FRIDAY POTPOURRI: BUT IS IT ART: THE BEGINNING OF A CURE

Want to do some Catholic reading for the summer?  Elizabeth’s Lev’s book, “How Catholic Art Saved the Faith; the Triumph of Beauty and Truth in Counter-Reformation Art” may the just the ticket for you.  Do you ever wonder why the Church invests so much of herself in art for the masses (or Masses I suppose.)  This book will give you a clearer insight as well as beautifully enticing you into paintings to understand what they are doing, a skill that will go a long way in helping you understand and judge liturgical art in general.

Best of all, while dealing with topics that many experts like to make as complicated and exclusive as possible, Lev makes accessible and exciting.  She does not give credence to tedious concepts of art or try to dazzle the reader with her great and lofty learning.  Rather, she invites you in to enjoy the wonder and awe of the art which is supposed to be the point of liturgical art to begin with.

She does for art what Dr. Scott Hahn does for theology.

Best of all, the chapters and descriptions, while lush and full, are divided up into short and easy to digest chapters.  Do you only want to read for 5 minutes?  Done!  Want to read for an hour?  Perfect!  Beware though if you have any love of art and faith.  I would think that I only want to read for 5 minutes and then start stealing time from other things in order to read more.

This book is the beginning of a cure for what ails the Church today when it comes to art.  I would make it mandatory reading for anybody responsible for the commissioning of art for a parish.  It gives insight to the artists and patrons who respected what was handed on from the past and what was completely innovative for its day (which now seems so much a part of our standard bag of tools for liturgical art) and inspires us to have that same responsibility and innovation - the mix of order and chaos - that inspired the people of the Counter-Reformation.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: BUT IS IT ART: BUT IS IT LITURGICAL ART?

Can you believe that put that monstrosity in you parish church and called it art???

(This happens often enough that I bet most people could think that this statement refers to their situation.)  

So there is art, and then there is a subcategory of art known as liturgical art.  Liturgical art is used largely during the liturgy or in church buildings (or as part of church buildings) whose purpose is to lead the viewer more deeply into the truths and mysteries of the faith.  It is the reason churches are called catechisms in stone.  It is why the church, particularly during the counter reformation invested so heavily in the arts.  There are some things that are so much easier to see and be moved by (Beauty) than it is to be taught by dissertations (Truth).

There are some pieces of art that, while they may be worthy of a museum, are not worthy of our worship spaces - and now that I think about it, there is A LOT that is not worthy of either.

Pieces of “art” that are not clear or beautiful are not (IMHO) pieces of liturgical art.  Pieces that need way too much explanation, that attempts to “mean” way too many things to way too many people, that express the artist’s angst more than a theological truth, that are not beautiful or moving, or just leave the typical viewer scratching their collective heads and wondering “what the get out?” is not liturgical art.

A statue of the Virgin Mary that turns so many people off that brides bring their own statues to their wedding is not liturgical art.  A statue of the Holy Spirit that is so far out there that nobody would even know that it had anything to do with spirituality many times even after learning the title is not liturgical art.  A wishy-washy or incredibly bland portrayal of Christ on His Cross that is so nondescript (presumably so that viewer could imagine anything that he wants - making him the artist perhaps, not the creator of the art piece) is not liturgical art.

I have encountered all of these.  Some of them are still worthy as a piece of art perhaps, but not for Church.  Part of the very purpose of the art is to strike someone so deeply that they want to spend time with it - hopefully at first glance - to be drawn in - to be made curious - to be moved to think about spiritual truths and not immediately about how much they dislike it.  Some well meaning artist may say, “But I am expanding their ideas of art!” may be doing a good job in that respect, but they are not doing a good job at liturgical art.  They run the risk of pushing away souls rather than attracting them.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: BUT IS IT ART?: GETTING TO THE ROOT OF THE MATTER

So your friend and you are standing before someone’s work and one of you think it a masterpiece and the other wouldn’t insult his trash by disposing of it in the same place.  Is the problem with the piece itself or with the viewer?

Well, possibly both.  It’s not that simple.  How can two people see the same piece with the same lighting at the same time of day and having the comparable eyesight be so divergent?  Is it purely subjective? 

The liking or not liking of a piece of art is the flowering of a plant with very deep roots.  A certain amount of it can be subjective (well, I simply do NOT like the color orange my dear) but it is not purely subjective.  And this series is not so much focusing on liking a particular piece of art as much as it is looking at styles or schools of art.

