New York-based artist Kate Shepherd will give an artist talk at the Menil Drawing Institute Feb. 17 to discuss her work: richly toned works on paper and paintings known for their exquisitely fine lines, spatial complexity and attention to the saturation of the paint. Two of Shepherd’s works are currently on view in “Spatial Awareness: Drawings from the Permanent Collection at the Menil Drawing Institute,” which runs through March 13.

But here at Rice, a new wall painting by Shepherd has joined the university’s permanent collection of public art. “Tricycle Red, Pelican Gray etc., partial octagons” was installed over a week in December in the lobby of McNair Hall at the Jones Graduate School of Business.

It is Shepherd’s first permanent wall painting in a public space and an important acquisition by a living female artist whose work has been exhibited at museums and galleries across the United States and Europe since 1994. Shepherd’s work is also included among the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Menil Collection, the Baltimore Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York.

“Tricycle Red, Pelican Gray etc., partial octagons” joins the work of other significant artists whose wall drawings have been installed on campus, including Sol LeWitt in the Glasscock School for Continuing Studies and, more recently, Ganzeer’s murals in the Baker Institute for Public Policy. As the title suggests, Shepherd’s piece features a striking assemblage of red and gray panels that were inspired by the octagonal rotunda of McNair Hall and the reddish hues of St. Joe brick buildings across campus.

Shepherd was commissioned to create the wall painting by the Jones School as part of the Rice Public Art collection, and worked closely with Frauke Josenhans, curator at the Moody Center for the Arts.

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“I hope that we succeeded in activating the space,” said Shepherd. “I think the mission statement was so clear, and it was inspiring to follow suit.”

The resulting artwork welcomes those entering the Jones School at a pivotal point on campus, just across from the student center and central quad.

“The mission statement was to activate the space with something that felt architectural and something colorful, very lively and something to really greet the people entering with a great sense of complication and joy,” Shepherd said.

The soaring rotunda of the Jones School is a bold architectural statement, the artist said, making it an obvious reference for her own work. Trained in both fine art and architecture, her work often illuminates inherent visual relationships between form and space.

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“It was really fortuitous, because I always like to work off something in the space and as a source of inspiration, and also to make sort of a partnership with the architecture,” Shepherd said.

In both her paintings and works on paper, Shepherd superimposes a matrix of delicate lines on chromatic, planar fields that seem to create three-dimensional spaces. The highly saturated layers of paint — she prefers Benjamin Moore — create a gleaming, almost reflective surface. Despite the minimal means and pared-down forms, her works function on an emotional level, with the large planes of color emanating an almost hypnotic power. 

“I think it creates space within space,” Josenhans said of “Tricycle Red, Pelican Gray etc., partial octagons.” Indeed it almost seems as if one could step into the wall itself, the planes creating roomlike shapes before your eyes.

“And there’s something pretty incredible about the fact that this is her first permanent public piece,” Josenhans said. “It's very exciting, and we are extremely honored to have Kate Shepherd’s work here on campus where everyone can enjoy it.”

Updated from original post that was published on 02/10/2022.

Enrolling in the Rice Business Professional MBA program is your chance to make a dramatic change in your career trajectory without interrupting it. You’ll bring new skills to work, master the work-life-school balance and make deep connections with people doing the exact same thing as you. Along with what you learn in the classroom, your network and net worth will grow.

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While a robust professional skill-set is necessary to adapt to change and have more career choices, your PMBA class will be one of the program’s most distinctive benefits, thanks to your classmates’ life and work experience. We know our Rice MBA requires a significant investment – both in finances and your time. Here is how to best calculate your ROI.

Return – The Right MBA Pays Dividends for Life

You can start with our strong career outcomes. Our PMBA graduates accept positions in a wide range of industries and job functions, including many who secure promotions and pivot to different companies. That means that you not only continue making a salary while securing an MBA, giving you an edge, but you also have the opportunity to earn a higher compensation at graduation and beyond.

Check out our Class of 2023 post-MBA outcomes:

• 52% accepted a new role at a new company
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Once you're an alum, the learning doesn’t stop. There will be plenty of lifelong learning opportunities to sharpen your skills, learn new things and ensure you’re equipped to succeed no matter how the world changes. Your career will be filled with promotions, transitions and chances to pivot.

Attending a prominent university provides you access to premium career services. As an alum, you can always seek advice from our experienced advisors in the Career Development Office, who will help with job search strategies, transitioning your career, connecting with companies who want to recruit top MBAs, and other career-related needs. Our doors are always open for you.

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When you’ve decided to invest in yourself, remember that Houston’s best part-time MBA, the Rice MBA, will give you opportunities while you’re still in the program, bump your salary and put you on a higher trajectory for your growth path. In terms of higher education degrees, it offers one of the greatest returns on investment.

A brighter future starts with a bold first step. Get started on your application and reach out to my team for guidance. 
 

Explore Our Professional MBA

Owl Have You Know

Season 2, Episode 8

Brad Olsen '06 joins host Christine Dobbyn to talk about how his philosophy background makes him a great investor, how education translates into the real world and where he sees the energy transition fitting into his business.

Subscribe to Owl Have You Know on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

Why did you choose Rice Business?

I choose Rice business for several reasons: 

• The entrepreneurship program was number 1 in the nation. It was imperative that I choose a program that would not teach me how to be a great employee but rather a successful, innovative and empowered entrepreneur! I was certain Rice could do that for me. 
• After my multiple visits and interactions with the staff (admission’s team and more), I truly felt like the people at this school (in this tight-knit community) truly cared about ME and my success! 
• My existing company is in the energy industry. I planned on continuing to build the company, and Rice is in the best geographical place for such an industry!

What are you most proud of from your time at Rice Business?

I am most proud of the knowledge I have gained and the network (family) I was able to build. The professors and students have a wealth of experiential knowledge that is invaluable. I am proud to be in the company of such excellence. 

How has your Rice helped you in your career?

My career is an entrepreneurial journey. Therefore, everything I learn, from soft skills of how to manage a team to the hard skills of 10K review are invaluable. 
The Lilie Lab also provides resources to help entrepreneurs. I look forward to “Round Tables,” a group of Rice alumni entrepreneurs getting together to vent, learn and grow with each other. 

What advice would you give prospective students who are considering an MBA?

I tell prospective students, “Know what you want/know your goal. Rice has everything you need to achieve your goals; the people who don’t achieve them did not know what they wanted. If you don’t know, Rice can also help you figure it out. My main point is Rice has all of the tools to make you successful.”

What do you think organizations should do better to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment?

First, someone must CARE. DEI is a “hot topic” and as a result organizations are taking notice. However, a “plan” for DEI needs to be more than a section in the employee handbook; someone needs to champion the cause. 
I recommend intentionality, best practices and actually doing what they say they want to do. 

What suggestions do you have to work with allies within the workplace or at school?

Do it. 
Talk and tell your truth, tell the stories that highlight the experiences of the minority. 
Use discernment to determine a true ally versus someone who is “supporting” in word only.

Do you have any other comments or anecdotes you would like to share?

I have been blessed to be at Rice. I have had a goal of creating generational wealth for black and brown communities. My continued education and experiences while here will propel me to make this goal a reality.