Houstonian and art aficionado Joan Morgenstern, who has generously donated more than 1,000 works to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is honored with a special exhibit, “Beauty, Humor and Social Justice.” The show is made up of some 50 of the finest photographs she’s donated to the museum over the last 20 years. The title comes from the three themes most often repeated in Morgenstern’s collecting.

If you’re checking out the current Helmut Newton exhibit in the Beck Building, don’t miss this terrific show only a couple rooms away. It includes meticulously staged shots like Julie Blackmon’s Floatie, a Norman Rockwell-esque image of a little girl getting her swimming apparatus inflated for a dip in the backyard pool, and documentary-style war-correspondent photos of Israeli/Palestinian clashes, including Natan Dvir’s Amona, a shot of Israeli border police clashing with a mob of settlers. It’s a great conglomeration of several styles, concepts and photographic techniques, tied together by Morgenstern’s vision. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thurs-days, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, and 12:15 to 7 p.m. Sundays. Through August 21. For information, call 713-639-7300 or visit www.mfah.org. Free to $7.

Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: June 4. Continues through Aug. 21, 2011

This article appears in Aug 11-17, 2011.