Art Car Museum Set to Make a Comeback Through Orange Show Center, per Houston Chronicle
In a story that bridges Houston’s cultural legacy with its creative future, the Houston Chronicle reports that the Art Car Museum—closed earlier this year—will soon reemerge thanks to a $1.25 million gift from the family of late founder Ann O’Connor Williams Harithas. The donation to the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art will fund a new 5,000-square-foot museum space, ensuring the preservation and celebration of the art car movement in its rightful birthplace: Houston.
The article outlines the journey of the original Art Car Museum—affectionately dubbed “The Garage Mahal”—from its founding in 1998 to its recent closure following the deaths of Ann and cofounder James Harithas. The gift, made through the South Texas Charitable Foundation, allows The Orange Show to carry the torch, expanding its campus to include iconic vehicles and rotating installations that define the genre’s artistic freedom and eccentric charm.
With design led by Rogers Partners, the expanded Orange Show campus will also honor Houston’s deep roots in custom car culture, including lowriders, SLABs, and the uniquely expressive aesthetic that gave rise to the city’s globally recognized Art Car Parade.
As a proud sponsor of the Art Car Parade and a longtime supporter of The Orange Show’s mission, SULLTRAIN is honored to share this major milestone in the city’s creative renaissance—where outsider art finds a permanent home in the heart of Houston.
