Exhibitions
Worship + Work / June 16 - August 19
In 1955, as part of a year-long focus on global religions, Life magazine concluded its series with a double issue exploring Christianity. Gordon Parks was asked to document the monks of Saint Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, Kansas. Parks' photo essay, A Cloistered Life of Devotion, offered readers a candid glimpse into American Benedictines at midcentury. Rarely shown, thirty photos from the project, personally gifted by Parks to the monks of Saint Benedict's, have been generously loaned for the purposes of this exhibition.
Among the most influential photographers of modern era, Gordon Parks was a Renaissance man working as a journalist, artist, film director, musician, author, composer, and poet to critical acclaim. Through an exceptional deployment of words and images, Parks challenged racist and classist attitudes within American society by entreating a deeper, empathetic response among audiences.
Among the most influential photographers of modern era, Gordon Parks was a Renaissance man working as a journalist, artist, film director, musician, author, composer, and poet to critical acclaim. Through an exceptional deployment of words and images, Parks challenged racist and classist attitudes within American society by entreating a deeper, empathetic response among audiences.
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Inspired by Parks’ work the Verostko Center for the Arts, in coordination with Saint Vincent Archabbey, commissioned Pittsburgh-based photographer Dominick McDuffie to create a series documenting the Saint Vincent monastic community this spring. McDuffie met with members of the monastery over the course of multiple visits and employed a 35-millimeter camera to visually narrate aspects of life for contemporary Benedictines.
McDuffie, like Parks, is a self-trained photographer specializing in documenting underrepresented communities. In addition to exhibiting his work locally, McDuffie leads photography workshops at the Carnegie Museum of Art in tandem with the Tennie Harris Archive. Both projects will be on view at the Verostko Center for the Arts (Dale P. Latimer Library, 2nd floor) beginning Thursday, June 9 through Friday, August 19, 2022. |
Image 1: Gordon Parks, American (1912 -2006). Untitled, Atchison, Kansas, 1955. Images courtesy of and copyright The Gordon Parks Foundation. Image 2, 3: Dominick McDuffie, American (b. 1993). Untitled, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 2022. Image courtesy of the artist.
Egino Weinert / an approachable God
Selections from the Anna and Tadeusz Kozminski Gift and the Monsignor Michael J. Begolly Collection
Egino Weinert (born Günter Przybylski, 1920 – 2012) is regarded as one of the most influential liturgical artists of the 20th century. Coming of age in Germany between the World Wars, Weinert developed a style that fused medieval techniques and modern sensibilities to render the Christian story anew for a world in flux.
Featuring nearly 100 examples of the artist's bronze and enamel work, this exhibition features pieces from the collections of Anna and Tadeusz Kozminski and Monsignor Michael J. Begolly, pastor of Mother of Sorrows Roman Catholic Parish (Murrysville, Pennsylvania).
At the core of Weinert’s images is a visualization of God’s intimate relationship with humanity told through the life of Jesus, Mary, and the saints. The Divine is not a distant, unknowable deity; rather, God is manifested as a baby, a tortured victim, a friend. In their rounded forms and sinuous lines, these works embody a theological approach that favors compassion over dominance, tenderness rather than control.
Featuring nearly 100 examples of the artist's bronze and enamel work, this exhibition features pieces from the collections of Anna and Tadeusz Kozminski and Monsignor Michael J. Begolly, pastor of Mother of Sorrows Roman Catholic Parish (Murrysville, Pennsylvania).
At the core of Weinert’s images is a visualization of God’s intimate relationship with humanity told through the life of Jesus, Mary, and the saints. The Divine is not a distant, unknowable deity; rather, God is manifested as a baby, a tortured victim, a friend. In their rounded forms and sinuous lines, these works embody a theological approach that favors compassion over dominance, tenderness rather than control.
Image: Egino Weinert, German (1920 - 2012) Chalice and paten, n.d., champlevé enamel, Collection of Msgr. Michael J. Begolly.
Royal Patronage: Selections from the King Ludwig I of Bavaria Gift
Fall 2020 - Ongoing
Fall 2020 - Ongoing
By 1852, Saint Vincent had begun to receive shipments of artwork, musical instruments, and books gifted to the nascent community through the auspices of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Employed for their educative and elevative potential, these items were linked to the promulgation of German identity and culture in America. Royal Patronage: Selections from the King Ludwig I of Bavaria Gift traces an important link between America’s first Benedictine community and its royal Bavarian benefactor.
