MFAH Makes Double Galas a Striking $2.9 Million Houston Success — Twice the Arty Fun

Less than six months after its “make-up” Grand Gala Ball, held in June, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston called the caterer, booked the florist, hired a band and sent out invitations for a second Grand Gala Ball, which was held last weekend.

The proximity of the two did little to dampen support for the MFAH as the November gala, hosted by the Life Trustees, earned $1.2 million for the museum’s general operating budget, which was not too shy of the spring gala, chaired by Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, which raised $1.7 million. That’s $2.9 million combined from the two galas.

While the spring event was held in the new Nancy and Rich Kinder Building on the Susan and Fayez Sarofim Campus, the fall edition returned to the Caroline Weiss Law Building, which seems better suited for such a splendid evening.

The defined walls of the Mies van der Rohe addition to the William Ward Watkin building were beautifully splashed with larger-than-life images from Auguste Renoir’s paintings Dance at Bougival, Dance in the Country and Ball at the Moulin de Galette. Those pieces are among some 100 paintings and works on paper to be featured in Incomparable Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The exhibition opens this Sunday, November 14 and continues through March 27.

Surrounded by images from the paintings and served a trés French menu from City Kitchen, guests might have imagined themselves transported across the Atlantic, free of pandemic worries.

As is tradition with the ball, the program was short and sweet. On this evening, Rich Kinder, chairman of the board of trustees, and Gary Tinterow, MFAH director, the Margaret Alkek Williams Chair, spoke briefly, thanking guests and announcing the generous proceeds.

PC Seen: Susan and Fayez Sarofim, Mona and Andrew Sarofim, Sara and Bill Morgan, Janie and Daniel Zilka, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Lela and Robin Gibbs, Rose Cullen, Margaret Alkek Williams, Macey and Harry Reasoner, Lynn Wyatt, Angel Rios, Carol and Mike Linn, Michelle and Frank Hevrdejs. Diana and Chase Untermeyer, and Tatiana and Guillermo Sierra.