Release Date
4.29.2013

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, to Offer Free General Admission on May 18, for Association of Art Museum Directors’ Celebration of Art Museum Day

Visitors encouraged to share their museum experiences via social media

Houston—April 2013—The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, (MFAH) announces free general admission on Saturday, May 18 as part of the Association of Art Museum Directors' (AAMD) Art Museum Day, coinciding with International Museum Day, on May 18. Last year, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston—along with more than 120 other AAMD member museums across North America—participated in Art Museum Day.

In 2012, AAMD launched an initiative encouraging visitors of all ages to share their experiences of Art Museum Day through social media. Last year’s event prompted an outpouring of responses with tweets, "check-ins" via FourSquare and personal responses across North America. The MFAH invites visitors to continue the conversation this year by sharing their perspectives via social media with the hashtag #artmuseumday. Follow the MFAH on Twitter, @MFAH.

"Houston’s community is well represented at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, through art from cultures across the globe, from ancient times to today," said Gary Tinterow, director of the MFAH. "The Museum extends a warm welcome to visitors of all ages to explore the diverse collection for free on Art Museum Day."

"Art museums bring communities together and engage people of every background in the shared exploration of human expression across time and cultures," said Chris Anagnos, Executive Director of AAMD. "AAMD is so pleased that the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is joining us in celebrating Art Museum Day and is encouraging everyone in Houston to participate and share their experiences in a public forum."

Art Museum Day emphasizes the essential role that art museums play in their communities, highlights the value of the visual arts in society and provides new opportunities for audiences to participate in the wide-ranging programs offered by AAMD member museums. These member institutions—located across the United States, Canada and Mexico—include regional museums as well as large international museums. International Museum Day is organized annually around the world by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). AAMD's Art Museum Day is an opportunity to focus attention on the role of art museums in North America, as part of ICOM's global celebration.

A comprehensive list of participating AAMD member art museums is available on the AAMD website (http://www.aamd.org/). While AAMD's Art Museum Day and ICOM’s International Museum Day are formally held each year on May 18, some institutions shift their celebrations to adjacent dates.

About the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Founded in 1900, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is among the 10 largest art museums in the United States. Located in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, the MFAH comprises two gallery buildings, a sculpture garden, theater, two art schools and two libraries, with two house museums, for American and European decorative arts, nearby. The encyclopedic collection of the MFAH numbers some 64,000 works and embraces the art of antiquity to the present. For more information, visit mfah.org.

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