Inside the MFAH

Lois Weber & Anna Pavlova, Pioneering Women of Film & Dance March 11, 2017

Today’s audiences may be surprised to learn that more than a century ago, one of the most highly acclaimed powerhouses of the film industry—entrusted to head the largest production that Universal had ever attempted—was a woman filmmaker. Director Lois Weber was tapped to bring a well-known and loved opera to the big screen, which was as artistically ambitious as it was risky. In celebration of …

A New Online Exhibition Explores #5WomenArtists March 8, 2017

We’re celebrating Women’s History Month in March with a new online exhibition that spans the Museum’s collecting areas. Hosted on the Google Art Project, #5WomenArtistsactually features works by 10 female artists of varied generations, nationalities, and schools of art. The exhibition highlights the lasting impact and contributions these women have all made—and continue to make—to the history of …

Women’s History Month 2017: Celebrating #5WomenArtists—and More March 1, 2017

Can you name 5 women artists? It’s a provocative, seemingly simple question that has a not-so-simple answer. 

Transcend the Simple Act of Seeing: Explore “10×10 Photobooks” at the Hirsch Library February 27, 2017

“A good photobook asks the reader to pick it up, smell its ink, and follow (or not follow) its sequence of images. This intimate experience is what makes a photobook special.”  We at the Hirsch Library welcome you to a hands-on experience with “CLAP! – 10×10 Contemporary Latin American Photobooks.” On March 2 & 3, members of the New York–based nonprofit organization 10×10 Photobooksvisit …

Introducing Ron Mueck February 22, 2017

Artist Ron Mueck (born 1958 in Melbourne, Australia) draws upon memories, reveries, and everyday experience as he portrays his subjects with extraordinary compassion. Evolution of a SculptorAfter working as a model-maker in film and television in the United States and London, Mueck shifted his focus to the fine arts in the mid-1990s; among his first sculptures was a figure of the young …

Hong Kong Cinema Meets MFAH Films for “Chicken and Duck Talk” January 30, 2017

It’s always special when members of the Museum’s subcommittees share their areas of expertise with our audiences. On February 11, Karen Fang, a film scholar and member of our film committee, stops by to present a brief overview of her latest book, Arresting Cinema: Surveillance in Hong Kong Film, followed by a screening of the classic Hong Kong comedy Chicken and Duck Talk. She spoke with me about …

Local High Schoolers Share Glimpses of the Bayou City January 23, 2017

The annual exhibition Eye on Houston: High School Documentary Photographygives the Museum a chance to share both the work of talented young photographers and glimpses of our city’s vibrant diversity. Using photography as their tool, teens capture moments from their daily life around Houston. The students also write brief descriptions of each photograph to lend insight into their experiences, …

“Rain” Travels to the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern January 3, 2017

The inaugural art installation in the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern is straight from the Museum’s own collection! The MFAH teamed up with Buffalo Bayou Partnership to present Rain: Magdalena Fernández at the Houston Cistern, on view through June 25. Rain features 2iPM009, an abstract video-projection piece created by Venezuelan artist Magdalena Fernández in 2009. She adapted the installation to be …

Thanks for a great year! December 29, 2016

We hope you had a great year. We did, thanks to you. Press play, and enjoy!

Making Holiday Magic, One Track at a Time December 15, 2016

For the past three months, Steve Pine, senior conservator of decorative arts, has been hard at work constructing a model train set from scratch. He spoke with me about the process behind this magical work, which made its debut at the center of the Spiegeltent for this year’s Christmas Village at Bayou Bend. How did you create the model train set?I built the support and wired up the electrical …