About this episode

The episode explores the unique art collection of Barney Smith, featuring hand-painted toilet seats, through the eyes of reporter James McCandless.

Visitors to the Truck Yard beer garden in The Colony, Texas (outside Dallas) are treated to a very unusual art collection: a sweeping array of around 1400 hand-painted toilet seats, many of which are also collaged with objects ranging from tortoise shells to Zippo lighters to Pez dispensers. This is the life’s work of Barney Smith, a beloved Texas outsider artist who spent decades creating these “seats” of art, inspired by his day job as a plumber. James McCandless, a reporter at the San Antonio Business Journal, once visited Barney back at the original home of the collection – which was Barney’s garage. He tells us the story.

People in this episode

Guest: James McCandless

Topics covered

• art
• outsider art
• Texas culture
• beer garden
• plumbing
• hand-painted art
• Barney Smith

Keywords

• Barney Smith
• hand-painted toilet seats
• Texas outsider artist
• Truck Yard
• art collection
• James McCandless
• plumber art

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: San Antonio Business Journal

Places: The Colony, Texas, Dallas

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