Let us say the you see a piece of art to which you have a strong affinity.  A large part of it is based upon you world view.  Is there such a thing as absolute truth?  Is there such a thing as The Good and Beauty?  Is there a God?  Does life have meaning or is it absurd?  Does beauty reside in a thing or only in your perception of that thing?  

“In shaping a masterpiece, the artist not only summons his work into being, but also . . . reveals his own personality by means of it.”  So says St. John Paul II.  So of course, something of the artist’s belief is going to be incorporated into whatever it is he creates.  You can see this in children’s drawings.  Give a kid a bunch of paper and box of 64 crayons and tell him to draw his house and family and in pretty quick order you will know if the child has a positive or negative outlook on life.  Now imagine a talented artists painting from a particular world view.  It will reveal itself.

So here is our step one: Not liking a piece may not mean that you have failed the “taste” test, it may mean that you are working through a different world view, one that does not hold up as a value that which are seeing.  This is the first thing to at least consider and develop your thoughts on so when someone attempts to put your in your place for not having the education or training to fully appreciate a piece, you will have something to say other than, “I don’t like it” because, frankly, who cares?  

THE EXPEDIENT, SAFE, AND CHEAP AT THE EXPENSE OF THE GREATER GOOD AND TRUE

“Tell me more about this St. Sebastian fellow that I may understand how to draw him better.”  This was from an artist in China that I commissioned to draw me a picture of the parish’s patron saint.  The man had little to no knowledge of faith at all but through commissioning art we were able to have a discourse on the life of this amazing saint.

Another artist who is not interested most things “Church” but who is working on a project for me, was interested in having a discussion on the transcendentals and as an artists wishing to work in churches whose art is meaningful, open to the public, and beautiful.

Eric Armusik is a great young painter who has done several pieces for the parish.  He desperately wants to work for the Church but by an large we buy our “art” out of catalogues and so he must work for whoever pays him.  

For a parish to commission a work of art is time consuming, difficult, and dangerous, but worth it.  But do we really need instant art?  What if a congregation had to wait a year or two for their art of finally arrive?  What a day that will be with all of the anticipation building.  And just because it is difficult should we shy away from it?  The vast majority of us will not build a cathedral, but we could pass on a work of art for the generations that you wont run into a dozen copies of in various parishes.  As my grandma would say, “For beauty, you must suffer.”  And it is dangerous.  Finding the right artists is an art itself.  There have been unveilings that were less than stellar.  But when you have a true piece of art, it is piece of evangelization, catechesis, and prayer.

Our painting of the Crucifixion by Eric Armusik in one of the successful pieces.  We have people come to the church (not always necessarily for Mass) just to see it.  We use it for teaching people about the faith.  And during lent people come just to be with the painting and pray.  Would that have happened it was just a copy in a pretty frame?

Much more good is done in the world by commissioning one good piece art than by buying a thousand prints or mass produced statues.  From those working on the committee, raising and donating funds, to inspiring the artist, to bringing something beautiful and unique to your congregation (and beyond,) it truly becomes source of grace for everyone.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE ELEVATING AND USE OF THE WORD "INTERESTING"

I was so disturbed yesterday I was nauseous.  On my day away I went to a museum to be inspired and rejuvenated by beauty.  My disappointment knew no bounds.  Far from being inspired in my vocation and personal life, I felt cheated (mostly out of the price of admission.)  There were (granted - in my estimation) a few worthy pieces but the rest were laughable, requiring dossier length descriptions with the kicker line, “which means this piece means nothing” or something rather ridiculous that no-one would pick up on their own.  It is interesting to note that nobody was there and it was all funded by corporations.  

Then it hit me.  If the name of the institution was changed I MIGHT be less inclined to feel insulted.  Let us suppose that the name of the place to which I went was the Ohio Museum of Art.  If it were changed to the Ohio Museum of Interesting, I think I might be less inclined to be  insulted (but still a little bitter about my loss of money.)  (INTERESTING:  That which draws one's attention.  Note that this word does not infer a value judgement.)  I thought, what if this display was introduced with a sign the read in part, “Here are some objects showing some techniques and ideas that might be of interest to you.”  Seeing it in that light (making the admission that these objects, while interesting, are not necessarily pieces of art) allowed me to at least take in the displays without anger.

