back to the drawing board

Cherished Houston art collection and drawing institute reveals reopening date

Menil Collection Installation view of Helen Frankenthaler, Hybrid Vigor, 1973

Helen Frankenthaler's specially loaned Hybrid Vigor, 1973 will be on view at the Menil.

Photo by Paul Hester

On March 18, the Menil Collection, like so many arts organizations, closed its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the beloved destination has announced a reopening date for its main building and the Menil Drawing Institute. Both the collection and institute will reopen on Saturday, September 12.

In the main building galleries, visitors will be greeted with a fresh installation of works by John Chamberlain, Mary Corse, Dan Flavin, Barkley Hendricks, Leslie Hewitt, Jasper Johns, Louise Nevelson, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and more, according to a press release.

On special loan is a painting by Helen Frankenthaler, Hybrid Vigor, 1973, which has not been publicly exhibited in more than 40 years. Visitors can also look for the exhibition “Photography and the Surreal Imagination,” and in the Menil Drawing Institute, the “Think of Them as Spaces: Brice Marden’s Drawings.” Both exhibitions have been extended since opening earlier this year, according to the institute.

Two other exhibitions will be on view starting September 26: “Allora & Calzadilla: Specters of Noon” and “Virginia Jaramillo: The Curvilinear Paintings, 1969–1974.” The new “Specters” exhibit is made up of seven newly commissioned works created by the internationally renowned Puerto Rico-based artists Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla. Pieces are inspired by the duo’s four-year immersion in the Menil Collection’s holdings of Surrealism and respond to contemporary economic and ecological issues shared by Houston and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, Virginia Jaramillo’s first solo museum show, features eight canvases from the early 1970s. The exhibition marks the 50th anniversary of The De Luxe Show, a trailblazing racially integrated exhibition that was organized by the Menil Foundation in 1971 and curated by New York-based artist Peter Bradley. Jaramillo was the only woman whose works were included in the historic presentation, according to the Menil.

“The Menil Collection's mission is to foster direct personal encounters with works of art, and reopening the museum is something we celebrate,” said Rebecca Rabinow, director of the Menil Collection, in a statement. “We welcome back visitors to our galleries with new installations and thought-provoking exhibitions.”

As part of that welcome back, the Menil has implemented the following safety measures: face masks are mandatory for all visitors, social distancing is encouraged, coat check is unavailable, and visitor capacity is reduced and monitored at all locations.

Entry to all the museum buildings and exhibitions is free, but reservations should be made in advance online.

museums openings

on the bright side

'First-of-its kind' Houston park reveals 6 murals by local artists

Houston artist Ade Odunfa stands in front of his mural "Salt Marsh" at the Hill at Sims.

Photo by Scott Julian, courtesy of Houston Parks Board

"Birth From the Sea" by Ade Odunfa

One of Houston's most innovative green spaces, the Hill at Sims, is edging toward completion as artists put the finishing touches on a series of six beautiful murals. They should be ready when the park has its grand opening on Saturday, May 23.

The project is being led by Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis and the Houston Parks Board. Located in Sunnyside along Sims Bayou, it combines a flooding retention pond with walkways and other infrastructure to create a unique multi-use community space. Adding a series of environmentally-themed murals highlights the project's dedication to empowering nature around Sunnyside.

“When we bring art, resilience, and opportunity together in one place, we create something that can serve and inspire future generations for decades to come," said Ellis in an emailed statement. "The Hill at Sims is a community-oriented, first-of-its-kind green space in the neighborhood I grew up in. These murals honor Sunnyside, celebrate the natural world, and help turn public space into something people feel proud to protect.”

The murals include “Impression of Nature” by Emily Ding, “Step Into the Wild” by Carlos Alberto, “Birth from the Sea," a reproduction of a John Biggers’ mural by Ade Odunfa, "The Heron and the Fish” by Ana Marietta, “Rêverie” by Amy Sol inspired by Claude Debussy’s 1890 solo piano piece, and “Salt Marsh”, another Biggers reproduction by Bimbo Adenugba.

Houston is a major mural and street art city, with an increasing number of spaces using murals to showcase local talent as well as bring a sense of identity to locations like the Hill at Sims. The green space offers both a massive natural setting in a neighborhood that has traditionally been underserved in park acreage with an elevated point to view the whole city, a rare treat in a place as flat as Houston. Thanks to the Bayou Greenways Project, a 150-mile series of trails that connects parks across Houston, people can walk or bike to the Hills at Sims if they choose to.

"Our goal is for every person who visits this park to feel that Hill at Sims truly represents the Sunnyside community. Public art is a powerful and joyful way to evoke feelings of connection and stewardship in public settings,” said Justin Schultz, President and CEO, Houston Parks Board, in an emailed statement. “Houston Parks Board is proud to support Commissioner Ellis to bring Sunnyside residents a transformative, multi-benefit greenspace that captures the spirit of Houston: turning our climate challenges into vibrant community assets.”

The total cost of Hill at Sims is $28.3 million. Funding comes from Precinct One ($18.8 million), The Brown Foundation ($7.5 million), with an additional $2 million from public federal and state funds secured by State Representative Alma Allen and Congressman Al Green. When complete, it will feature a 1.6 mile basin loop trail, water access pier, a parking lot, a 2,000-square-foot open air pavilion with restrooms, flexible lawn space for active programming, and picnic pavilions.

parks visual-art hills at sims anderson