A Storied Houston Museum Keeps It Intimate In $1.62 Million Night — MFAH’s Grand Gala Goes Smaller

As everyone sat down for dinner in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Cullinan Hall for the storied Grand Gala Ball, few among the intimate clutch failed to notice how, well, intimate it was. Could it be that there were so few schmoozing through the shimmering starry night decor, they wondered?

For the record, the museum notes that the guest list was limited to 300 people.

Gone are the days when the MFAH gala reigned as the most prestigious and ballyhooed black-tie fundraiser of the season by welcoming a palpable throng of philanthropists, social swells and wannabes, a well-heeled scrum of as many as 650 packing both Cullinan Hall and the Brown Pavilion. Today, the Grand Gala Ball maintains a certain eminence if not its former no-holds-barred approach to galas.

Indeed, the recent cozy clutch consisted primarily of museum insiders — board members and generous philanthropists, Houston’s crème-de-la-crème. After all, what more does a museum with a $1 billion endowment and one million visitors each year need than a lovely evening among friends. On this night, proceeds surpassed $1.62 million.

As noted philanthropist and grande dame Margaret Alkek Williams was overheard saying on this evening: “I like it like this. I like it small.”

Looking back, the 2024 ball attended by 365 raised a record $3.5 million, extra financial gifts flowing in in celebration of the museum’s 100th anniversary plus a $2 million gift to fund the ball in the decades to come. The latter from longtime MFAH patron J. Venn Leeds, who received special tribute at this year’s gala.

Keeping with convention, the 2023 gala attended by 425 enriched MFAH coffers by $2 million while the 2022 Grand Gala Ball, attended by 445, saw proceeds reach $3.2 million, that windfall due in part to the legacy of billionaire Fayez Sarofim.

All said and done, the 2025 Grand Gala Ball was another resplendent success with The Events Company providing its expected beautiful decor and City Kitchen delivering the always scrumptious dinner.

Notables in the mix included MFAH board chair Anne Duncan, billionaire philanthropists Nancy and Rich Kinder, Houston Astros owner Jim Crane and Whitney Crane, Rice University president Reggie DesRoshes and Paula Gilmer DesRoshes, University of Houston System chancellor Renu Khator and professor Suresh Kahtor, and art collectors/philanthropists Frank and Michelle Hevrdejs.

PC Seen: Sara Morgan, Joan Schnitzer, Ann and Karl Stern, Lynne and Joe Hudson, Franci Neely, Janie and Daniel Zilkha, Melissa and Doug Schnitzer, Alvin Abraham, Janet Gurwitch and Ron Franklin, Durga and Sushila Agrawal, Anne and Albert Chao, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Cyvia Wolff, Nancy and Butch Abendshein, Kathy and Marty Goossen, Carla Knobloch, Anu and Shirish Lal, museum director Gary Tinterow and Christopher Gardner.