Hidden Houston: The Art of David Adickes

Courtesy of Kim Hagler Lovelace/KROI

(HOUSTON) — Hidden Houston is NEWS 92 FM’s unofficial guide to the Bayou City. It’s a listing of different things you love to do in and around Houston, many of which don’t appear in the tourism brochures.

Today’s feature is actually scattered all over the city. From as far north as Huntsville and as far South as Angleton. It’s the art of David Adickes.

Not long ago, Adickes took all his toys and moved home to Huntsville where he grew up. He is now using the ground floor of his old school building as a museum and studio for his paintings.

But Adickes has certainly left his mark on Houston through his sculptures. Anyone who’s driven into downtown along the I-10 and I-45 interchange has no doubt noticed the four presidential busts, commonly referred to as Mount Rush Hour. Adickes is well known for his presidents. In fact, he says he has completed four sets of the nations leaders.

In addition, Adickes is quite proud of his Beatles statues. John, Paul, George and Ringo once greeted commuters, standing 36 feet tall right along the Katy Freeway just before downtown. Now they are in a lot just a few blocks away on Summer street in a rather industrial part of town, where Adickes once operated his studio.

Drive up to the lot now and there they stand, looking a bit battered by the weather and from having been moved around from one location to another, but they remain quite impressive.

When I stopped by last week, the Beatles were surrounded by an almost complete set of presidents, waiting to be relocated to their new home, which Adickes hopes will be a park in Huntsville near his old school.

Just a short distance away, where the Beatles once stood just west of downtown, is a colorful sign that reads We Heart Houston. That, too, is the handiwork of David Adickes. It’s like a miniature version of the Hollywood sign for Houston.

In downtown’s Theater District, at the corner of Smith and Prairie, stands a sculpture known as Virtuoso, and of course he is probably best known for the giant 76 foot tall statue of Sam Houston emerging from the forest along I-45 just south of Huntsville and another Texas favorite, Stephen F. Austin can be found standing right on the edge of Highway 288 near Angleton.

Even now, in his late 80s, Adickes is completing work on a 36 foot tall likeness of silent film star Charlie Chaplin which we hear will be popping up soon near the interchange of I-10 and U.S. 59 on the northeast side of downtown. He was also recently commissioned to create another work of art along I-45 south near Nasa Parkway. Adickes tells us it will be an 80 foot tall Apollo Astronaut dressed in a full space suit and helmet.

Here are some of the works we have mentioned.  The locations have been included just in case you would like to take the time to go exploring and see them in person.

• Sam Houston Statue: Can easily be seen from I-45 south of Huntsville, but the actual address is 7600 Hwy. 75 South, Huntsville, TX.
• Stephen F. Austin Statue: Hwy 288 exit at Hwy 35
• Virtuoso: Downtown Houston at the intersection of Smith and Prairie streets.
• Mount Rush Hour: Giant busts of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Sam Houston, and Stephen Austin sit a stones throw off the freeway at 1400 Elder St, Houston, TX 77007. Across the bases it is labeled: “A Tribute to American Statesmanship.”
• We Heart Houston: This 28-foot sign is located at 1816 Thompson Street, Houston, TX 77007.
• Beatles and Presidential Busts: 2500 Summer St. Houston, TX 77246

Listen to our interview here:

The complete “Hidden Houston” list as it stands right now.  

You can add to the list by calling our News 92 FM talkback line at 832-848-0092.

(Thanks to dozens of Facebook followers who let us know their favorite spots!)

1. Last Concert Café
2. Houston Area Live Steamers in Hockley
3. James Turrell’s Twilight Epiphany Skyspace at Rice University
4. The Theater District
5. Historic Celestial Suites at the Crowne Plaza Hotel across from NRG Park. (Formerly the Astroworld Hotel.)
6. Sculptures by Artist David Adickes
7. Space Center Houston
8. The Orange Show
9. The Beer Can House
10. Mt. Rush Hour,  The Beatles Statues – Artwork by David Addickes
11. Lakewood Church, the largest church in America;
12. The Printing Museum
13. Alley Theatre
14. La Carafe, the oldest bar in Houston.
15. Warren’s on Market Square, the place to go for a real martini.
16. Ghost tours downtown & the Heights
17. Gerald D. Hines Water Wall Park
18. Japanese Gardens of Hermann Park (you’ll swear your’e in Japan)
19. San Jacinto Monument
20. Battleship Texas
21. Sea wolf Park
22. Museum of Fine Arts
23. The Original Greek Fest in Montrose. OPA!
24. Minute Maid Park – Astros game.
25. Pappa’s restaurants
26. Goode Co. Seafood or BBQ
27. The Rodeo
28. Dinner at the Original Ninfa’s
29. Kemah Boardwalk
30. St. Arnold Brewing
31. Tour the Hogg family’s house
32. The Houston Zoo
33. Texas prison museum and old sparky in Huntsville
34. Cemetery tours Glenwood Cemetery where Howard Hughes is buried.
35. The Galleria
36. Tour Rice’s campus
37. The Houston Ballet
38. Shipley Donuts north Main @ 45 about 4am .. regular glazed fresh from the fryer
39. The Wortham theater, HGO-Houston Grand Opera performance,
40. Lancaster Hotel at Christmas time
41. Buffalo Soldier Museum
42. Herman Park Golf course
43. Mexican food at the Don-key (be sure to order the “QUESO A LA PARILLA”, I think they still make it at the table?),
44. Vietnamese food at Kim-Son,
45. Stomping Divots at the Houston Polo Club!
46. Catch a show at the Mucky Duck
47. Go to Club Numbers
48. Traders Village
49. The Tunnels in downtown
50. The Undertaker Challenge at the CajunStop
51. Gardens of Bayou Bend
52. Strand in Galveston
53. The Astrodome
54. Buffalo Bayou by boat, bike or kayak
55. Art Car parade
56. Boat Tour of the ship channel
57. Tour University of Houston and the new U of H stadium
58. Chinatown
59. Discovery Green
60. Sacred Heart Cathedral
61. River Oaks
62. Rainbow Lodge
63. Morton’s
64. Tony’s
65. Hong Kong Market
66. Museum of Natural Science
67. George Ranch Historical Park
68. Ruggles Green
69. the Police Memorial
70. Goode Co. Taquaria. Beef fajitas!
71. a metro rail ride from the Belfort stop… downtown and back
72. Comicpalooza!
73. Skate around downtown with the Urban Animals.
74. Ice Skating in Discovery Green during the holidays.
75. Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day at Griff’s or The Mucky Duck.
76. Watch The Battle of the Bands during halftime of a TSU v PVAMU football game.
77. Watch a performance of The MOB during halftime of a Rice football game, especially if the opponent is either Texas or a&m.
78. The Funeral museum
79. Spindletop (rotating restaurant in Hyatt Downtown)
80. Holocaust Museum
81. Bike through town with Critical Mass
82. Do the Rice U Undies Run (AKA Hot Undies Run)
83. White Linen Night in the Heights
84. Rocket Park – NASA
85. Texans Training Camp
86. Hermann Park train
87. Market Square Park
88. Julia Ideson Library

Hidden Houston: The Art of David Adickes  was originally published on news92fm.com