Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Updates
(pictured)Ernesto Neto, SunForceOceanLife (
Concert | Houston Symphony at Bayou Bend, Wednesday, April 1, 6:30 p.m.
The Houston Symphony and Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, two cultural institutions deeply tied to the legacy of Ima Hogg, unite for their first jointly produced event in several decades. The symphony performs music drawn from their concert programs of the 1910s through the 1960s, the decades during which Ima Hogg was the symphony’s patron. Audience members can enjoy twilight access to the grounds and signature beverages that evoke her time at Bayou Bend and with the symphony. Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, 6300 Memorial Drive.
Jazz & Juleps at Bayou Bend, Tuesday, April 7, 6 p.m.
Enjoy an exclusive evening outdoors at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Sip mint julep cocktails under an elegant Southern garden tent, and listen to live music by the Paul Chester Quartet. Take a twilight stroll through the Bayou Bend estate’s beautiful springtime gardens, relax on the Diana Terrace, and enjoy private access to the first floor of Ima Hogg’s legendary home. Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, 6300 Memorial Drive.
Exhibitions on View:
Buddha | Nature: Five Dialogues on Our Shared World, on view through May 10, 2026
Buddha / Nature: Five Dialogues on Our Shared World traces a path through Buddhist wisdom using both ancient sculpture and contemporary art to illuminate the ecological and ethical questions of our time. Five remarkable works from the Xuzhou Collection, on long-term loan to the Museum since 2021, anchor the exhibition and appear for the first time in a fully contemporary setting at the MFAH.
Frida: The Making of an Icon, on view through May 17, 2026
Devoted to Frida Kahlo’s life and legacy, Frida: The Making of an Icon premieres at the MFAH in January 2026. This monumental exhibition features more than 30 works by the legendary Mexican artist and 120 by five generations of artists she inspired. Since the 1980s, retrospective exhibitions around the world have explored Kahlo’s artistic production and contributions to 20th-century Modernism. By contrast, Frida: The Making of an Icon is the first major exploration of the artist’s transformation from a relatively unknown local painter to a universal icon and global brand. Departing from the traditional retrospective format, the exhibition revolves around a selection of Kahlo’s masterworks, memorabilia, and documents from her archives, as well as a vast array of works from artists across artistic and social movements who were inspired by her practice. A special gallery addresses the status of Kahlo’s legacy as a pop-culture figure.
Sea of Ink, Forest of Pens: The Art of the Qurʾan in the Hossein Afshar Collection, on view through June 28, 2026
Celebrating the art of the Qurʾan and publication of the book Sea of Ink, Forest of Pens: The Art of the Qurʾan in the Hossein Afshar Collection, this presentation highlights a dozen masterworks that span the 7th to 19th century, shedding light on the production of deluxe Qurʾan manuscripts from across Islamic lands over more than 1,200 years. Two contemporary works from the MFAH collection respond to the Qurʾan in unique ways.
Ernesto Neto: SunForceOceanLife, on view through September 7, 2026
Returning to the Museum’s vast Cullinan Hall this spring and summer, Ernesto Neto: SunForceOceanLife is a soaring crochet installation that fills the space with spiraling color and movement. A major MFAH commission by renowned Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto, SunForceOceanLife suspends visitors some 12 feet in the air as they navigate an interior network of hand-woven passages.
The Jewelry of Dorothea Prühl, on view through January 3, 2027
A celebration of sculptural form and material mastery, The Jewelry of Dorothea Prühl marks the first U.S. exhibition dedicated to the German artist. Spanning nearly five decades of her work, this presentation features a series of necklaces and brooches that exemplify Dorothea Prühl’s visionary approach to contemporary jewelry.
Good Times with Ernie Barnes and Alexis Pye, ongoing
Ernie Barnes’s iconic The Sugar Shack (1976) returns to the MFAH, on view in a special installation that also features Oh joy! Long time no see (2023) by Houston-based artist Alexis Pye.
Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, ongoing
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building is dedicated to the Museum’s international collections of modern and contemporary art. The soaring spaces feature displays that span media encompassing painting and sculpture, craft and design, video, and immersive installations. The third-floor galleries are devoted to thematic exhibitions, with installations of art from the 1960s onward. New installations include Behind the Wheel, Energy, Color into Light, Line into Space and Material Presence.
