Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum, Folk art museum in The Colony, United States
Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum displays more than 1,400 decorated bathroom seats, each individually numbered and crafted with different materials and designs. The collection ranges from simple patterns to complex three-dimensional compositions created over many decades.
The collection started in San Antonio during the 1970s when retired plumber Barney Smith began decorating toilet seats in his garage as a creative hobby. The entire collection relocated to The Colony in 2019 and is now housed within the Truck Yard complex.
The toilet seat pieces depict scenes from Texas life, national events, and personal moments from the creator's family, all combined with everyday objects found around his home. Visitors see private memories transformed into art through humor and creativity.
The museum is free to enter and located within the Truck Yard, a large entertainment complex with various attractions and facilities. Visitors can explore the numbered collection at their own pace, as the seats are arranged for easy viewing.
One seat includes actual fragments and materials from a NASA space shuttle disaster, with pieces of insulation and aluminum incorporated into the decorative design. This piece shows how Smith honored major historical moments and national events in his creative work.
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