Director's Welcome

This year the Moody Center for the Arts celebrates its fifth anniversary as Rice University’s leading laboratory for experimentation at the intersection of art and ideas. Since opening our doors in 2017, the Moody has become a dynamic site for new forms of collaboration and creativity. Through thought-provoking exhibitions, classes, workshops, public programs, and performances, we strive to foster dialogue about some of the most critical issues of our time.

Navigating the current pandemic has underscored the importance of connectivity and cooperation during periods of challenge. Over the past five years, we have increased efforts to support local artists and to reach new audiences. We have simultaneously partnered with a broad range of academic departments, making the University’s intellectual capital more widely available, while engaging an expansive group of off-campus collaborators who have brought original, often unexpected ideas to Rice.

As a hinge between the campus and the community, the Moody provides an open platform for original thought and an accessible site for engagement. Beginning with our decision to make all exhibitions and programs free and open to the public, we welcome all voices and invite participation from all sides.  Whether virtually or in person, connectivity and conversation through the arts feels more urgent now than ever.

Looking forward to the next five years, we embrace Rice University’s mission to cultivate diverse spaces for learning and discovery that contribute to the betterment of our world. Through the arts, and the ideas the arts can inspire, we strive to encourage both students and visitors to imagine new possibilities and work towards a better future.

I am deeply grateful to those who have supported the Moody through our first five years. For those who do not yet know us, I invite you to visit the Moody and to help define what our future will be.

With best wishes,

Alison Weaver

The Suzanne Deal Booth Executive Director