Rothko Chapel

Stephen Findley, Laughter Meditation July 5, 2017 During the months of July and August, the Twelve Moments Series will be tailored toward families and children. Join MD Anderson Chaplain and Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher Stephen Findley for an exploration of the history and role of laughter and silence in this experiential family-friendly meditation. Together with Findley individuals of all ages will use laughter in a joyful meditation--attending to the sound and feel of laughter, and experiencing the letting-go of hang-ups, inhibitions, and worries. Through laughter one experiences pure joy that is silly, open and honest, uplifting to the spirit, and healing for the body and mind. Laughter Meditation has two lovely and simple parts; First, we laugh together, then we sit together in silence and are lead into a guided meditation to deepen our inner world. This meditation doesn’t require sitting in lotus position, or breathing in special ways. All ages and experience levels are welcome. About the presenter

Ryan Makhani and Shaida Adatia, Sufi meditation Wedensday, June 7, 2017 Ryan Makhani and Shaida Adatia discussed and led participants through a diverse range of Sufi meditative traditions with an emphasis on spiritual and mystical practices from around the world, highlighting the ideas of compassion and prayer. Participants were exposed to Islamic traditions from countries as far ranging as Turkey, Tajikistan, India, Indonesia, Iran and Morocco. The meditation was in three parts: -An introduction and brief on the richness of poetry and the oral tradition in Mecca in the 7th century. -Islamic Music as sung and played in public places or private devotions. Due to Islam being a multi-ethnic religion, the musical expression of its adherents is vastly diverse. The indigenous musical styles of these areas have shaped the devotional music enjoyed by contemporary Muslims. -The esoteric form of prayer known as Dikr, which is a Quranic term used for remembrance of Allah or repeating His name. About the meditation l

Twilight Meditation for World Environment Day Natasha Burrowes "Connecting People to Nature" is the theme nations throughout the world will explore in honor of World Environment Day 2017. Science has confirmed that our connection to Earth is ancient and many of the world’s wisdom traditions have taught that our connection to Earth is sacred. Much of our work in this post-industrial era is to cultivate a relationship with the Earth that is mutually enhancing and beneficial. How do we use our power as human beings to be good stewards of Earth and what responsibility do we carry uniquely as a species for the well-being of all Creation? This twilight meditation explores our sacred connection to the Earth and our call to action for environmental justice through mixed media and meditation. Natasha Burrowes is a trained spiritual director, workshop leader, retreat facilitator, educator, and writer. Rooted in a deep belief that Spirit calls each person to a greater purpose to bring about the common good and to be i

Conversation with Asma Uddin, moderated by Nabila Mansoor How does a Muslim woman's perspective of the Divine shape a person's faith and commitment to religious liberty and social equity? Asma Uddin is at the forefront of this conversation, creating the space for women to make their faith their own. Uddin is the Director of Strategy for the Center on Islam and Religious Freedom. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of altmuslimah.com, a highly praised web magazine dedicated to issues on gender and Islam. Uddin speaks and publishes widely on issues of national and international religious freedom, as well as gender and faith. Her work has been published by numerous law reviews and prominent university presses. She guest-edited a special issue of The Review of Faith & International Affairs and is co-editing a forthcoming book of essays by women who have faced religious persecution. She also serves on the Advisory Council for The Institute for Global Engagement's Center for Women, Faith and Leadership. A

The Menil Collection and surrounding nonprofit organizations presented their annual Menilfest community arts festival, a free afternoon of exhibitions, performances, and readings that extends across the Menil neighborhood. In collaboration with Menilfest, the Rothko Chapel activated the Chapel and the plaza between the hours of 11am-6pm with a music performance, interactive labyrinth dance, on-site tours, and refreshments by SweetCup Gelato. 3-4:30pm Anecdote of the Spirit Music created by Misha Penton, soprano, and Thomas Helton, double bass Misha Penton, soprano and experimental vocal composer, and Thomas Helton, composer and double bassist, created music through spontaneous and improvised compositional techniques, yielding quiet, spacious, beautiful and intense sounds, in keeping with the sacred environment of the Chapel. The audience was invited to wander in and out of the Chapel for a quiet, introspective, and contemplative experience. “Anecdote of the Spirit” is a direct quote from Mark Rothko, an

