LOCAL Houston | The City Guide DECEMBER 2015 | Page 34

MUSEUM DISTRICT

HIGHLIGHTS

Olafur Eliasson, The Collectivity Project, 2005–2015. Courtesy of the artist;
Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York; and neugerriemschneider, Berlin.

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON
1001 Bissonnet Street, 77006
www.mfah.org

1. On view until January 31, 2016, over
580,000 white LEGOs® beckon guests to be
a part of The Collectivity Project. The
objective is to create an imaginary cityscape
that is constantly being built and rebuilt until a
true, collective creation becomes a reality.
Originally conceived by Danish-Icelandic
artist Olafur Eliasson in 2005, the exhibit has
been installed in public squares in Tirana,
Albania; Oslo, Norway; and Copenhagen,
Denmark; and most recently at the High Line
in New York.

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HOUSTON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT
4848 Main Street, 77002
www.crafthouston.org

2.

Wendy Maruyama: The wildLIFE
Project brings attention to the plight of elephants and the illegal ivory trade. What seems
like a distant problem for us in the United States
affects generations in the future who may never
get to see elephants if something isn’t done.
Maruyama was inspired by a visit to Kenya to
meet with wildlife advocates. The moving installation of life-sized objects are made from exotic
woods and string and shrine-like forms made
from steel and glass by Maruyama, a furniture
maker, artist and educator.

THE HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE
5555 Hermann Park Dr., 77030
www.hmns.org

3. Quite possibly the most popular woman on
the planet, The Virgin of Guadalupe is front
and center with the opening of La Virgen
de Guadalupe: Empress of the
Americas on December 11. A symbol of
hope, protection and comfort for almost 500
years, this exhibit asks “Why?” What is it
about her that continues to inspire millions
throughout the Americas? With her first
appearance to Juan Diego in 1531, La
Virgen de Guadalupe changed his life, and
since then her image represents a miracle as
well as the identity of a nation of believers.