Morris Cultural Arts Center
The Joella & Stewart Morris Cultural Arts Center complex was formally dedicated in October 2007, providing exceptional facilities that enable students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater Houston community to experience superiority in academic, family, and faith-based programming and entertainment.
The venue is named for one of HCU’s Founding Fathers, Stewart Morris, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chairman Emeritus Stewart International, and his wife Joella, founder of the Museum of Southern History and a Guild member.
The Morris Center embodies HCU’s mission to unite the intellectual and the spiritual. While it provides a venue for community activities, it also serves as home to the University’s School of Music and HCU’s Spiritual Life program.
Designed by architect Studio Red and built by W.S. Bellows Construction, the Morris Center comprises four major campus additions: Belin Chapel and Recital Hall, McNair Hall, the Linda and Archie Dunham Theater, and the University Museums – Dunham Bible Museum, Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts, and Museum of Southern History. The entire Morris Center took just 15 months to complete and was tackled in one comprehensive construction phase.
The two acoustically state-of-the-art auditoriums are the Linda and Archie Dunham Theater and the Belin Chapel and Recital Hall. At 1,200 seats, the Dunham Theater is currently the largest venue on campus. The 365 seat Belin Chapel and Recital Hall is a dual purposed facility, a place of worship and a recital hall.
The Morris Center has hosted orchestra and choral performances as well as dance recitals and community performances. Many weddings have been held and are scheduled for the Belin Chapel with receptions following in McNair Hall. Companies and professional organizations have chosen the Morris Center to host training events and vendor fairs.