Rothko Chapel to reopen on December 17 after Hurricane Beryl shuttered it
In July, Hurricane Beryl rocked Houston. The natural disaster shuttered the Rothko Chapel indefinitely, warranting repairs to the 1971 building by Howard Barnstone and Eugene Aubry. The buildings roof was damaged, its ceiling and several walls had water leaks, and some of the paintings were even affected. Rothko Chapel, home to 14 paintings by artist Mark Rothko, was subsequently closed to the public for repairs, and the affected paintings were moved off site for remediation. But alas, the Rothko Chapel is set to reopen to the public on December 17, museum officials shared. Whitten & Proctor Fine Art Conservation, an industry leading art-conservation firm, lead the conservation analysis and assessment. The walls, roof, and ceiling damage have been restored. This is all happening amid a major renovationat Rothko Chapels campus by Architecture Research Office (ARO) and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBW).Since the storm, our focus has been on the complete repair of the building, the restoration of the damaged panels, and on the reopening of theChapel so the public once again has access to this beloved space for contemplation and meditation, David Leslie, Rothko Chapel executive director, said in a statement. The reopening, as Leslie noted, comes just in time for the holiday season. Getting to this point, Leslie added, has been a true community effort involving an amazing team of art conservators, scientists, art handlers, volunteers, community partners, and Chapel staff, and we are very excited to reopen in time for the holidays.Moving forward, the four Rothko paintings partially damaged are now at a remote facility undergoing repairs.Those will return to Rothko Chapel once the work is complete.