Background

The Menil Collection opened in 1987 to preserve and
exhibit the art collection of John and Dominique de Menil. Considered one of the most important privately assembled collections of the twentieth century, The Menil Collection houses approximately 15,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, and rare books. Masterpieces from antiquity, the Byzantine and medieval worlds, the tribal cultures of Africa, Oceania, and the American Pacific Northwest, and the twentieth century are particularly well represented. Among the highlights of the museum are its Surrealist holdings, widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost collections of its kind. The Menil Collection displays selections from its permanent collection and regularly offers special exhibitions and programs to the public.

Acclaimed by critics as a triumph of modern architecture, The Menil Collection was designed by a joint venture of Renzo Piano/Building Workshop, Genoa, Italy and Richard Fitzgerald & Partners, Houston. The museum’s ingenious roof and skylight system, interior atrium gardens, and large windows fill the galleries with natural light, reflecting subtle changes of weather, season, and time of day. Throughout the museum, visitors find quiet, contemplative spaces, ideal for viewing art.

The Menil Collection’s exterior, a long, understated facade of white steel and gray cypress siding, stands in harmony with the surrounding 1920s-era bungalows. Through its building program the Menil Foundation has created a renowned cultural oasis while preserving the integrity of this tranquil residential neighborhood.
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Complete Museum Guide