The Rothko Chapel, a destination for devotees of Abstract Expressionism in Houston that houses 14 sombre paintings by Mark Rothko, has closed indefinitely due to damage caused by Hurricane Beryl last month. Three of the American artist’s paintings were affected by the damage, as were parts of the chapel’s ceiling and several of its walls. The chapel has hired the firm Whitten & Proctor Fine Art Conservation to assess the damage.
“The chapel’s continued stewardship of this beloved cultural and sacred site, renowned for its Mark Rothko panels, remains our highest priority, and the closure will ensure that the necessary repairs and restorations can be made as effectively and completely as required,” David Leslie, the chapel’s executive director, said in a statement. “Our focus now is on the restoration of the building and panels, and on continuing our mission of both contemplation and action at the intersection of art, spirituality and human rights.”
The cost of the repairs and timeline for the building’s reopening are currently unknown.
After striking parts of the Caribbean and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas on 8 July as a category one hurricane. It is estimated to have caused between $28bn and $32bn in damage in the United States overall, with insurers in the Houston area expected to pay out between $2.5bn and $3.5bn in claims because of the storm. In Texas alone, at least 36 deaths were attributed to Hurricane Beryl.
The Rothko Chapel is located in Houston’s Neartown neighbourhood, next to the Menil Collection, founded by the legendary Houston collectors Dominique and John de Menil. The chapel was also created by the Menils but operates as a separate non-profit entity.
In September 2020, the chapel reopened following the completion of the first phase of a $30m campus overhaul that included the restoration of the chapel’s skylight, bringing its walls up to code and adding several auxiliary buildings including a welcome centre. That centre, named the Suzanne Deal Booth Welcome House, will remain open during the chapel’s closure. A previous, $1.8m restoration project completed in 2000, had involved upgrading the chapel’s climate control system and restoring Rothko’s paintings.
Hurricane Beryl was the most powerful hurricane to develop so early in the Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, and intensified with record speed, a phenomenon made significantly more likely by human-caused climate change. The US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted there is a 90% that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season will be above normal.
Parts of coastal Texas, including Houston, are increasingly frequently in the path of dangerous storms, which will require art institutions in these regions to take increasingly drastic measures to secure their collections and buildings, and be prepared to operate for days or weeks without reliable power afterwards.