The Museum of Fine Arts , Houston (MFAH)

Overall impression: Established in 1900 under the auspices of the Houston Public School Art League, this Houston institution was the fifth largest art exhibition space in the country when we visited it last. Housing more than 48,000 works of art and hosting more than two million visitors per year, the Museum could have been over large, over busy or overwhelming. Instead and in spite of its size it was welcoming, uncluttered and a delight to visit. There was ample space for the art and for visitors.

We were greeted cordially by many of the staff we encountered or approached for guidance during our visit. When we arrived, the reception desk staff oriented us in our visit; during our visit gift shop staff answered our questions and guard staff made helpful suggestions. Over the years, the museum evolved into two buildings, two art schools, two decorative arts centers and an outdoor sculpture garden. One building was dedicated to a permanent modern and contemporary art collection while the other was home to an impressive collection of world art. There were also regular exhibitions from around the globe. We greatly enjoyed a visiting exhibit of Native Americans the last time we were at the Museum and look forward to other future rewarding visits.

Owned: Nonprofit organization

Managed: Board of Trustees of the MFAH

Established: 1900

Type of museum: a rt of antiquity to the present

Size: 48,000 works housed in two buildings with a total of 300,000 square feet of exhibit space

Handicapped access: Yes. Tours for sight and hearing impaired visitors were available by appointment at 1-713-639-7300. Wheel chairs were available on a first come first served basis for all museum locations. There were also assistive listening devices for tours, lectures and programs at 1-713-639-7389

Tours available: t ours were available in multiple languages with drop-in tours held on a regular basis; tours of the permanent collection were best scheduled in advance.

Languages: English

Audio tours: there were tours of the main collection, in English and Spanish, as part of many ticket options. The tours included more than 300 works from the permanent collection and sometimes items from ticketed exhibitions.

Average duration of visit: t hree hours

Exhibit: The largest art museum in America south of Chicago , west of Washington , D.C. , and east of Los Angeles . The encyclopedic collection of the MFAH embraced the art of antiquity to the present. Featured were fine artistic examples of major civilizations of Europe , Asia , North and South America , and Africa . Italian Renaissance paintings, French Impressionist works, photographs, American and European decorative arts, African and Pre-Columbian gold, American art, and European and American paintings and sculpture from post-1945 were particularly strong holdings.

Souvenir shops: They were located near the lobbies of the Beck and Law buildings. Offerings included books, jewelry, decorative items, note cards, and. children's toys. Details: 1-713-639-7360

Catalog/publications: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Visitor Guide by Janet Landay, Masterworks of European Paintings in the Museum of Fine Arts , Houston by Edgar Peters Bowron and Mary G. Morton , Texas: 150 Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston by Alison de Lima Greene, Frederic Remington: The Hogg Brothers Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston by Emily Neff, with Wynne H. Phelan

Other: There was free parking at the MFAH Visitors Center on Binz at Fannin streets and at two outdoor lots on Main Street . The MFAH collections were presented in six locations that made up the institutional complex. Together, these facilities provided 300,000 square feet of space dedicated to the display of art. The MFAH campus included:

Two major museum buildings: the Caroline Wiess Law Building , designed by Mies van der Rohe, and the Audrey Jones Beck Building , designed by Rafael Moneo. Two facilities for the Glassell School of Art: one with studio spaces for children and another with studio spaces for adults. Two housed museums that exhibit decorative arts: Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens features American works, Rienzi features European works. Outdoors there was the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden , created by Isamu Noguchi and 18 acres of public gardens

Most recent visit: October 2004

Would you visit this museum again: yes

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