Rothko Chapel

In commemoration of World AIDS Day, the Rothko Chapel hosted a morning observance to show support and stand in solidarity with the millions of people living with and impacted by HIV/AIDS. The morning program included live music, personal testimonials, and guided reflection. Shadawn McCants, Owner and Clinical Director of Know and Live Counseling and Consulting, provided first-person testimonial on living with HIV and issues facing Black women in the HIV community. Jeffrey Campbell, Chief Program Officer at AIDS Foundation Houston, shared information on the state of the battle against HIV in Houston and Texas. Moments of reflection were led by Rev. Troy Treash, Senior Pastor of Resurrection MCC, and music was performed throughout by Kelsey Sham on harp. Established by the World Health Organization in 1988 as the first ever global health day, World AIDS Day takes place on the 1st day of December each year. It is an occasion to reflect on the millions of people who have died from HIV/AIDS since the virus was f

Charles Kamasaki (Unidos US) & Sister Norma Pimentel (Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley) engaged in a timely conversation exploring immigrants' rights in the US, including how they have historically been understood and changed over time, and the current policy decisions that drive today's US immigration issues. Charles Kamasaki shared a national perspective and Sister Norma Pimentel gave first hand accounts of what is happening at the Texas-Mexico border, including the impact of these policies on thousands of families each year. Their addresses were followed by a moderated conversation with Q&A facilitated by Frances Valdez, Executive Director of Houston in Action. About the Presenters Charles Kamasaki is Senior Cabinet Advisor of UnidosUS, formerly the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). Previously the Executive Vice President of NCLR, Kamasaki for two decades managed the group’s research, policy analysis, and advocacy activity. He has authored, co-authored, and supervised the preparation of dozen

The Rothko Chapel presented a livestream lecture and conversation with art historian Sheldon Nodelman and Christopher Rothko. In 1997, Nodelman authored Rothko Chapel Paintings: Origin, Structure, Meaning, where he explored the Rothko Chapel as "a masterpiece of twentieth century art and incontestably the greatest work of pictorial installation to date, both dauntingly complex and enigmatic." The quarter century that has elapsed since the publication of Nodelman’s book on the Chapel paintings has allowed for further reflection and the emergence of some new evidence regarding Mark Rothko's design and creative process that promotes a fuller estimation of its achievement. Of particular importance is a new understanding of the second of the three painting design phases that culminated in the finished work. This revelation is not only impressive but also enables a better appreciation of the leap of inspiration that resulted in what we know as the Rothko Chapel today. About the presenters Sheldon Nodelman is Emeri

Tink Tinker and Dina Gilio-Whitaker engaged in dialogue moderated by Suzanne Benally exploring the concept of rights for the American Indian people. Juxtaposed to western frameworks that focus on individual rights, for American Indians the idea of rights has often been used against the collective interests of tribal nations because the philosophical foundations at the core of Indigenous and western worldviews are dramatically different. About the Presenters Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Colville Confederated Tribes) is a lecturer of American Indian Studies at California State University San Marcos, and an independent educator in American Indian environmental policy and other issues. At CSUSM she teaches courses on environmentalism and American Indians, traditional ecological knowledge, religion and philosophy, Native women’s activism, American Indians and sports, and decolonization. She also works within the field of critical sports studies, examining the intersections of indigeneity and the sport of surfing. As a p

JoDee Winterhof, Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs at Human Rights Campaign and Adri Perez, Policy & Advocacy Strategist at ACLU of Texas discussed the state of LGBTQIA+ rights in the US. JoDee Winterhof addressed national LGBTQIA+ issues and initiatives, followed by Adri Perez who focused on the state of Texas. A moderated conversation with Q&A was facilitated by Rev. Troy Treash, Senior Pastor at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church. About the Presenters JoDee Winterhof, a veteran political strategist and respected advocate with over 25 years of experience in navigating the complex intersection between politics, campaigns, messaging and public policy, currently serves as Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs for the Human Rights Campaign. In this role, she leads the organization's federal, state and local legislative, field and legal teams, while overseeing management of HRC’s political action committees and electoral engagement. This includes the launch of HRC R

