In case you didn’t know, Houston holds the Guinness World Record title for the Largest Published Book
in the World called I Am Texas! To make matters even more awesome the entire book (which stands
seven feet tall and weighs nearly five hundred pounds) was written and illustrated by one thousand kids!
Here in Texas, and especially in the greater Houston area, we love giving our kids the opportunity to
shine, through literacy, the arts, and education. This larger-than-life opportunity for kids to share their
Texas story was provided to students through a partnership between The Bryan Museum and iWRITE.
If you haven’t been to The Bryan Museum, you have got to get down to this historic treasure in
Galveston, Texas. The entire museum is dedicated to sharing the story of Texas through rare artifacts,
documents, and paintings displayed in the beautifully restored building that was previously the Galveston
Orphans Home for nearly 100 years.
Each year the education department at the Museum hosts the I Am Texas Writing and Art Contest which allows students in grades 2-12 to tell their Texas stories through
writing and artwork. Kids have the opportunity to enter several categories and win prizes that range from
$50-$1000 PLUS the chance to be published in a historian’s journal and become a permanent part of The
Bryan Museum’s library collection.
Top art winners have the chance to auction off their work alongside professional artists at the Art Untamed – A Night of Contemporary Western Art event each October.
The youngest students (grades 2-5) are asked to research a famous Texan and then to write a letter
explaining why they believe that person was (or is) important to Texas history or culture. Students in
grades 6-12 may choose to write a fiction or nonfiction story inspired by an artifact or piece of art at The
Bryan Museum.
This is a great reason to come and see the amazing collection in person. Over 2500
pieces from the 70,000-piece collection are on permanent display. Each first-floor gallery is carefully
curated to highlight the amazing history of Texas from Spanish exploration through the Texas Revolution
and into the early 20 th century. The upstairs houses special collection exhibits and art about Texas and the
American West. The ground floor has a pirate cave and ship for the youngest visitors and a display about
the orphanage.
Even if you can’t come to the Museum this spring there are several other ways to see the collection. There
are four featured artifacts on the I Am Texas website: IAMTX.org. There is also a searchable database
where students can choose a category such as “saddles” or “paintings” or select “random images” to
quickly get a feel for the depth and breadth of the collection.
Student artists in grades 2-12 can submit hand-drawn illustrations and paintings through the website as well. Artists in grades 9-12 may also submit
digital art.
Whether it’s through a Museum visit – in person or online – or by researching a Texas hero, each student
who submits work to the I Am Texas contest is helping to bring the history of Texas to life!
Related articles
https://houstonfamilymagazine.com/featured/texas-history-me…ion-in-galveston/
