Dominican Artist Gather to Celebrate their Role as “Artists of the Earth” at Weber Retreat Center
About 50 members of the Dominican Institute for the Arts (DIA) met July 22-25, 2024, at Weber Retreat Center in Adrian, Michigan, for their annual gathering, under the theme, Artists for the Earth. Begun more than 25 years ago, the DIA is a grassroots organization of Sisters, Friars, Nuns, Laity, and Associates who preach through the arts. Members range from painters, sculptors, and photographers to musicians, poets, dancers, filmmakers, dramatists, and appreciators of the arts.
Sister Joye Gros, OP (Peace) began her keynote address on the morning of July 23 by affirming the gifts that artists bring to the world. Their gift of seeing and feeling requires attention and intention, she said. “As an artist, your gift is to help others see. You see things others don’t see, and that’s what Jesus did … We are given gifts that we might share them.” She spent much of her talk on the theme of the conference, drawing from Laudato Si’,
Pope Francis’ prophetic encyclical on the environment. “This conference calls you not only to respect Earth, but to praise and honor God through your art.” Sister Joye challenged the artists to connect to Laudato Si’ through their artistic gifts. “As artists of the Earth, you stay close to the Earth,” she said. “Your eyes and ears, your nose, all your senses can bring you close to the Earth.” She encouraged them to “stay close to the ground to hear the cry of humanity and the cry of Earth.” While artists focus much of their work on beauty, Sister Joye said, they also need to be connected to the suffering of the world. “The cry of the Earth is the cry of beauty and joy, but it’s also a cry of devastation and pain,” she said. She made reference to Hildegard of Bingen’s image of the need to fly with two wings: joy and suffering. “Trying to fly with
one wing will leave us Earthbound and unfulfilled,” Sister Joye noted. She gave specific examples of artists who were transformed by suffering and pain and who used their new
gifts to reach out to others in pain. Finally, Sister Joye spoke of the need for artists to find healing and comfort from the devastation that they saw and experienced. She held up gratitude as one way to find grace. “Gratefulness allows us to nurture a keen eye that no longer passes the small moments that make up the greater part of our lives,” she said. Members of the DIA can also bring encouragement and support to one another in facing times of devastation and struggle. “You artists are part of the great cloud of
witnesses (Hebrews 12:1),” she said. “We are surrounded by great company.”
Throughout the afternoon of July 23, participants had the opportunity to attend workshops that helped them to experience other forms of art: from sacred movement and watercolor painting to percussion and other musical instruments and the creation of
bookmarks. In recognition of the conference theme, they were also invited to visit the permaculture area of the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Adrian.
Activities on July 24 included a business meeting and a presentation by Sister Mary Navarre, OP (Grand Rapids), a writer, poet, and storyteller. The DIA selected a new president of the Executive Board, Sr. Elizabeth Slenker, OP (Sparkill), as well as
Associates John Mascazine, OPA (Peace) as vice-president, and Annemarie Kallenbach (Adrian) Treasure, while Sr. Mary Pat Reid, OP, (Caldwell) is the new secretary. Sr. Nancy Murray, OP, (Adrian) and Fr. Rudolf Lowenstein, OP, (English Province) joint Sr. Irene Mary Diones, MSJ, (Mission San Jose) as members at large.
The closing Liturgy continued the participants’ celebration of the arts, with upbeat music and liturgical dance. Sister Nancyann
Turner, OP, (Adrian), a weaver, preached on the Gospel, focusing on the sower and the seeds. “Jesus invites us to plant seeds and to be very careful where we plant them,” Sister Nancyann said.
“We do this by our preaching, our relationships, our shared values, and our ability to disagree without doing violence.”
As artists and sowers, Sister Nancyann said, “we must preach far and wide for the healthcare of our Mother Earth. Speaking out for creation will not just be an activity but a conversion.” The DIA bestowed two awards after the Liturgy. Sister Catherine Anderson, OP (Grand Rapids), received the 2024 Spirit Award in recognition of her many years of service to the DIA. Most recent of her many services was her leading of the workshop on bookmarks.
Sister Catherine uses her experience of painting as an opportunity for contemplation. “The last few years I have been more aware how art can influence people in our culture in reference to the needs of the times especially in the area of justice and healing,” she wrote in her profile on the DIA website. “I continue to learn daily.” Sister Jeanne Stickling, OP, (Adrian) received the Fra Angelico Award, the highest honor bestowed by the DIA. It is given to an artist who “exemplifies Fra Angelico’s dedication
to furthering the Holy Preaching through art.” Sister Jeanne, a sculptor and potter, also taught pottery classes. Her sculptures can be found throughout the country, including at Weber Center, site of the DIA gathering. A long-time, active member of the DIA, she has served on the DIA Board and on planning
committees. “I believe that working with clay can bring you into contact with the sacred,” she wrote in her DIA profile. “Your hands touch and grasp all four of the essential elements of Creation: earth, water, air, fire. For a Dominican artist, working with clay becomes a tactile centering prayer.” The celebration of the arts continued with dinner and a gala of art, music, and song.
The DIA is open to any Dominican who is dedicated to preaching through the arts or who appreciates the arts. For information on membership or on the organization, visit
https://www.diartsop.org
By Sister Barbara Kelly, op
