MFAH's Lively Latin American Experience Weekend Brings in a Record $2 Mil — Olé!

Daniel Ortiz
MFAH's Lively Latin American Experience Weekend Brings in a Record $2 Mil — Olé!

Marc and Veronica Adler with Olya and Glen Bucher

THE MUSEUM OF Fine Arts, Houston’s groundbreaking Latin American Art Department celebrated 20 years in style. Its ninth biennial Latin American Experience took place over four days, drawing scores of international gallerists, artists and collectors to the Museum District for lectures, tours and a fabulous fiesta.


The Saturday-night party was the apex of the weekend. More than 400 colorfully dressed gala-goers filtered into the already vibrant Nancy and Rich Kinder Building, decked out with pinks and oranges and palm-print linens courtesy of The Events Company.

Dinner — enchilades rojas, sea bass with mole verde — and dancing to the sounds of Grupo Ka-Che were both fab, of course, but the true highlight of the night was the live auction. Dozens of works by Latin American artists were up for grabs, bringing in an astounding $1.4 million.

The weekend’s total till neared a record-breaking $2 mil, which will go directly to the Latin American Art Department and its research institute to acquire more important works for the museum’s permanent collections.

Jorge and Darlene Perez

Gary Tinterow with honoree Rusty Wortham

Alfredo Crestanello, Andres Castells, Martin Cerruti, Piero Achugarry, Juan Castells

Carlos Cruz Puga and Francisca Novoa (photo by Jacob Power)

Francisco Rivero and Silvia Larrieu

Dario Escobar and Sandra Monterroso

Pablo Henning and Maria Christina Manrique de Henning (photo by Jacob Power)

Sam Gorman, Carolyn Gorman, Jeff Gorman and Michael Dale

Elena Wortham, Pia Wortham and Andrea Wortham

Parties

Leah Lax

A PANICKED MOTHER traveling by foot from El Salvador to reach the U.S.-Mexico border rubs crushed garlic cloves on her skin to ward off the cottonmouth snakes crawling over her legs. A group of half-starved teenage Vietnamese refugees on a boat they hoped would ferry them to safety huddle together as pirates board and steal all their possessions. At a UN Refugee Office, a father of six and a member of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (a minority ethnic group based in southern Nigeria) whose leadership had been executed by a corrupt Nigerian government, is granted emergency refugee status. The interviewer reaches into her pocket and hands him money to smuggle his family out of Nigeria.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Lobster Bene at PostScript

THERE’S STILL TIME to reserve for Sunday, March 31. Whether brunching with kids in tow or you’re in it for the mimosas — or craving prime rib, smoked salmon and seasonal strawberry desserts served on a silver platter — H-Town has the Easter treat for every bunny.

Keep Reading Show less
Food