Janet McDonald Hobby
Partner
Janet McDonald Hobby received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She later went on to create the streaming video fashion website, Virtual Runway, featured in Women’s Wear Daily and Harpers Bazaar.  Mrs. Hobby and her partner ultimately sold to Los Angeles based Real TV in 2003.
 
Mrs. Hobby has made a significant impact in the non-profit sector in Houston.  She co-chaired the Menil Collections’ twentieth anniversary gala, which raised over two million dollars, and the Glassell School’s VIVID art auction and 25th birthday, which raised a record amount for the event.  Mrs. Hobby was instrumental in Houston Habitat for Humanity’s Angel Lane Project in collaboration with Oprah Winfrey which built 65 new homes for Hurricane Katrina evacuees. She also co-chaired Campaign for the Future, the recent $50 million capital campaign for St. John’s School.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Hobby has been a collector of modern and contemporary art.   Before joining MKG, Mrs. Hobby chaired the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts’ Visual Art Committee.  Under her leadership the committee commissioned two significant public artworks – Wall Drawing by Sol LeWitt and In Minds, a cast bronze two-part sculpture, by Tony Cragg.  Shortly thereafter, Mrs. Hobby consulted with a private equity firm in commissioning a large scale, public water sculpture by Jene Highstein to anchor the development of a 17- acre urban mixed-use campus. 

Mrs. Hobby’s experience includes research, artist/institution collaboration, logistics and site-specific installations.  Mrs. Hobby is Chair of the Collections Committee on the Board of Trustees at The Menil Collection, on the Board of Directors of Houston Arts Alliance, served as a board committee member at The Museum of Fine Arts’ Glassell School and is active with the Contemporary Arts Museum. She is also vice-chair of the Board of Trustees at St. John’s School.

Contact Janet Hobby at : jmh@mkgart.com

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