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"Oklahoma City Round-Up"
Southwest Liturgical Conference Study Week 2024
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Oh my, but it was great to see each other in person again! The gang, okay, the partial gang, reunited and picked up conversations right where we left off. We added a new exhibitor - Peggy Parker and welcomed back many old friends. We were grateful to miss the snow, and although a bit damp, Oklahoma City was delightful!
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The in person attendees were a smaller than usual group, but that was to be expected as we work to rebuild the momentum from previous years. Our zoom meetings were a necessary option for the last three years, but oh boy, am I glad that’s over! We learned just how important it is to be together. And we made the most of it!!
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George Hoelzeman was phenomenal when he spoke on Beyond Imagination: Art, Architecture and Eucharist. And you know George, when he gets rolling, we’re all entertained, enlightened and enthusiastic! We really must find a way to have him recreate his talk - oh wait…he could make it a webinar!!!
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Johannes Albl did a fabulous job with his talk on Sacred Art - Start to Finish and showed how sculptures are done in Germany. It was inspiring and made you want to go get some carving tools.
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Pamela Hardiman spoke on Dressing the Church for Eucharist: Beauty on a Budget and delivered a very informative talk about how her textile art comes about and the creative ways her customers have installed them. The pieces were extremely impactful for an affordable budget.
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Carol Frenning was very interesting, as usual, with her talk on The Liturgical Design Consultant: creating worthy Spaces for Faith Communities. She never fails to deliver a very meaning workshop. She also interviewed all the ACLS members who exhibited and included that for our virtual attendees.
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The conference itself was very well done. We had more than enough room for all our exhibits and were so pleased to be invited to stay on campus in the old seminary dorm rooms. It was exceptionally convenient and comfortable. There were a couple changes that I really hope continue, I’m sure you remember in the past that there was lots of drapery separating the many aisles of exhibits? To save a little, they didn’t rent those this time, and you know what? It was actually better! You could see the entire room at a glance, no one was blocked off or hidden. I do hope that is a new tradition.
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The cocktail time was in with the exhibits, so again, lots of wonderful interaction with attendees. And as old habits are hard to break, the banquet was a hoot. Yes, all, all the ACLS exhibitors pulled up our chairs and sat at one table. And yes, we were rowdy. It felt so good. We simply must insist that next year our table would be reserved and maybe a little bit bigger that all the rest, because, well, we will all be together anyway!
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Next year the banquet, I mean Conference is scheduled to be held in Victoria, TX. Feb. 5-8, 2025 I know it’s a little out of the way, but it seems you can fly in to Houston and with a little planning we can work out carpool ideas. The area in and around Victoria is known for it’s “Painted Churches” so make plans to see those even if they aren’t on the agenda. And p.s. Shinerbock is brewed nearby….
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Our Work - In Process
Upcoming Work from ACLS Member Peggy (Margaret) Adams Parker
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Peggy has a number of projects at different stages. She is nearing completion of a painting of a Navajo Christ for the Episcopal Church of Navajoland, working out final details for a painted triptych of a Bedouin Christ and Mary for the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East, and in the initial planning stages for two Marian sculptures for the facade of a large Methodist Church in Toronto. Each project offers particular challenges, and this is certainly true of these three projects.
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Plans for the Navajo Christ call for a frame that is wide and deep enough to accommodate stylized line drawings of traditional Navajo ritual objects. I have had to build the frame, discern the best way to attach the frame to the painting, and work out a way to transfer the drawings and then execute them on the newly painted surface. The frame seemed the simpler aspect of this project but has turned out to be exponentially harder
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In the case of the Bedouin Christ and Mary, we are discussing (for the most part long-distance, at a time of great distress in Jerusalem) details of costume for each of the figures. A biblical text for each of the three images will be written in Arabic at the bottom of each painting. We will include these texts in additional languages in a "predella" panel below the paintings, but we are still in conversation about which languages to select
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The Marian sculptures are still a gleam in the pastor's eye. She is exchanging sketches (from her) and responses (from him), working toward two images of Mary that will be based on the biblical narrative and will be legible in niches that are 50 ft above the ground and will be seen from the street, 50 ft from the facade.
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Peggy initially acquired her artistic skills in a Master of Fine Arts program and, even more than that, from teaching (primarily painting and drawing) for almost 20 years. Those experiences honed her technical skills. Her teaching position at a seminary enlarged Peggy's knowledge of liturgical arts and led her toward a shift in her studio practice toward art for liturgical settings. Her mentors since then have been primarily theologians and biblical scholars, although she still relies on the technical skills learned from mentors in graduate school.
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Our Work - In Process
Upcoming Work from ACLS Member Scott Parsons
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Scott Parsons is currently working on three stained glass commissions, one for the chapel at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, another for Regis High School in Aurora, Colorado and lastly Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbus, Ohio.
