Fine Arts | Museums

     A cultural Mecca, Houston is respected for its creative expression in the arts. For music and dance aficionados, The Society for the Performing Arts sponsors internationally acclaimed performances and artists, ranging from modern dance and ballet to high caliber performers such as Itzhak Perlman, James Galway, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The 400,000 square foot Wortham Theater Center, home of the Houston Metropolitan Ballet, now in it's 22nd season, and the Houston Grand Opera, the internationally acclaimed producer of music theater, is the nation's largest arts complex funded totally by private contributions. The Alley Theater, the Ensemble Theater and numerous community theaters produce classic and contemporary plays known on and off Broadway. The Arts Alliance Center at Clear Lake presents and promotes various facets of the arts in our local area. The AACCL joins with artists and art organizations providing tools needed, including a gallery, a monthly magazine, a center for gatherings, programs, meetings, workshops, ideas and exchange.

     The Houston Symphony continues its commitment to artistic excellence and community service. Founded in 1913, the Houston Symphony has enjoyed steady artistic growth under strong musical leaders including Leopold Stokowski, Sir John Barbirolli, Andre Previn, Lawrence Foster, Sergiu Comissiona andMaestro Christoph Eschenbach since 1988. Through 200 performances annually on the Classical Series, special classical concerts, the Houston Symphony-Exxon Pops Series, and numerous educational and community outreach concerts, reaches an audience of 300,000. The Houston Metropolitan Ballet, one of the nation's largest ballet companies, opens its 22nd season in '97-'98.

     The Clear Lake Metropolitan Ballet is a regional ballet company that offers the local area four major events each season. Guest dancers are usually involved in seasonal performance. CLMB has dancers ranging from elementary school age to seniors in high school. Their reputation for quality brings visiting principals from elite companies such as the Houston Ballet, the New York Ballet and the Balshoi Ballet.

     Some other cultural community clubs include the Bay Area Bluegrass Assoc., the League City Arts & Crafts Club, the Bay Area Chorus, the Clear Lake Symphony, and the Friendswood Fine Arts Council.

     Houston's museum district is one of the best places to embrace a variety of cultural facilities. Houston has the distinction of housing the superb Menil Collection, 10,000 pieces of art, from the Paleolithic period to modern times. Assembled by John and Dominique de Menil, it opened in 1987 to worldwide acclaim and appreciation. The city also abounds with other museums and galleries, including the Museum of Fine Arts, displaying renowned sculptures and artifacts, and the new and improved Contemporary Art Museum, recently reopened after months of renovation, displaying major local and nationally renowned artists' works. At the Children's Museum children can participate in educational exhibits and classes covering science, history, technology, world culture, health and the arts. The Museum of Natural Science, located at the north end of Herman Park, offers medicine, gems & minerals, petroleum science, and space exhibits, as well as dinosaur replicas and fossils. The Burke Baker Planetarium recreates different historical time views of our galaxy and provides stargazing in a domed room. Housed in the same complex is the Cockrell Butterfly Center and the Wortham IMAX 3-D Theater, which displays large clear images onto a 6 story by 80 foot wide screen. The San Jacinto Museum of History houses a permanent exhibit of 400 years of Texas history, with highly valued collections of historical artifacts, documents, books and paintings, as well as the worlds tallest column, the 1570 ft. high San Jacinto Monument. At the park's western border, the Battleship Texas is berthed on the Houston Ship Channel. It is the only surviving combat ship to have served in both World Wars. The Holocaust Museum is an education center and memorial.