Concert Chamber ensemble Loop38 Described as a “masterpiece” and “monumental work” by the New York Times and The Guardian, respectively, Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas’ hour-long work for twenty-four musicians, in vain (2000), creates an unforgettable listening experience. Just as “the natural light that illuminates the murals...accurately show the nuances and subtleties of [Rothko’s] color palette” in Rothko Chapel, the absence of light is used in Haas’ in vain to create an experience of “waves of opulently strange, beautiful sounds”. With most of the music performed in complete darkness as the performers play from memory, the sounds are liberated, and “the focus lies on what is trapped under listening habits”. While many works of Haas have been performed to great acclaim in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, and London, he has yet to be discovered in Houston. With an emphasis on achieving artistic excellence and a passion to create unique aural experiences for the community, Loop38 is excited to incl

Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin, Buddhist Meditation Wednesday, May 3, 2017 Current Bishop of the Nichiren Order of North America, Myokei Caine-Barrett is also Resident Priest and Guiding Teacher of the Nichiren Buddhist Sangha of Texas and Myoken-ji Temple. She is the first Western woman in the world, and first person of African-Japanese descent, to be ordained in the Nichiren Shu tradition as well as the first female Bishop in NONA. She is engaged in spreading the Dharma behind bars at TDCJ, as well as supporting the healing of emotional issues of military service with Vets Journey Home. The series is co-sponsored by Ligmincha Texas Institute, The Jung Center of Houston, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Rothko Chapel.

Adam Tendler shared an ambitious program of works that provoke, challenge, thrill, and ultimately move the listener. The program included works by Nico Muhly, Earle Brown, Marina Poleukhina, Charlie Sdraulig, Morton Feldman, and Philip Glass. About Adam Tendler: Adam Tendler has been called "an exuberantly expressive pianist" who "vividly displayed his enthusiasm for every phrase" by The Los Angeles Times, a “quietly charismatic...intrepid...outstanding...maverick pianist” by The New Yorker, a "modern-music evangelist" by Time Out New York, and a pianist who "has managed to get behind and underneath the notes, living inside the music and making poetic sense of it all," by The Baltimore Sun, which continued, "if they gave medals for musical bravery, dexterity and perseverance, Adam Tendler would earn them all." London critic Frances Wilson described Tendler's memorized performance of Morton Feldman's Palais de Mari as "a concentrated listening experience...meditative, intense and beautifully poised." And New

Father Serge Veselinovich, Serbian Orthodox Tradition Wednesday April 5, 2017 Father Serge Veselinovich was born on October 5th, 1968, in Frankfurt, (West) Germany. He moved to Australia in 1969 with his parents Elijah and Bojka née Matovich whereupon he graduated Fairfield High School in 1986 in the western suburbs of Sydney. He moved to Chicago in 1987, where he entered into seminary at Saint Sava, and after four years of study, was ordained into the holy priesthood. He served briefly in Australia for a total of two years and then moved back to the States. He is currently the parish priest of Saints Constantine and Helen Orthodox Church in Galveston, Texas. Although records show that the Orthodox peoples of the Balkans, Middle East, and Russia had started congregating in the 1860s, Saints Constantine and Helen is the oldest Orthodox church in the state of Texas, dating back from 1895 when it was officially consecrated. Father Serge has served this small but ever faithful community for the past twenty-two

“Dismantling the System: What Juvenile Decarceration can Teach us About Undoing Mass Incarceration” Keynote address by Vincent Schiraldi, Senior Research Fellow, Criminal Justice Policy and Management at Harvard University Using the Juvenile Justice System as a starting point, Schiraldi will uncover why the number of young people locked up has declined by more than 50% since the beginning of this millennium while adult incarceration has only flattened out. Through this exploration, Schiraldi will share some of the key elements and actions needed to decrease mass incarceration in America, and the significant role that citizens are playing to dismantle the system. Vincent Schiraldi is a Senior Research Fellow directing the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management at Harvard University’s Kennedy School. Schiraldi has served as founder of Justice Policy Institute, director of juvenile corrections in Washington, D.C., and Commissioner of the NYC Department of Probation. Most recently, Schiraldi served

