Engaging with the campus art community and taking advantage of Rice’s many public events is now as easy as opening your web browser. Arts.Rice.edu, a dynamic online arts calendar developed by Rice University and spearheaded by the Moody Center for the Arts, aggregates public arts events presented by several Rice departments and schools.
From cutting-edge exhibitions and thought-provoking lectures to world-class concerts, theater performances and public art events, the site serves as a central hub for programming offered through the Department of Art, Department of Art History, the Shepherd School of Music, Rice Architecture and the Moody. It’s designed for anyone curious about what’s happening in the arts at Rice, from students and faculty to Houston-area residents and visitors.
“We thought it would be fantastic if there were a single place for the public and our campus community to discover what’s happening across the arts at Rice, whether it’s an exhibition opening at the Moody, a lecture in the School of Architecture, a concert at the Shepherd School,” said Alison Weaver, the Suzanne Deal Booth executive director of the Moody. “There are an extraordinary number of interesting, free events here on campus, and we want more people to know about them and feel encouraged to participate.”
The idea for a joint calendar emerged from a simple yet telling encounter. Weaver recalled an acclaimed local museum director attending a Humanities Research Center lecture who later asked how to find more campus events. At the time, many programs were buried multiple clicks deep within department websites, making discovery difficult.
“Arts.rice.edu provides a dedicated site that allows us to connect with a specific audience, on and off campus, in ways that didn’t exist before,” Weaver said.
With support from Rice’s Office of the Provost, Weaver along with deans, department heads and staff collaborated to create a back-end portal that draws from Rice’s internal event calendars to feed into an easy-to-navigate combined calendar. In addition to showcasing impressive and diverse events, the site includes a profile on each constituent and contextualizes the importance of broad participation in Rice’s arts programming. Now, each constituent is working to build awareness of the site.
“Considering the university’s strategic focus on thriving urban communities, this site is a wonderful tool for connecting the public and the greater campus to arts at Rice,” Weaver said. “We’re eager to get the word out and encourage people to bookmark the site for a quick and reliable way to stay informed and engaged.”
From Rice Cinema screenings and Rice Theatre performances to art history lectures and world premieres at Brockman Hall for Opera, the website highlights the university’s interdisciplinary and outward-facing approach to the arts.
“The arts at Rice are integral to the university’s commitment to the next generation of problem-solvers, preparing them with the historical, social and emotional awareness they need to create meaningful advancements in any discipline,” Rice President Reginal DesRoches said.