honoring barbara

New public art and meditation space reflects on a cherished Houston icon

“Meditative Space in Reflection of the Life and Work of the late Barbara Jordan” honors a Houston icon.

Image courtesy of MOCA

One of Houston’s most cherished and iconic political figures will soon be honored in apropos iconography.

Barbara Jordan, the first African American woman from the South to be elected to the United States Congress (1972-1979), will soon be the recipient of a new sculpture commissioned by the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA). The sculpture is specifically for the Houston Public Library’s African American Library at the Gregory School, according to a press release.

Commissioned artwork underway, “Meditative Space in Reflection of the Life and Work of the late Barbara Jordan,” is described in press materials as a “dynamic, commemorative space wherein free-standing glass panels situated within a tranquil structure function as vehicles to represent, through an intricate photographic and text-based collage of materials, the life and work of Barbara C. Jordan.”

Houston artists Jamal Cyrus and Charisse Weston, the collaborative team that developed the concept, will execute the commemorative artwork. Plans call for a debut of the work at The African American Library at the Gregory School in summer of 2022.

The meditative space will sit to the right of the Gregory School Library’s entrance, in the lawn,
inviting visitors to reflect, meditate, and consider Jordan’s dedication to public service, racial justice, and the fulfillment of American ideals, per a release.

An image of Jordan highlights not only the prowess and commanding voice of Jordan — who was a politician, lawyer, professor, and public figure — and celebrates the lesser-known image of Jordan as a woman of deep compassion and conviction, especially with regards to family and community.

A forever pride of Houston’s Fifth Ward, Jordan was born in 1936, raised in Fifth Ward, attended Texas Southern University (graduating magna cum laude), and received a law degree from Boston University.

After teaching and law practice stints, she was elected in 1966 to the Texas Senate, becoming the state’s first African-American senator since 1883. She was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Texas’s Eighteenth Congressional District, the district’s first representative.

She is currently honored with eponymous schools, centers, facilities, and even the former post office building soon to be unveiled as Post Houston.

“Barbara Jordan is a Houston legend and the artwork created by these artists brings present the impact she had in defending the United States Constitution and representing the people of this City,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner, in a statement.

“The City of Houston is proud to honor Congresswoman Barbara Jordan in such a creative way. Jordan was a pioneer – a woman of many firsts and seeing her image and her writing will keep her legacy alive to new generations.”

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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.