The Catholic Art Guild, a recently established organization devoted to the support of Catholic artists, and which is associated with St John Cantius church, is holding its 2nd Annual Conference, a fundraising gala, at the Drake Hotel in Chicago on November 4th. A talk by NLM’s own Dr Peter Kwasniewski is one of the highlights of the event!
The conference is entitled “Formed in Beauty”, and aside from Peter, it will feature Alexander Stoddart, Sculptor in Ordinary for Her Majesty the Queen in Scotland, Ethan Anthony, principal architect for Cram & Ferguson, and Juliette Aristides, who paints in the style of classical naturalism and has a teaching atelier.
The focus of each of the two artists featured on the roster on this occasion is neo-classical naturalism.
For more details, you can watch the promotional video below or go straight to their website, here. Tickets start at $200 and will be on sale until the end of October.
On November 4, the Catholic Art Guild will host its second annual conference with leading artists, architects, and theologians, to rediscover the power of beauty in the modern world.
The one-day conference, entitled "Formed in Beauty," will feature Alexander Stoddart, Sculptor in Ordinary for Her Majesty the Queen in Scotland; Ethan Anthony, principal architect for Cram & Ferguson; Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer; and Juliette Aristides, Classical Realist Artist, Author & Founder of Aristides Atelier.
The conference will open with an orchestral Latin Mass in the baroque splendor of Chicago’s historic St. John Cantius Church, with the Canons Regular who are well known for bringing beauty into worship. Conference presentations and discussions will take place at The Drake Hotel, followed by an elegant banquet and culminating in a stimulating panel discussion.
Ticket sales help us to cover the cost of putting this and future events together for the Art Guild. We are extremely grateful for your support and hope you will join us for this amazing event!
NB: Early-bird ticket special ends September 1, and those traveling from out of town should book hotel rooms ASAP so as to avail themselves of the special rate that ends a month before the event. Participants may also wish to consider coming in early for the annual Mozart Requiem on All Souls' Day at St. John Cantius.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 4th 2018
The Drake Hotel & St. John Cantius Church
Conference Agenda
11:00 am Choral High Mass St. John Cantius Church
12:30 pm Bus departs to Drake Hotel
1:00 pm Drake Hotel, Grand Ballroom: Registration
1:15-2:00 Lunch Buffet, Drake Hotel, Grand Ballroom
2:00-2:45 Speaker: Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, Catholic Artist
2:45-3:00 Break
3:00-3:45 Speaker: Juliette Aristides, Classical Realist Artist, Author & Atelier
3:45-4:00 Break
4:00-4:45 Speaker: Ethan Anthony, Principal Architect, Cram & Ferguson
4:45-5:00 Break
5:00-6:00 Keynote Address: Alexander Stoddart, Sculptor
6:00-6:30 VIP Wine & Cheese Reception for Ticket Holders
6:30-7:30 Dinner in the Gold Coast Room
7:30-8:30 Q&A and Panel Discussion
8:30-9:00 Social Time
For more information about purchasing tickets, dinner, room reservations, and FAQs, please visit this link, or go directly to ticket sales (which repeats much of the same information).
A reader asked me to publicize a one-day event coming up this Saturday, which looks like a great opportunity for Catholics, especially clergy, who wish to learn more about beautiful church design and how it relates to the nature and needs of the liturgy. The event is co-sponsored by the Catholic Art Guild and the Liturgical Institute. To register, visit here. Wednesday evening (4/11) is the cut-off for registrations.
Church Architecture Study Day: From the Sacrament to the Mysteries
Join Dr. Denis McNamara for a one day immersion of church architecture from a Catholic perspective.
