Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo History Exhibit
February 1, 2024 - July 31, 2024
From award-winning paintings to vintage bronco bull riding photos, this HLSR exhibit complements the rodeo season in February and the Texas History Month in March.
This exhibit represents the cowboy spirit across Houston’s main heritages and is a big part of Houston history! Rodeo culture brings nearly all Texans together through food, skills competitions, music, parades, fundraisers, the carnival, vendors/exhibitors, and family entertainment.
“This exhibit portrays decades of the legendary organization and makes people realize the journey of how the food on their plate arrived and how important it is to support education for today’s agricultural and livestock industries.” says Alison Bell, Executive Director of The Heritage Society.
Some of the artifacts include-
George Bush Presidential Library Foundation saddle holder
Black and Hispanic Cowboy Heritage
Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, Cody Johnson, Alabama, plus more signed guitars showcase (#swifties)
Photography, paintings, collectibles, costumery, and memorabilia of all the competitions
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ promotes agriculture by hosting an annual, family-friendly experience that educates and entertains the public, supports Texas youth, showcases Western heritage and provides year-round educational support within the community. Since its beginning in 1932, the Rodeo has committed more than $575 million to Texas youth and education.
About the Exhibitor: The Western Art Committee focuses on bringing important memorabilia and Western art, including monumental bronzes, to Show offices and facilities. Additionally, the committee archives Show history, along with Western art, for display during the annual event. Their first exhibit with The Heritage Society ran from February 18, 2023 to January 31, 2024.
Museum Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday; 10 a.m.– 4 p.m.
Admission: $5 for ages 6 and up. Free for ages 5 and under. Members receive free entry as a benefit.
Taylor Swift SHOWCASE, 2023 HLSR EXHIBIT
The exhibit will also be featured in FotoFest Biennial 2024, a city-wide gallery showing photography talent that takes place from March 9 to April 21, 2024.
George Bush Presidential Library Foundation saddle holder
LEON COFFEE - His signature act of dancing in front of an angry bull earned him the nicknames “Disco Bullfighter” and “Boogie Man.” As a PRCA Gold Card Member and NFR barrel man, Coffee enjoyed a long and lively career in ProRodeo as one of only three cowboys to be both a barrel man and a bullfighter at the NFR.
Press Release
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Collections History Exhibit Kicks Off Rodeo Season
Explore 92 years of rodeo history and cowboy spirit at The Heritage Society
From award-winning paintings to vintage bronco bull riding photos, this Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo collections exhibit complements the advent of Rodeo season and Texas History Month in March. Visitors are invited to relive 92 years of rodeo history at The Heritage Society’s The Albert & Ethel Herzstein Museum Gallery, at 1100 Bagby Street.
“Rodeo culture brings nearly all Texans together through food, skills competitions, music, parades, fundraisers, the carnival, vendors/exhibitors, and family entertainment,” The Heritage Society’s executive director, Alison Bell said. “The classic artifacts tell the story of the rodeo’s transformation from the 1931 Houston Fat Stock Show to the ever-growing spectacle it is today.”
The collection includes the following artifacts: a showcase with signed guitars signed by all of the 2014 entertainers, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, and Alabama, and Cody Johnson; a saddle holder from the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation; Swarovski embellished mariachi attire; a Leon Coffee showcase; and more.
“We have been partnering with the Rodeo to present this extraordinary exhibit that portrays the skills competitions, the arts, fashion, and entertainment for a fuller appreciation of Houston’s annual tradition,” The Heritage Society’s board president, Minnette Boesel said. “Through this exhibit, the Rodeo’s Western Art Committee portrays decades of a legendary organization and how important it is to support education for today’s agricultural and livestock industries.”
The exhibit will be available until July 31, 2024. The exhibit will also be featured in FotoFest Biennial 2024, a city-wide gallery showing photography talent that takes place from March 9 to April 21, 2024.
Museum gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday, and tickets are only $5. In addition, visitors can enjoy an additional Texas history exhibit of the General Duncan Store with old-fashioned toys and a trunk show-and-tell. For tickets and/or inquiries about Texan-themed field trips, group tours, or museum gallery rentals for rodeo events, please see: https://www.heritagesociety.org/houston-livestock-show-rodeo-hlsr.
More about The Heritage Society: The Heritage Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1954 whose mission is to tell the stories of the diverse history of Houston and Texas through collections, exhibits, the arts, educational programs, film, video, and other content. A number of public-spirited Houstonians formed in order rescue the 1847 Kellum-Noble House from demolition. The Heritage Society has since saved an additional nine historic buildings, moved them from various locations to join the Kellum-Noble House in Sam Houston Park, and restored them to reflect their respective eras. These 10 buildings, along with the museum gallery, serve as historic reference points and exhibition spaces for more than 23,000 artifacts that document life in Houston from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s. For more information, please contact info@heritagesociety.org.
More about The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo: The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo promotes agriculture by hosting an annual, family-friendly experience that educates and entertains the public, supports Texas youth, showcases Western heritage, and provides year-round educational support within the community. Since its beginning in 1932, the Rodeo has committed more than $600 million to the youth of Texas and education. The 2024 Rodeo is scheduled for Feb. 27 – March 17. The 2024 World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, presented by Cotton Holdings, is scheduled for Feb. 22 – 24. For more information, visit rodeohouston.com.
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Made Possible By: The Heritage Society’s exhibits, tours, events, and programs are funded in part by a grant from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance. Funding for these grants has been provided by Humanities Texas and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act.
