http://www.staugustine.com/stories/032904/new_2193727.shtml
BISHOP H. WILLIAM TAJRA
Bishop H. William T·jr· (pronounced 'toy-ra') likes to think of his purpose here in St. Augustine as born of divine inspiration. In any case, he can attest that it requires the patience of Job.
The Lutheran priest and co-founder of the Paris-based nonprofit corporation The Order of St. Mary the Virgin of the Confession of Augsburg, has been here for a year and a half laying the groundwork for a museum of sacred art.
T·jr·'s monastic order, comprised of 47 members and 200 associate members from different Christian denominations, has spent years planning this endeavor. Many of the men who make up the order are artists or have artistic backgrounds and the museum is one of their primary concerns, T·jr· says. Before becoming a priest and serving at parishes throughout Europe, T·jr· earned a doctorate in Fine Art and History from the Sorbonne in Paris and has written books about the history of artistic depictions of the Virgin Mary and St. Paul.
The order's original vision for a museum was simply to display its collection of sacred art objects that had been given as gifts, most of them Christian icons focused on the Madonna.
During the 1990s, their vision changed. The fall of the Iron Curtain and growing concern over Islam's relationship with the rest of the world made the order reconsider it's purpose, T·jr· says. They thought that an inter-religious dialogue might be needed more than a focus on Christianity.
Sept. 11, 2001, and the start of the war in Iraq have confirmed that idea. In their own small way, the priest says, the order hopes to be able to provide some inter-religious understanding by displaying sacred arts from every religion, side by side.
Although the order had no base in the United States, members thought it was necessary to establish the museum here, as the U.S. is and will likely continue to be the most powerful country in the world, the center from which political policy and cultural influence emanates.
Originally, Santa Fe, N.M. was to be home to the museum, but the priest says he persuaded his brothers to reconsider. T·jr· 's Viennese father had lived here for some time before World War II and had made intriguing references to St. Augustine over the years. When the priest finally came to see the town, he says, he was instantly smitten.
In addition to St. Augustine's charm, T·jr· cites its diverse religious history and its steady stream of tourists from all over the world, all potential museum-goers, as incentives to locate here.
So far, T·jr·, who is the sole representative of his order in the U.S., has not yet secured a space for the museum. He has been making the rounds locally and regionally looking for willing supporters for his project. In addition to a space, either permanent or temporary, he is also soliciting loans and donations of artwork, especially non-Christian iconography.
When the museum does open, however, many ticket-holders may need some background on what exactly sacred art is.
"All religions have a set of scriptures but they also present religious messages in iconography," T·jr· explains.
Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism illustrate these messages through painting, sculpture and other art forms. Judaism and Islam on the other hand, are less figurative and more symbolic, using architecture, calligraphy, rugs and mosaics.
Their mediums are different, but "they all relate a spiritual message through the visual."
Bruce Andrews, a local photographer and president of local arts organization, Art Galleries of St. Augustine (AGOSA), likes that approach.
Andrews, who spent 14 years overseas working for Saudi and German airlines before moving to St. Augustine, recently agreed to serve on the museum's board of directors.
"Religious art is an area of every culture and it's fascinating -- it shows the morals of each culture."
A sacred art museum would enhance this community, says Andrews, and add another dimension to the local art scene.
"I think the multi-cultural aspects of it would be interesting to the tourists who come here from overseas. It's something different to see."
Andrews adds that contemporary sacred artists here usually receive scant attention.
Difficult to find now in the Western world, sacred art used to be the predominant art form. Everyone is familiar with awe-inspiring depictions of biblical scenes by Michelangelo, Giotto, Caravaggio and so many others. For centuries, churches commissioned artists to create some of the most famous art in the world. But those days are over.
"In Christianity, sacred art has been much diminished, especially in the last 40 years," T·jr· says. "Artists are not encouraged by the institutional churches. They've been working independently, answering their own gift."
Demand has declined outside of institutions as well.
"It used to be that there were always sacred art items in one's home, but people are shy about displaying iconography now, because we live in a secular world."
Despite the larger cultural shift, however, there are signs of revitalized interest in sacred art, even just up the road in Ponte Vedra Beach. Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church has been operating the Bethel Gallery, a non-profit sacred art gallery, for two-and-a-half years. Initiated by Ellen Jones, a stay-at-home mom with an art degree who was active in the church ministry, Bethel Gallery now has 108 artists nationwide on their mailing list.
Jones says the response to a call for entries for their upcoming exhibition, visual interpretations of verses from the Book of Luke, has "blown (her) away."
"I have not seen anything like it," she says, attributing the surge of interest to "people taking a stand against the way the culture is going."
The interest is coming not only from artists, but also from the community and other churches looking to start similar programs, says Jones. She thinks that interest would likely carry over to a sacred art museum and enthusiastically supports the bishop's efforts.
"I think it's fabulous," she says. "The scripture tells us to be one church. It's people who put walls between religions."
T·jr· says the time and struggle of getting this project going will be worth it in the end. If he succeeds, he says, "the museum could help bring the human family together. People will see that there is much more that unites us than divides us."
For information, call T·jr· at 823-8856.
