Now on view at the Menil is Photography From the Menil Collection: Curated by Wendy Watriss, an exhibition of documentary-style photographs that underscore how images can ignite conversation about diverse social realities.

The museum’s photography holdings are a testament to the interconnection of art and activism, art, and human history. Menil Collection founders John and Dominique de Menil often turned to art, including photography, to represent and interpret the battle for human rights.

A strong focus in this part of the collection is the fight for social, racial, and political equality in the U.S., with references to the Black African struggle against apartheid in South Africa, including an image of Nelson Mandela in his prison cell in 1994. Another notable inclusion in the exhibition is a lesser-known and rarely seen photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. moments after delivering his “I Have a Dream” speech. It is quiet, contemplative, and deeply moving.

The Menil is FREE and open to the public Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Please note, the Menil is not open on Monday, January 19.

Photo: Dan Budnik, March On Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr. Moments After Delivering His “I Have a Dream” Speech, Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., 1963, printed 2007. Gelatin silver print, 16 × 20 in. (40.6 × 50.8 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston, Gift of Edmund Carpenter and Adelaide de Menil. © Dan Budnik