Everything is bigger in Texas — and homecoming mums are no exception. When the Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) opens its doors at Frost Tower in early 2026, it’ll celebrate with a “Homecoming” of its own. The museum’s first visiting exhibition, “MUMENTOUS: The Upsizing of a Texas Tradition,” is a colorful, larger-than-life tribute to one of the state’s most creative traditions — the homecoming mum.
Building a Texas-Sized Welcome
As the museum prepares for its new chapter downtown, ITC Exhibits Coordinator Cristina Winston and a team of student workers and staff have been busy creating something truly spectacular: a 17-foot-tall homecoming mum designed to be the centerpiece of the MUMENTOUS® exhibit.
This monumental mum isn’t just big — it’s museum big. The ITC’s “Team Mum” measures seven feet wide, 18 feet long, and took six months to plan and build. It has about 1,333 yards, or 4,000 feet, of ribbon along with millions of rhinestones and thousands of staples. They used scaffolding at the Archives and Collections Building to build the skirt, attaching entire spools of ribbon to plywood with industrial staples and hot glue.
“I spent two months planning, calculating, and trying to figure out how I was going to create this monumental mum—despite never having made one before,” Winston said. “The local mum community was incredibly generous with their knowledge. We knew breaking the world record wasn’t realistic, so instead, we set out to design the most elaborate Team Mum possible—one that reflected today’s modern styles, especially with intricate braiding.”
The ITC’s Team Mum celebrates the museum’s own history, featuring cultural symbols like a Chinese lion puppet, cowboy boots, and a longhorn plushie with a balloon — a nod to the original Texas Folklife Festival logo. It includes a love braid on the left, a dragon tail chain in the middle, a Mobius braid on the right, and an angel wing braid with rhinestone fringe. The finished creation will arrive at Frost Tower in two massive pieces — the crown and the skirt — to be assembled for the first time in the new gallery.
The Heart Behind the Glitter
The MUMENTOUS® exhibition was originally developed by the Arlington Museum of Art and showcases the photography and research of Amy J. Schultz, author of “MUMENTOUS: Original Photos and Mostly True Stories About Football, Glue Guns, Moms, and a Supersized High School Tradition That Was Born Deep in the Heart of Texas.”
Through her work, Schultz explores how homecoming mums have evolved from simple corsages in the early 1900s to today’s elaborate, expressive creations — sometimes featuring lights, stuffed animals, feather boas, neon, die cuts, and entire themes. Her photos and stories highlight the artistry, personal identity, and community each mum represents.
Schultz observes that the rise of the “Team Mum” in the 1990s marked a new phase in the tradition’s development. These massive mums, like the Guinness World Record-holding 38-foot-tall mum created in 2023 by Louisville High School, north of Dallas, became a collective celebration of entire schools and teams rather than just individuals.
“Team Mums are essentially today’s version of elaborate homecoming floats that many people will remember from back in their day,” Schultz said. “Whether an old school float or today’s team mum, teachers and students work for weeks and weeks to create it, learning lessons of project management, budgeting, teamwork, and problem solving. So when you see these giant mums, 99 times out of 100, it was made by a group of students who are learning valuable lessons while also having fun.”
Schultz explained, “For example, welding and carpentry students might construct the frames, fashion and floral classes handle design and fabrication, and marketing classes manage the fundraising or promotion. When team mums are finally hung at homecoming, the entire community can see the creativity, collaboration, and school pride displayed inside gyms and school atriums, and on the sides of buildings and stadiums across Texas.”
Local Voices, Big Traditions
Alongside the main exhibit, ITC has introduced a special San Antonio and regional showcase—a “Homecoming Court” of local and regionally made mums that celebrate the diversity and artistry of Texas creators. These mums tell personal stories of family, school pride, and handcrafted creativity.
Each tells its own story: a mother crafting a mum for her daughter’s senior year; siblings collaborating on their designs; professionals turning their passion into design careers. Collectively, they demonstrate how the homecoming mum remains a living, evolving form of self-expression — and a unique reflection of Texas culture.
The Spirit of Tradition
The multimedia exhibit MUMENTOUS will take you deep into the heart of mum country. You’ll meet kids who wear them, parents who buy them, and entrepreneurs who influence their evolution. But mostly, you’ll discover that just like every ritual that stands the test of time, someone is keeping the tradition alive. “Someone like mom,” said Schultz.
Exhibit Details
MUMENTOUS®: The Upsizing of a Texas Tradition
Display: Opening day – March 15, 2026
Location: Institute of Texan Cultures at Frost Tower, 111 W. Houston St., Suite 121
MUMENTOUS®: The Upsizing of a Texas Tradition is generously supported by the Cultural Heritage Endowment.