Art works shape the personality of Discovery Green. The work of various artists—from talented high school students in Houston to internationally acclaimed sculptors—contribute to the unique beauty of the park. Four fixed and two moving permanent works of art are located in the park. Please ask about our temporary art exhibits as well.  

TO AVOID INJURY, please do not climb or mark the works of art!  These works of art are fragile!

Monument Au Fantome

The large free-form red-white-blue sculpture on Avenida de las Americas is the park’s most well-known artwork and one of Houston’s great treasures.  Its title means “Monument to the Phantom” or imaginary city in French.  There are seven individual forms that represent different features of this city, including a church, hedge, chimney, dog, phantom, tree and mast.  The sculpture is by Jean Dubuffet, an internationally-known 20th century French sculptor who passed away in 1985 (two years after the sculpture was completed).  He liked to communicate fresh ideas without reference to “cultural clichés.”  Dubuffet was inspired by the art of outsiders, which he called “L’Art Brut of which Houston has many excellent examples, including The Orange Show. The sculpture is painted fiberglass over steel frames, and the tallest piece is 33 feet.  The sculpture is part of his Hourloupe series, which has companion sculptures in New York, Chicago and Europe. Many Houstonians may remember the previous location of this sculpture at 1100 Louisiana. Many thanks to the Dan Duncan family, who donated this treasured sculpture to Discovery Green. See a virtual tour of the Monument au Fantome.

Please respect the art. No climbing allowed on the artwork.

Art Carts

The Art Carts are golf carts that have been converted into works of art specifically for Discovery Green. The “Dragon Cart” is by the Waltrip High School Art Club whose teacher was Rebecca Bass. “Jadee” is the creation of Mark Bradford, a well-known art car artist.  Both are inspired by Houston’s Art Car Parade. The carts are out on weekends when the weather is nice, and they are location points for the park’s recreational equipment.

Synchronicity of Color

These “art boxes” were commissioned by Discovery Green, but the work was implemented by the Houston Arts Alliance (www.houstonartsalliance.com/ ) and the city of Houston. The city owns the largest two of the four-piece ensemble as they flank the city’s two garage stair structures.  Margo Sawyer (margosawyer.com/), a professor of art at the University of Texas at Austin, conceived and fabricated the metal boxes while she was participating in the master planning for the park. Their paint is used on drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.  The major pieces are “blue” and “red.”  Margo created two “echoes” that are part of the ensemble – the orange-themed boxes at The Grove and a mix of colors at HPL Express.  Margo believed the park would benefit from color, and she delivered many times over.  Her work offers some of the most popular photo spots in the park. See a photo of the installation featured in the New York Times.

Please respect the art. No climbing allowed on the artwork.

Mist Tree

This focal point of the Sarofim Picnic Lawn is by Doug Hollis, an artist from the San Francisco area. Hollis likes to work with natural phenomena: in this case, water and mist. The mist is created by eighty nozzles that form a mist cloud in the bowl of the stainless-steel sculpture, while a circular pan creates a rain curtain around the perimeter. The water is re-circulated and filtered, and it automatically shuts off if the wind threatens to scatter the too much water. There are no set hours for the Mist Tree.

Listening Vessels

With sound in mind, Doug Hollis created these two stone sculptures out of Alabama limestone. Their concave interiors focus sound waves, allowing you to speak very softly and be heard in the other vessel seventy feet away. The vessels are located in the Wortham Foundation Gardens.

Download a copy of Discovery Green’s Art Brochure (PDF).