Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

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For other places with the same name, see Museum of Fine Arts.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), located in Houston, is the largest art museum in the State of Texas and the largest art museum in the USA east of Los Angeles, south of Chicago, and west of Washington, D.C.^[1]. The permanent collection of the museum spans more than 6,000 years of history with more than 40,000 works from six continents. ^[2]

The museum benefits the Houston community through programs, publications and media presentations. Each year, 1.25 million people benefit from museum's programs, workshops and resource centers. Of that total, more than 500,000 people participate in the community outreach programs. ^[3]

1 Facilities
2 History
3 Notes
4 External links

[edit] Facilities

The MFAH's permanent collection totals over 40,000 pieces with a total 300,000 square feet (28,000 m²) of exhibition space is fifth largest in the United States. The museum's collections and programs are housed in seven facilities.

Main Campus

Caroline Wiess Law Building - composed of the original neo-classical building designed by architect William Ward Watkin in 1924 and two subsequent additions designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1958 and 1974.
Audrey Jones Beck Building - designed by renowned Spanish architect Rafael Moneo and opened to the public in 2000, the building doubled the museum's main campus exhibition space with an additional 158,150 sq ft (14,693 m²).
Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden - designed by US-born artist and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi and opened in 1986.
Glassell School of Art - founded in 1979 and designed by architect S. I. Morris offers programs under the Studio School for Adults
Central Administration and Glassell Junior School of Art Building - Housing the museums administrative functions as well as the Glassell Junior School which is the only museum facility in the United States that is dedicated to art classes for children. The building opened in 1994 and was designed by local architecural designer Carlos Jimenez.

Other Facilities

Gardens at Bayou Bend, donated by Ima Hogg

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens - features one of the nation's best collections of American decorative art and furniture, former home of Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg and designed by architect John F. Staub in 1928. Miss Hogg donated the home and its collections to the MFAH in 1957 and it was opened to the public in 1966.
Rienzi - a collection of European decorative arts, former home and collection of arts patrons Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III. Donated to the MFAH in 1991, and tunred over to the MFAH upon the death of Mr. Masterson in 1997 and opened to the public in 1999.

[edit] History

The original museum building, designed by William Ward Watkin, was opened in 1924. It was the first art museum building in Texas and the third in the South. ^[4]

Cullinan Hall, designed by Mies van der Rohe, was opened in 1958.

The museum received one of the largest and most important gifts in its history in 1957, when Ima Hogg donated her home, Bayou Bend, and her collection of American paintings and decorative arts. Bayou Bend, located on Buffalo Bayou five miles (8 km) from the museum, was opened to the public in 1966. ^[5]