March 26, 2015
Journey of the Universe, Film Screening and Dialogue:
Meet the filmmakers and enjoy a show under the stars at the Rothko Chapel, April 29
HOUSTON – March 26, 2015 – The Rothko Chapel invites the public to a screening under the stars – and a chance to contemplate the mystery, complexity and connectivity in our planet and universe.
The Emmy-award winning documentary “Journey of the Universe” will be projected on the Chapel’s plaza at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. A donation of $10 is suggested.
The film was created by a renowned team of scientists, scholars and filmmakers all wanting to examine big science, big history and the big story.
Producers Mary Evelyn Tucker, Ph.D. and John Grim, Ph.D. will be on hand to host a discussion of the film before the screening and answer questions after.
Tucker and Grim are senior lecturers and research scholars at Yale University, where they have appointments in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Divinity School and the Department of Religious Studies.
Both teach in the master’s program in religion and ecology at Yale and serve as coordinators of the university’s “Forum on Religion and Ecology.” In addition, they serve as series editors of “World Religions and Ecology” at the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions.
Their latest collaborative book is entitled “Ecology and Religion,” and the two will be available for a book signing following the program at the Rothko Chapel.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to probe defining questions with two great minds and to enjoy a thought-provoking film in a unique setting,” interim executive director Claudia Horwitz said. “The questions Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim explore will shape the future of human history, especially in our relationship with the environment.”
Programs at the Rothko Chapel have featured leaders, heroes, artists, musicians, scientists, and scholars from all over the world including Amiri Baraka, President Jimmy
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Carter, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Brice Marden, Rigoberta Menchú, Raimon Panikkar, Nelofer Pazira, Steve Reich, Jonas Salk, Amartya Sen and Susan Sontag.
Many visit the sacred space to meditate and reflect, as they gaze at the tremendous paintings by Mark Rothko – or when they step outside to view Barnett Newman’s powerful sculpture Broken Obelisk, which stands in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Chapel also hosts programs and events in support of important causes concerning human rights, peace, freedom, and social justice.
In its 40 years, the Chapel has achieved recognition as one of the greatest artistic achievements of the second half of the 20th century. In 2001 the Chapel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Chapel regularly makes top ten lists of places to visit and is a featured entry in National Geographic’s “Sacred Places of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Most Peaceful and Powerful Destinations,” published in 2009.
For more information about the Rothko Chapel and the full calendar of upcoming programs, workshops and events, visit rothkochapel.org or call 713-524-9839.
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About the Rothko Chapel
The Rothko Chapel is open to the public every day of the year at no charge and successfully interconnects art, spirituality and compassionate action through a broad array of free public programs. Founded by Houston philanthropists Dominique and John de Menil, the Chapel was dedicated in 1971 as an intimate sanctuary. Today it stands as a monument to art, spirituality and human rights. As an independent non-profit, non- governmental organization, the Chapel depends on contributions from foundations and individuals to support its mission of creating a space for contemplation and dialogue on important issues.
Rothko Chapel
3900 Yupon St Houston, TX 77006 www.rothkochapel.org
Media Contacts:
Michelle Ashton, Rothko Chapel
Michelle@rothkochapel.org
731-660-1403
Lindsay Peyton, Cadence Enterprise Lindsay@cadenceenterprise.com 281-636-1361