St. Gregory’s University art show examines God in nature
From staff reports | Published: February 27, 2013 | Modified: February 27, 2013 at 6:04 pm
St. Gregory’s University will present a month-long art exhibition of works by staff, faculty and alumni of the university, opening Friday, March 1, at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art on the SGU campus, 1900 W MacArthur, Shawnee.
Titled “Nature in Prayer: Artwork from the St. Gregory’s University Community,” the exhibition features a blend of icons, paintings, drawings, photographs, mixed media, prints, ceramics and sculpture depicting a reverence for God reflected in a love of nature. The show will run through March 24.
SGU visual arts professor Sheryl Cozad curated the exhibition with the assistance of Mabee-Gerrer preparator Daniel Lay.
“The exciting thing about this work is that it demonstrates the Benedictine mission of the St. Gregory’s community while showing the way that artists search for God through looking at the natural world surrounding them,” Cozad said. “As Fr. Thomas Berry states, ‘The universe lives through us. We are the painter and the painting.’”
In addition to work presented by Cozad, St. Gregory’s President Gregory Main also contributed pieces, including one entitled “The Cow.”
“My work is about either people or animals, which are both a part of nature,” Main said. “The horse and the cow have been important throughout history. I want people to enjoy the interplay of color and expression in my work describing the horse’s movement and the cow’s stability.”
The exhibit also will feature “Sacred Cliff Swallow,” which was painted by SGU visual arts professor Madeline Rugh, Ph.D.
“Within the movement, color and texture of wings, wind and weeds lies a deep and unfathomable silence,” Rugh said.
“This quality of nature draws me into a place of utter stillness and wonder where the sacred dimensions of life can be felt, first hand. My artwork represents a dialogue (prayer) with this awareness — a sacred exchange between breathing bodies.”
Other exhibiting artists include Christopher Cunningham, and Rodica Focseneanu Cunningham, who will present Romanian glass iconography, photography by Br. George Hubl O.S.B., Carey Hughes and SGU vice president for operations Harley Lingerfelt, paintings by SGU alum Yoko Yagi Lofis, drawings by SGU staff member Robert Pawnee, printmaking and ceramics by SGU visual arts professor Tim Sullivan and artwork from alumus Jesse Whittle.
Opening reception is 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 1, from at the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art on the SGU campus. The reception is free and open to the public. For more information about “Nature in Prayer” or the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, visit www.mgmoa.org.
