María Eugenia Maury.
(L) Dr. William Haseltine & María Eugenia Maury. (R) Manuela Arria-Maury, María Eugenia Maury, Camila Arria-Maury.
It was through her work with AID for AIDS that she met her husband, William Haseltine, a biologist recognized for his work in HIV/AIDS research during the 1980s. The former Harvard professor founded two research departments on cancer and HIV/AIDs at Harvard Medical School. Today, Haseltine, like Maury, is involved in a number of philanthropic efforts and has founded two charitable foundations: The Foundation for Science and the Arts and ACCESS Health International. Maury and Haseltine wed in August of 2012, and together, share five children from previous marriages: Karina, Camila, Manuela, Mara, and Alexander.
Maury is also a great supporter of El Museo del Barrio, New York’s leading Latino cultural institution that explores and presents the artistic expressions of the Latino, Caribbean, and Latin American cultures. Along with a wide range of collections and exhibitions, the culturally rich Manhattan museum offers film, literary, visual and performing arts, celebrations, and educational programs.
Mara Haseltine, Dr. William Haseltine, María Eugenia Maury.
She became involved with El Museo through the influence of two great friends: artist Tony Bechara and art philanthropist Estrellita Brodsky. After attending events and supporting the museum, Maury became a trustee. While AID FOR AIDS International and El Museo del Barrio are two very different organizations, she believes there is some common ground. “El Museo del Barrio and AID FOR AIDS both do wonderful things, very different things, but, ironically, the art world was a sector that was very badly impacted by the HIV epidemic.”
She and Haseltine, who she calls incredibly supportive and a mentor, chaired El Museo’s 2015 GALA. The GALA embraced a cinematic theme, inspired by the exhibition: Under the Mexican Sky: Gabriel Figueroa–Art and Film. Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa filmed more than 200 movies in 50 years and became a heralded cinematographer in Mexico and the United States. He was a Golden Globe winner, received the American Society of Cinematographers International Award in 1995, and multiple Ariel awards in his native Mexico. Also on view, paintings from famed Mexican artists like Diego Rivera, Manuel Rodríguez Lozano, and José Clemente Orozco. To capture the elegance and drama of the exhibit, women are asked to dress in black and white and encouraged to wear gloves and veils to the gala.
María Eugenia Maury.
The gala’s honorees–all of Mexican descent–were Museo del Barrio trustee Yolanda Santos, Co-Founder of El Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in Monterrey; Lisa García Quiroz, who oversees Time Warner’s Charity Foundation and their philanthropic efforts as senior vice president and chief diversity officer; and Eugenio López Alonso, founder and president of Fundacion Jumex, one of the largest private art collections in the Americas. The soiree took place at the historic Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. Proceeds benefited El Museo’s education programs.
The festive evening was the perfect platform for Maury to show her enthusiasm for El Museo del Barrio. “It’s the most important Latino Museum in the United States. It’s a necessity to have this museum; it represents our art, our culture, and our people. I’m inspired by El Museo, and I love being tied to it,” Maury concludes. ■
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