An Art enthusiast looking at Osinachi Okafor's Exhibit (XX Exhibition) at Awka Museum Foundation. Summer, 2024.
Hello, my darlings, from the suggestions I offered from my previous blogpost on the Fine Art of Looking I, I would emplore you, my darlings, to break the summer heat today by checking out Summer Break Activities at the incredibly well air-conditioned Museum of Fine Art, Houston (MFAH), where you will not only experience the fine art of looking but also of creating, every Thursday (July 10- August 7) from 11 a.m. -2 p.m. You can also engage in the art of looking and, surprisingly, the art of feeling in MFAH’s Immersive Summer exhibitions, such as A.A.Murakami’s Floating World. I will not spill the tea by telling you all about it here, but trust me, it would create a very memorable experience for you. However, if you are not going on Thursdays, which happens to be free to the general public (11 am- 9 pm), you could access the museum as a Rice University student under the University Paid Partnership (UPP), more info can be found here. In this case, you would need a UPP membership card, which you can get by completing the form found on the Rice Program Council's Linktree under "MFAH Pass Pick-Up Instructions" and then picking it up during designated times. You must present the UPP card and a valid Rice ID at the MFAH admissions desk for free access to all permanent collections and special exhibitions. If you have children 12 years and under, you are in luck! They receive free admission every day!
As an Art /history student who frequents museums for assignments and research, other than the very “fine art of looking,” I got my MFAH UPP from the reception desk on the ground floor of the Rice Students’ Center, located very close to the back door facing Rice’s Baker Institute and Jones School of Business. While there isn’t a link to fill out the form on the website, the admin on duty (usually a student) showed me a barcode that enabled me to fill out the necessary form, and voila! I got the MFAH UPP pass. I want to stress that you must present the UPP card and a valid Rice ID at the MFAH admissions desk. Please do not go on a “Mission: Impossible” journey by forgetting either or both. Absolutely no one will pay you any mind!
Other Free Museum Days:
- The Children's Museum Houston offers free admission on Thursdays from 5-8 PM.
- Houston Museum of Natural Science: Free admission on Tuesdays from 5-8 PM (Hermann Park location only).
- The Health Museum: Free admission on Thursdays from 2-7 PM.
- Holocaust Museum Houston: Free admission on Thursdays from 2-5 PM. Free admission on the first Saturday of each month for educators.
- The Menil Collection also offers free admission.
Other lovely places for looking include:
- That Amphitheatre on the hill- Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park.
- McGovern Centennial Gardens at Hermann Park.
Houston is blessed with many sightseeing places, and Rice University is strategically located along these historic sites: the Medical Center, Hermann Park, the zoo, and the museum district. Aside from the museums, gardens, and parks, here is a link to what you could do in Houston on the weekends to cool off from the summer heat. The indoor options offer an air-conditioned space to break the summer heat at noon. In contrast, the outdoor options offer nature’s perfect air conditioning for the magnificent Fine Art of looking! I have learned to appreciate and enjoy both spaces, and I hope you will learn to love both, too. The Fine Art of Looking not only teaches you appreciation, but it is also very therapeutic and edutaining (educating and entertaining).
About the author:
Osinachi Okafor was born in Aba, Abia State. She hails from Ebenator village, Azigbo town in Nnewi LGA of Anambra State, Nigeria. She is a current Ph.D student in Art History. She got her B.A in Fine and Applied Art at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria in 2017. Read more.
Further Reading:
Coloring Outside the Lines: On Ruts and the Art of Doing Something Just Because
Day Trip from Rice: Immerse Yourself in Texas History
Exploring Historic Houses in Houston