Even during summer break at Rice, the Moody Center for the Arts remains a dynamic space for dialogue, creativity and reflection. From exhibitions that trace personal and cultural histories to community events and wellness programming, the Moody’s summer schedule offers more than a break from routine; it invites Houstonians and out-of-town visitors alike to keep learning.
This season’s centerpiece is “Figurative Histories,” a group exhibition featuring Texas-based artists Letitia Huckaby, Earlie Hudnall Jr., David McGee and Delita Martin. Their work spanning photography, painting and printmaking centers the Black body as a site of memory and identity, confronting the absence of Black subjects in traditional Western art and proposing new frameworks for visibility.
“‘Figurative Histories’ explores the power of representation,” said Alison Weaver, the Suzanne Deal Booth Executive Director of the Moody Center. “These artists are reclaiming the tradition of portraiture, mining the past to help us better understand the present and to imagine a more equitable future.”
The exhibition opens May 30 with a public reception, which offers guests the chance to meet the artists, explore The Reading Room curated by Amarie Gipson and listen to a historic playlist compiled by musicologist Tierney Malone. Additionally, a bespoke photo booth will allow visitors to add their own portrait to the exhibition. The following afternoon, an artists panel moderated by Rice assistant professor of art history Olivia K. Young will provide a platform to continue the conversation.
Running through Aug. 16, “Figurative Histories” encourages viewers to consider how deeply personal experiences intersect with broader social currents. Drawing on friends, family and neighbors, each artist weaves together individual portraits and collective memory.
“We see the human figure across time as a mirror for society,” Moody curator Frauke Josenhans said. “In this exhibition, it’s also a mirror of resilience, hope and of lived truth.”
Art lovers can extend their visit through The Reading Room, a pop-up reference library on Black art and culture open Tuesday through Saturday. With several hundred books on rotation, the space fosters ongoing engagement with the ideas presented in the galleries.
For families, the Moody’s ArtLab offers free Saturday art activities in June, where guests of all ages can create pocket-size silhouette portraits inspired by Huckaby’s series “A Living Requiem,” which will be on view in the galleries. The interactive sessions explore the silhouette as a form of storytelling, tying personal reflection to historical narratives.
An additional exhibition at the Moody this summer, “Collective Memories,” offers two video installations by the renowned French artist Clément Cogitore. Both works explore identity through movement and ritual in a striking setting that creates a bodily and sensorial experience for the viewer. Cogitore’s “Les Indes galantes” reimagines an 18th-century opera ballet through krumping, a contemporary dance style, while “Morgestraich” captures the haunting start of Basel’s centuries-old carnival in Switzerland. Together, the works highlight the dynamics between the individual and the collective.
“We’re elated to highlight different ways that contemporary art and creative practices can resituate elements of our past, while being accessible to everyone,” Josenhans said. “We want all of our visitors to feel welcomed and engaged.”
In that spirit, the Moody continues its tradition of community-building events. On June 26, the annual Pride Happy Hour returns, featuring a performance by Pride Chorus Houston, a DJ set from Krazzy Kris, drinks and after-hours access to the galleries.
Throughout June, the Wellness at the Moody series invites guests to unwind with Friday yoga and meditation sessions led by instructors from Rice’s Gibbs Recreation Center. Paired with a gallery visit and lunch at the Moody Café, the hourlong classes offer a restorative midday break.
One of the season’s most anticipated traditions returns July 19 with Summer Jam 2025, an all-ages celebration of creativity, community and local flavor. From noon to 5 p.m., the Moody will transform into a lively indoor-outdoor hub featuring art activities, games, food vendors and a farmers market showcasing Houston makers and growers.
“This is a day where the building really comes alive,” Weaver said. “It reflects everything the Moody stands for: accessibility, imagination and a genuine connection between Rice and the Houston community.”
From artistic expression to personal well-being, every program this summer underscores the Moody’s commitment to being more than an art gallery.
“The Moody is honored to facilitate opportunities to look at art as well as learn from it,” Weaver said.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information and to register for an event, click here.