To be fair, I did see two other people there (the only two) who DID seem engrossed in the works - sitting and staring, not with looks of disbelief but with what appeared to be genuine interest.  (Unless, of course, I mistook them for another installation entitled Interested Museum Patrons.)  

Yes, I know I am not sophisticated enough to “get it.”  Who am I to say what art is and isn’t.  But I have a very difficult time imagining that much of this display will be around a 100 years inspiring the next generation of artists.  And I know that Rocco architecture was considered by many to be terrible when it was first introduced and now it is cherished.  But so much of what I saw yesterday appeared to me to be so self involved and un-beautiful that it did not inspire me to go out and make a more beautiful, fascinating world, but rather, a piece of me was left behind and died there.

If you agree, what can you do about it?  Support arts when you see something worthwhile.  Go see an installment you think worthy.  Make a donation.  Stop buying “art” out of catalogues and buy or commission a piece for your home.  Encourage your parish and your community to sponsor art that you deem worthwhile.  He who pays the fiddler calls the tune.  Those who support artists also influence what they create and lean.  

There is an artist I recently asked to create for me a drawing of St. Sebastian.  The work he normally does and is paid for is a bit lurid.  But I saw a lot of potential there and for at least one project he had to learn about a saint and his story and create something (once again, I know, in my opinion) beautiful  It’s a drop in the bucket - but hey - it was a drop in the bucket!

GUEST BLOGGER - ANOTHER PATHWAY

At various times on this blog we have talked about how to obtain art.  Yesterday was a focus on going to galleries.  An Anonymous commenter sent in the following addition:

As an artist, I have to comment. Every artist starts somewhere. There are art leagues and clubs in nearly every city and county. Nearly all of these groups have at the very least, annual shows of their members' work. These artists are the 'roots' of the artist's life and work. This is where you find the up and coming. This is where to actually meet the artists closest to their own elements. Look in arts section of your local newspaper or on line. You can find a small show most any weekend. In our area most of the openings are on Friday evenings. That is when to go--the artists will be at the receptions, and we love to talk to someone new about our work. The work will be impressive, affordable, and you might even get a glass of wine. Don't just support the arts, support local arts.

SAVE CIVILIZATION - BUY ART

You want to start influencing our culture by supporting artists but you aren’t ready to commission a work yet.  Maybe you are more interested in purchasing a painting already produced.  That is also very helpful.

A good first step is visiting galleries.  This can be intimidating at first.  Depending on where you go there may be a certain “snooty” atmosphere.  Other places are very welcoming.  

RULE NUMBER ONE:  Do NOT be intimidated by the snooty factor.  You have every right to be in the store.  That’s what it is.  A store.  But because they sell art they call it a gallery.  Conduct yourself (and your children) as you would in a museum and you will be fine.

RULE NUMBER TWO:  Do NOT be concerned that gallery owner is following you around at a polite distance.  You will find this at museums also.  This is in order for the gallery owner to protect his art and to be ready at hand should you want to ask a question.

RULE NUMBER THREE:  Do NOT be intimidated by sticker shock.  It is going to cost more than you hoped.  Some things are just going to be ridiculously out of your price range.  STILL LOOK!  It is still there to be enjoyed and for you to see what is being produced and to refine what you like.  (And more expensive does not necessarily mean better.)

Lots of things can happen here.  Twice now I’ve met artists doing this.  Once was with a painting that was so far out of my reach as to be ridiculous.  Getting to know the artist and telling him what I liked about the painting (but with the forewarning that I was NOT going to buy it) he was able to produce something for me closer to my comfort level (price wise) and we have had a good relationship ever since.  Once I just plain met an artist and his story about his background and the about the painting just led me to buy it.

RULE NUMBER FOUR:  It’s Okay to be “Just looking.”

RULE NUMBER FIVE:  Some galleries carry new artists that are just getting started.  The have not fully matured yet but their work is very promising and much more affordable (or you just plain like it.)  That is why visiting galleries is valuable.  You get an idea of artists, prices, and what an individual gallery carries.  (Some are just always ridiculous.)

RULE NUMBER SIX:  Don’t invest in paintings like stocks and bonds.  You most likely will lose out.  Buy it because it is art and you like it.  And like wine, don’t say you like it just because somebody said you should.  (Be open to appreciating the work, but that is different than liking it.)  My mother had a secret love for wine others considered low brow.  But you know what, when she drank it she was happy.  Get the painting you want to live with.

