09/30/2026
"I loved Mary Alice McClendon from the moment I met her. How could I not?
She absolutely sparkled with enthusiasm for fine arts, for classic opera, for good food, for great conversations, and for life itself. A lifelong collector, she always gravitated towards art because of its beauty and craftsmanship. She was a discerning, passionate connoisseur with a keen, highly trained eye and especially loved works that embodied the luxury and elegance of the Gilded Age.
Mary Alice made pieces of fine art come to life, treating them with joyous familiarity: she read by the light of Tiffany lamps, wrote letters on a Gallé desk, and hung her hat on a Bourdelle bronze. While she had a particular love for works by Tiffany, she was also partial to Wedgwood, Zsolnay, and Sevrès especially if gilding was involved. Perhaps her greatest love was for the curving, graceful lines of Art Nouveau.
For decades Mary Alice was a major part of the museum's life. She also funded a major portion of the 2008 building campaign, resulting in the Mary Alice McClendon Conservatory. In addition, she a donated more than twenty exquisite objects, ranging from paintings to decorative arts, to the permanent collection. These gifts reflect her extraordinary kindness, greatness of spirit, and her commitment to establishing a lasting legacy for the Museum of Fine Arts. Everyone who knew Mary Alice misses her extraordinary light but can take solace in memories of her joyousness and lasting contributions to the arts." - Stanton Thomas, MFA Hazel and William Hough Chief Curator
