Inside the MFAH Posts by Kelly Laskosky

#MeetTheHabsburgs June 10, 2015

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Habsburgs! Europe’s longest-reigning dynasty featured a cast of characters who married well; made love, not war; and collected spectacular works of art for 500 years, from the late Middle Ages to the 19th century. This summer, get know who’s who through their stunning objects, showcased in the exhibition Habsburg Splendor: Masterpieces from Vienna’s  Imperial …

What’s Blooming at Bayou Bend? Magnolias! May 1, 2015

The lush grounds at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens are glorious year-round. Dazzling azaleas and camellias may take center stage during early spring, but framing the splendor are the magnificent magnolias, which bloom well into the summer months, when few other flowers can be found. The diverse magnolia collection brings beauty and variety to Bayou Bend Gardens. • The first type to bloom …

One on One with the Curator of Bayou Bend Gardens February 16, 2015

You might expect that Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens has a curator for the art collection, but did you know there's a dedicated curator for the gardens, too? His name is Bart Brechter, and he’s seen it all—sunshine to hurricanes—since joining the staff in 2001. He and his team care for and expertly preserve the 14-acre estate and historic gardens, and we invited him to share some of his unique …

Need to Know: 3 Things about “A History of Photography” January 27, 2015

“View of Paris” possesses an entrancing three-dimensionality akin to that of a modern hologram. —Malcolm Daniel, curator in charge, department of photography and special projects Daguerreotype may have evolved to digital, and silver prints to selfies, but ever since the invention of photography, one thing remains the same: Photographs are fascinating. The Museum’s famed photography …

#FutureMFAH January 19, 2015

Rooftop garden? Check. A new restaurant and theater? Check. Public plazas and reflecting pools? A walkable 14-acre campus? A translucent building to display 20th- and 21st-century art? Yes! All of the above, and more, for the future Fayez S. Sarofimcampus of the MFAH. The Museum is about to transform. Over the next five years, the campus is undergoing a dramatic redevelopment, adding three new …

“Monet and the Seine” Brings an Icy Wonderland to Houston January 2, 2015

The Houston climate doesn't offer "winter wonderland" views very often, but this year we can enjoy some extra icy shades of winter in Monet and the Seine: Impressions of a River. Claude Monet painted scenes of his beloved Seine River at every season, including the winter of 1879, one of the coldest France endured during the entire century. Frozen waterways and heavy snowfalls disrupted daily …

Her Starfish Will Lure You In November 26, 2014

Artist María Fernanda Cardoso would like to remind us of something very important about starfish—they are animals, not objects. You may not see eyes when you look at them, but starfish are animals, just as humans are. “I realized that starfish have five limbs,” she says, “and we have five fingers, and I thought, oh my!” When we use our eyes to look at her installation Woven Water: Submarine …