RULE NUMBER SEVEN:  Don’t buy it because it’s “pretty.”  Ask yourself what it means to you.  How does it speak to you on a deeper level?  How does it make you feel?  Does it spark memories?  Does it resonate with something you believe in?  Is it “different?”  What does the artist, in your estimation, seem to be doing?  What was the artist’s technique?  Does that strike you as fascinating?  Do you hope that more of the type and subject of painting that you purchased will be produced?  Especially in this last point - if you don’t like it, don’t support it.

Determine as much about the painting as you can in your own mind before asking about it.  The gallery owner or the artists may have insights incredibly different than your own.  Once they tell you theirs, yours may be gone lost forever.  

RULE NUMBER EIGHT:  Walk away.  Buy it tomorrow.  See if it still calls to you after you leave.  This has worked tremendously with me.  Only one time did I ever look back and regret not buying a painting.  (20 years ago.)  It was in Hot Springs Arkansas.  Gosh!  I liked that painting and would like to have it to this day to share with others.  But . . . whatever.

RULE NUMBER NINE:  Have things in mind such as how large of a painting you can accommodate.  I made a fatal error once.  I have a painting too big to hang.  Something will done.  I have ideas.  But for now . . . hmmmmmm.

RULE NUMBER TEN:  Don’t be talked into something you don’t like.  The person doing the talking doesn’t have to live with it.  But DO spend some time with things and try to understand things that you don't like.  It can be fun and enlightening like eating your broccoli that later you discover you like.

RULE NUMBER ELEVEN:  Have fun.  Enjoy this.  If you are getting too tense walk away, shake it off, get a cup of coffee, and come back when you are in a better state of mind. 

BAPTIZING THE SECULAR

So here is a painting entitle, "A Candy Heart Pierced by a Candy Arrow or A Pop Mediation on the Sweet Suffering of St. Sebastian."  I don't have time or the space to tell you everything that I would like to about this painting or what the artists was trying to do but here we go:

Of course you think of heart when you think of love - think of the heart beating out of a cartoon character's chest.  And the arrow is a harmless looking one like one you might find at Boy Scout Camp.  

Next, we understand from the title that this is a candy heart which brings to mind the little candies passed around on St. Valentine's Day.  The arrow then can be reminiscent of Cupid's arrow that, when it strikes you, makes you fall helplessly in love.

Next, because of the title, we know that this painting is connected to St. Sebastian.  In his great love for God he was willing to risk all and head for Rome where the persecution against this Christian God was the greatest.  It was love of God and his fellow Christians that drew him there.  And if you know the story of St. Sebastian, you know that when he was found out, he was tied to a stake and shot with arrows.

Further, the colors the painter has chosen are the colors of St. Sebastian Parish in Akron.  Now all of the themes of St. Sebastian, his love of God, his story, and being patron of this parish all come together to give new meaning to something as secular as a candy heart.

Here is a way to "baptize" secular symbolism to remind us of God.  I would be willing to bet that in February when you pick up a candy heart it will mean more than just being a piece of mindless candy of a self indulgent sweet tooth.

What wonders we could work if we start taking control of the symbolic language of our culture.

TEN THINGS YOUR PARISH CAN DO TO BE ART FRIENDLY

Artists form our perceptions of ourselves.  For example, much of what we believe about the Old West is entirely from artists: writers, painters, movie producers, sculptures, musicians, and the like.  Within this example, take a moment to think over what you perceive as the role of guns in the Old West.  Do you picture cowboys strolling down the boardwalk of an old town, when, all of a sudden, bandits come riding in shooting wildly in the air while women and children clear out of the street.  Suddenly, everybody has their guns out a la the O K corral.  

Nope.  That aint the way it was.

People did not carry their guns around like that.  They were heavy, expensive, and dangerous.  But thanks to the arts this is many people’s perception.

As you have read here before ad naseum, the Church had largely given up her role as Patroness of the Arts, which means we have also given up a lot of influence of how we perceive ourselves.  “He who pays the fiddler calls the tune.”  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame hires artists to do all kinds of stuff while the local parish is ordering its “art” out of a catalogue so that it can have a print of painting just like Saint Alsobland down the street.

