If you’ve never heard of it, Cameroon is a country located in west-central Africa. It is located very close to Nigeria, Chad, and the Republic of the Congo. It is known for many things, including the fact that approximately 70% of its inhabitants are active farmers and, of course, its rich culture and history. It is that exact culture that is being celebrated with a new exhibit at The Menil Collection in the heart of Houston. Taking place from February 17 to July 9, 2023, it features art displays by Cameroonian artist Herve Youmbi including head dresses, sculptures, masks, hats, and more.
All of this was put together thanks to the generous contributions of local philanthropists like Franci Neely to help people in the area come to a better understanding of the unique culture of Cameroon – which is a big part of what The Menil Collection’s mission has always been about.
Celebrating Rich Culture, the Houston Way
“Art of the Cameroon Grassfields: A Living Heritage in Houston” began with a lively question and answer session with Herve Youmbi. The exhibit itself is presented in two different galleries. One of them has more than 20 works from throughout history that are on loan from not only The Menil Collection itself but also the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, local private collections, and more.
The second space features works by Youmbi that speak to the country’s rich artistic history, its legacy of colonialism, and other essential concepts.
Since its inception, The Menil Collection has always been dedicated to making art accessible to as many people as possible. Because of this, nobody must pay for admission to exhibits like this one and all public programs are free. The main gallery building is surrounded by four different museum buildings. All told, the campus spans approximately 30 acres located right in the center of gorgeous Houston, Texas.
As mentioned, one of the many passionate financial contributors that helped bring this exhibit to life was local philanthropist Franci Neely. At one point, she was a corporate attorney and rose to the position of partner at one of the leading boutique firms in the country. She spent more than two decades in the field and did her job well – although she soon decided to retire and focus on her true passion, the arts.
In addition to working directly with The Menil Foundation, Franci Neely is also the co-chair for the Art of the Islamic Worlds subcommittees at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Throughout all her philanthropic endeavors, she makes it a priority to support art wherever possible. She co-founded the Houston Cinema Arts Society, for example. She also participates on the board for the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University.
As part of her lifelong goal to support the arts in any way that she could, she also founded the appropriately named Franci Neely Foundation soon after retiring from her legal career. It helps those in the performing, literary, and visual arts. It also recently created scholarships in the name of the esteemed Roger Horchow which supports young musicians in the social action program with Nucleo London.
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