Texas Children's Hospital Music Therapists Marial Biard and Hillary Gómez presented a family-oriented, interactive contemplative experience focused on mindfulness and music. Join us in 3 different approaches to achieving mindfulness through music at any age! About the Twelve Moments series Since 2005, the Rothko Chapel has shared a monthly contemplative practice featuring different spiritual and faith traditions. Taking place on the first Wednesday of each month from 12-1pm, this series engages teachers and religious leaders from the greater Houston community, providing opportunities to learn more about specific traditions and participate in a contemplative practice. About the presenters The Music Therapy Program at Texas Children’s Hospital focuses on creating a safe environment for children and families to relax, have fun, learn, grow, and express themselves through music. Music therapy activities include active music engagement, developmental stimulation through music, movement to music, engaging with mu

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, President & Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach and Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival, addressed his perspective on US civil rights through a moral and faith-based lens. Rev. Dr. Barber shared historical and contemporary experiences of organizing around issues of economic and racial justice across the country, and discussed the work of his coalitions to create lasting, systemic change. Rev. Dr. Barber's talk was followed by a moderated Q&A session led by Rev. Laura Mayo, Covenant Church & Rothko Chapel Board Member. About the series In conjunction with the Chapel’s 50th Anniversary and commitment to furthering social justice nationally and internationally, "Beyond the Rhetoric: Civil Rights & Our Shared Responsibility" speaker series will examine different understandings of and approaches to furthering human rights and civil liberties in the United States. Visit the series page to learn more about and register for related events.

Over the next year, each Twelve Moments will highlight the role of music and sound in spiritual practices, and how these practices sustain us in the face of current challenges and injustices. For the month of July, the Rothko Chapel presented a family-friendly laughter meditation, led by Stephen Findley. This offering focused on the power of laughter and humor to encourage healing and release stress from our bodies. Please note some technical difficulties from 5:08-6:30. About the Twelve Moments series Since 2005, the Rothko Chapel has shared a monthly contemplative practice featuring different spiritual and faith traditions. Taking place on the first Wednesday of each month from 12-1pm, this series engages teachers and religious leaders from the greater Houston community, providing opportunities to learn more about specific traditions and participate in a contemplative practice. About the presenter Stephen Findley has been a Presenter and Trainer in Laughter for over a decade delivering Humergy and Mirth

Members of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston celebrated Pride Month with a powerful, family-friendly service including social justice songs, readings and interactive meditations. The offering was organized by the Rev. Dr. Colin Bossen and Music Director Mark Vogel, joined by Rev. D. Scott Cooper, Tawanna Grice, Alma Viscarra, Karen Carlson, and Carol Burrus. In the Chapel's 2020-2021 season, each Twelve Moments highlights the role of music and sound in spiritual practices, and how these practices sustain us in the face of current challenges and injustices. About the Twelve Moments series Since 2005, the Rothko Chapel has shared a monthly contemplative practice featuring different spiritual and faith traditions. Taking place on the first Wednesday of each month from 12-1pm, this series engages teachers and religious leaders from the greater Houston community, providing opportunities to learn more about specific traditions and participate in a contemplative practice. About the presenters The Re

Over the next year, each Twelve Moments will highlight the role of music and sound in spiritual practices, and how these practices sustain us in the face of current challenges and injustices. In May, during the holy month of Ramadan, the Rothko Chapel presented a meditation in the Islamic tradition, led by Mohamed Hussein with Fatimah Ali, Imam Dr. Basem Hamid and Mouaz Al Nass, organized by the Minaret Foundation. A major part of Islamic tradition is the recitation of the Holy Quran. It isn't simply read during holy days - Muslims read the Quran daily and listen to it to relax and reflect. This session compared elements of sound in different recitation styles and showcase how these recitations contribute to the connection people feel when reading and listening to the Quran. It will showcased a thematic recitation where the tunes and melodies match the tone and story being read. About the Twelve Moments series Since 2005, the Rothko Chapel has shared a monthly contemplative practice featuring different spiri

