"The Rothko Chapel is oriented toward the sacred, and yet it imposes no traditional environment. It offers a place where a common orientation could be found — an orientation towards God, named or unnamed, an orientation towards the highest aspirations of Man and the most intimate calls of the conscience."

In 1964, Dominique de Menil commissioned the American abstract expressionist artist Mark Rothko to create this environment. Although he never lived to see his completed vision, 14 monumental panels hang in the Chapel exemplifying reverence, intimacy and timelessness.

Fulfilling the Chapel's dual vocation of contemplation and action, many speakers, religious leaders, dignitaries, artists and musicians have visited the iconic chapel. This photo essay captures many of these personalities, past and present. Rothko Chapel



Pandit Pran Nath, a master of Indian classical voice, was American minimalist composer Terry Riley's most influential teacher. Pran Nath visited the Rothko Chapel often to perform Ragas, a five-note Indian melody specific to different times of the day. Rothko Morning Ragas. Pandit Pran Nath and Terry Riley in 1973

Dominique de Menil traveled to Turkey to invite the Whirling Dervishes, also known as the Mevlevi Order, to present their famous practice of Whirling as a form of devotion.

The Whirling Dervishes visited Houston in 1978 and are remembered as an important spiritual event in Rothko Chapel's history. Whirling Dervishes, from Turkey

Dom Helder Camara was part of a group of scientists and religious leaders that met with his Holiness the Dalai Lama during a visit in September of 1979.

Helder Camara was a Roman Catholic Archbishop known for fighting poverty and social injustice in Brazil. He was later nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Dom Helder Camara

Minimalist composer Steve Reich composed music especially to be performed in the Chapel, highlighting Rothko's panels while exploring the space's acoustics.

In November of 1981, Reich gave the American premiere of Tehillim, the composer's first piece that reflects his Jewish heritage, based on Psalms 19:2-5 (19:1-4 in Christian translations), 34:13-15 (34:12-14), 18:26-27 (18:25-26) and 150:4-6. Steve Reich in concert, 1981

Rothko Chapel's Colloquia assembled groups of scholars from diverse backgrounds. The first Colloquium, in 1973, two years after the Chapel's dedication, focused on the Chapel's dual vocations of contemplation and action. Rothko Colloquium IV, 1981



Colloquiums were day-long discussions centered around issues of worldwide importance.

In 1981, Colloquium IV "Islam: Spiritual Message and Quest for Justice" was organized by Nadjm ud-Din Bannat, a delegate of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to UNESCO, Paris, at the request of Dominique de Menil. Dominique de Menil and Nadjm ud-Din Bannat in Colloqiuim IV, 1981

Taken in 1981, this portrait of Dominique de Menil was captured during the Colloquium IV "Islam: Spiitual message and Quest for Justice." Dominique de Menil, 1981

Pandit Pran Nath returned in 1981 and 1983 to perform morning Ragas in the Chapel. Pran Nath was born in present-day Pakistan and became a musician, establishing the Kirana Center for Indian Classical Music in New York. Pandit Pran Nath



Dominique de Menil organized yearly celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday before he was recognized as a civil rights leader.

In 1985, the Boys Choir of Harlem were invited to perform at the Chapel. Boys Choir of Harlem



In December 1986, President Jimmy Carter spoke alongside the Reverend Desmond M. Tutu, Archbishop of Capetown, and Dominique de Menil in the second Rothko Chapel Awards for Commitment to Truth and Freedom, and the Carter-Menil Human Rights Prize ceremony. Archbishop Tutu, Dr. Shannon, President Jimmy Carter and Dominique de Menil,1986



Morton Feldman wrote the iconic work Rothko Chapel, for mixed choir, viola and percussion, a year after the death of Mark Rothko. Inspired by the Chapel's aesthetic and acoustics, the work's haunting dissonance is juxtaposed with short melodic fragments. Morton Feldman



The Rothko Chapel Award for Commitment to Truth and Freedom celebrates individuals and groups who make considerable contributions to the pursuit of these pillars.

In 1991, the award was given to CONAVIGUA from Guatemala, CODEH from Honduras and CRIPDES from El Salvador, with Nelson Mandela, Dominique de Menil, Jimmy Carter and Ann Richards present. Nelson Mandela, Dominique de Menil, Jimmy Carter and Ann Richards



Co-sponsored with Yoga for Peace, Kirtan is a call-and response chant tradition to the accompaniment of percussion instruments, harmonium and string instruments, among others.

Different groups, which included Houston's Bhat Sisters and New Orleans-based Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band collaborated in this engaging participatory presentation. Practicing Kirtan

Monks from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert lead participants in a centuries-old Christian monastic tradition of chanting the Divine Office. Established in 1964, the Monastery was founded in New York and has foundations worldwide. Monks from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, 2010



Poet Usha Akella read from her book of A Face That Does Not Beat the Footprints of the World, accompanied by music improvisation by Steve Gorn on flute. The poetry celebrated the Sufi spirit with poems of love, devotion and yearning for the divine. Steve Gorn and Usha Akella, 2010

MURAL is an international music trio made up of artists from Norway and Australia. They created a site-specific improvisational performance, and Rothko Chapel was designated as the project's main inspiration. Their approach was influenced by Morton Feldman, who wrote Rothko Chapel a year after the death of Mark Rothko.

They will be returning in summer 2011 for the release of this concert's recording. MURAL, 2010



Amiri Baraka, known earlier in his career as LeRoi Jones, is a controversial American poet, essayist. He was a founder of the publishing house that first published the works of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, among others. Amiri Baraka, 2010



Internationally recognized poet Adonis, born in Syria, emigrated to Beirut and became a Lebanese citizen after a year in prison for political activities. Now living in Paris, Adonis visited the Chapel and read a selection from his large body of works. He is considered one of the Arab World's greatest living poets. Adonis, 2010



Brice Marden is an internationally acclaimed artist and appeared as part of the Transformative Power of Art series, which delved into the exploration of the meaning behind Mark Rothko's work. Brice Marden, 2011