An Auto remix
Sunday Funday: Art Car Parade switches dates to open national museums conference
When CultureMap first broke the story on Houston hosting the 2011 American Association of Museums Annual Meeting, it became evident that the event, with its 5,000-plus attendees, would be a boon for boosters of the Houston arts scene. Thanks to the innovative spirit of the local art community, the AAM conference will not be just a meeting of the minds, but a spectacle showcasing Houston's art achievements.
Number one on that long list is the annual Orange Show Center for Visionary Art's Art Car Parade, which has been selected as the opening event for the international expo.
"The 2011 parade, which will be held on May 22nd, will usher in thousands of international museum affiliates, descending upon Houston for the first time to experience the Houston art community," the Orange Show's Ashley Duffy told CultureMap. The visiting museum curators, practitioners and visionaries will hail from over 50 nations, arriving with open eyes, although they're still uninitiated in the city's appetite for quirk and kitsch in public art.
"The art cars are guaranteed to be one of the most exceptional public art form displays the AAM has ever encountered," the Orange Show said in a prepared statement. The blowout will be preceded on Friday, May 20 with the Art Car Ball, followed by a sneak peek and illuminated cruise on Saturday.
In 2012, the Orange Show will resume its tradition of scheduling the parade the second Saturday of May.