Houstona s sprawl has come with controversy, but it hascreated a blank canvas for the public art community. It all started in theTelephone Road Place subdivision, where retired mail carrier Jefferson DavisMcKissack built the Orange Show, an extraordinary and eccentric monument toself-reliance, hard work and, yes, the fruit itself. McKissacka s installationspawned more of its kind in the Bayou City, like the Beer Can House, the FlowerMana s House, Pigdoma "one womana s a shrine to swinea a "and a flourishing art scenecommitted to preserving Houstona s art environments. Author Pete Gershon tellsthe stories of these sites, their creators and the members of Houstona s uniqueart community, all set against the backdrop of the citya s quirky history.