The Menil Collection is one of the world’s finest private art collections, housed in a unique setting designed by Renzo Piano.
The Menil was founded in 1987 by John and Dominique de Menil. The couple began collecting art in the 1940s while living in France. They later moved to Houston, Texas, where they continued to build their collection and eventually established The Menil Foundation to support the arts.
The Menil Collection includes more than 17,000 works of art from antiquity to the present day. The collection is particularly strong in twentieth-century European and American art, with significant holdings of works by Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Man Ray, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko. The Menil also has a comprehensive collection of African art, as well as important works from Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas.
In addition to the permanent collection, the Menil offers a variety of temporary exhibitions throughout the year. The museum is free to the public and open Wednesday through Sunday.
