Popular Destinations in the Houston Museum District

 The Houston Museum District Association (HMDA) is an artistic, scientific, and educational collaborative that uses the collective resources of the many Houston Museum District institutions to provide citizens and visitors with a diversity of experiences. HMDA formed in 1997 with eleven institutions, and is now a 501(c)(3) organization with 19 members within a 1.5 mile radius of Hermann Park. These institutions include the Museum of Fines Arts, Houston, and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

With a collection exceeding 65,000 works of art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston ranks as one of the 10 most comprehensive art museums in all of America. The museum’s campus features six main areas, ranging from the Glassell School of Art to the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, along with multiple cafes and libraries and a cinema. In the past the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has hosted special exhibits such as Soul of a Nation, a virtual panel discussion highlighting multiple Black cultural organizations in Houston. Individuals interested in the decorative arts, meanwhile, can explore the two adjacent house museums, Rienzi and the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens.

The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston was established in 1948 with a goal of sharing and preserving exciting art not just from the Houston region, but from visual artists around the world. In addition to hosting exhibits and special events highlighting new art, the museum is committed to exploring art’s function in the modern world through a series of lectures, programs, and museum publications. The museum also operates a store that contains contemporary art pieces and designer-made jewelry, as well as educational toys and games. A stainless steel building designed by renowned architect Gunnar Birkets, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is one of the most recognizable buildings in the city.

A few of the other institutions making up HMDA include the Houston Center for Photography (HCP) and the Houston Zoo, Inc. HCP began as a small visual arts gallery in 1981. Over the course of more than four decades, HCP has provided the public with more than 300 photography classes for photographers at every level, along with year-round workshops and free access to the HCP gallery. Exhibits at the museum in 2022 included Beyond the Record: Muriel Hasbun, Stephanie Concepcion Ramirez, Jessica Carolina Gonzalez and Collaborations XIX: Rooted, part of the Access and Community Education program that promotes artists and photographers from local high schools.

Finally, the Houston Zoo is a global leader when it comes to protecting and saving animals in the wild. The zoo is the proud home of more than 6,000 full-time residents, with each animal receiving the highest possible standard of treatment. The Houston Zoo educates upwards of 2 million visitors every year, while supporting nearly 50 wildlife conservation initiatives in countries around the world. It is the best attended attraction in the Houston region, and the second most visited zoo in the United States.

Additional HMDA institutions range from the Asia Society Texas Center to the Houston Museum of African American Culture. More information about these and other venues can be found online at houmuse.org.

Photos Presented in Masterpieces of the Mineral World

 In addition to serving as the president and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) since 2004, Joel A. Bartsch educates the public on mineralogy via methods like curated museum exhibits and publications. One example of Joel Bartsch’s published works is Masterpieces of the Mineral World: Treasures from the Houston Museum of Natural Science (Masterpieces of the Mineral World).

Masterpieces of the Mineral World educates readers on pieces from the HMNS’ Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals, one of its permanent exhibits. They are presented as a coffee table book, primarily photographs rather than text highlighting each specimen. Jeffrey Scovil took the 150 photos within, taking care to emulate the view granted by real-world visitors to the hall, who may observe the pieces through the glass from all angles.

Wendell E. Wilson and Mark Mauthner authored Masterpieces of the Mineral World, and Bartsch curated the photographs. Harry N. Abrams Published the 264-page hardcover book in November 2004.

Legacy of Charro, Houston Museum of Natural Science’s Iguana Mascot

 Joel A. Bartsch is a longtime institutional leader who holds responsibilities as CEO with the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS). One of the unique aspects of the museum Joel A. Bartsch guides is the Cockrell Butterfly Center, which inhabits its own glass pyramid and was for many years home to the HMNS’ unofficial iguana mascot Charro.

Unfortunately, the iguana passed away in May 2022. Known for lounging on his “throne” (an air conditioning vent), Charro would get out and about at night, snacking on Pentas flowers. He was also known for his ability to chase other males away during mating season. As described by the butterfly center’s manager, he was “intermittently grumpy or spicy” and “gave really good side-eye,” which she attributes to Charro’s facial structure more than anything.

Charro mellowed with age and took on a late career as a thespian, starting with donning a unicorn hat. From there, he progressed to roles as a Boy Scout, Yoda, an entomologist (butterfly collector), and even Juan Valdez, the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation’s ambassador. After retiring to warm baths and fresh salad at the back of the center in 2021, the celebrity iguana put in a holiday appearance as Charro Clause, wearing a scarf and festive hat.

The average iguana has a lifespan of between 12 to 15 years, and Charro passed all expectations by dying in his sleep just after his 23rd birthday. He left behind him a worthy successor in Nacho, who now presides over the Cockrell Butterfly Center.

Gemstones and Minerals in Texas

 A longtime Houston resident, Joel A. Bartsch has served as the president and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Science since 2004. In this capacity, he supervises curators and museum personnel, coordinating their efforts to create immersive exhibitions. Joel Bartsch has a particular interest in gems and mineralogy.

Texas is recognized for its ample energy resources, but not for precious gemstones and minerals. In fact, no precious gemstone is mined in Texas. That said, the state is the home of Texas Blue Topaz - a gemstone with a characteristic blue color that makes it usable for making gem-quality jewelry. In the past, Texas Blue Topaz was considered a precious gem because the color was rarely found elsewhere in the U.S. But its value depreciated when a process for converting colorless topaz to blue topaz was developed. Blue topaz is found naturally in the Llano uplift area of Central Texas, but it is not mined commercially.

Another notable gemstone in Texas is petrified palm wood. Also called Texas State Stone, petrified palmwood is the fossilized wood of palm trees that lived roughly 20 to 40 million years ago. These hard minerals exhibit soft luster and hues of green, orange, and blue. They are semi-precious gemstones with applications in jewelry making, paperweight manufacturing, and paleontological research, among others.