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The Chevron Argentina Living Museum will provide a journey throughthe arts, culture and history of Argentina. Specific highlights for the LivingMuseum  include:

Tour Buenos Aires: Upper Sam Houston Park will be transformed into a simulated walking tour through the streets of Buenos Aires. As guests enterthe “city limits” of Buenos Aires, known as the “Paris of South America”, they will experience representations of the colorful architecture, historical structures, cultural information, shops, music and food of this vibrant city. Exhibits to see along the way include:

• The Obelisk of Buenos Aires (Obelisco de Buenos Aires): A 20’ tall reproduction of this national historic monument and icon of Buenos Aires will be the anchor of the Tour Buenos Aires exhibit. Umbrella tables, benches and landscaping will provide a comfortable area for visitors to rest, enjoy a meal or visit as they enjoy the sights and sounds of Buenos Aires.
  

• Café: A structure representing the architecture of the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires will house a café where visitors can enjoy the food and drinks typical of Argentine café culture or relax in the courtyard. A stage in the courtyard will have acoustic performances, tango demonstrations and tango lessons. Local opera singer, Lisa Borik, will perform various numbers from the musical Evita. 
  

• Arts and Culture of Argentina presented by Casa Argentina: This tour stop will have information on history, arts and culture of Argentina. Hands-on activities include making empanadas, and coloring a page  of various Argentine icons. Visitors can watch footage of tourism sites throughout Argentina. 

• Gente de Teatro: This vibrant theater organization is devoted to bringing the passion and emotion  of Latin American and Spanish theater to Houston audiences. In this exhibit visitors will have the opportunity to work with the group’s actors in warm-up movements, theatrical games, play reading and improvisational exercises. There will also be puppet creation using arts and crafts and a puppet theater.

• Arts and Crafts Demonstrations: Along the way, visitors will have the opportunity to watch various artists at work on their craft as well as have the opportunity to do a hands-on project of their own.  Participating artists include Houston-based Argentine artist, Nico Whittaker,  doing hand-painted  graphic T-shirts and printmaking. Artists Liz Spencer and Kevin Cromwell will be demonstrating paper mache and visitors will have the opportunity to make their own paper arts project. Jewelry designer Debbie Koppelman will be constructing beaded jewelry and helping visitors make their own Argentina-themed beaded bracelet. 
  

• Mural project: Visitors will have an opportunity to work on a mural in the style of Buenos Aires’ famous graffiti murals.

• Recoleta: Exhibit includes a reproduction of the one of the mausoleums typical of this renowned cemetery where Eva Peron and other famous Argentinians were laid to rest. Included will be a photography exhibit of the ornate sculptures of angels and other figures found in Recoleta.

• Houston Dynamo Street Soccer: Some of the finest soccer players in the world have come from Argentina, including Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, and many great players got their start playing soccer (futbol) in the streets for hours every day.As the Houston International Festival celebrates Argentina, we are delighted to welcome the Houston Dynamo Street Soccer exhibit to the Living Museum. Kids and adults alike can join in the fun on an authentic re-creation of an Argentine street soccer field, hosted by the Houston Dynamo.

The Chevron Argentina Living Museum continues as guests

leave “Buenos Aires” and continue their tour with a focus on the Pampas

region, or vast grasslands of southern Argentina. Exhibits within this area

include:

• Estancia- This exhibit focuses on the history of estancias, or ranches, where large herds of cattle and sheep were tended. A reproduction of a rustic structure within the estancia will house information and exhibits on gauchos, the ranch workers on horseback, an important symbol of Argentine folklore and identity, similar to the cowboy of North America.

• Representatives of the gaucho culture will demonstrate their skill with boleadoras, a throwing weapon made of weighted balls suspended from interconnected cords. The boleadoras were used to capture cattle, similar to the North American cowboy’s lasso. 

The tour continues with information on the rugged and stunning landscape of the region known as Patagonia and the history of the ancient inhabitants of Argentina.

• Cave of the Hands (Cueva de las Manos)- Visitors will encounter a representation of this ancient cave dating from some 9,000 years ago. The cave gets its name from the paintings of hands made by the indigenous inhabitants by using bone pipes to spray paint on the wall blocked by their hand. Visitors will have the opportunity to add an impression of their own hand on the cave walls.