shining through

New airport art installation spotlights Houston's true colors

The H-Tones installation pays tribute to Houston.

Photo courtesy of Houston Airports

The rainbow gets a rebrand at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) thanks to a new installation by James Glassman.

H-Tones is a bold new way of welcoming international travelers at IAH, especially with the 2026 FIFA World Cup looming. The installation consists of 32 panels of translucent colored glass in the long hallway coming from Terminal D toward the U.S. Customs and Border Protection federal inspection area. Light from the vibrant Houston sun shines through the glass, creating a aurora of dancing hues for people to pass through like they are arriving in a city of rainbows.

Each of the 52 inches wide by 78 inches tall panels were created and named by Glassman, a local visual artist and writer whose Houstorian website and social media accounts honor the things that make the Bayou City great. Working from the template of the Pantone color system, he named each of his new colors after important aspects of Houston history and culture. The installation was accomplished over six months of work, and is longer than two football fields.

Some of the highlights from the collection include sports teams homages like Coogs, Luv Ya, and Clutch City; Zindler Blue, named after legendary Houston TV media personality Marvin Zindler; Menil and Orange Show for the city's iconic modern art museums; and tones honoring the famous food of Harris County like Kolache, Green Sauce, and Queso.

“This installation greets the world with the colors of Houston,” said Alton DuLaney, chief curator of cultural affairs for the City of Houston. “Each panel is a brushstroke of our city’s personality — from trail greens to taco reds — and together they create an unforgettable first impression. As Houston prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, H-Tones reflects our creative energy and the airport’s role as a global gateway.”

H-Tones is the latest in a long series of artist expansions in Houston airports under DuLaney's leadership. In November, IAH installed a massive hanging glass study in color by Dale Chihuly. Two of Houston's art cars also reside in IAH and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), both dedicated to musicians Freddie Mercury of Queen and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the latter an intrinsic part of Texas blues history. They were created by Rebecca Bass and the students of Heights High School.

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go rural

Tiny West Texas town tops Airbnb's 'off-the-map' destinations to visit

Matador, Texas, Airbnb, best rural destinations

Photo courtesy of Airbnb

Welcome to Matador, Texas.

More Texas travelers are shying away from tourist traps for their vacations and instead embracing the calming roadside with increasing interest in rural areas of the state, according to Airbnb, and one tiny Texas city in the Panhandle is generating buzz atop a brand-new list of under-the-radar rural destinations in America.

The vacation rental marketplace's inaugural "Off-the-Map" list features 20 rural destinations across the country where short-term rentals are bringing in "new opportunities for local tourism."

"From coastal fishing villages to Cajun bayou towns and alpine mountain escapes, America Off-the-Map invites travelers to discover something new and helps support local economies and communities across the country," the report said.

Matador, a small town about 80 miles northeast of Lubbock and 530 miles from Houston, was named the No. 1 hidden gem vacation destination in Texas. The report described Matador as a part of Texas that tourists "haven’t found" yet, which is what makes it all the more rewarding as an undiscovered treasure.

"Welcome to the seat of Motley County – where the wind is constant, the skies are enormous, and the history is deeper than the caprock beneath your boots," the report said.

Visitors can explore the Motley County Historical Museum, which explores the building's history as the Traweek Hospital that was originally built nearly a century ago. The museum also sheds light on Native American history, the life of ranchers, and other historical facts about the town and county.

Local restaurants like Chelle's Garden or TC's Ponderosa in nearby Dickens are good spots for travelers to eat like a local, while the Coffee Mill and Mercantile in Quitaque is the place to be for breakfast, lunch, and a cup of joe.

Matador is also less than an hour away from the newly expanded Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, a popular Texas state park known for its roaming bison herd and bat colony.

According to Airbnb's website, there are over 130 short-term rentals in Matador and the surrounding Motley County area, with some homes available for $172 for an overnight stay in April 2026.

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