The de Menils are a wealthy local family, and the Menil Collection is their impressive private collection of priceless art and relics. More than 16,000 pieces, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, decorative pieces and drawings are on display in this Houston museum.
Houston residents John and Dominique de Menil began collecting art in the 1940s, and today their private collection includes work by masters such as Andy Warhol, Man Ray, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, as well as an array of antique pieces. Alongside the permanent collection are ever-changing temporary exhibitions that feature works of art from the four corners of the globe.
Upon her husband’s death in 1973, Dominique de Menil collaborated with Renzo Piano, an award-winning architect, to design and build a museum that was worthy of the family’s extraordinary private collection. Large glass windows, indoor gardens and wooden floors create an incredible sense of light and space, and the beautiful ceiling is shaped like a wave, supported by steel trusses.
There is no admission fee to the museum, in keeping with the de Menils’ philosophy that art should be free to everybody. They also believed that art is a profoundly personal experience, and it is because of this that you won’t find any descriptive texts or audio guides—instead visitors are encouraged to form their own opinions of the pieces. If you would like to learn more about the art in the museum, brochures and guide books can be found in the gallery bookstore.
The museum sits among several other buildings owned by the de Menil Foundation, and the surrounding area is filled with modern sculptures belonging to the family. The Rothko Chapel and Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum were both built by the de Menils as spiritual and cultural sanctuaries, and the Cy Twombly Gallery and Richmond Hall house changing art exhibitions.
Open from Wednesday to Sunday, entrance to the Menil Collection is completely free, as is on-site parking.
