what to see in houston
Menil Collection, Photo By Hickey-Robertson, February 2008
- Houston Local Attractions
- Cy Twombly Gallery
- 1501 Branard Street
(713) 525-9400 Across the street from the Menil Collection is a gallery that is a collaboration between the Menil Collection, the Dia Center for the Arts and artist Cy Twombly, and designed by architect Renzo Piano. It is fascinating to see a large oeuvre by Twombly, best known for blurring the lines between drawing and painting, displayed chronologically.
- The Menil Collection
- 1515 Sul Ross Street
(713) 525-9400 Quite possibly one of the most enchanting museums in the world: well curated, not too big and with little in the way of tourists or overzealous security guards. But mostly it's because viewing a personal collection (in this case, that of John and Dominique de Menil) is a much more intimate experience than a Louvre or Met. The Menil inventory is larger than there is space to display it, so the exhibits are constantly rotating. The collection starts with items dating to 22,000-15,000 B.C. and comes right up to the modern day, with Dan Flavin light pieces.
- The Rothko Chapel
- 1409 Sul Ross Street
(713) 524-9839 Close by is this sanctuary, which the de Menils commissioned Mark Rothko to design. It has quite a somber atmosphere: The 14 original paintings the abstract artist produced for the space are very dark, rather than the brightly hued panels usually associated with him.
