Royal Caribbean Group Brings Art and Culture To New Galveston Terminal

The new cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston is adding a pop of art and culture to welcome guests as they embark on their cruise vacation. With the help of the local Galveston, Texas community, Royal Caribbean and the Galveston Beach Trio group have worked together to design a Texas-based Grad Oldham Sculpture opening this November.

“Our passion lies in sharing the world’s incredible destinations with our guests, allowing them to experience cultures from around the world, including the places from which their travels begin,” said Joshua Carroll, Vice President of Destination Development of Royal Caribbean Group. “Showcasing the history and culture of Galveston was our top priority in establishing this art installation in our new terminal, and we’re thrilled to partner with Brad Oldham Sculpture to bring this vision to life.”

The husband-and-wife team, Brad Oldham and Christy Coltrin were chosen for the job, and the Brad Oldham Sculpture was selected to be the piece of art. Together, Brad and Christy specialize in narrative-based sculpture to evoke the spirit and heart of different locations.

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“When we started working on the design concepts for a placemaking sculpture at Royal Caribbean’s new cruise terminal in Galveston, we first talked about our favorite family vacations,” said Brad Oldham. “Some of our best memories are from traveling together. We are honored to create a permanent installation that cultivates the vacation vibe with an approachable music theme using native animals to make up the band. It is exciting to think that the Galveston Beach Trio may make it into family vacation pictures to capture the special time together.

The sculpture is forged in stainless steel and lost-wax bronze, honoring the rich musical heritage of musicians like Galveston-native and Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone singer and songwriter Barry White, pianist Joyce Fields, and guitarist Joe Pena.

“Galveston is particularly meaningful to me because my grandfather was a 1925 graduate of Ball High School before attending Texas A&M University,” said Christy Coltrin. “He had a private architecture practice in Galveston in the 1940s. I think that he would like to know that his granddaughter helped create a sculpture celebrating his hometown.”

Early this year, Royal Caribbean announced an initiative: Royal Caribbean Group’s Blue Green Promise to protect the ocean it sails and to inspire future generations to empower ocean communities. Royal Caribbean will continue to engage with the Galveston community and incorporate local arts and culture into its new terminal operations.

Travelers vacationing on Royal Caribbean International cruise in Galveston will begin to enjoy the Brad Oldham Sculpture when the new terminal opens on Nov. 9, 2022.