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The Westmont Nancy Voskuyl Prayer Chapel glass is based on a mosaic I had created originally as a Station of the Cross for Saint Michaels in Sioux Falls. Someone from Westmont saw the Station and wanted to see if this could be done in glass for their chapel. St. Michaels is graciously allowing the design to be recreated in glass for Westmont. The glass is currently in production
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There are the two glass designs for the Regis High School chapel in Aurora, Colorado The first is the Jesuit IHS monogram. The second image is the Madonna della Strada, for inside the chapel. The glass is currently in production.
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The best thing Scott did to learn about stained glass was to collaborate with an amazing glass studio, Derix Glasstudios, in Taunusstein, Germany. They have apartments for artists, so I’ve had the opportunity on a number of commissions now to learn a tremendous amount about techniques and processes alongside the great artists and artisans that work there.
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He now focuses on the conceptualization of artwork and the design process, then works with fabricators for his commissioned art in terrazzo, mosaic, and stained glass, There are usually a myriad of details to resolve. The design solution for the stained glass commission in Colorado will use opaque and transparent mouth-blown glass and fired-gold,
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Incoming & Outgoing at ACLS Treasurer
BY GEORGE HOELZEMAN, Obl.S.B., KHS
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"Martin DeSapio’s term as treasurer is coming to an end. He has organized our finances at a new level of excellence. On behalf of the ACLS Board and the entire ACLS community, thank you Martin! Your work has been deeply appreciated.
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We are actively seeking members for a finance committee. Martin has a clear and concise directory on the activities for this committee, but we need at least three volunteers who are willing to take this important work forward."
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ACLS Webinars
UPCOMING SCHEDULE 2024 - 2025
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PARTNERS FOR SACRED SPACES
September 17, 2024; 1:00 pm EDT
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CLAIR WING RETROSPECTIVE
October 15, 2024; 1:00 pm EDT
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FR. GILBERT SUNGHERA “HISTORY OF CHURCH SEATING”
November 19, 2024; 1:00 pm EDT
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CONRAD SCHMITT
January 21, 2025; 1:00 pm EDT
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ROBERT HABIGER RETROSPECTIVE
February 18, 2025; 1:00 pm EDT
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JOHAN VAN PARYS “BAPTISMAL FONTS”
March 18, 2025, 1:00 pm EDT
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JOHANNES ALBL
April 15, 2025; 1:00 pm EDT
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Message from the ACLS Board
BY GEORGE HOELZEMAN, Obl.S.B., KHS
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Each year, we celebrate the Resurrection through spiritual and liturgical renewal. But that renewal is not a complete restart from nothing. Rather it is a renewal that builds on an every growing foundation sprung from grace and on which, by cooperating with grace, Christ continues to build us up into the temple of his body “built of living stones.” In a very real way, this is our vocation as liturgical consultants, architects, artists and designers. We wholeheartedly embrace and celebrate our past progress, seek to turn from our failures, and look forward to the joy of seeing the genius and gifts of our own time continue to build and renew the Church and the world. Only through our own renewal, can we be properly prepared to contribute to this greater renewal of God’s people
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"Our past growth in the life of Christ is not negated by this process of renewal, but is strengthened and given new life and energy that we may make ever more progress in what St. Benedict calls “the way that leads to salvation.”
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ACLS itself is engaged in such a renewal. Building on the work of the past thirty plus years, we are now entering a new era of our ongoing life and development. In this newsletter, we reflect on the recent SWLC Study Week in Oklahoma City. Our presence at this event was at a new level. The Art and Architecture track was well attended, many of our members were exhibitors and attendees, our relationship with SWLC was significantly strengthened, and our own Ken Griesemer was honored as this year’s Faithful Servant. We even had two bishops attend some of our A&A sessions!
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But that is only one part of our story. Since January, we have created a multi-member communications/public relations committee. This committee will be building on the work done by Will Brocious to improve and expand our communications and increase our presence on social media, conferences, various publications and more. We have begun developing a relationship with the Institute for Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso (Lutheran), and look forward to a closer relationship with the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC). Shelly Kolman-Smith has assumed the reigns for our newsletter, and Sarah Hempel-Irani is our new liaison for communications. Peggy Parker and Gale Francione are our new retreat organizers and the webinar committee led by Marilyn Morgan, Pam Hardiman and Paul May, is planning even more exceptional online presentations.
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It must not be forgotten that a great deal of the success of this renewal process will depend on member participation. We absolutely need everyone and anyone who has gifts to share to contribute what they can to the ongoing success of ACLS. Three areas in particular need volunteers: Finance and Membership. The value of membership in ACLS depends largely on our willingness to work together to grow and continue our ongoing renewal. Take time this Spring to consider getting involved in some of the new (and established) committees so that we make continue to renew the life of the Church.
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George R Hoelzeman ACLS President
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