What can your parish do to start changing the tide?  Here are some ideas:

 1. What do already to that participates in the art scene?  Most likely you have music!  Make your music program the best that you can.  It doesn’t have to be The Best, just the best that you can muster.  Invest in music.  If you can, hire qualified and trained musicians.  Encourage quality.  

2. Commission artists for your desired works of art.  Let is say that you want a picture of St. Pope John Paul II.  You could go on line and order a print of a painting and hang it on your wall.  People in the parish will be glad to see it but nobody is going to come from anywhere to be inspired by it.  They more likely will say, “Oh yeah, we’ve got one of those in our parish.”  Make no mistake:  commissioning art can be dangerous!  But better that some people take a risk of finding themselves with the next version of Michael Angelo’s David than have twenty five plastic Davids scattered throughout the diocese.

3. Have parish bus trips to see quality concerts, plays, and museum displays.

4. Sponsor a play to come to your parish.  There are many semi-affordable one man plays about saints and such.

5. Make it a general policy to hire musicians for parish events rather than DJs.

6. Consider having a concert or even a concert series sponsored by the parish.

7. If you have a room that often goes unused, consider allowing a community choir or orchestra to be in residence.

8. Start a gardening club that grows a cutting garden to make arrangements for the sanctuary during the summer months.

9. Start programs that offer classes in the arts.  This way you employ artists, train artists, and expose artists to their craft in a Christian atmosphere.  Make sure your school art program is more than an arts and crafts project recreation time.

10. Commission a song for the parish.

Don’t be tempted to think, “Oh, we are such a small parish with limited resources.  What impact could we really make?”  Rubbish.  When I think of the hundreds of parishes in my own diocese I wonder what would happen if all of them did just one thing from the list above!  What an incredible difference it would make to the fabric of northeast Ohio.

Make no mistake!  It is dangerous and expensive!  It requires risk, careful planning, and prayer.  But the same things could be said about evangelization (of which this is a part.)  Only those who dare magnificently can expect magnificent rewards. 

Or we can just be safe.

BUSY DAY

Greetings,

Today I have meetings all day so here is just a quick post.

On Wednesday I went up to The Conversion of Saint Paul Shrine to check on the progress of the painting Mother Mary Thomas is working on written about on the blog several times.  She is still plugging away.

Below you will see a Plain Dealer reporter and photographer.  There is a story coming and I was told, "You are going to blog on this are you not?"  The thing is, I am not sure exactly what I am allowed to blog yet.  There has been no official announcement concerning the thing that I am not telling you and I am pretty darn sure I am not to have the first exclusive so as the say, "Keep your eyes and ears open" and say a prayer for Mother Mary Thomas.

There is going to be a reproduction of the painting made but the question is, "How do you get a picture of it without distortion in order to reproduce it accurately?"  Below you will see one attempt (which unfortunately did not work out because it would have been a boat load of fun.)  They used one of St. Sebastian's pictures as an experiment flying a drone with a camera over it in Zwisler Hall.

(Being a priest is so much fun.)

More news will follow.

SILENCE NOT THE CRITIC

Illinois Representative Aaron Schock, described by the Associated Press article as young, media savvy, fit, and having a certain talent for fundraising, abruptly resigned recently in part due to his extravagant office reportedly decorated in the lavish style seen on Downton Abby.  How do people feel about the beautiful space he created?  Opinions run from the uniformed and apathetic to the scandalized and angry.  Critics questioned the expense and appearance of extravagance and applied enough pressure that he decided to step down.

 

What would we do without the critic - the voice amid the crowd that cries out, "Are you sure that what you are doing is right and just?  I have another way of looking at this situation."  Like a conscience or the court jester, the critic makes those in power (if they are open) to at least stop and think for a moment.

 

Yesterday such a conversation took place in the comments section of this blog concerning a new painting installed at St. Sebastian.  The point in question, one that has been asked of the Church for hundreds of years concerning everything from the Vatican Museums to a new vestment at a poor parish, is, "Is art the best use of resources?"  There are those who would say, "No.  Before money is spent on art, take care of all the people in your area.  THEN think about art."  It is a statement that should make everyone stop a moment and think especially as they pass the person standing at the end of the highway ramp with a sign reading, "Any help would be appreciated.  God bless you." 

