Inside the MFAH
“Inside the MFAH” provides perspectives, conversations, and opinions from insiders at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Winterhalter, Meet Worth May 11, 2016
Fashionable women all across 19th-century Europe once clamored to pose for Franz X. Winterhalter, because what could be trendier than a portrait by the painter who could best capture the delicate elegance of a chic gown designed by Charles Frederick Worth, the world’s first couturier? The clientele of the two overlapped considerably, as Worth designed extensively for Napoleon III’s court and …
Jazz Age Nightlife: “Sculpted in Steel” Meets “Deco Nights” April 28, 2016
With the rise of cocktail culture in the 1920s, the stylish elite frequented cafés, cabarets, and speakeasies on nocturnal outings. The selection of decorative arts and costumes in Deco Nights: Evenings in the Jazz Age evokes this rich culture, sharing a visual dialogue with the urban nightlife represented by vehicles on view in Sculpted in Steel: Art Deco Automobiles and Motorcycles, 1929–1940. …
Latin Wave Celebrates 11 Great Years April 21, 2016
Latin Wave, our biggest annual film festival, returns from April 28 to May 1 with 11 new films from Latin America. Every year is a little different: The 2016 selection has a strong theme of young protagonists coming of age. The teens in Absence, From Afar, I Promise You Anarchy, Ixcanul, and The Second Motherall encounter unique challenges. We get absorbed in their lives, and come to sympathize …
Ima Hogg: “Like a Rock Star” April 19, 2016
March 5, 2016, marked the 50th anniversary of Bayou Bend’s opening to the public. We’re celebrating throughout the year with monthly blog posts offering behind-the-scenes perspectives on this cultural and historical Houston treasure. I interviewed longtime docent Cyril Hosley, whose official connection to Bayou Bend began in 1994 when she joined that year’s class of docents. But she’s been a part …
Gyula Kosice and the Rise of the Argentinean Avant-Garde April 4, 2016
In 2016, we mark 70 years since the founding of the groundbreaking Madí movement and the 92nd birthday of its mastermind: Argentinean sculptor and poet Gyula Kosice. Kosice had a pivotal role in the takeoff of original avant-garde movements in Buenos Aires during the 1940s. Along with Uruguayan artists Carmelo Arden Quin and Rhod Rothfuss, and Argentinean poet Edgar Bayley, Kosice edited the …
Dangerous Curves: A “Sculpted in Steel” Chat with Ken Gross March 30, 2016
Ken Gross, a car historian and former director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, lent his expertise to the exhibition Sculpted in Steel: Art Deco Automobiles and Motorcycles, 1929–1940 as guest co-curator. He has also shared insights with publications from AutoWeek and Hemispheres to Playboy—which naturally got us thinking, what’s the dealwith cars, sensuality, and glamour? I …
Photography and Film Intersections: Laura Israel Presents Robert Frank March 23, 2016
Houston film and photography aficionados have something exciting to look forward to: the visit of Laura Israelon April 8 and 9. The go-to editor for New York’s film and music-video producers for years, Israel has maintained an active, parallel career working closely with Robert Frank, the legendary photographer and filmmaker. Frank, 91, initially recruited her to edit music videos he directed for …
Clear & Refresh Your Creative Mind with “Breath: The Pulse of the Universe” March 10, 2016
“The breath is clearly this entire creation, everything there is. So, when I said ‘turn to the breath,’ it was to this that I thereby turned for protection.” —Chandogya Upanishad “Breath: The Pulse of the Universe,” an evening at the MFAH on March 17, asks you to participate actively in exploring the power of the most basic force of living beings: breathing. I chatted with Pam Johnson and …
Bayou Bend at 50: A Longtime Docent Tells Her Story March 3, 2016
March 5, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of Bayou Bend’s opening to the public. We’re celebrating throughout the year with monthly blog posts offering behind-the-scenes perspectives on this cultural and historical Houston treasure. The historic 1966 opening featured a dedication ceremony with dignitaries including Texas Governor John Connally, Houston Mayor Louie Welch, and University of Texas …
My Movies Houstonians Love Inspiration: “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” February 24, 2016
When I was honored with the offer to host a favorite comedy for Movies Houstonians Love, my first choice was Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Online, Hedwig is commonly described with the tags “transsexual,” “queer,” and “rock musical.” In 2001, I went to see it at River Oaks Theatre, expecting a modern take on The Rocky Horror Picture Showand hoping for a brief distraction from my day job and …
