Curators in Conversation | “America 250”
Joshua Johnson, Lady on a Red Sofa, 1820–1825, oil on canvas, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, museum purchase funded by the Long Endowment for American Art.
In 2026, the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As the nation considers its past and imagines its future, art offers meaningful perspectives into moments in time.
With America 250 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Museum highlights American artistic achievements in the MFAH collections. In these conversations, curators exchange ideas about compelling objects while exploring a deeper dialogue around the works of art.
Dates & Speakers
- October 11 | Alvia Wardlaw, director and curator at University Museum and professor of art history at Texas Southern University; and Brittany Webb, curator of modern and contemporary art
- November 15 | Chelsea Dacus, associate curator of the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; and Elizabeth Essner, the Windgate Foundation Associate Curator of Craft
- November 22 | Mari Carmen Ramírez, the Wortham Curator of Latin American and Latino Art; and Lisa Volpe, curator of photography
- December 5 | Alison Greene, the Isabel Brown Wilson Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art; and Cindi Strauss, the Sara and Bill Morgan Curator of Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
- December 13 | Christine Gervais, the Fredericka Crain Director of Rienzi and curator of decorative arts; and Kaylin Weber, the Lora Jean Kilroy Curator of American Painting and Sculpture
Plan Your Visit
- These events are included with Museum admission.
- The programs take place in Lynn Wyatt Theater in the Kinder Building. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Parking Information | Museum Hours | MFAH Campus Map
“America 250 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston” is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Learning and Interpretation programs receive generous funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services; Samuel H. Kress Foundation; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; Houston Junior Woman’s Club; Sharon G. Dies; Sterling-Turner Foundation; Susan Vaughan Foundation; and additional generous donors.