Meticulously draped inside the Shepherd School of Music’s Alice Pratt Brown Hall, a dazzling interplay of color, texture and movement now graces the wall above the entrance to Duncan Recital Hall. This latest installation, part of the Moody Center for the Arts’ Platform series, brings the work of artist Eva LeWitt to Rice University, inspiring a dialogue between the visual and musical arts. LeWitt’s temporary installation introduces a vibrant visual rhythm into the architectural grandeur of the hall with a large-scale sculptural assembly of concentric mesh strips hung vertically at varying lengths, creating dynamic forms of rising and falling color that evoke the movements of a symphony.
“Our mission in public art is to meet people where they live, work and study with art that resonates with their environment,” said Alison Weaver, the Suzanne Deal Booth Executive Director of the Moody. “Eva LeWitt’s installation activates this space in a way that harmonizes with the extraordinary music of the Shepherd School and the vibrant visual culture of Rice and Houston.”
LeWitt first saw what would become her canvas while touring the Rice campus in search of the right spot — indoor or outdoor — for a site-specific installation.
“This space really spoke to me,” LeWitt said. “It’s a grand space, but it needed a little bit of color.”
LeWitt describes her creative process as both meticulous and organic, and she began the Platform series exhibit with drawings in her New York City studio.
“I laid out the drawing on graph paper, cut the material to measure and installed the pleats at the top on site,” LeWitt said. “The material isn’t fixed in place — if a big gust of wind comes through, it moves. There’s a lot of gravity involved in keeping the shape how it is.”
The installation aligns with the mission of the Moody’s Platform series, which commissions artists to create works that engage directly with Rice’s architecture, research or artistic culture. “Platform: Eva LeWitt” is a reminder of the Moody’s commitment to making art accessible in unexpected spaces.
“Her installation brings color, shape and movement into the space, beautifully amplifying the experience of this hall,” said Frauke Josenhans, curator at the Moody. “We aim to surprise people by placing art where they live, work and study. It’s been so rewarding to see students and faculty express joy and enthusiasm upon discovering LeWitt’s installation.”
For LeWitt, the Shepherd School’s musical ethos offered a unique source of inspiration. The interplay of repetition and variation in her installation mirrors the structure of musical compositions.
“She wanted to create something that had a musical element to it even though it’s visual,” said Matthew Loden, dean of the Shepherd School. “It’s one of the most perfect installations I’ve ever seen. It works so beautifully with what this space is meant to be.”
The installation’s bold hues and rhythmic forms also complement other artworks in the Rice Public Art collection sited at the Shepherd School, including the James Turrell Skyspace, a David Novros painting, a mural by Odili Donald Odita and a Beverly Pepper outdoor sculpture.
“With Eva’s work now part of our public art program, we’re continuing to solidify our place as a key destination for the arts in Houston, both visual and musical,” Loden said.
LeWitt, whose work has been featured in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and the Jewish Museum in New York, brings an impressive pedigree to this project. Her practice of manipulating synthetic materials to create sculptures that interact with their surroundings is evident in the Shepherd School installation, where the tension between suppleness and rigidity, transparency and opacity is masterfully explored.
As students, faculty and visitors traverse the hall, they’ll encounter LeWitt’s installation as both a visual delight and a celebration of the creative spirit that defines the Shepherd School.
“It’s wonderful to see this inspiring place being so responsive to visual arts,” Josenhans said. “This dialogue between art and music enriches the experience of everyone who steps into this space.”
LeWitt’s installation will remain a temporary yet transformative addition to the Shepherd School through December 2025. Learn more about the Platform series here.