Over the next year, each Twelve Moments will highlight the role of music and sound in spiritual practices, and how these practices sustain us in the face of current challenges and injustices. For the month of April, the Rothko Chapel presented a meditation in the Zarathushti tradition, led by Kaemerz Dotiwala of the Zoroastrian Association of Houston. This session was focused on The Gathas, seventeen hymns composed by poet-prophet Zarathushtra around 1200 BCE that form the core of Zarathushti liturgy. About the Twelve Moments series Since 2005, the Rothko Chapel has shared a monthly contemplative practice featuring different spiritual and faith traditions. Taking place on the first Wednesday of each month from 12-1pm, this series engages teachers and religious leaders from the greater Houston community, providing opportunities to learn more about specific traditions and participate in a contemplative practice. About the presenters The Zoroastrian Association of Houston (ZAH) was established in 1976 to promo

In honor of Mark Rothko’s Latvian heritage, Latvian jazz ensemble the Māris Briežkalns Quintet commissioned ten Latvian composers to each create an original jazz composition, arranged and performed by the Quintet. Each composition is created to illustrate the moods and atmosphere evoked by an iconic Rothko painting selected by the composer. This program is underwritten by Peter Ragauss. Performers include Māris Briežkalns – drums, band leader; Viktors Ritovs – piano, keys; Raimonds Macats – harmonica, cello, keys; Kristaps Lubovs – saxophone; and Andris Grunte - double bass Māris Briežkalns Quintet (MBQ) is one of the leading acoustic mainstream bands on the Latvian jazz scene, stretching special accents on pop, jazz, and Latin jazz. MBQ has performed on several international stages, including MIDEM, Pori Jazz, London Jazz Festival, Ottawa Jazz, Jazz at Castle in Prague, Venice Jazz Festival, Blue Note Jazz Club in New York, and Tokyo Jazz Fest. MBQ’s project Latvian Evergreens has two volumes, showcasing L

To lift up the last 50 years of the Rothko Chapel’s work and mission, and renew and strengthen its commitment to serve as a welcoming interfaith sanctuary for all and a place to rally around the significant human rights issues of the day, the Chapel will hold an interfaith service and human rights celebration including Sufi Whirling, prayers, reflections, and music. Find the full order of service in our digital program: http://rothkochapel.org/assets/pdfs/50th_Interfaith_Service_Digital_Program.pdf

Published by Rizzoli Electa, this beautiful new large-format volume provides photographic testimony along with the insights of scholars who give an intimate look into this sacred space, where visitors seek solace and inspiration. Commemorating the first monograph on Rothko Chapel in more than 20 years, the book’s contributors speak about the Rothko Chapel’s history and how the restoration project came to fruition. Contributors and panelists include: Stephen Fox, architectural historian and Fellow of the Anchorage Foundation of Texas; Paul Hester, architectural photographer, Hester + Hardaway; and Pamela Smart, Associate Professor, Binghamton University; moderated by Ashley Clemmer, Director of Programs and Community Engagement, Rothko Chapel

Following an eighteen-month restoration, the Chapel has reopened to the public with transformed lighting that brings the space into alignment with the founders’ original vision for the first time. This conversation explores the original design of the Rothko Chapel, the importance of light within the building, the Chapel’s growing campus, and the creative process of the Opening Spaces Design Team. Panelists include: Adam Yarinsky, Principal, Architecture Research Office; George S. Sexton III, Principal, George Sexton Associates; and Thomas L. Woltz, Principal, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects; moderated by Carol Mancusi-Ungaro, Melva Bucksbaum Associate Director for Conservation and Research, Whitney Museum of Art.

