The Museum of Fine Arts Houston

‍The Museum of Fine Arts Houston is an art museum in the city of Houston, Texas. It is located at 1001 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005. It is one of the largest museums in the United States with more than 5 million visitors annually. The Museum of Fine Arts Houston is one of six museums in the system and one of three MFAHs. The Museum of Fine Arts Houston was founded in 1941 and opened to the public in 1951. It was originally located on Main Street but moved to a new location at Kirby Drive in 2008. Today, it encompasses five sites: Smithsonians, Visual Arts Center and School, Wood Center for Art and Technology, and Brackman Hall—a modern home for modern art that opened to the public earlier this year.

History of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston began in 1941 with the acquisition of the Sam C. Smith collection of European paintings. This initial gift formed the basis for the museum’s European collections. In 1947 the museum moved to its current location on the Houston Museum District grounds. In 1952 the museum’s first building, the William S. True Building, was constructed and the museum officially opened to the public. Learn more about us.

Visual Arts Center and School

In 1968 the Visual Arts Center and School opened at the MFAH. In 1993 the center added an undergraduate program, making it the first accredited art school in Houston. The school is now accredited as a leading fine arts university by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2001 the Visual Arts Center merged with the Blaffer Gallery, an affiliate of the MFAH since 1963. Today the Blaffer serves as the museum’s main venue for exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, temporary and traveling exhibits, and performances. Browse the next article.

Wood Center for Art and Technology

The Wood Center for Art and Technology opened in a former elementary school in 2011, offering exhibitions and educational programs in the fields of art and technology. The center is named for J. Richard and Mary Wood, who contributed more than $32 million to the construction and renovation of Brackman Hall. The WCAAT building houses a gallery, an installation space, classrooms, and studios for artists in residence.

Brackman Hall

Brackman Hall, a modern home for modern art, opened to the public in March 2017. The building, designed by architects at Pfeiffer Partners, brings together the museum’s history of collecting and display to create a space dedicated to contemporary art. The building’s galleries are organized around two themes: Contemplative Spaces and Metaphors of Modernity.

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston is in the midst of a major renovation and expansion project, known as MASS MoCA, which will expand its entrance facilities, the annex building, and the Blaffer Gallery. The Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s current facilities are reaching capacity, and the need for renovation is urgent. When the work is completed in 2021, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston will be able to accommodate more than 200,000 visitors a year. The expansion will allow for about 50,000 more visitors each year. The project will also include a new education center, parking garage, and restaurant.

Conclusion

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston is one of the most famous art museums in the US and is the second largest art museum in the state of Texas. The museum was founded in 1941 in Houston, Texas and currently houses five locations. The museum is known for its large collection of European paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts and for its educational programs.