Dear Friends of the Rothko Chapel,
This past year has been one of profound resilience and renewal. In the face of challenges both natural 
and societal, we have remained steadfast in our mission to serve as a sanctuary for contemplation 
and a catalyst for dialogue on the urgent moral and spiritual questions of our time.
Throughout the 2024–2025 season, our programs invited the community to reflect on what it means 
to heal—personally, collectively, and globally. From the Concert for Peace in collaboration with the 
Jaipur Literature Festival, to our Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Observance on the health impacts of 
war, to Night of Ideas with Dr. Peter Hotez, each gathering embodied the Chapel’s founding purpose: 
to unite art, spirituality, and social justice in service to our shared humanity.
This year also marked the completion of a comprehensive five-year strategic plan. This work clarified 
our vision for the future and reaffirmed the Chapel’s commitment to fostering spiritual growth, creative 
engagement, and social justice. The plan positions us for thoughtful growth—expanding awareness 
of the Chapel’s mission, deepening our impact, and reaching more people in Houston and around the 
world who seek meaning, connection, and a place for reflection. These guiding priorities will shape 
how we steward our reflective space, evolve our programming, strengthen partnerships, and ensure 
broad access for all who turn to the Chapel as a source of grounding and inspiration.
In the summer of 2024, Hurricane Beryl brought unexpected hardship, causing structural damage to 
the Chapel and affecting several of Mark Rothko’s monumental panels. While the building reopened 
in December after extensive repairs, the paintings remain in conservation—receiving the same care 
and reverence that have defined the Chapel since its inception. Even during this period, our mission 
has continued with undiminished strength. Off-site programs, collaborative partnerships, and creative 
adaptations allowed us to sustain connection and uphold the Chapel’s role as a space for reflection, 
dialogue, and renewal.
As we look ahead, we do so with deep gratitude and optimism. Our Opening Spaces campus expansion—
now advancing into its final phase—will provide new facilities for programs and gathering spaces, 
extending the Chapel’s reach for generations to come. These projects represent not only physical 
growth, but an expansion of our shared capacity to build understanding, empathy, and peace in an 
increasingly fractured world.
We are grateful to all who make this work possible—our visitors, donors, staff, volunteers, board 
members, and community partners. Your commitment ensures that even as our paintings undergo 
restoration, the spirit and mission of Rothko Chapel continue to illuminate lives and inspire action.
With appreciation and solidarity,
 
Abdullah T. Antepli	
	
	
	
Troy Porter	
	
	
	
	
	

President 	
	
	
	
	
Chair, Board of Directors	
	
	
	
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