judd at the jung

Hilarious Hollywood funnyman headlines frank new talk at The Jung Center

Judd Apatow will star in a funny and frank discussion on humor and heartache.

Photo courtesy of Judd Apatow

Furiously funny and remarkably spot-on when it comes to documenting the (often hilarious) human condition, Hollywood producer/director/writer Judd Apatow is beloved for his clever flicks that also fluidly delve into serious melancholy and loss.

He’s a perfect centerpiece, then, for The Jung’s Center upcoming program, The Fine Line Between Humor and Heartbreak: The Power of Storytelling.

The virtual offering — the center’s spring fundraiser — takes place at 6 pm Tuesday, April 20, with a virtual wrap party at 7:30 pm with The Jung Center’s director emeritus Jim Hollis and executive director Sean Fitzpatrick.

So what’s the Jung Center connection to Apatow, auteur and/or producer of hits such as This Is 40, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Trainwreck, The Big Sick, Bridesmaids, Anchorman, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights, and the HBO series Girls?

Notably, Apatow revealed to the New York Times that he keeps Hollis’ tome, Why Good People Do Bad Things, on his nightstand. (In another Houston connection, Brené Brown interviewed Apatow on her popular podcast Unlocking Us.)

Expect a funny, frank chat not unlike one of Apatow’s comically stout scenes. The event honors Susan and Lee Hancock for their years of service to The Jung Center.

As founder of the architecture and construction company Synchro, Lee has been an instrumental force in the Houston scene, per the center. Susan, who served as executive director of the nonprofit Trees of Hope, is also the owner of the boutique Tres Chic.

Reading Carl Jung brought Lee to The Jung Center, and he and Susan continue to regularly attend classes there, press materials note.

Genna and Jon Evans and Nevine and Aaron Webster will serve as co-chairs.

Tickets start at $75 for teachers, $150 for individuals, and $300 for couples. Sponsorships range from $500 to $50,000 and feature myriad perks and offerings. For information, visit the official site.

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Houston's iconic Rothko Chapel receives new grant to restore Beryl damage

Courtesy of the Rothko Chapel

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Houston's beloved Rothko Chapel is one step closer to recovery after Hurricane Beryl in 2024. A substantial new grant from Bank of America will fund the restoration of Mark Rothko pieces damaged by the storm.

“This grant comes at a pivotal moment – not only for the Rothko Chapel, but in the broader context of our changing climate and growing vulnerability to extreme weather events,” said David Leslie, executive director of the Chapel. “The conservation process will require extensive time, specialized materials, and expert technical support to stabilize and restore these works, ensuring they can once again inspire visitors within this sacred space. Bank of America’s support underscores the urgent need to preserve culturally significant artworks like these, especially as we face new environmental challenges that threaten our artistic legacy.”

The Bank of America Art Conservation Project has been used to fund the preservation and restoration of culturally significant artworks since 2010. In 2021, the project also funded the restoration of an 13th Century Incan textile housed at Houston's Menil Collection. This year's other recipients include the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., the Museo Nacional de San Carlos in Mexico City, Sir John Soane's Museum in London, and the Sydney Opera House.

Since 1971, Rothko Chapel has been one of the best meditative spaces in Houston. Commissioned by John and Dominique de Menil in 1964, Rothko designed the space and painted its famous black panels. Rothko himself did not live to see the completion, dying by suicide in New York in 1970. Now, the chapel stands as a non-denominational spiritual center, hosting concerts, mindfulness clinics, and other events designed to promote mental healing in visitors.

When Hurricane Beryl hit Houston on July 8, high winds and torrential hammered the chapel's roof. Water leakage damaged the walls and one of Rothko's black triptychs on the east side of the building. It took seven months of work before the chapel was reopened to the public in December, but the damaged art was still housed off site for restoration. Bank of America's grant should hopefully speed up the process of returning the iconic pieces back to public view.

“It is devastating to see the domino effects of an event like Hurricane Beryl, jeopardizing the storied institutions and culturally significant works that provide so much context into the Houston identity,” said Hong Ogle, President, Bank of America Houston. “I am very proud that Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project allows us to support the arts in a unique and impactful way and preserve the works that mean the most to our community.”

In addition to the restoration, Rothko Chapel recently broke ground on a $42 million campus expansion. Two new buildings to the north with house administrative services and an archive, and a meditation garden dedicated to Kathleen and Chuck Mullenweg. A new program center will follow after.