 

So I thought about it.  There are some ways in which I agree with the Anonymous person who posted yesterday.  We should be very careful in this regard.  Of course, we could, as a parish community EASILY just meet in the local school gym for Mass on Sundays instead of our church building but we chose to have a building.  Most people would give this a thumbs up.  But at what point do you cross over from prudent use of funding for such endeavors to a Downton Abby like scandal?

 

Large amounts of money are spent by the church every year on "art."  There is a new parish going up in our diocese and I have pleaded with the pastor not to buy his art out of a catalogue.  Now commissioning art can be dangerous and expensive.  But is it worth it? 

 

There are those who feel that the arts should be in free service to the Church (organists, painters, etc.)  For some reason the time and talent of artist is in a different category than roofers, HVAC personnel, the janitors, or even the priests for that matter.  But that is an extreme case - but none-the-less one that comes my way from time to time. 

 

This particular piece of art is attracting attention.  Half of the conversations I have are people telling me how this picture moved them.  Within 15 hours of this painting being posted online at Lighthouse Media, it has received 15,000 "like" hits.  (That's ten thousand an hour!)  People are already stopping into the church just to see it.  The conversation on this blog yesterday means that SOMETHING (whether positive or negative) is taking place.  People are talking.  That means the Church is making an impact on the cultural scene through art.  If we don't enter the scene here, we have begun to lose influence on our culture. 

 

Another aspect is that people don't stop to wonder where the money is going when true art is commissioned.  It doesn't get buried in the sand.  In this particular case a young man with a wife and three kids that he sends to Catholic school made a small portion of his living.  Since he was supported by the Church, hopefully he and his family will then take care of the very people that our critic hopes we would pay attention to.  Before people take care of the poor, they themselves must be inspired.  And long after the resources that would have been added to the large amounts that already pass through this parish to take care of the poor would disappear, the painting will remain to inspire and ITSELF BE A CRITIC TO A GATHERED COMMUNITY - WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO RELIEVE PAIN AND SUFFERING TO THE LEAST OF MY BROTHERS.  FOR WHEN YOU DO THAT FOR THEM, YOU DO IT FOR ME.

 

Not everyone will agree with me I realize.  And I hope they don't.  I hope they keep me on my toes, thinking and evaluating.  I'd rather my money go toward something like this than expensive cable and phone plans, fancy cups of coffee, and extra cushiony toilet paper.  And I will continue to sit back on my heels and think when such a critic (especially those I've met who purposely have chosen to live simply - small apartment - inexpensive car - volunteering in the community - working for non-profits) and evaluate very carefully if I believe in what I am doing. 

 

Even though at times it is a hard pill to swallow, the critic plays an important role.  Without the critic we may enter into the dangerous world of the unexamined life. 

THE ONE AND ONLY

About a year ago I received a call from a family of St. Sebastianites, expressing their desire to commission a painting as a gift to the parish and to support Catholic art and artists.  They gave a generous donation toward the project and we contacted Mr. Eric Armusik, the young artist from Hamburg, PA who also executed our beautiful St. Sebastian paintings.  After a period of prayer and discussion, it was decided that the painting would be of the crucifixion and that it would be approximately four by five feet.

 

Mr. Armusik was quite enthused about the project and the scope of the endeavor grew – literally.  The donors kindly enlarged their gift with the artist’s prompting and along with that, the painting grew to nine and a half by five feet!  The plan was to have the painting finished and temporarily installed in our sanctuary for the season of Lent to assist the parish in our Lenten prayers.  But the size of the task, other commissions being handled by the artist, and shipping difficulties delayed its arrival in Akron by several weeks.  But now it is here and installed in time for this last half of this holy season.

 

We are so fortunate to have this new work of art.  There is, in the end, these things: the one, the true, the good, and the beautiful.  And as Fr. Benedict Groeschel was fond of saying, “It is ultimately the beautiful that will save us.” 

 

It is not only beautiful, but utterly unique.  It was not picked out of a catalogue and no one will visit us and say, “We have that one at our parish too!”  There are no mugs, calendars, or prayer cards (yet) with this image on it anywhere in the world.  Like a song of worship, you must be here, at St. Sebastian, to experience its beauty and power to inspire.  May it inspire more Catholics to support Catholic art and artists so that the Church may return to its role of Patroness of the Arts and through it, train artists in the sacred and gain influence once again in the cultural scene.

