Houston Art League

On March 17, 1900, forty-seven people assembled to hear a lecture on art given by Mrs. Jean Sherwood of Chicago in the Houston home of Mrs. Robert S. Lovett. Inspired by their common interest in the arts, those assembled agreed to the formation of a society whose purpose was to foster interest in the fine arts in Houston, Texas. On March 24, 1900 the Constitution and By-Laws of the Houston Public School Art League were formally read and adopted. Primarily directed towards the establishment of art education in Houston public schools, the Art League soon began to assemble an art collection and focused its attention on the construction of a public art museum for the city. To reflect the broadened scope of its activities, the organization changed its name and in 1913 was chartered as the Houston Art League. From 1914 on, the League struggled against the constraints of a war-time economy to acquire land and secure an architect for its museum. Though the site was dedicated in 1917, the first section of the building, designed by William Ward Watkin, was not opened until 1924. By 1925 the Houston Art League had revised its Constitution and By-Laws, reorganizing itself within the museum structure. In May 1929 the League emended its state charter, changing its corporate name from the Houston Art League to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

From the description of Records, 1900-1938. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122640471