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OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. 18 T he Reborn Menil: Serenity is restored, and the Surrealists have returned to the Museum District. The Menil Collection has reopened after a six-month refresh, including a complete reinstallation of the museum's permanent collection. Many galleries had been little changed until now, 31 years since Dominique de Menil personally installed them (see our impressions of the redux, at papercitymag.com). Be there Saturday, November 3, for the gratis public reveal of the long- awaited bookend to the original Renzo Piano building, the Menil Drawing Institute, a magnificently understated work of architecture by L.A. firm Johnston Marklee. Catch the MDI's opening act: 50 years of drawings by Jasper Johns ART NOTES (November 3 – January 27, 2019). It's a Draw: Artist Michael Bise's deft, intimate drawings hover between realism and Surrealism — perfect viewing for this autumnal time of year. Long-time dealer Moody Gallery unveils his latest in "A Family Comedy" (October 20 – November 21). Notable at the Nonprofits: The season's most nuanced must-sees take place at Art League Houston. Texas Artist of the Year honors go to Glassell School head of painting Francesca Fuchs, herself a former Core Fellow. At ALH, she has created a new series that references her clumsy but charming childhood forays into art making (though November 3). Fuchs' ALH showing aligns with a solo at Inman Gallery, "How to Tell the Truth and Painting," which is also edged with themes of family and memory (through October 27). ALH's Lifetime Achievement honoree is George Smith, a former Rice professor, student of Tony Smith, and Menil-collected talent; Smith's austerely powerful sculpture and drawing reference Dogon art and architecture in Africa, as well as the history of minimalism (through November 3) … We never miss "The Big Show" at Lawndale Art Center; this year, for the first time, in a prime fall slot. Hirshhorn Museum senior curator Dr. Evelyn Hankins weighed in as juror, selecting a pared-down group of 44 artists (through November 11). Catherine D. Anspon Lifetime Achievement honoree George Smith at Art League Houston Houston Ballet principal Yuriko Kajiya as Odette in Stanton Welch's Swan Lake O ne year after surmounting t h e c h a l l e n g e s o f Harvey, Houston Ballet embarks this month on an ambitious tour that includes being the first American ballet company to grace the recently unveiled Dubai Opera House. This tour de force of architecture by Janus Rostock with Atkins (the firm that designed Dubai's iconic Burj Al Arab hotel) is one of the pearls of the cultural life of that metropolis, which Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch likens to a Disney city. Talks for the engagement began six years ago; Dubai Opera's invitation to the Houston Ballet is an impressive international coup. "To represent America is always a big deal," Welch says. For their Dubai debut, only Odette and Odile HEAD TO DUBAI a jewel in the company's repertoire would do: the blockbuster Swan Lake, which Welch created and choreographed for Houston Ballet in 2006, incorporating the entirety of Tchaikovsky's lyrical, dramatic score from 1875. Its visual inspiration is a pre-Raphaelite canvas by John William Waterhouse, The Lady of Shalott, 1888; the opulent costumes and scenery designed by Kristian Fredrikson are already on the way to Dubai via boat. With theatrical staging and contemporary pacing, which Welch characterizes as "explosive," Houston Ballet's Swan Lake was intended "to give goosebumps." The entire company (60 dancers), orchestra conductor Jonathan McPhee, a support crew of 30 for production and music, as well as a select group of Houston Ballet patrons will travel to Dubai. Swan Lake's six-performance run takes center stage at the Dubai Opera House October 24 through 27. To join this cultural experience, contact Angie Lane, 713.535.3276, alane@houstonballet.org. Catherine D. Anspon COURTESY THE ARTIST AND ART LEAGUE HOUSTON COURTESY HOUSTON BALLET, PHOTO CLAIRE MCADAMS (2017) Eye Goggles, early–mid 20th century. Papua New Guinea, New Guinea Island, possibly Lower Sepik River region. Coconut shell, paint, and plant fiber. The Menil Collection, Houston. Photo: Paul Hester. Open Wednesday–Sunday 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday 1533 Sul Ross Street 713-525-9400 menil.org Rediscover The Menil Collection Museum Reopening September Free admission Always Bank of America is the lead sponsor of the reinstallation of the permanent collection.