Galveston Terminal: Art Sculpture by Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean Group’s brand-new cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston in Texas will feature a work of art by Texas-based Brad Oldham Sculpture.

In a nod to both Galveston and Texas, The Galveston Beach Trio sculpture will welcome guests as they embark on their vacation from the terminal, which is set to open next month.

Forged in stainless steel and lost-wax bronze, the Galveston Beach Trio is the embodiment of island time and a dynamic first impression. The larger-than-life sculpture depicts a musical trio inspired by the rich musical heritage of the port city. That heritage includes musicians like Galveston-native and Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Barry White, as well as local artists like Joyce Fields who played piano for nearly 20 years at Sunday brunch at the historic Hotel Galvez and Joe Pena, the guitarist known as the Granddaddy of Galveston Rock and Roll.

The Royal Caribbean Group team tapped Houston-based Piper Faust Public Art to assemble a slate of Texas artists to consider for the opportunity. In the end, the trio design concept by the husband-and-wife team of Brad Oldham and Christy Coltrin was chosen. The two artists specialize in narrative-based sculpture and site-specific installations designed to evoke the spirit and heart of unique places.

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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.”

“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.”

The new Galveston terminal is set to open on November 9, 2022, which also marks the arrival of Allure of the Seas into the port. It’ll be the first time Texas is home to one of the line’s signature Oasis-class ships, which are the largest cruise vessels in the world.

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