With the compelling images of war in their collective mind's eye, more than 200 Museum of Fine Arts, Houston patrons gathered in a gallery of the Beck Building, surrounded by masterworks from the museum's permanent collection, to reflect on the new exhibition and to enjoy the camaraderie of the War/Photography preview dinner.
Two days later, the exhibition opened to the public on Veteran's Day with admission waived, throughout the run, for all veterans and active military, a gift from JPMorganChase.
City Kitchen provided the autumn-themed dinner for the gathering that included museum trustees and donors, exhibition funders, curators and some 20 lenders and 30 photographers with works in the War/Photography galleries.
Heading the guest list for this evening celebrating the project that has been a decade in the works were museum board chair Cornelia Long and Meredith Long, major underwriters Edith and Phillip Leonian, plus John Nau, Anne and Charles Duncan, Jereann Chaney, Kathy and Marty Goossen, Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff, Diane and John Riley, Ann Trammell, Carla Knobloch and Joan Morgenstern.
Representing the hands-on side of the exhibition were curators Anne Wilkes Tucker, Will Michels and Natalie Zelt. Contributing photographers joining the tables included James Nachtwey, Don McCullin, Carolyn Cole, Louie Palu, Jim Goldberg, Susan Meiselas and Jonathan Torgovnik.
