words
there is just a lot going on here
we're in Texas
so of course the Lone Star flag would be flying
over the mini big top orange/white tents
(thankfully there is not an overload of Orange colors here,
which obviously he could of gotten carried away with...)
down below the view of the ring
where the skiing squirrel would have maybe performed
if the ring were full of water
now it's a ring for concerts, an orchestra I'm told has been here
some players down below
and some up in the (tractor) seats above
as part of maintenance (can only image)
the metal blue birds have been repainted
as are a lot of other metal parts or walls or who knows what all objects
while I was there a Community Service bunch was working
cleaning/sweeping the house, the show, the monument...
I love the design of this tile
if I could find it I would use it
reminds me of fallen leaves
or stones in a shallow pool
I might add some Koi fish
around a corner going to The Side Show
there is a statue/fountain
that reminds me of the Morton Salt Girl with her famous umbrella
(do y'all remember those adverts?)
only this one has a little dog underneath her feet
link to the history of the Morton Salt Umbrella Girl...
http://www.mortonsalt.com/our-history/history-of-the-umbrella-girl
the man behind it all
Jefferson Davis McKissack
aka the postman from up north
link to Jefferson Davis McKissack Bio - Texas State Historical Association...
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fmcdb
some of the mosaics
the words, the orange words
"Go Orange, Be Strong"
local wild life comes for a visit
the green chameleon/lizard
no flash of his orange throat
which of course would be appropo for The Orange Show
thru the wagon wheel, of many
boulders, rocks around the 'pond' below
metal blue birds fly above
as I sit on the colorful tractor seat above all that
some of the words in the walls
the prosaic mosaics
"Birds of a Feather, Flock Together - Aesop"
closer view of the pond pebbles, stone leaves, on the wall,
another mosaic that's not prosaic, like the hearts only less so
mosaic prosaic looking toward the pond
and above one of the set of tractor seats
stone lions guard the gates
"Love Me Orange"
like the hearts, there is love
there is a heart in the 'o' of the word love as well
you feel the love in the whole of the place
even if not so obvious
the gift shop
is also online I'm told
there is The Orange Show
The Beer Can House
The Art Car Parade T-Shirt
(there are also postcards, there are stickers...)
funny there are tiles of antique cars
when the Art Cars/Parade comes later
mosaic prosaic with a cement owl on top
"A Wise Old Owl, Sat in a tree, The more he saw, The less he said, The less he said, The more he heard, Why can't we be like the Wise Old Owl"
The Wishing Well
hearts abound, as wishes may well have
no water in the well, no bucket above it - but maybe in the past there were both
pan the piper
stands before the wishing well
rowed by hearts of every color
a rainbow of love
the metalwork detail of the fence surrounding The Orange House/Show/Monument
(am wondering if they've been able to maintain the original colors to the metal & all else here)
"Be Smart..."
Be Smart Be Orange...really am not sure what was next, as I didn't take a photo of the rest
I like tho that "Art" is in the word "Smart"
looking out one of the wheel gates to the front yard
and over to the Art Car post at the house across the street
which is headquarters & I think where the artist actually lived
"Time for Orange"
Conficious Say...(did he spell that right? Opps--No, it's suppose to be "Confucius")
"If you do not want to be criticized, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing"
note: later I will read, though he's educated/degreed he is not a good speller - the brochure mentions him being a 'creative speller' I believe, which leaves the window open for parents/teachers to tell their kids/students--no that's not how you spell that word
the Oasis
which now has a water fountain in the back
but I've read he had planned to have orange juice in there instead
and as well the best orange juice maker ever to make the said orange juice
clown face of found parts near the exit
as much a part of a circus as the orange/white canopy above
which I don't mind as much as the ones that are live, in costume
(The Stand or Clowns from Outer Space comes to mind & not fondly?!)