9:30 Registration, Coffee, etc
10:00 Session I: Biblical Foundations of Church Architecture: The Temple, the Synagogue and the Mystical Body
11:00 Break
11:15 Session II: Classical Architecture: The Sacramental Meaning of Ornament, Decoration and the Column
12:15 Break and Questions
12:45 Lunch (included in the cost of the program)
1:45 Session III: The Objective View of Beauty: Learning from Thomas Aquinas
2:45 Break
3:00 Session IV: What the Church Intended: The Twentieth Century to Today
4:00 Questions
4:15 Adjourn
The cost of the program includes a lunch buffet of sandwiches, salad, coffee and dessert. Clergy and seminarians attend for free. Lunch orders will take place 48 hours prior to the event.
Please email info@CatholicArtGuild.org with any questions; visit here to register.
This October 29th, the Catholic Art Guild, a Chicago-based community of artists, will host a landmark conference bringing together leading philosophers and artists to rediscover the power of Beauty in the modern world.
The conference, entitled “Beauty and the Restoration of the Sacred”, will feature English philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, well-known for his BBC documentary “Why Beauty Matters,” as well as architect Duncan Stroik, classical artist Anthony Visco, and art historian and educator Denis McNamara.
The ground-breaking conference opens with a Solemn High Mass featuring Renaissance choral music in the baroque splendor of Chicago’s historic St. John Cantius Church, a parish well known for bringing beauty into Christian worship.
Conference presentations and discussions will take place at the The Drake Hotel, followed by an elegant banquet, wine service, culminating in a stimulating panel discussion.
“Beauty has been so denigrated in today’s culture as a result of prevalent utilitarian thinking. This unfortunately relegates those with artistic gifts to the periphery or worse, tells them their gifts are useless,” says organizer and guild President Kathleen Carr, “We hope this conference will shine a light on the necessity of Beauty in today’s world.”
All visual artists, designers, architects, art educators, and art lovers are welcome to attend. Tickets and more information can be found at www.CatholicArtGuild.org
Members of the Catholic Art Guild touring the Art Institute of Chicago
An organization dedicated to the restoration of the Sacred in the visual arts has been established at St. John Cantius Church in Chicago, a parish known for its renaissance in Catholic faith and culture.
“We want to support artists in offering their gifts for the greater glory of God in an effort to harness the power of Beauty and its necessity in the work of evangelization,” says founder and president Kathleen Carr.
The Catholic Art Guild will achieve its mission by presenting speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities for artists and students in the visual arts.
The guild hosts monthly events to explore the philosophy of aesthetics and the power of the visual arts for evangelization, as well as offering skill-based training in crafts such as gilding, illumination, stained glass, and traditional drawing techniques, as well as a juried exhibition.
The first annual conference, “Beauty and the Restoration of the Sacred,” will be held be this October in Chicago. This full-day presentation will feature English philosopher Sir Roger Scruton, well-known for his BBC documentary “Why Beauty Matters,” as well as architect Duncan Stroik, artist Anthony Visco, and art historian and educator Dr. Denis McNamara.
The Church has always seen art as an integral part of its liturgical worship and recognized the power of Beauty to evangelize. The visual arts flow from the wellspring of the Sacred Liturgy, and both the Church and her artists flourish when this is understood and embraced.
Father C. Frank Phillips, C.R., pastor of St. John Cantius, saw the need to foster the visual arts. As a student of Msgr. Martin Hellreigel, an early leader in liturgical renewal, Father Phillips first experienced the power of the liturgy to evangelize through the sacred arts.
“We have had many organizations that enliven our vibrant parish, particularly in sacred music, liturgy, catechesis, youth and young adult ministry. It was time to establish a program for the visual arts and the training of artists,” says Fr. Phillips.
Kathleen Carr, an award-winning, classically trained painter, illustrator, and designer approached Fr. Phillips with her inspiration:
“We want to bring together artists and the Church as partners to proclaim the Gospel to all who enter our doors or will hear our message. I was inspired by the Catholic vision that all art flows from the altar. It seemed natural to form an artist guild with the support of a religious community that lives and breathes the liturgy,” says Carr.
Interested visual artists, designers, architects, art educators, and art lovers looking to join a community centered around the ‘restoration of the Sacred’ are welcome to join the Catholic Art Guild.
