Inside the MFAH Archive for 2013


“Inside the MFAH” provides perspectives, conversations, and opinions from insiders at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.


  • Copley- Watson and the Shark
    Diving into “Watson and the Shark” November 14, 2013
    One of the centerpieces of American Adversaries: West and Copley in a Transatlantic World is Watson and the Shark, the sensational painting that earned artist John Singleton Copley (1738–1815) election to the Royal Academy of Art in London.Just a few insights into this monumental work:Watson led quite a life, including a stint as the “peg-legged mayor of London.”This painting depicts a …
  • Glassell Junior School stop-motion animation three little pigs
    Telling Tales out of School October 4, 2013
    Artist and Glassell Junior School instructor Seth Mittag created this reel of stop-motion videos made by his classes over the years. I sat down with Seth to get some background on these sometimes-dark, often-funny videos and his students, who range in age from 8 to 18. “The main goals I have are to teach the kids how to make animation; to have a lot of fun; and for about an hour and 15 …
  • Bell Park Statue After_head only
    An Incident in Bell Park August 29, 2013
    On his way to work, MFAH photographer Will Michels noticed that a bronze sculpture depicting Christopher Columbus had been tagged in several places with silver paint. The sculpture, which stands in Bell Park in the Museum District, was paid for by Houston’s Italian-American community. Columbus points to the Italian Cultural and Community Center on Milford Street. The graffiti appeared in …
  • Turrell- Acro, Green
    Assembling “The Light Inside” August 9, 2013
    I interviewed the Museum’s own Russ Lane, who served as lead preparator for James Turrell: The Light Inside. We talked about the unique requirements of this special exhibition and Russ’s father’s interest in flying, a shared experience that has created an even deeper appreciation of Turrell’s work. SS: Hello, Russ! Can you introduce yourself?RL: My name is Russ Lane, and I am a preparator (or …
  • Twilight Epiphany
    Around Houston: Turrell in a Day July 3, 2013
    While James Turrell: The Light Insideis one of three concurrent exhibitions of Turrell’s work on view this summer across the country, the exhibition in Houston seems almost like a homecoming for an artist who has carved out several meditative spaces in this otherwise hectic city. It’s easy to make an entire day of enjoying Turrell’s work here in town, whether you’re a visitor or a …
  • hang@MFAH weekly meet-up, June 2013
    hang@MFAH: A Place for Teens June 27, 2013

    The challenge: create a cool program for teens. The result? hang@MFAH: Houston Art New Generation at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston!

  • Picasso title treatment (square white)
    Line, Redrawn April 9, 2013
    “I am proceeding very slowly, I do not want to spoil the initial freshness of my work. . . . If I could, I would leave it as is, even if it means to start all over and to take it to a further stage on a different canvas.” Pablo Picasso In several of the paintings in Picasso Black and White, Picasso characteristically leaves visible traces of earlier sketches on his canvas. The visible …
  • More than a Replica: The “Guernica” Tapestry Comes to Houston February 18, 2013
    Visit the MFAH beginning February 24 to see a tapestry version of Pablo Picasso’s renowned Guernica painting. The tapestry is part of the exhibition Picasso Black and White, which features a selection of Picasso’s foremost monochrome paintings, drawings, and sculptures. In addition to the tapestry, the show includes three studies that Picasso completed for Guernica. Picasso painted Guernica …
  • Picasso’s “Woman with Outstretched Arms” January 8, 2013
    My favorite work in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is Pablo Picasso’s Woman with Outstretched Arms. You won’t find it in our galleries at the moment, for it is visiting New York, where it welcomes all visitors to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s special exhibition Picasso Black and White. This playfully monumental sculpture returns to its Houston home for the second and …