An Act of Justice: Undoing the Legacy of Mass Incarceration Symposium "Decriminalization and Decarceration: Getting There from Here” Keynote Address by Margaret Burnham, Northeastern University School of Law Professor Welcome and Overview by Daivd Leslie, Executive Director, Rothko Chapel. Poetry performed by Audrey M., Writers in the Schools. Burnham explores the legacy of mass incarceration in the United States: how we became the most incarcerated nation in the world and what it would take as a society to undo this complex system. Burnham discusses the realities that race, class and economics play while also lifting up some of the visionary reform efforts that are underway. Margaret Burnham is a Professor of Law and African-American Studies at Northeastern University School of Law. Focusing on the history of mid-20th century racial violence in the US, she studies and pursues legal and political initiatives to remedy past racial injustices, with special attention to criminal justice institutions. She is

Join us for a Twilight Meditation honoring International Women's Day, with a focus on the unique challenges that displaced refugee women face throughout the world. Women who are refugees and immigrants will share their personal stories and testimonies. The evening will close with a community conversation about the importance of individual and collective efforts to advocate for and support just and equitable policies in support of refugees and immigrants. Musical performance by Mohammad Sheikh Horo, Saz player International Women's Day (IWD) is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. About the Presenters Wafa Abdin is Vice President for Immigration and Refugee Services at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. She oversees the Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance, the largest non-profit provider of immigration legal services for low-income and indigent non-ci

Imam Mohammad Khan, Muslim Meditation Wednesday, March 3, 2017 Join us for an Muslim meditation with a focus on "Oneness." The meditation will include a recitation and discussion of verses, and instructions for prayer. Mohammad Ahmad Khan was born and raised in Houston, Texas. In 2007, he memorized the Qur’an. He then went on mastering the recitation and articulation of the Qur'an under the tutelage of the distinguished Reciter Muhammad Siddique. After learning the fundamentals and the art of Qur’anic recitation, He accepted the position of primary Imam at a local mosque and began teaching the principles that he appropriated from his teachers. After working closely with the community for many years, in 2012, Mohammad enrolled at Zaytuna College to further his studies in the Islamic Sciences. Zaytuna College has given him a holistic understanding of both the the Islamic and Western traditions. He seeks to be a dynamic community leader and a professor of Islamic Studies who engages with both the Muslim comm

Imam Mohammad Khan, Islamic Meditation Wednesday, March 1, 2017 Join us for a Islamic meditation with a focus on "Oneness." The meditation will include a recitation and discussion of verses, and instructions for prayer. Mohammad Ahmad Khan was born and raised in Houston, Texas. In 2007, he memorized the Qur’an. He then went on mastering the recitation and articulation of the Qur'an under the tutelage of the distinguished Reciter Muhammad Siddique. After learning the fundamentals and the art of Qur’anic recitation, He accepted the position of primary Imam at a local mosque and began teaching the principles that he appropriated from his teachers. After working closely with the community for many years, in 2012, Mohammad enrolled at Zaytuna College to further his studies in the Islamic Sciences. Zaytuna College has given him a holistic understanding of both the the Islamic and Western traditions. He seeks to be a dynamic community leader and a professor of Islamic Studies who engages with both the Muslim com

Poetry Reading and Conversation Willis Barnstone, Aliki Barnstone, and Tony Barnstone Presented in partnership with Saint Julian Press Poetry offers a window to the Holy that dialogue cannot, reflecting essential human truths in artful form. Join a unique opportunity to engage with three acclaimed and evocative poets from the Barnstone family in a sacred place that is also rich with family history. The Rothko Chapel was designed, in part, by the architect Howard Barnstone, Willis’ brother. Each of the poets will read from their collections, examining their concepts of the Divine and challenging our own, as well as engage in conversation with each other and the audience. Music will be performed before and during the program by Max Dyer, cellist. A reception and book signing follow the program. About the poets: Willis Barnstone is a poet, memoirist, translator, Hispanist and comparatist, who has written more than 70 books of scholarship and poetry. A New Testament and Gnostic scholar, he published “The Resto

