*Visitors inside the Rothko Chapel, Houston, 1971. Photo: Patrick Lopez.

“Celebrating its fortieth anniversary, the Rothko Chapel welcomes people of all faiths and lifts those with no faith at all. It is as manna, in the guise of architecture, sustaining the visitor and producing a sense of inner harmony comparable to communing with the sea. Through the balance and beauty of Rothko’s work, we are transported into the mind of this great painter. And though the chapel is suited for contemplation, it contains in its perfection a sense of action. Each time I go I do not want to leave, imagining myself escorting pilgrims through its portal like the eternal ferryman.” — Patti Smith