Destinations

The new Bryan Museum has WOW factor

: Destinations, Galleries & Museums : Written by Troy Broussard : 08-13-2015

Welcome to the newest museum on the block, the Bryan Museum. Opened just a month ago in Galveston the Bryan Museum is located in the magnificent old Galveston Orphan’s Home on 21st Street. The museum is home to the largest collection of Southwestern art and artifacts in the world. I visited this week. J.P. Bryan is the founder and CEO of Houston-based Torch Energy Advisor and he’s a descendant of Moses Austin, the father of Stephen F. Austin. Over the years he and his wife Mary Jon Bryan amassed a vast collection of over 70,000 pieces spanning 2,500 years of …continue reading

Seeing big Shadow Monsters at a big museum

: Destinations, Galleries & Museums : Written by Troy Broussard : 07-17-2015

Shadow Monsters at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

The always glamorous Stacey Abbott accepted my invitation for an excursion to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston the other day which we would follow by a bite of lunch. Of course Hapsburg Splendor: Masterpieces from Vienna’s Imperial Collections is the main event this summer. But I also knew that there was an exhibit called Shadow Monsters of which, admittedly, I knew little about. Shadow Monsters is an interactive art installation by artist Philip Worthington. When the museum visitor steps in front of the artist’s camera a digital version of a traditional shadow-puppet theater show is projected onto the walls, …continue reading

The Heywood Building – painting a Louisiana landmark

: Destinations, TroysArt : Written by Troy Broussard : 07-15-2015

"Sunday Morning Main" by Troy Broussard, depicting Jennings, LA, & the Heywood Building; collection of Wendell Miller.

While handling some business recently in Jennings, Louisiana, primarily related to Mother’s funerary aftermath, I took time to visit a few friends as well as to view a few of my paintings. And one of the larger paintings done over the course of my art career can be found on Main Street in the lobby of the office of attorney Wendell Miller. Sunday Morning Main is a monumental cityscape done as an integral part of my Troy Broussard Paints the Town series, a collection of local Jefferson Davis Parish landmarks and landscapes, which debuted in a feature exhibit at the …continue reading

Galveston, Tropical Storm Bill, and the art of hurricane panic

: Destinations, Food & Beverage, Lifestyle : Written by Troy Broussard : 06-18-2015

The unsinkable Graham Gemoets, Galveston.

I love Galveston—it’s such a short drive from Houston but such a world away from the city. My buddy Graham Gemoets has a charming little getaway there near The Strand. With Mother’s passing and as hard as I have been working I felt long overdue for a trip and quality time with a friend. Mr. Gemoets is almost seven feet tall and more outrageous than can be recounted here–he should have his own TV show. Anyway, a Tropical Disturbance, soon to become Tropical Storm Bill, was churning in the Gulf with all spaghetti models projecting a route directly to Houston. But I …continue reading

The revered Rothko Chapel

: Artists, Destinations, Galleries & Museums : Written by Troy Broussard : 06-08-2015

Photo by Hickey-Robertson, the Rothko Chapel, Houston.

One of the first attractions I heard about when I moved to Houston was the highly revered Rothko Chapel. But back in 1987 I regrettably knew little about Mark Rothko; I was green enough to stick in the ground and grow. I studied up on Rothko a bit and looked forward to the excursion. So imagine my chagrin when, for the first time, I walked into this esteemed sanctuary and wondered where all the paintings were. But I did find the paintings, they were right in front of my face, and I have been back for many visits… “But nobody …continue reading

My encounter with Playa del Carmen

: Destinations : Written by Troy Broussard : 04-30-2015

The Mayan Gateway - a 52 foot, 60 ton bronze sculpture by Jose Arturo Tavares in Playa del Carmen

The town of Playa del Carmen barely existed when I was born… it was basically an undeveloped region of beach and jungle. In the 1960s it gained notoriety when Jacques Cousteau filmed a documentary about the Great Mayan Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world. Once he labeled it the world’s top diving site, the Island of Cozumel took flight as a tropical playground. This post is a brief account of my encounter with the Yucatan Peninsula. Playa del Carman is the site of ancient Maya ruins known as Xaman Ha. Xaman Ha is the point where Mayans would rest before making …continue reading

Climbing the Mayan Ruins at Tulum

: Destinations : Written by Troy Broussard : 04-22-2015

The Temple of the Descending God at Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico

The prospect of climbing the Mayan ruins at Tulum greatly interested me. After all, I’ve never seen New World ruins before… While I’ve heard that Chichen Itza is considered by many to be the king of Mayan ruins, the site at Tulum must certainly be the queen. Situated on a tall cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea (in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico), Tulum was one of the last Maya inhabited cities, 70 years past Spanish occupation—though the golden era for this fortified port city was between the 13th and 15th Century. Tulum faces east toward the rising sun and …continue reading

Galveston Gung Ho

: Destinations : Written by Troy Broussard : 03-28-2015

Someone once said about Galveston that if you just lower your expectations you won’t be disappointed. Well, I think that is a little harsh. I happen to adore the island, one might even say that I am gung ho. I even had my own get-away there a few years back—but one shouldn’t have to lower expectations, rather just know what to expect. In my work I meet new transplants to Houston on a daily basis. I like to tell them about the museums, the restaurants, and “to do” list ideas. But when Galveston comes up they all seem to have the …continue reading

The Great Gaido’s Debacle of 2015; the art of serving fancy fish…

: Destinations, Food & Beverage : Written by Troy Broussard : 03-26-2015

Oysters on the Half Shell at Gaido's, Galveston

I remember going to Galveston when we were kids and of course my parents took us to Gaido’s. We were fascinated by the gargantuan crab on the roof with a placard “Caught in Galveston Bay”, debating whether or not it was real. It usually took about an hour to get a table but there was a gift shop to peruse and cases of cut crystal to view while waiting. And once seated that piping hot oval dish of Crab au Gratin made everything right in the world. Gaido’s is synonymous with seafood in Galveston. In 1911 San Giacinto Gaido opened the famous fresh fish house. Still family owned …continue reading

A low key birthday with Sisterwoman, wine, and art

: Destinations, TroysArt : Written by Troy Broussard : 01-08-2015

It’s me on my birthday with Picasso’s Seated Woman, the Museum of Fine Art – Houston.

I love having a birthday on January 2nd; I start a new year with a new age, it’s like a full cycle. But celebrating in a big way can be difficult. It’s like just when you thought the holidays were over, guess what! People are partied out by January 2nd. And to travel somewhere sensational is expensive because airlines and hotels are charging New Year’s premiums. And then this year, given the loss of our dear Lisa Benitez and the epic funerary festivities that followed, I was absolutely exhausted both mentally and physically. So this year I opted for a low key birthday …continue reading