Moody Center for the Arts opening date announced for February

The opening ceremony for Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts is set for Feb. 24, according to Executive Director Allison Weaver. The Center, which cost a total of $30 million to create, was supported by a $20 million grant from the Moody Foundation in addition to the the Brown Foundation and others.
Open to the public, the center will focus on providing a space for integrating the arts, sciences and humanities. Architect Michael Maltzan designed the 50,000-square-foot center to include an “interdisciplinary maker lab” with resources such as wood and metal shops, prototyping areas, audiovisual editing booths and a technology lending library. In addition, the center will house an art gallery, black-box theater, experimental performance gallery and a cafe.
According to Weaver, Mona Hatoum will be the Moody Center’s first artist-in-residence. Hatoum is a Palestinian artist whose art, including sculpture, installation and performance video, is on exhibition at London’s Tate Modern. During her residency at the Moody Center, she will work on her first major United States exhibition in 20 years.
In a Rice News story, Rice University President David Leebron said the Moody Center represents Rice’s commitment to the arts.
“We are today equally proud of our dedication to and success in the arts and humanities [as engineering and science],” Leebron said. “[Arts] contribute in essential ways to every education and every intellectual endeavor.”
More from The Rice Thresher

Rice welcomes 7.8% of applicants to class of 2029
Rice accepted 2,852 applicants to the class of 2029 March 26, said Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment. This represents 7.8% of 36,777, the highest acceptance rate since 2022.

Engineering school celebrates 50th anniversary, invites students, alumni and speakers
The George R. Brown School of Engineering invited engineering alumni, students and faculty to celebrate its 50th anniversary March 28-29. The event, which took place in the Engineering Quad, included speakers, a drone show, alumni gatherings and other social events like mixers.
Student store offers discounted merch to students
Select merchandise from the Campus Bookstore will now be available to students for a discounted price, according to an Instagram post by the Student Association in collaboration with the Campus Bookstore. Each month, designated “spirit items” will be offered at a 10% discount. For the month of March, the selected merchandise was two blue Rice T-shirts.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.