Moody Center for the Arts: Spring 2021

In the spring of 2021, the Moody Center for the Arts celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Rothko Chapel by presenting a unique group exhibition.

Artists and the Rothko Chapel: 50 Years of Inspiration highlighted the extraordinary impact the Rothko Chapel has had on both artists and the public since opening in 1971. Organized in two sections, the first part restaged the 1975 exhibition Marden, Novros, Rothko: Painting in the Age of Actuality organized at Rice University by Harris Rosenstein and supported by Dominique de Menil. This presentation was the first time the works by Brice Marden and David Novros were reunited since 1975, recreating the immersive experience that viewers had upon first seeing them installed at Rice. The second section looked to the future, highlighting works by contemporary artists of diverse ages, nationalities and backgrounds - Sam Gilliam, Sheila Hicks, Shirazeh Houshiary, and Byron Kim- as a means of exploring the wide-reaching influence of the non-denominational Chapel, and how its legacy has manifested through various media and aesthetics.

The Moody Center for the Arts organized a series of interdisciplinary programs around the exhibition, which took place in tandem with the Rothko Chapel’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in the spring of 2021.

This exhibition was curated by Frauke V. Josenhans, Associate Curator, Moody Center for the Arts.

The exhibition was made possible through the Moody Center for the Arts Founders Circle, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Elizabeth Lee Moody Excellence Fund for the Arts with additional support from the John R. Eckel, Jr. Foundation.