Alejandro Chaoul, Ph.D led a meditation in the ancient Bon-Buddhist tradition of Tibet, showing how it can be a "medicine" for our mind-wandering and emotional entanglements. Participants practiced simple techniques of "Meditation Precious Pills" for every day life, and focused on the importance of community support. Dr. Alejandro Chaoul is an assistant professor and director of education at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center's Integrative Medicine program, where he conducts research using mind-body techniques with cancer patients, holds group and individual meditation classes, and directs the education initiatives on integrative medicine. He is also an associate faculty member at The McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics at University of Texas Medical School, where he teaches medical students in the areas of spirituality, complementary and integrative medicine, and end of life care. Alejandro is also on the Board and is a meditation and Tibetan yoga teacher of the Ligmincha Texas Institute for the Tibetan Med

To celebrate the Houston Museum District Association's Museum Experience, the Rothko Chapel hosted a day full of events in conjunction with The Menil Collection and Houston Center for Photography. The Da Camera Young Artists - a group of emerging professional vocalists, instrumentalists, and composers - descended on the Museum Experience in Zone 1 to present nine concerts in the span of two hours. Visitors traveled between the Menil Collection, the Rothko Chapel, and the Houston Center for Photography to hear each program. The concerts began simultaneously in each venue at 2:00, 2:45, and 3:30 and the music reflected the unique character of each space. Da Camera Young Artists (Callie Denbigh, voice; Stephanie Gustafson, harp; Amelia Love, voice; Sonya Matoussova, cello; and William Shaub, violin) Johann Sebastian Bach Sonata in G Minor, I. Adagio William Shaub, violin John Cage In a Landscape Stephanie Gustafson, harp Morton Feldman Voices and Cello (1973) Amelia Love, voice Callie Denbigh, voice Sonya

In honor of the life and work of the Rev. Dr. King, our Annual Celebration began with a ceremony on the plaza to welcome the return of the Broken Obelisk by Barnett Newman after a year away for conservation. The event included words by Rev. Dr. Marcus Cosby, Wheeler Baptist Church Senior Pastor; Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis; Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee; Gary Tinterow, Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; a capella performances by Edwina Hubbard; and original poems performed by Jackson Neal, 2016 Meta-four Houston Youth Poetry Slam team member, and Fareena Arefeen, City of Houston's second Youth Poet Laureate, an initiative led by Writers in the Schools, the City of Houston, and the Houston Public Library.

Dana Shamas, New Year's Day Crystal Bowl Meditation Sunday, January 1, 2017 The Rothko Chapel honored the start of the New Year with the sound of crystal bowls resonating throughout the Chapel, led by yoga teacher and Bayou Bliss Yoga founder Dana Shamas. Twelve Moments: Experiencing Spiritual and Faith Traditions is offered monthly and is co-sponsored by Ligmincha Texas Institute, The Jung Center of Houston, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the Rothko Chapel.

How can a shared concept of the Divine inspire faith leaders to collaboratively address issues of social justice in Houston? The “three amigos” Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza, Rabbi Samuel Karff, and Rev. William Lawson (who was unable to attend due to a recent surgery) share their interfaith work and how it’s influenced their own spirituality and ministry in service to the community, moderated by Melanie Lawson, award winning journalist. Rabbi Karff is Rabbi Emeritus at Congregation Beth Israel; Archbishop Fiorenza is Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston; and Rev. Lawson is the founding pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. Working together they have tackled some of Houston's most challenging problems, including homelessness, juvenile incarceration, and fair housing. Concept of the Divine series provides a unique opportunity for speakers to share how their personal concept of the Divine has changed over time and shaped their lives, their service to the community, and views about their place in the cosmos