Rienzi Programs and Events
Educational programs at Rienzi seek to inspire all audiences to engage with the collection through a variety of programs and activities throughout the year. Adult learners have the opportunity to attend lectures and gallery talks given by MFAH curators and visiting academics. Docent-led tours and special themed tours provide a more in-depth understanding of the collection and encourage close study of the art objects on view. Music lovers can enjoy opera recitals and period music performed in Rienzi’s intimate galleries. Interactive family programs such as storytime, family days and art workshops create fun learning opportunities for the youngest visitors. Art students and aspiring artists are invited to Rienzi for periodic sketching sessions and art-making workshops. Rienzi’s high-quality educational programs will enlighten and delight every visitor.
Spring House and Gardens Days
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Saturday–Sunday, March 16–17, 2013
1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 713.639.7759 or 713.639.7800.
Rienzi and Bayou Bend invite you to join in this annual spring affair during Houston’s most beautiful time of year. Both house museums are included for a single ticket price of $15. Designed for adult garden enthusiasts, the event features light refreshments and a shuttle that runs between the two estates.
Tickets may be purchased online or on-site at Bayou Bend. Tours begin at Bayou Bend with transportation to and from Rienzi. Parking is not available at Rienzi.
Breakfast Yoga Club Houston
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Sunday, March 17, 2013, at 9 a.m.
For more information, call 713.639.7800.
Lectures & Discussions
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Salons at Sunset
Rienzi opens its doors at twilight! Treat yourself to an engaging short lecture, an open house tour of the collection, and social time over wine and bites. Admission is $15, reception included.
Thursday, February 21, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
"Drinking by the Book: Cocktails and Character Formation in 20th-Century American Literature"
Speaker: Joanna O'Leary, Rice University
Thursday, April 18, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
"An Earthly Paradise of Or-mulu": Romantic Poetry and the Rienzi Collection"
Speaker: Karen Fang, University of Houston
Rienzi Spring Lecture
"Something Old, Something New"
Thursday, April 11, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
Brown Auditorium Theater, MFAH
Speaker: Hazel Clark, PhD, FRSA, Research Chair of Fashion, Parsons The New School for Design
This event—subtitled "The Wedding Dress as Fantasy, Memory, and Transformation"—offers a discussion about the evolution of wedding dresses and is presented in conjunction with Rienzi's special installation The Wedding Dress.
MFAH & Rienzi Spring Lecture
“18th-Century Kitchens and Royal Eating”
Sunday, April 14, 2013, 2 p.m.
Brown Auditorium Theater, MFAH
Speaker: Dr. Lee Prosser, Historic Buildings Curator, Historic Royal Palaces
When the future King George III (then Prince of Wales) turned 21 in 1759, he gave a banquet, and the shopping list survives: macaroni, parmesan cheese, bottled mineral water, mangoes, and a host of "modern" food that confounds today's impressions of 18th-century eating. Amazingly, the kitchen in which all this food was prepared survives at Kew Palace as the best-preserved example of its period anywhere in Great Britain. The building was abandoned on the death of Queen Charlotte in 1818 and remained forgotten until 2004. Research in preparing for the building’s grand reopening has revealed what the kings ate, and just how the 18th century saw the birth of modern cooking and dining. Generously cosponsored by the English Speaking Union of the United States, and Historic Royal Palaces, United Kingdom.
Gallery Talks
On the third Thursday of the month, Gallery talks highlight great works of art in the Rienzi Collection. Speakers include museum curators, conservators, educators, and librarians. Reservations are encouraged. Admission is free.
Thursday, February 21, 2013, 1 p.m. "Colonel John Fortnum and Family"
Thursday, March 21, 2013, 1 p.m. "Book Design in the 20th Century"
Thursday, April 18, 2013, 1 p.m. "La Fée aux Fleurs"
Book Club
Enjoy great conversations about good books! The two MFAH house museums host a history-book discussion series about life in America and Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. The book club meets alternately at Rienzi and Bayou Bend, with free discussions on a regular basis.
Additional Information / Upcoming Selections
Special Topic Tours
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Porcelain Masterpieces
Discover Rienzi's porcelain splendors. This tour introduces you to the inspiring development of "white gold" in Europe during the 18th century. Explore the monarchs and vibrant commercial markets that fed the rise of the extraordinary porcelain creations at Meissen, Sèvres, and Worcester. Fueled by rivalry and scientific innovation, these masterpieces reveal the increasing standards of patrons, the diverse function of wares, and the exquisite skill of Europe's modelers, painters, and gilders alike.
Twilight Tours
Thursdays May 3, 16, and 30, 2013, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Relax and see Rienzi and its gardens at twilight. Docents are stationed throughout the house to greet guests and to interpret the collection. Light hors d'oeuvres and wine are served as guests enjoy live music. Admission is $15. Tickets may be purchased online, over the phone, or at the door.
Sketching in the Galleries
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Draw from 18th-century decorative art objects in the Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical styles during Rienzi’s open sketching hours. The galleries hold treasures for every artist: space and light, interior design, historical narrative, decorative motifs, reflective surfaces, intriguing shapes, and form inspired by function. Sketching hours are held on Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Check the calendar for periodic cancelations during the year due to special events. General admission.
Annual Punch Party
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Each fall, Rienzi hosts a jolly celebration: "Punch Party: The 18th-Century Imbiber." Guests travel through time to the mid-1700s to explore historic English punch, a blend of spirits, citrus, sugar, and spices. Partygoers sample original 18th-century cocktail recipes as well as modern punches from Midtown's Mongoose versus Cobra while socializing on Rienzi’s terrace to the sounds of Divisi Strings' contemporary quartet, AMP'D. Snap your own photo in the Smilebooth—pompadours distributed courtesy of Houston Grand Opera!
Admission is $25 for MFAH Members, $30 for nonmembers. Includes punch, light bites, and complimentary valet parking. Space is limited, purchase tickets in advance to guarantee admission. Guests must be 21 or older. For ticket information, call 713.639.7800.
Children's Programs
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A Great Read
Activities and programs related to Rienzi and the language arts are held throughout the year, including art workshops, family days, storytime tours, and diverse performances. Rienzi's "A Great Read" programs are funded by the Sterling-Turner Foundation.
Summer Storytime Tours
Introduce children to the magic of art and literature in an intimate, house-museum setting. Storytime Tours are a fun and interactive activity featuring stories related to themes highlighted in the Rienzi Collection. Most Wednesdays in June and July at 10 a.m. Admission is free. Recommended ages: 3+
Summer Family Art Workshops
Families come together to create art, write stories and poems, and watch performances inspired by the Rienzi Collection. Admission is free, registration is required: 713.639.7800. Registration opens on May 1, 2013. Recommended ages: 4+.
Sunday, June 2, 2013 Alice and a Mad Hatter Tea Party
Sunday, June 9, 2013 Stories Alive!
Sunday, July 14, 2013 A Marionette Performance of Rumpelstiltskin
Free Family Days
Rienzi welcomes families with children of all ages to a joyful and fulfilling museum experience. Take a walk through tour of the collection, participate in a range of activities, and explore your talents through creative workshops. Admission is free. Light refreshments are served. No reservations necessary.
Sunday, April 21, 2013, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. "The Lure of the East"
Azalea Trail
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Rienzi has been a featured stop on the River Oaks Garden Club’s Azalea Trail since 1999. The house and 4.4 acres of beautiful gardens are open to all ages.