(YET ANOTHER REASON WHY) ART MATTERS

So Tuesday I joined another priest for lunch at a local grub joint and there was a T.V. in the corner competing for attention with assorted folk there.  On the screen was a black and white movie about the old west and in the scene which caught our eye, the closed caption revealed that one man was speaking to the other about King David and illicit desire for one of his commander’s wives, presumably to chastise him for whatever was happening during the rest of the movie.

 

The thought occurred to me then how amazing it is that art plays such a vital role not only in helping us understand who we are and where we are going, but how we view and understand our past.  It may be nothing like we imagine it but it will play a huge role in who we think we are and want to be. 

 

For example, ask any 15 year old and he will tell you the old west was full of cowboys toting around guns and having gun fights.  The fact is that this was not the case.  It is fabrication of our art.  Guns were far too heavy, awkward, expensive, and dangerous for everyone to be carrying around just in case they wanted to get into a fight.  (But that doesn’t make for a great movie.)

 

So it is with language.  A lot of slang, idioms, and references made up a lot more of everyday conversation in the past than it does today.  Yet when writing a old west cowboy script in 2014, one would never guess that Christ was ever born or meant anything to anyone.  That is why there is a fight over whether our founding fathers were interested in Christianity or not.  Exactly what does separation of Church and state mean?  Our history matters.  Our writers of history matter because they help influence who we think we are.

STARVING ARTISTS AND MCDONALDS

"Hey! We've got one of those too at our church!"

This is the result of Catholics ordering their "art" from catalogues.  Our art has been traveling down the same path as our national cuisine.  You may get the same food from coast to shining coast.  Ma and Pa restaurants whither on the vine while American afraid of risk (and indigestion) wait until they see a familiar golden arch or girl with red braids.  When there is only one menu and for our entire nation, maybe then we will yearn for Ma's stew.

 

Sometimes our Catholic art is like this.  The same statue, the same print, the same vestments from steeple to steeple.  Beauty attracts.  Beauty is also unique.  Beauty is a tool that we too readily throw out.  Beauty attracts many to step food in a Church in the first place.  What is unique and beautiful about your parish that it would attract someone to stop by?

 

Because of the McDonald's mentality toward art (cheaper, safer, quicker, easier) it is difficult to make it as a Catholic artist.  Below, one of our talented Catholic artists is selling some of his paintings and drawings.  (This is the young man who did the St. Sebastian paintings.)  If interested you may contact him (Eric Armusik)by going directly to his website.  And if you have a few thousand dollars sitting around but don't have a place to hang a painting, St. Sebastian parish would gladly accept as a gift the painting of St. Jerome below!  ericarmusik.com  

MONDAY DIARY: OH THE PEOPLE YOU'LL SEE!

A good number of years ago on this blog I had a series titled, "Oh the Places You'll Go!" stolen from the Dr. Suess book of the same title.  In it I wrote about how sometimes being a priest opened doors (literally) and lets you see places that most may never have the opportunity to see.  One of those places visited recently I wrote to you about already is St. Paul Shrine were the Poor Clares who are cloistered live.  Almost nobody is allowed back in the cloister but Mother Mary Thomas and I have been working on some projects (on which I play an incredibly small part) and so I had the great privilege of being able to go back into the cloister of this beautiful building.

 

Here is a picture of Mother and me from last week at which time she revealed the finished painting of St. Sebastian.

Another good series might be, "Oh the People You'll Meet!" but it would be a lot like name dropping wouldn't it?  BUT it is very cool the people you get to meet because you are priest so with the aim of promoting vocations I will only do it once and limit myself to just a couple.

 

Of course meeting Mother Mary Thomas who is also a fantastic artist was a treasure.  Below was meeting Pope John Paul II (soon to be a saint!) after having celebrated Mass with him in his private chapel in the papal apartments.  I wish I could say I was very eloquent but after his greeting all I could muster was, "Ablagammagoogoo."  The reason the picture looks weird is because it is a picture I took of a picture.  You might be able to see me with the camera in the reflection.  Gosh, I had a lot more hair then!

Going to Rome more recently with the parish choir, after singing for the Mass we were invited back into the sacristy (bigger than my parish church) in order to meet Angelo Cardinal Comastri, Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of St. Peter.  People were freaking out.  "No choir ever gets invited back here!"  But we were.  Then he took us on a little tour through part of the Vatican.  What a great day that was.

