Herb Ritts Gallery to Open at MFA, Boston

Djimon with Octopus, Hollywood, 1989 and Mask, Hollywood, 1989
© Herb Ritts

It was almost 10 years ago that the landmark exhibition of photographs by Herb Ritts titled Work came to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Featuring 182 pieces by Ritts, the show was the first exhibition by a single photographer in the history of the MFA. By the time the show came down, a quarter of a million people had come to see it – popularizing the work of Ritts as well as elevating the reputation of the Museum.

David Schonauer at State of the Art reports that just a little over four years after the death of Herb Ritts, the Museum of Fine Arts will be opening a gallery in his name. The gallery will also be the MFA’s first photography-dedicated gallery.

The Herb Ritts Gallery is scheduled to open sometime in 2010. And in addition, the Herb Ritts Foundation will giving 250 Ritts prints to the MFA’s permanent collection, making the museum the world’s larger holder of Ritt’s work.