Moody Center for the Arts celebrates fifth anniversary, return to in-person exhibits

By Annika Bhananker     3/22/22 11:53pm

Moody Center for the Arts officially rings in its fifth birthday this year. Since its opening in 2017, the Moody, according to Founding Executive Director Alison Weaver, aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue through the arts and provide an on-campus hub for artistic expression.

According to Director of Marketing and Communications Erin Rolfs, a primary mission of Moody is to “act as a bridge between the greater Houston and campus” and more specifically, “create transformative encounters by highlighting the spaces where art overlaps with other disciplines.”  

One of Rice’s most recognizable features, the James Turrell Twilight Epiphany Skyspace also celebrates an important milestone this year — its 10th anniversary. Moody’s dedication to creating interdisciplinary spaces for expression has inspired numerous collaborations with Skyspace, including special performances for the joint-anniversaries the two institutions celebrate this year.

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Due to the pandemic, Moody’s traditional in-person experiences were forced to adapt to more online experiences, livestreams and outdoor public art pieces over the past two years. Rolfs who started working with Moody in 2021 described how Moody’s projects convey the message that “art carries on even if you can’t come inside” from their installations on the PCF tents and Moody’s Window Series.

“The subtleties of what art does came through, and I think it was also a way for Rice University to show its personality and the things [we] invest in,” Rolfs said. “Yes it’s a STEM community, but it’s also one that appreciates art.”

Community members’ appreciation for art was partially enabled by Moody’s adaptation to a largely online format, which expanded program offerings and accessibility for audiences. Weaver said that Moody hopes to maintain the advantages of the digital format.

Some aspects of Moody, Weaver said, however, cannot be fully experienced through the digital media and livestreams Moody has worked so hard to innovate. Most recently, a partnership between Shepherd School of Music clarinet students, an improvisational piece in response to Anri Salla’s installation, exemplified the values of sharing a physical, in-person space.

 “They went throughout the building and the sound emanated from all the places. They appeared and progressed through the space in a way that isn’t the same if you watch it on the screen,” Weaver said. “It was magical to be there in person, and it reminded me of the transformative potential of experiencing things live, whether it be performance or visual art.”

Given the recent rollback of COVID-19 precautions by Rice Crisis Management, both Rolfs and Weaver said that Moody staff and students are excited to be able to welcome the community in an increasingly physical space. 

Moody’s student involvement is also a key part of what the organization feels has succeeded since its founding and hopes to increase its student presence to expand its reach on campus and in Houston, according to Rolfs.

“Anything we do that contributes to metaphorically lowering those hedges between the campus and the community and the students are a part of that and art is a part of that, so we are meeting our mission,” Rolfs said.

Weaver said Moody will host events throughout the year to commemorate its anniversary, all of which will emphasize its interdisciplinary collaborations through partnerships with Rice departments such as the Shepherd School of Music, the School of Architecture and local artists.

Weaver said that throughout the last five years, Moody’s mission of fostering interdisciplinary dialogue through the arts has remained the primary focus. For the future, Moody’s next five years, Weaver said there are no defined goals due to the changing nature of its exhibitions. 

“We only plan about one year out in order to remain nimble and be able to respond [to world events],” Weaver said. “We hope the arts can be a means of conversation but we are not committing to a certain body of work. I want to leave that question open because even though there are a lot of ideas [and plans for the next five years] in my head, I wouldn’t want to pin us to anything too specific. The issues that our world is facing, that our campus is facing, artists are commenting on [them].”

All Moody exhibitions are free and open to the public as part of their mission to encourage participation and promote accessible art. More information about upcoming events at the Moody is available on their website.

Hugo Gerbich-Pais contributed to this article.

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