Despite the frosty temps, it was a lively double-header at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston on Thursday night when patrons were given a preview of the Latin American art works to be auctioned at Saturday's Latin American Experience Gala and Auction and celebrated the 10th anniversary of the museum's Latin America Art Department.

The early part of the evening in the Beck Building lower level was dedicated to a look-see at the amazing works and a meet-and-greet with an international collection of gallerists and artists participating in the weekend of activities surrounding the biennial gala and art auction. Rock star of the gathering was Franco-Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, whose retrospective opens at the museum on Sunday. In total, 20 gallery owners from the U.S., Europe and Latin America were on hand.

The second tier of partying began at 8 p.m. with a birthday bash in the Beck atrium, where Sofia Adrogué and Sten Gustafson chaired the more animated half of the evening, the party sponsored by the MFAH Latin American Art Subcommittee.

The event — complete with DJ, dancing and a birthday cake inspired by Cruz-Diez' art — served as kick-off for a year full of exhibitions and special activities saluting the department's first decade.

Toasting the success and monumental growth of the department was Latin American curator Marí Carmen Ramírez. Images of some of the 400-plus works of Latin American art collected since the program founding in 2001 were projected on the atrium wall.

Art fans in the mix of more than 300 included Latin American Experience weekend chairs Mary Lile and Dr. Luis Campos, plus Mary and Roy Cullen, Leslie and Brad Bucher, Sam Gorman, Carmen Montiel-Lechin and Dr. Alex Lechin, Dede and John Ale, Perla Capriles and Manuel de la Torriente.