1 . Ron Mueck | MFAH Through May 29 You will either love or hate Mueck ’ s oversized , hyper-realistic sculptures of ugly naked people . This is another crowd-pleaser from the MFAH that will pack ’ em in . Go , because you need to be able to say you ’ ve gone . There ’ s nothing quite like the exquisite pathos of a hair follicle blown up to twice its normal size . www . mfah . org
2 . Chickie Brown : I called the zoo but the lion was busy Art League Houston Through March 11 This is the first-ever exhibition for the 94-year-old Brown , and as such we frankly expected it to be something of a feel-good pat on the head . But the best of these paintings are great , with the kind of incisive social commentary we should all aspire to by the time we ’ ve reached Brown ’ s age . Don ’ t miss the silver-haired fellow with the young babe in a bikini and the words “ What was I thinking ?” floating above his head . Oh , honey : Chickie knows exactly what you were thinking . Chickie ’ s been around the block a few times . www . artleaguehouston . org
3 . New Building | Moody Center for the Arts Now open For every ending , there ’ s a beginning : Across campus from the shuttered Rice Gallery is the new Moody Center for the Arts , a sleek new building in a heretical dark gray brick that ( gasp ) doesn ’ t match the rest of campus . The Moody Center is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary art , meaning not only visual artists and performing artists working together , but artists collaborating with disciplines ranging from science to engineering to the humanities . Modeled after similar centers at other universities ( notably the List Center at MIT ), the Moody features a large central open-plan workspace , a “ maker space ” with 3D print shop , video editing booths , a small theater and a gallery , as well as a groovy little cafe . The inaugural season of programming includes big name artists like Mona Hatoum and Olafur Eliasson . We will be watching this space with interest ! www . moody . rice . edu / building march 17 | LOCAL 49