A new era for the appreciation of drawings begins at the Menil Collection in Houston

Rebecca Rabinow, Director of the Menil Collection in Houston, welcomeed civic officials, cultural leaders, community representatives, artists, supporters, and Menil leadership on Saturday, November 3 for the dedication and public opening of the Menil Drawing Institute. The new home for the Institute is the first freestanding museum facility built expressly for the acquisition, study, exhibition, conservation, and storage of modern and contemporary drawings. The 30,000-square-foot, $40 million building—designed by Johnston Marklee in collaboration with landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates—opened with the inaugural exhibition The Condition of Being Here: Drawings by Jasper Johns, spanning the artist’s career. Rebecca Rabinow, Director of the Menil Collection, said, “As we prepare to cut the ribbon to welcome visitors into this beautiful new building, we reflect on the Menil Collection’s commitm