Lecture | Lighting Designer Hervé Descottes
Hervé Descottes
AIA Houston / Design Council / Sally Walsh Lecture
Speaker: Hervé Descottes
November 18, 2021 | Free Admission
Registration Info
French lighting designer Hervé Descottes collaborated with MFAH director Gary Tinterow and architect Steven Holl to design the lighting for the Museum’s Nancy and Rich Kinder Building, which celebrates the first anniversary of its opening on November 21. Commenting on the challenge of using light to create a subtle atmospheric finish throughout the building, Descottes said, “The architect has a vision for volume and space, and the curator wants art lit in a certain way, but we fill the gap in between.” Following this evening’s lecture, Tinterow moderates a Q&A with Descottes.
Plan Your Visit
This lecture takes place in Brown Auditorium Theater and is open to the public. Admission is free. Seating is limited, and registration is required. On Thursdays, the Museum is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Safety Guidelines Masks are required during programs in Museum auditoriums. Capacities are limited. A risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public setting. In the interest of your personal safety and community health, please observe all precautions set forth by the MFAH—learn more here.
About the Speaker
Hervé Descottes co-founded the lighting design firm L’Observatoire International in New York City in 1993, after eight years of design practice in Paris. He creates the lighting concepts for all projects designed by L’Observatoire. Descottes has been recognized with awards from the International Association of Lighting Designers, American Institute of Architects, American Society of Landscape Architects, and the GE Corporation, among many others.
About the AIA Houston / Design Council / Sally Walsh Lecture
The annual AIA Houston (American Institute of Architects, Houston Chapter) Sally Walsh Lectures are dedicated to the memory of interior designer Sally Walsh, who brought modern design to Houston and inspired a generation. The Design Council is the MFAH patron group that supports the Museum’s department of decorative arts, craft, and design.
Learning and Interpretation programs receive generous funding from the Jerold B. Katz Foundation; Institute of Museum and Library Services; H-E-B; MD Anderson Cancer Center; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; Sharon G. Dies; Susan Vaughan Foundation; and additional generous donors.