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‘extraordinary acts of the human spirit’ that encourage us
to confront and ameliorate the injustices of the world.
At first, there were comments such as, “A rather narrow
mission, don’t you think?” or “So, this is about religious
art, right?” which made me wonder if the speakers knew
anything about the history of art.*
But as time went on and we mounted exhibitions
that were often subtle in their mission-related intent, the
comments ceased. We were not advocating for religion,
but suggesting that through art one can deepen one’s
faith and spirituality. We developed a balanced program
of exhibitions that explored the major faiths. Buddhism
underlay
Andra Samelson: Cosmologies
(2013). We have
addressed Catholicism in
Crossings and Dwellings: Restored
Jesuits, Women Religious, American Experience, 1814–2014
(2014) and A
Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II
and The Jewish People
(2007), and Protestantism in
Shaker
in Chicago
(2015) and
HEAVEN+HELL
(2012). Among
the exhibitions to examine Judaism was
The Truth is in
the Telling: Tradition and Innovation in Passover Haggadot
from the Stephen P. Durchslag Collection
(2013). In 2010,
Islamic pilgrimage practices were considered in
Pilgrimage
and Faith: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam
while the
great tradition of Islamic calligraphy was celebrated in
Contemporary Arabic Calligraphy by Nihad Dukhan
(2010).
Hinduism featured in
Gods as We Shape Them
(2006), and
global spiritualism was incorporated into Teresa Albor’s
participatory installation piece,
All that lies beyond us
(2013). There was the occasional exhibition that left people
scratching their heads, wondering what this art had to do
with the spiritual, such as:
Elegant Enigmas: The Art of
Edward Gorey
(2014), Andy Warhol’s
Silver Clouds
(2008),
and
Carlos Saura: Flamenco
(2006).**
The human spirit and how artists continue to use their
creativity, wit, and technical skills to address social issues
were illustrated through exhibitions such as
On the Same
Map: Hope is a Human Right A Photographic Journey of
Partners in Health
(2009),
Ecology.Design.Synergy
(2009),
and
The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama
(2007). Each spoke to us of societal concerns for improving
the condition of human life. In 2016, LUMA will present
More Than A Survivor: More Than A Story
, photographic
portraits of survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking,
as well as the exhibition
Modern Day Slavery
by renowned
photographer, Lisa Kristine. LUMA’s continuing interest in
these types of exhibitions parallels one of the university’s
primary goals for the next five years: that of instilling in
its students a respect for and commitment to the rights
of individuals and communities around the globe. By
providing a strong education steeped in ethical behavior
and compassion, Loyola encourages its students tomeasure
their success by the positive impact they have in our world.
LUMA’s annual winter exhibition,
Art and Faith of
the Crèche: The Collection of James and Emilia Govan
, is
now in its eighth year and continues to delight and inform,
whatever our religion, by presenting the Nativity story
through the eyes of artisans from around the world. The
figures are made with such loving care that you can only
imagine the mind of the creators as they link the Christian
story to their own particular cultures.
Through our Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. Works on Paper
Gallery, we have been able to present smaller focused
exhibitions by Illinois-based artists. With the threatened
closure of the Illinois State Museum Chicago Gallery in the
Thompson Center for state budgetary reasons, our gallery
may become the only museum space specifically devoted to
presenting Illinois artists in the city. This is a commitment
we at LUMA are proud to sustain.
Our Martin D’Arcy, S.J. Collection is a jewel among
university collections, especially among Jesuit universities.
Sought out as a destination by scholars, curators,
collectors, and those interested in medieval, Renaissance,
and Baroque art, I can only marvel at the prescience of
Fr. Donald Rowe in 1969 when he began to collect this
material with the idea that students needed to see beautiful
art objects as part of their transformative education. Today,
4
Image detail: Matthias Stomer,
Christ Among the Doctors
, ca. 1630, Dutch, oil on canvas. Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Stamm, 1983-06