VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents a MFAH Special Lecture -  Beyond the White Cube: contemporary@mfah, Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 6:30 PM at the Caroline Wiess Law Building. Presented by Alison de Lima Greene, Curator of Contemporary Art and Special Projects, MFAH.

The past decade at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has been one of unparalleled collection growth, with particular emphasis on contemporary art. From the museum´s landmark commission of The Light Inside by James Turrell (pictured), 1999 for the underground tunnel, to Cai Guo-Qiang´s gunpowder Odyssey, created in October 2010 for the new Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Arts of China Gallery, the MFAH is challenging the traditional "white-cube" of the museum environment in order to celebrate the multifaceted vitality of the art of today.

Alison de Lima Greene will offer a comprehensive overview of the interdisciplinary dynamic that defines contemporary art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the spirit of collaboration that unites a curatorial staff committed to a truly global vision. Working with patrons and artists from the Houston community, as well as nationally and internationally, the MFAH is redefining what it means to be an encyclopedic institution, and how such an institution can best move into the future.

As part of her presentation, Ms. Greene will introduce contemporary@mfah, a new patrons association that is being launched in concert with the museum´s plans to construct a new gallery building dedicated to modern and contemporary art.

This program is free and open to the public. A reception sponsored by contemporary@mfah will follow.