The Museum of Fine Arts Houston Celebrates With Grand Gala
By Jennifer Roosth Photography by Jenny Antill, Daniel Ortiz, and Wilson Parish
THE SETTING: Over 300 guests recently attended the Museum of Fine Arts Grand Gala Ball in the brand-new Nancy Rich Kinder Building of the MFAH. Art patrons walked into an event space, with pandemic safety protocol in place, that was brimming with brightly hued flowers…hot pink peonies and a cascading staircase garland of peonies, garden roses, bougainvillea, and orchids. It was an inspired design collaboration between the chairs and Richard Flowers of The Events Company.
THE STYLE: The evening was all about enjoying the atmosphere and the experience of dining in the new building, which will house the MFAH international collections of modern and contemporary art. City Kitchen prepared a three-course dinner, starting with baby Spanish artichokes with shaved parmesan, wild mushrooms, leeks, spring potatoes, and flowers. Guests were also served grilled sea bass with tomato confit and yuzu beurre blanc, creamy grilled corn polenta, heirloom baby carrots, and snap peas. For dessert, guests enjoyed amaretto cake with raspberry and cream cheese filling with raspberry coulis and raspberry sorbet. The cake, made by Sweet Nation, was modeled to look like the Kinder Building
THE PURPOSE: Phoebe and Bobby Tudor served as chairs for the event that raised over $1.7 million to support the Museum’s general operating budget. The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building, where the event was held, is the final addition to the Susan and Fayez S. Sarofim Campus of the MFAH. Remarks of sentiment and excitement were made by the chairs, Director of the MFAH Gary Tinterow, Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MFAH, Rich Kinder.
