St. Mary’s has quite a collection of art in its building. Some of the pieces are memorial gifts from parishioners, and some are gifts of thanksgiving from members, or groups like the Altar Guild or Quilter’s Guild. But this project details those art pieces that were commissioned and designed specifically for St. Mary’s. Some are permanent installations, but others are seasonal and appear only once a year.
In September, I began a project of gathering information about these pieces of art, which included the liturgical occasion or inspiration for the piece, the creative process, and information about the artist.
Thanks are due to Anne Wise, Judy Alison, Carolyn Gates, Carolyn Bergquist, Claire Elam, and Fr. Ted Berktold for sharing their insights and personal photos. The archival work that Regina Cox diligently and carefully organized revealed many newspaper articles, photos, and church documents. Many of the pictures are those of Carl Davaz, who faithfully photographs special events and occasions that occur at St. Mary’s.
The plan is to post an article about a specific work of art on the website every three weeks, beginning on Feb. 1, throughout the calendar year. It will be accompanied with a notice in one of the weekly emails, as well as the Sunday bulletin. The artwork will be scheduled so it coincides with a part of the liturgical year that makes each element meaningful.
St. Mary’s sacred art encompasses an array of forms from sculptures to stained glass to tapestries to paintings to fiber arts. These pieces work in harmony with the words of Scripture, the prayers, the preaching, and the music to create a rich worship experience. It also connects us with the community of saints who dreamed, planned, created, and financially supported the sacred art in our sacred space.
