In a fast-paced city like Houston, finding moments for gratitude, reflection, and connection can be essential to mental well-being. Kelly Johnson, Chief Engagement Officer at Rothko Chapel, shares why creating space for stillness can help us navigate everyday life.
What is the value of having places like Rothko Chapel where people can pause and reflect?
There are increasingly few places in our daily lives where nothing is asked of us. At the Rothko Chapel, you are invited to be present. There is no prescribed way to experience the space, the paintings, or the silence.
Places like the Rothko Chapel remind us that contemplation is not separate from how we engage with the world. Taking time to pause, listen, and reflect can help us return to our daily lives with greater awareness, empathy, and intention.
How can visitors make the most of their time in a contemplative space like Rothko Chapel, even if they only have a few minutes?
We encourage visitors to be open to their own individual experience of the Rothko Chapel. Even if you only have five minutes, sit down and give yourself permission to be still. Put your phone away. Allow your eyes to adjust to the space and spend some time looking at the paintings. Notice the natural light, the architecture, the sounds around you, and how your perception of the paintings changes as you look. Sometimes a few intentional minutes of quiet can be meaningful. The most important thing is to arrive with openness and curiosity.
Why do you think people are increasingly seeking out spaces and experiences that encourage gratitude, reflection, and connection?
People are seeking spaces like the Rothko Chapel because they offer a unique experience that is increasingly difficult to find: permission to disconnect from a constant stream of information and stress, and to reconnect with themselves and one another.
We see visitors come through our doors from around the world and for many different reasons. Some come for the art or architecture, some for spiritual reflection, some during moments of grief or transition, and others simply because it is free. Each visitor shares in the opportunity to slow down. There is something deeply human about needing spaces where we can sit together without necessarily needing to speak, perform, or produce anything.
For someone who may not consider themselves “mindful,” what simple practices can they incorporate into their daily routine to slow down and reconnect?
Mindfulness does not have to mean adopting a formal meditation practice. It can start with something simple: paying attention and returning your focus to your breath.
Take a few minutes without your phone while drinking your morning coffee. Sit outside and notice what you hear. Take a walk without headphones. Spend a few minutes looking closely at a work of art. Before moving from one task to another, pause and take a few intentional breaths. A lesson the Rothko Chapel teaches is that stillness does not have to be complicated. rothkochapel.org
A lesson the Rothko Chapel teaches is that stillness does not have to be complicated.