Easton Schwartz Exhibition Hall
Three Kodak Ektagraphic III AMT Projectors featuring student art shows from 1965 through 1981, presented in the original Rice Art Gallery location in Sewall Hall, now the Welcome Center.
Student artwork photographed by Geoff Winningham,
Lynette S. Autrey Chair in the Humanities
Professor of Art
Rice Alumnus ‘65
First Floor
The Department of Art’s primary exhibition spaces along with wood and metal shops, and sculpture studio.
The Department of Art’s Performance Space, Gallery, and Cinema serve as the primary public-facing venues for sharing the creative and academic work of our students, faculty, and visiting artists. These dynamic environments are not only exhibition and event spaces but also function as working labs where student projects, coursework, and experimental practices are developed, tested, and showcased.
- Performance Space
A flexible black box environment used for student-led performances, installations, rehearsals, and live events. This space supports interdisciplinary collaboration and is equipped for both traditional and experimental work.
- Gallery
An exhibition space for visual and interactive art, this space features rotating exhibitions that highlight student work alongside faculty and guest artist projects. It is a site for both formal presentation and critical engagement.
- Cinema
A dedicated cinema for film, video, and media art. Programming includes student films, curated screenings, course-related showcases, and public events, providing a platform for cinematic exploration and discussion.
These spaces reflect the department’s commitment to practice-based learning, public engagement, and the continual evolution of contemporary creative practice.
Second Floor
The second floor extends the department’s commitment to hands-on, process-driven learning with specialized spaces that support technical training, creative experimentation, and student-led production across multiple disciplines.
- Cinema Projection Booth
Operated by trained student projectionists, the booth is equipped for both digital and analog film formats. It serves as a professional learning environment where students gain experience in film handling, projection, and audiovisual presentation.
- Photography Suites
These darkrooms and digital labs offer students the opportunity to explore both analog and digital photographic processes, including film development, printing, and image manipulation. The spaces support coursework in contemporary and historical photographic techniques.
- Film Editing Suites
Dedicated to post-production, these suites are equipped for editing, color grading, and sound work. Students use them to refine their film projects, gaining technical fluency with industry-standard software and workflows.
- Printmaking Studio
A vibrant, hands-on lab for traditional and contemporary print techniques including lithography, etching, linocut, and monoprint. Students develop printmaking skills and explore the expressive potential of print-based media in a supportive, process-oriented environment.
- Performance Space Mezzanine
Overlooking the ground floor performance area, the mezzanine offers an elevated vantage point for audience members and documentation. It also provides an alternate spatial perspective for performers and directors to stage or observe works in progress.
These facilities deepen students’ engagement with material practices, foster professional skill-building, and support the department’s integrated model of learning, making, and presenting.
Third Floor
The third floor is home to dedicated studios and labs that support focused, long-term projects and advanced coursework.
These spaces foster independent inquiry, collaborative critique, and in-depth exploration across a range of visual art practices.
- Senior Studio
Reserved for senior art majors, this space provides each student with a personal studio for the full academic year. It supports the development of a cohesive body of work and prepares students for capstone exhibitions and professional practice beyond graduation.
- Critique Space
A flexible review area used by faculty across the department for group critiques, discussions, and presentations. This space is designed to encourage peer feedback and critical reflection on in-progress and completed works.
- Painting Suite
Well-equipped rooms supporting coursework in oil, acrylic, and mixed-media painting, this suite offers infrastructure to support both traditional experimental approaches to painting.
- Drawing Suite
Designed for foundational and advanced drawing, including life drawing, this suite offers infrastructure to support both traditional and experimental approaches to drawing.
- Photo Digital Lab
This digital post-production space allows photography students to scan, edit, and print work using professional software and large-format printers. It complements the analog photography suites on the second floor.
- General Use Computer Lab
A shared resource for students working across disciplines, this lab is equipped with industry-standard software for design, video editing, animation, and digital art.
- Comic Art Teaching and Study Workshop (CATS)
A unique space dedicated to the study and creation of comics and sequential art. It supports classes and independent projects in storytelling, illustration, and visual narrative, with access to specialized resources and mentorship.
From foundational studies to advanced independent work, the third floor nurtures a deep engagement with craft, concept, and critique—supporting students as they refine their artistic voices and prepare to share their work with the world.
Thank you for your attendance and support!