The Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies hosted an opening reception for the 2025 student and instructor artwork exhibitions on April 23, featuring works from the school's Center for Community Learning and Engagement.
The center's art courses range from beginning drawing, painting and photography courses for new and returning artists to courses for intermediate and advanced artists, some of whom have studied together for years or decades.
The 2025 student exhibition, “Essential Engagement,” displayed in the Peter T. Brown Gallery on the Anderson-Clarke Center’s first floor, was juried by:
- Alison de Lima Greene, Isabel Brown Wilson Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- Natan Dvir, artist, editorial photographer, and Managing Director of Education, Houston Center for Photography
The jurors highlighted the Glasscock School students’ “seriousness of attention,” and “sympathetic engagement” with a variety of subjects and media, from landscapes and cityscapes to interiors and still lifes, and their willingness to “risk experimentation.”
Rita Swinford received the Sydney Thomson Brown Award for her photograph, “Just water, no ice.” In addition, Christopher Chan received an award for his gouache painting, “Desert Sunset.” Swinford took part in “Advanced Photography Workshop,” instructed by Peter Brown, and Chan participated in "Small Works: From Drawing to Painting," instructed by Laura Spector.
In addition to the student exhibition, the event also introduced the 2025 art instructor exhibition, “The Art of Becoming,” highlighting the artwork of Rice Continuing Studies photography and studio art instructors Peter Brown, Mark Chen, Jeff Fitlow, Tom Flaherty, Terri Golas, Stanley Kaminski, Ellen Orseck and Laura Spector. Works are displayed throughout the second floor of the Anderson-Clarke Center.
“The Glasscock School’s art program is distinguished by our community, many of whom are ‘artists and…,’” said Cathy Maris, assistant dean, Center for Community Learning and Engagement. “Our talented students come from a wide array of backgrounds, including current and past accountants, physicians, teachers, professional artists, and more. Our instructors are also creative hyphenates. They are educator-artists whose work has been displayed in galleries and museums, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and published in books and magazines, such as National Geographic. They care deeply about nurturing supportive artistic communities and learning with and from our students.”
The two exhibitions will be on display at the Anderson-Clarke Center through spring 2026, and are open to the public during regular business hours (excluding holidays): 8 a.m.-6 p.m. CT, Monday-Thursday, and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. CT Friday.
Visit continue.rice.edu/community to learn more about the Center for Community Learning and Engagement’s courses and events.
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