The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art has acquired Bob Wade’s “Smokesax,” the much-beloved 70’ tall blue saxophone that for the past 20 years has made its home at 6025 Richmond, near Houston’s Galleria area. Built for the now-defunct Billy Blues Bar & Grill, the Smokesax is constructed out of car parts, oil field pipes and a surfboard, as well as an entire VW Beetle that forms the U-joint at its base. While the oversized instrument was fully restored just three years ago, the current property owners, Kensinger Properties Ltd, Joe Jaw-Horng Su, and Angela Trent, believe that allowing the Orange Show to incorporate it into their portfolio of art preservation projects would ensure that this important piece of Texas art be taken care of for future generations. Smokesax will be removed from its current location starting on Thursday, February 28th at 10am.
While the Sax itself was donated to the non-profit, in dedication and memory of Phil R Kensinger, the costs for transportation and installation will total more than $40,000 – a majority of which they are hoping to raise through private donations and public support.