April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.

Priests' art collections on display


By KATE BLAIN- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

An art collection that is usually scattered all over the Albany Diocese is now in one place: "Patronage and Priests," an exhibition celebrating the priests of the Diocese through the religious art they have acquired over the years, personally or as gifts.

Paintings, sculptures, icons, stained glass and even liturgical vestments are included in the collection, which has been assembled from rectories and homes of priests.

The exhibition is on display until March 15 at the Visions Gallery in the diocesan Pastoral Center in Albany.

Art patrons

Rev. David Mickiewicz, administrator of Our Lady of Fatima parish in Delanson, curated the exhibit, which "highlights the priests of the Diocese as well as raising the discussion of the Church as a patron of the arts."

He has had experience with such displays: While serving at Albany Medical Center, he suggested they arrange an exhibition on the subject of art and healing the sick.

Recently, he was reading a newsletter by Christians in the Visual Arts when an article jumped out at him. "The author wrote that Christians need to get engaged in the culture," he explained. "Even if each Christian bought one good piece of art, that would be something."

Priests' collections

Father Mickiewicz personally knew several priests of the Diocese who owned works of art, so he decided to ask them to loan it for an exhibit. A host of priests and countries are represented in the resulting display:

* Rev. Edward Deimeke, diocesan administrative advocate for priests, donated metalwork he got in the Philippines while a military chaplain;

* Rev. Thomas Phelan, pastor of Christ Sun of Justice parish in Troy, lent pieces from England and Spanish colonial art;

* Rev. Christopher Welch, associate pastor of Corpus Christi in Round Lake, chipped in with a piece focusing on the Sacred Heart;

* Rev. Joseph Cotugno, head of the Diocese's formation program for the diaconate, offered icons he commissioned from the New Skete Monastery.

Eclectic grouping

Father Mickiewicz's personal contributions to the exhibit include a carved rendition of the Last Supper he found in an antique shop. He noted that aside from the contributions of priests of the Diocese, the exhibit will include a few pieces from diocesan archives, such as a silver basin and ewer used by Bishop Thomas Burke, who led the Albany Diocese at the turn of the 20th century.

One of the curator's favorite pieces is a unique page from the Bible. Donated by Rev. Alan Jupin, it is an example of movable type created in England at the time of famous 15-century European printer Johann Gutenberg. The page has a mistake, however: Where Jesus' name should be, it reads "Judas" instead!

Each priest who donated works to the exhibit wrote a short explanation of how the art touched them. Father Mickiewicz tried to choose a broad spectrum of art for the display.

Booster shot

The curator hopes to boost the morale of the priests of the Diocese by showing that they recognize beauty.

"Morale is low," he stated. "There aren't many of us; we're attacked from inside and outside the Church. I saw this [exhibit] as a positive way to highlight our priests. We do see beauty. I thought this might be a way to bolster the morale -- and might be a way to bolster other Christians to go out and buy a piece of art."

("Patronage and Priests" will be on display until March 15 in the Visions Gallery at the diocesan Pastoral Center, 40 N. Main Ave., Albany. For information, call 453-6600.)

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