the exit aside one of how many found objects
a bucking bronco by a cactus, tho could be a Texas cowboy
how he could relate that back to oranges would be a wonder
love the turn stiles made of handles & rods
it does spin 'round
so creatively simple
note: I did miss photographs in the only interior part of the Orange Show
it's got A/C in there so a nice respite, if not an Oasis in itself only of cold air rather than cold orange juice (or now a days cold water--I was given a cold water bottle to walk around with though...)
inside the inside museum part of the orange show/museum are listed: Santa's Son, Woodman, Blacksmith, Scarecrow, Indian, Clown, Deer heads, Chandeliers, Orange Trees, Frog/Churn, Bride...or from what I gather of the Annotated Tour Visitor's Guide Brochure (printed on orange paper, for a Dollar)
I think all that is inside, but I didn't take photos as there were actually others in line to walk thru at the same time I was there--when I'd thought it was just me & the community service workers, plus the nice (also a folk artist) volunteer lady Lynette who showed me around to get started...
looking across the street from where the artist's house once stood
now the admin bldg for the organization
that runs not only The Orange Show, but the Beer Can House
and the Art Car Parade - am not sure if they all keep up with Smither Park too
the Art Car Parade flame
close up of possibly all the up to this date art cars, but I doubt it & there will be more
this year was their 26th year for the Art Car Parade
flame on Art Car Parade!
~~~
link to The Orange Show, The Orange House, The Orange Monument...
http://orangeshow.org/
note: where you'll also find Smither Park & the Art Car Parade
link to Facebook - The Orange Show...
https://www.facebook.com/theorangeshow
link to Twitter - Orange Show...
https://twitter.com/orangeshow
link to National Center for Preservation Technology & Training...a video and speakers in 2012 in Louisiana regarding the conservation of Jefferson Davis McKissacks Orange Show - cleverly entitled The Greatest Show on Earth, tho not Barnum & Bailey's Circus but The Orange Show...
http://ncptt.nps.gov/blog/the-greatest-show-on-earth-the-history-and-conservation-of-jefferson-davis-mckissacks-orange-show/
note: the video lasts 40:26 min's - thought at first Wow I'll learn a lot, but then the sound when she starts speaking is so awful/ting-y am not sure can listen to it all...
link to The Orange Show Wiki...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Davis_McKissack
note: it is on the National Register of Historic Place as of 2005...
link to other articles under the National Register/National Parks when you search for The Orange Show--it goes back to the National Center for Preservation Technology & Training...
http://ncptt.nps.gov/blog/the-orange-show-center-for-visionary-art/
video runs 16:08 min's
part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art...
(note: I may have said Outside Folk Art earlier, thinking Outside as in Outdoors rather than Outsider as in not an Insider/not a Fine Artist then...)
link to what is hopefully the slide of the Museum Interior, so you can see the woodman sign & model next to the deer head with the ping pong ball eyeball & tied on with a string antlers...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nKm6sIutsMA#t=404s
link to YouTubes...
What is the Orange Show? by Fresh Arts Houston...
http://youtu.be/h538GgHNR-Y
Mother Falcon live @ orange show Houston 3/23/13...
http://youtu.be/TnFeCPDsVD4
Driven by Vision - Don't Mess with Texas...
http://youtu.be/HfRmTUrOuKk
And here Jeff McKissack speaks on these videos - recordings done in 1978/1979...
"What is the strange "folk art" experience in Houston, Texas, known as the "Orange Show?" The one person who knew was its creator--the elusive "creative artistic building genius"--Jeff D. McKissack, who died in 1980. This is a five part documentary of his thoughts and inspiration."
Jeff's Tour of the Orange Show - Part 1...
http://youtu.be/mDZRlI1dyfk
Jeff's Tour of the Orange Show - Part 2...
http://youtu.be/T4cI1O0rmTI
Jeff's Tour of the Orange Show - Part 3...
http://youtu.be/UCsAzUjzitQ
Jeff's Tour of the Orange Show - Part 4...
http://youtu.be/eesMSiWQVjI
Jeff's Tour of the Orange Show - Part 5...
http://youtu.be/hrokmMyOgdc
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