Art and Faith of the Crèche: The Collection of James and
Emilia Govan
November 8, 2014–January 4, 2015
Join LUMA for the seventh year of the museum’s annual holiday exhibition. The story of Mary,
Joseph, and the Christ Child has great appeal throughout the world as a story of a family facing
hardship with hope. See how artists across the globe depict the Nativity. From Armenia to
Zimbabwe, learn how artists recreate the scene with clothing, architecture, and figures from their
native lands. Remarkable in its variety of media and scale, this generous gift from James and Emilia
Govan is a memorable tradition for families of all nationalities.
12
Exhibitions
Swaddled in Stone: Shona Sculptures of the Holy Family
November 8, 2014–January 4, 2015
LUMA will exhibit six sculptures of the Holy Family (Mary, Joseph, and the Christ Child) by Shona
sculptors from Zimbabwe. The country is known for its rich mineral reserves that produce a variety
of stones which sculptors from Zimbabwe’s Shona people have used to develop a distinctive style.
Through skillful carving, burnishing, and rustication, they exploit the natural qualities in the stone
to evoke different textures, like hair, skin, and clothing. Among the contemporary sculptors represented
at LUMA are Washington Msonza and Kennedy Musekiwa. The sculptures are drawn from the
collection of Hans Heubert of Overhetfeld, Germany. A former pilot, he became a collector and advocate
of contemporary African sculpture when he settled in Zimbabwe, then called Rhodesia, in 1972. He
has promoted Shona images of the Holy Family at nativity, or Krippana, festivals across Europe.
Don’t miss the opportunity to sponsor a crèche!
See page 20 for more details.
UPCOMING: SPRING 2015
Gather Up the Fragments: The Andrews Shaker Collection
and Heaven on Earth: Midwest Shaker Collections
February 7–April 26, 2015
This dual exhibition will present an overview of the history of the
United Society of Believers for
Christ’s Second Appearing
, more commonly known as the Shakers. The exhibitions will comprise
objects from the Faith and Edward Deming Andrews Collection at Hancock Shaker Village as
well as pieces from local Chicago collections. The uniqueness of 18th- and 19th-century Shaker
design and industry, and the religious tenants that underlay life in Shaker villages, particularly the
philosophy of “hands to work and hearts to God,” will be explored. Programs will examine aspects
of the Shakers’ cultural legacy in music and dance.
Gather Up the Fragments
is organized by Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA and toured by International Arts & Artists,
Washington, DC. Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. The exhibition at LUMA is generously supported
by the American Folk Art Society, the Terra Foundation for American Art, and Terry Dowd, Inc.
Images: Crèche, 20th century, Bellenes Puig, S. L., Spanish (Barcelona), painted clay, fabric, wire, wood, and straw, LUMA, The James and Emilia Govan Crèche
Collection, 2012-14-28; Edious Nyagweta,
The Holy Family
, Zimbabwe, stone; Rocking Chair, Mt. Lebanon, NY, ca. 1850. Andrews Collection, Hancock Shaker
Village, photo by Michael Fredericks; Martin Zürn,
Angel
, ca. 1640, German, lindenwood with traces of polychromy, Gift of Mrs Howell Howard, 1977-21
