Here are details of our late winter trip to TEXAS where some of the country’s richest art collections and architectural masterpieces can be found. In HOUSTON we will see the extraordinary MENIL COLLECTION, housing artwork from the Byzantine period to the present and the MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, with a rich collection of impressionist paintings, antique furniture and Chinese porcelain. The splendid NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER is on our itinerary in DALLAS, and in nearby FORT WORTH we will visit the famed AMON CARTER MUSEUM OF WESTERN ART and the KIMBELL ART MUSEUM, one of the great masterpieces of architect Louis I. Kahn. A highlight of our Texas Excursion is Tadao Ando’s masterpiece, the MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH, which opened in 2002.

TUESDAY, MARCH 9 -- Travel to HOUSTON and transfer to the HOTEL ZAZA, located on the campus of RICE UNIVERSITY and near the city’s MUSEUM DISTRICT. In the afternoon, we will visit Houston’s MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS whose expansive collections are housed in a neoclassical building built in the 1920s with additions by Mies van Der Rohe and Rafael Moneo. ON VIEW: PRENDERGAST IN ITALY and SARGENT AND THE SEA. Dinner is included this evening.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 -- Our tour this morning will focus on the city’s early history as the temporary capital of the Texas Republic, and its oil boom in the 20th century. Then we will visit the spectacular MENIL COLLECTION which houses the vast holdings of Jean and Dominique de Menil, who collected for four decades with an emphasis on the art of antiquity, Byzantine, Tribal and 20th century art. It was the first American commission of Italian architect Renzo Piano, the architect of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the new modern wing at the Art Institute of Chicago. Not far way is the ROTHKO CHAPEL, designed by Philip Johnson; the BYZANTINE CHAPEL FRESCO MUSEUM designed by Francois de Menil; and two special venues housing works by CY TWOMBLY and DAN FLAVIN.

THURSDAY, MARCH 11 -- This morning we will visit BAYOU BEND, a mansion filled with the American and European decorative arts holdings of the MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS and RIENZI, a unique Houston home offering a combination of Palladian and contemporary architecture. Lunch is included before departure for the Houston Airport for our flight to Dallas/Fort Worth. Upon arrival we will check in at the WARWICK MELROSE HOTEL centrally located in the lovely Turtle Creek area of Dallas. An option this evening is to visit the MEADOWS MUSEUM on the campus of Southern Methodist University, where we will see one of the finest collections of Spanish Art outside of Spain.

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 -- Today we will explore FORT WORTH, a city of lovely streetscapes and charming squares. Our morning tour includes the FORT WORTH WATER GARDENS, a 5.4-acre playground designed by Philip Johnson. We will visit the KIMBELL ART MUSEUM, created by architect Louis I. Kahn in 1972. Its small yet superlative collection ranges from prehistoric to modern masters. ON VIEW: FROM THE PRIVATE COLLECTIONS OF TEXAS: EUROPEAN ART, ANCIENT TO MODERN. We will also visit the recently expanded AMON CARTER MUSEUM OF WESTERN ART originally designed by Philip Johnson. SATURDAY, MARCH 13 -- We will spend the day in DALLAS where we will tour the city’s architectural landmarks such as CITY HALL designed by I.M. Pei; THANKS-GIVING SQUARE designed by Philip Johnson; and one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s final projects, the KALITA HUMPHRIES THEATRE, completed in 1959. Additional highlights are the exciting new NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER by Renzo Piano; and the DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART. ON VIEW: JACOB LAWRENCE: THE LIFE OF TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE and THE LENS OF IMPRESSIONISM: PHOTOGRAPHY ALONG THE NORMANDY COAST. We will also see two spectacular new performing arts venues: the WYLIE THEATRE designed by Dutch architect REM KOOLHAUS and his former partner JOSHUA PRINCE-RAMUS and the WINSPEAR OPERA HOUSE by the firm of British architect SIR NORMAN FOSTER. Dinner is included this evening.

SUNDAY, MARCH 14 -- This morning we will visit the spectacular new MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Its 53,000 square feet of gallery space house special exhibitions and one of the most important collections of Post-World War II art. ON VIEW: ANDY WARHOL: THE LAST DECADE. In the late afternoon we will depart for the airport for our return flights to Philadelphia or your home city.

LAND ARRANGEMENTS: $1650.00 per person, double occupancy. The single supplement is $460.00. Triple rates are available upon request. We will make every effort to find you a roommate if you are interested. The best available airfare will be booked at the time reservations are made. Schedules and fares from Philadelphia and other cities are available upon request. Airfares will be calculated at the time of ticketing, and are guaranteed only when ticketed. Airline tickets may be charged to major credit cards. THE LAND PRICE IS BASED UPON A MINIMUM OF TWELVE PARTICIPANTS.

INCLUDED IN THE LAND PACKAGE: Five nights’ accommodations as described above; airfare between Houston and the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport; all sightseeing and museum visits as described in the itinerary; all ground transportation is by private motor coach; guides and entrance fees; two dinners, one lunch; gratuities on included items; and a pre-trip reading packet. The trip will be escorted by a representative from EXCURSIONS FROM THE SQUARE.

NOTE: OPTIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR EACH FREE EVENING FOR DINING AND OTHER EVENTS.

MARFA EXTENSION: Please let us know if you would be interested in travelling to the town of MARFA in Western Texas after the TEXAS TREASURES excursion is over. With its historic architecture and classic Texas town square, Marfa is where renowned minimalist Donald Judd moved in 1971 to permanently install his monumental works of art. Today two foundations, the JUDD FOUNDATION and the CHINATI FOUNDATION work to maintain his legacy, as well as that of Carl Andre, Dan Flavin, Coosje van Bruggen, Claes Oldenberg and others.

SPACE IS LIMITED to 30 travelers. Reservations are accepted in the order that deposits are received. To reserve a space, please complete the coupon below and mail it with a deposit of $350.00 per person to EXCURSIONS FROM THE SQUARE, PO Box 2189, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Final payment is due no later than Tuesday, January 26, 2010. We accept VISA, MASTERCARD AND AMERICAN EXPRESS. Credit card payments must be made over the phone for your protection. Full refund for land arrangements may be made up to January 26 less an administrative fee of $350.00. Thereafter, the cost of land arrangements is non-refundable. Airline cancellations are subject to penalties imposed by the airline on which you are travelling. Trip cancellation insurance is available from EXCURSIONS FROM THE SQUARE.

For more information, call EXCURSIONS FROM THE SQUARE at 215/732 8487 or 800/831 3351.

Technical Contact: Sean Woods