Today, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is celebrated for his 'dream' of a just America, but by the end of his career King was calling for a "radical reconstruction" of the United States. What compelled the transformation of King's ideas and what do they tell us about our society today? For the 2021 Annual MLK Birthday Celebration, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor engaged these questions in hopes of unlocking the ideas and strategies necessary to enact effective and lasting change in the United States. A Q&A session followed the lecture, moderated by Brandon Mack, community activist and lead organizer for Black Lives Matter: Houston. The Chapel started this important annual gathering in 1979 to connect the contemporary implications of Dr. King’s legacy to the ongoing struggle for civil and human rights, captured through artist Barnett Newman’s Broken Obelisk. This sculpture, located on the plaza adjacent to the Chapel, is dedicated to Dr. King. About the Presenter Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor is an Assistant Professor i

Frances Tarlton “Sissy” Farenthold Endowed Lecture Series in Peace, Social Justice and Human Rights Is this really a racial reckoning? with Charles M. Blow Presented in partnership with the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at UT’s School of Law After the killing of George Floyd, millions of people, of all races and ethnicities, in America and around the world, poured into the streets as part of historic protests to demand racial justice. Some began to call those protests a major civil rights moment, a long-overdue, honest dealing with racial justice and equality. But, as months have passed, as progress has stalled and protests narrow, we are forced to wrestle with the question: Is this really a racial reckoning? Join the Rothko Chapel and the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at the University of Texas at Austin for the 6th annual Frances Tarlton “Sissy” Farenthold Endowed Lecture in Peace, Social Justice and Human Rights. The 2020 Farenthold Lecture kicked-off a s

Los servicios de interpretación estarán a cargo de Antena Houston El Premio bienal Óscar Romero de la Capilla Rothko, se ha otorgado cada dos años, desde 1986, en reconocimiento al valeroso trabajo de incidencia comunitaria en favor de los derechos humanos. El premio lleva su nombre en honor al arzobispo Óscar Romero de San Salvador, quien fuera asesinado el 24 de marzo de 1980 debido a su fuerte oposición contra la violenta opresión de sus compatriotas. Partiendo de los temas sobre cambio climático discutidos en nuestro Simposio de Primavera del 2019: “Hacia un mejor futuro: Transformando la crisis climática”, la Capilla Rothko reconocerá a tres personas comprometidas con la justicia del medio ambiente y quienes juntas representan la intersección de la Capilla Rothko con el arte, la espiritualidad y los derechos humanos. Los galardonados del 2020 incluyen a: Germán Chirinos, Fundador de MASSVIDA (Honduras); Bernadette Demientieff, Directora Ejecutiva de Gwich’in Steering Committee (Alaska); y a Jorge Díaz

The Rothko Chapel's biennial Óscar Romero Award has been given every two years since 1986 in recognition of courageous, grassroots human rights advocacy. The award is named in honor of Archbishop Óscar Romero of San Salvador who was assassinated on March 24, 1980, because of his vocal opposition to the violent oppression of his fellow citizens. Building upon climate change topics addressed at our 2019 Spring Symposium: “Toward a Better Future: Transforming the Climate Crisis,” the Chapel honors three recipients who are committed to climate justice, and together represent the Chapel's intersection of art, spirituality and human rights. 2020 Awardees include: Gérman Chirinos, Founder of MASSVIDA (Honduras); Bernadette Demientieff, Executive Director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee (Alaska); and Jorge Díaz, Co-Founder of AgitArte (Puerto Rico). The virtual ceremony was led by David Leslie, Executive Director of the Rothko Chapel and an invocation was given by Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin, the Resident Priest

Over the next year, each Twelve Moments will highlight the role of music and sound in spiritual practices, and how these practices sustain us in the face of current challenges and injustices. For the month of February, the Rothko Chapel presented a meditation in the Bahá'í tradition, led by members of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Houston, organized by Marcel Wormsley. According to the Baha’i writings, music is “a ladder for our souls, a means whereby we may be lifted up unto the realm on high.” In the Baha’i tradition, music will often involve the setting of sacred writings to song and instrument, or may be in the form of a prayer chant. Join to experience an immersion into a slice of the musical soul of the Baha’i community, including performances by Badie Khaleghian (vocals, keyboard), TJ Stapleton (vocals, guitar), Robyn Smith Retzlaff (vocals), and Kamal Khanjani (vocals). The musical offerings will be uplifting, contemplative, and sublime, and are exemplary of what the Baha'i community may