Howling at the Walls
The grids of luridly colored posters covering the walls of the Rice Art Gallery looked like they might be the sort of cheap advertising that announces a furniture closeout sale, the circus, or a monster truck extravaganza coming this Sunday! SUNDAY!! SUNDAY!!! But on closer inspection, the posters, which were part of an installation by renowned conceptual artist Allen Ruppersberg, carried the phonetically written text of Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl among the advertisements and announcements.

by Kelly Klaasmeyer

Planting the Seeds of Art
Rice may have been founded as an “Institute for the Advancement of Literature, Science, and Art,” but pragmatism isn’t always kind to ideals, especially for a fledgling institute trying to make ends meet. In Texas during the early years of the 20th century, the petrochemical industry was booming, so science and engineering became a natural focus of the Rice curriculum. Literature played a secondary role, and art—well, art just didn’t seem to be on the horizon.

by Christopher Dow

Continuing Studies Course Offers Deeper Look at Issues Behind Museum Exhibition
A recent exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), featured the work of 19th century painter George Catlin, who chronicled the life and customs of American Plains Indians.

by Dana Benson