On the same day of the visit to Mother Mary Thomas noted above, a friend named Sharon and I met with Bishop Gries and wonderful couple recently engaged (congratulations and prayers) John and Cortney hoping that they would be on the board of the Poor Clares which they agreed to do.  THANK YOU.  That was great enough but . . .

While we were there we also ran in to Larry Holmes and Hanford Dixon who were EXTREMELY kind to be bothered to have their picture taken with some anonymous priest.  God bless you gentlemen.

God is sooooooo very cool.  He is constantly blessing it seems.  I honestly do not know why more guys do not want to be priests.  It is good life if you're cut out for it.  (Just like any life I suppose.) 

A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

I count myself extremely fortunate that I grew up in house with live music; piano playing, button box, singing.  There were a couple of bands in the family.  There was always singing.  At the end of the night down at Slovene Center a group of people hanging in the bar would sing in four part harmony.  We kids were in the school band.  We sang in the church choir and every Sunday we heard live music performed by members of the community – the organ, the choir – sometimes cheesy music, sometimes classical, sometimes tied to our ethnic background, but LIVE and performed by ourselves or people we know.

 

If it were not for your local parish, how often would you hear live music performed?  It doesn’t necessarily have to be great music and often isn’t (although that certainly helps.)  Most of the time we hear music recorded at some date and played at a million venues numerous times a day.  How blessed we are to hear real music every Sunday! 

 

There is a fear that “local music” is disappearing.  Everything is recorded, sent, and played ad nauseam.  Weakening is regional food, local dialects, and quirky regional flavors that make being in a certain town different and interesting.  (Less and less are the words “devil strip” used in Akron.)  Too soon it will be Miley Cyrus, McDonalds, Gap, and “tree lawn” from coast to shining coast.

 

In this snowstorm of blandness there are little fires of hope.  I will grant you that often they are not great fires, barely able to offer warmth and to the extent that we can, we should fan these flames into something great.  But still, they are there.  Perhaps one of the only places where people in such numbers gather on a weekly basis (save for school if your levy passes) to both hear truly live music and are encouraged to participate in it.

MONDAY DIARY: FIELD TRIP!

Last Monday I was on a field trip, which ate up a sufficient amount of time that the blog post that day had to be skipped.  Sharon Dietrick who is on the board of the Poor Clares, and Wes Hollendonner of Rubber City Productions (see photo below) headed up to St. Paul Shrine (see more here) to interview Mother Thomas (who spoke at a luncheon recently at St. Sebastian as a fundraiser for the new Academy of Culture and Arts) about her two works in progress.  Below is part of her studio.

It was rather a unique experience.  As you might expect not many visitors (especially men) are allowed about the cloister.  So it was a very special and solemn visit for us.

 

This is the backside of a reredos of an old chapel that has been converted into an art studio for Mother.  It is here that Mother is working on a painting of St. Sebastian that will be destined for this parish.  Below is an under coating and Mother is preparing it for the final stage of applying more exact coloring, shading, and details.  This is a picture taken by Sharon of Mother explaining her technique to me while Wes videos.

Wes shoots the nave from over the reredos for the second video we shot while I explored nooks and cranneys.

Below you can see the main room of the chapel.  Behind the altar is where the other pictures were taken.  Here you can see the enormity of the other painting on which Mother is working.  It is of mammoth proportions.  The title of it is Mary, Mother of the Eucharist and was destined for a parish of the same name in Philadelphia.  Unfortunatley, after it was commissioned, it parish was closed.  That is part of the reason for the documentary: a hope to find another home for the painting.

 I think this is one of Mother's finest works.  Here you can see Mary and Jesus surrounded by the communion of saints.  If you could see the rest of the painting it would work its way down to the Church militant.

If you get the chance I recommend a visit to the shrine.  You will get to spend some time in adoration (or go to Mass - see the link above for details) see the beautiful architecture, visit the gift shop (I highly recommend it if for no other reason than that there prices are VERY reasonable) and to see some of Mother's other paintings.  You probably wont get to see Mary, Mother of the Eucharist or St. Sebastian since they are in the cloister.  Hopefully, however, you might be able to see St. Sebastian at the parish as Mother hopes to have him done in time for our annual St. Sebastian Day celebration in January.