Take in the legacy of the Art Car Museum and its founders before it closes permanently on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
As the last bejeweled, painted, feathered and fur-covered vehicles roll through the 37th Art Car Parade finish line, one of Houston’s enduring cultural institutions will enter its final two weeks of operation, mere blocks away.
Since 1998, the Art Car Museum has carved a home along the sparse stretch of Heights Boulevard nearby.
Adorned by silver spikes and spires, as well as intricate chrome elements tamed by artist David Best, the spellbinding facade calls out to passersby that a certain creative spirit can be found there, open to all.
Housing art cars both current and from years past, as well as contemporary art exhibitions, the space has long served as a haven for many of Houston’s creative minds. Behind its ethos, an uncompromising desire to foster community and project an awareness to the public of art’s capacity to explore cultural, political, economic and personal dimensions.
Founded by Ann and James Harithas, a power couple in the city’s offbeat art scene, the so-called “Garage Mahal” will shutter its doors permanently on Sunday, April 28.
Art cars are an expression of your freedom and above all, of the God-given American right to be yourself and flaunt it on the highways and byways of America.
James Harithas, Art Cars — Revolutionary Movement, 1997
Over the years, the Art Car Museum has showcased wildly imaginative art cars created and collected by Ann Harithas and other local artists.
Alongside those displays, visitors could explore rotating exhibitions in contemporary artforms of painting, sculpture, photography and beyond—all while fostering the spirit of revolutionary politics and self-expression.
Ann passed in late 2021, followed soon after by James in 2023.
Together, the pair helped establish the global art car phenomenon and laid strong roots for Houston’s creative community that continue to strengthen decades later.
In addition to the Art Car Museum, Ann and James also established Five Points Museum in Victoria, as well as the Station Museum of Contemporary Art in Third Ward, which closed in 2022.
The Creative Era of Ann Harithas
The final exhibition at Art Car Museum, The Creative Era of Ann Harithas, opened last October and will help usher in the last days of the museum itself.
Through collage works and multiple art cars, the exhibition offers an in-depth retrospective on Ann’s creative vision throughout her life, as well as her artistic legacy that can be traced beyond the borders of Houston to places like New York, California, and around the globe.
While the Art Car Museum will cease in its current form, organizers continue to explore next steps for the collection and its future in Houston’s art world.
For now, visitors have just several days left for a pilgrimage to the Garage Mahal.
As always, admission is free, but by appointment only. Fortunately, you can secure same-day appointments by giving them a call at 713-861-5526.
Art Car Museum in the Heights
- Dates: Wednesdays to Sundays through Sunday, April 28, 2024
- Times: 11am to 5pm
- Location: 140 Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77007
- Admission: Free, by appointment only. Same-day appointments available when you call 713-861-5526. Learn more about the Art Car Museum.
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