--
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BISHOP H. WILLIAM TAJRA
Bishop H. William T·jr· (pronounced 'toy-ra') likes to think of his purpose here in St. Augustine as born of divine inspiration. In any case, he can attest that it requires the patience of Job.
The Lutheran priest and co-founder of the Paris-based nonprofit corporation The Order of St. Mary the Virgin of the Confession of Augsburg, has been here for a year and a half laying the groundwork for a museum of sacred art.
T·jr·'s monastic order, comprised of 47 members and 200 associate members from different Christian denominations, has spent years planning this endeavor. Many of the men who make up the order are artists or have artistic backgrounds and the museum is one of their primary concerns, T·jr· says. Before becoming a priest and serving at parishes throughout Europe, T·jr· earned a doctorate in Fine Art and History from the Sorbonne in Paris and has written books about the history of artistic depictions of the Virgin Mary and St. Paul.
The order's original vision for a museum was simply to display its collection of sacred art objects that had been given as gifts, most of them Christian icons focused on the Madonna.
During the 1990s, their vision changed. The fall of the Iron Curtain and growing concern over Islam's relationship with the rest of the world made the order reconsider it's purpose, T·jr· says. They thought that an inter-religious dialogue might be needed more than a focus on Christianity.
Sept. 11, 2001, and the start of the war in Iraq have confirmed that idea. In their own small way, the priest says, the order hopes to be able to provide some inter-religious understanding by displaying sacred arts from every religion, side by side.
Although the order had no base in the United States, members thought it was necessary to establish the museum here, as the U.S. is and will likely continue to be the most powerful country in the world, the center from which political policy and cultural influence emanates.
Originally, Santa Fe, N.M. was to be home to the museum, but the priest says he persuaded his brothers to reconsider. T·jr· 's Viennese father had lived here for some time before World War II and had made intriguing references to St. Augustine over the years. When the priest finally came to see the town, he says, he was instantly smitten.
In addition to St. Augustine's charm, T·jr· cites its diverse religious history and its steady stream of tourists from all over the world, all potential museum-goers, as incentives to locate here.
So far, T·jr·, who is the sole representative of his order in the U.S., has not yet secured a space for the museum. He has been making the rounds locally and regionally looking for willing supporters for his project. In addition to a space, either permanent or temporary, he is also soliciting loans and donations of artwork, especially non-Christian iconography.
When the museum does open, however, many ticket-holders may need some background on what exactly sacred art is.
"All religions have a set of scriptures but they also present religious messages in iconography," T·jr· explains.
Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism illustrate these messages through painting, sculpture and other art forms. Judaism and Islam on the other hand, are less figurative and more symbolic, using architecture, calligraphy, rugs and mosaics.
Their mediums are different, but "they all relate a spiritual message through the visual."
Bruce Andrews, a local photographer and president of local arts organization, Art Galleries of St. Augustine (AGOSA), likes that approach.
Andrews, who spent 14 years overseas working for Saudi and German airlines before moving to St. Augustine, recently agreed to serve on the museum's board of directors.
"Religious art is an area of every culture and it's fascinating -- it shows the morals of each culture."
A sacred art museum would enhance this community, says Andrews, and add another dimension to the local art scene.
"I think the multi-cultural aspects of it would be interesting to the tourists who come here from overseas. It's something different to see."
Andrews adds that contemporary sacred artists here usually receive scant attention.
Difficult to find now in the Western world, sacred art used to be the predominant art form. Everyone is familiar with awe-inspiring depictions of biblical scenes by Michelangelo, Giotto, Caravaggio and so many others. For centuries, churches commissioned artists to create some of the most famous art in the world. But those days are over.
"In Christianity, sacred art has been much diminished, especially in the last 40 years," T·jr· says. "Artists are not encouraged by the institutional churches. They've been working independently, answering their own gift."
Demand has declined outside of institutions as well.
"It used to be that there were always sacred art items in one's home, but people are shy about displaying iconography now, because we live in a secular world."
Despite the larger cultural shift, however, there are signs of revitalized interest in sacred art, even just up the road in Ponte Vedra Beach. Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church has been operating the Bethel Gallery, a non-profit sacred art gallery, for two-and-a-half years. Initiated by Ellen Jones, a stay-at-home mom with an art degree who was active in the church ministry, Bethel Gallery now has 108 artists nationwide on their mailing list.
Jones says the response to a call for entries for their upcoming exhibition, visual interpretations of verses from the Book of Luke, has "blown (her) away."
"I have not seen anything like it," she says, attributing the surge of interest to "people taking a stand against the way the culture is going."
The interest is coming not only from artists, but also from the community and other churches looking to start similar programs, says Jones. She thinks that interest would likely carry over to a sacred art museum and enthusiastically supports the bishop's efforts.
"I think it's fabulous," she says. "The scripture tells us to be one church. It's people who put walls between religions."
T·jr· says the time and struggle of getting this project going will be worth it in the end. If he succeeds, he says, "the museum could help bring the human family together. People will see that there is much more that unites us than divides us."
For information, call T·jr· at 823-8856.
--
The Design-L list for art and architecture, since 1992...
To subscribe, send mailto:design-l-subscribe-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
To signoff, send mailto:design-l-unsubscribe-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Visit archives: http://lists.psu.edu/archives/design-l.html