Arts from Granda

As part of the ongoing Arts Initiative we have been pursuing on the NLM, we have been showcasing various examples of the sacred arts being pursued today, both to show for your own edification, as well as to hopefully help to further foster the pursuit and commissioning of these arts as part of a new liturgical movement. We are pleased today to present to you today some of the work of Granda Liturgical Arts.

From St. Kilian chapel within the Church of St. Ann in Coppell, Texas, comes a reredos in the Spanish baroque style.

From the Shrine Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama, comes some lovely neo-gothic work.











A hanging pyx in the form of a dove which was originally designed for the Discalced Carmelite nuns of the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Valparaiso, Nebraska, but which has since become one of Granda's standard offerings.





Details from a monstrance designed for St. John Cantius church in Chicago by one of their parishioners and realized by Granda.





From the Basilica in Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Ecclesiastical Woodcarving: Still Possible Today

While recently researching the sacrament house, I came across the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, Utah, which has a number of interesting angles that could be explored within it.

As part of that search, I came to be introduced to the work of Agrell Architectural Woodcarving who specialize in woodcarving, within a domestic, public and ecclesiastical context. I was rather impressed with the quality work I saw coming from them in a variety of styles, from that which is gothic, more baroque, to that "other modern" we have been considering lately.

Their connection with the Cathedral of the Madeleine is that they carved the very same sacrament house which we briefly showed, and also the screen pictured below which forms a part of today's cathedra in that cathedral.

Some other images from their site shows forth some of their skills, and it should take little imagination to consider how these might be applied within an ecclesiastical context today.







To see more of their projects, visit their Projects page.

Some Recent Liturgical Work from Granda Liturgical Arts

Granda Liturgical Arts periodically sends out a newsletter showcasing some of their recent projects or featured products. As part of our ongoing arts initiative where we hope to feature the work of the various companies and individuals found in our sidebar, as well as those who are not, I wanted to share with you are a couple of Granda's works that were recently featured by them.

"Granda Liturgical Arts recently completed a custom statue of Our Lady of Montserrat for the Benedictine Monastery of the Holy Cross in Chicago. A faithful replica of its famous prototype, this statue was carved by hand from wood, and then painted by hand and embellished with authentic gold leaf."

"This magnificent tabernacle, covered on all sides with colorful enamel, was designed to resemble the metalwork of the late 12th and early 13th centuries created at the great workshops in Limoges, Stavelot, St. Denis and Helmarshausen. Its faces show scenes of the Crucifixion, the Ascension, and the Twelve Apostles."

Fathers of Mercy Church, South Union, Kentucky

Continuing with our NLM Arts Initiative, I wanted to share with you a project which took place at the church of the Fathers of Mercy in South Union, KY.

The work that you will see accomplished here combines old and new. An original (i.e. antique) high altar, side altars and communion rails, with a new free-standing altar and ambo designed by the Mazzolini Artcraft Co.

In addition, the mural work and stencil work that you see was done by Murals by Jericho.

Here are some images of the work while it was yet in progress. (In other words, do note that everything is not yet all in order within the sanctuary.)

One will note here that wonderful use of colour and, wonderfully, the presence of stencilled designs which can be used to very great effect -- as they have indeed been here. This sort of use of pattern and colour certainly manifest one stream of "noble simplicity" in my estimation.


This shows the new marble altar and ambo that were created by Mazzolini Artcraft Co.


A nice detail of the side of the new altar which has some very nice mosaic detailing. Little details like this do matter a great deal in terms of the overall effect.

Artisans, Craftsmen and Musicians of the New Liturgical Movement: A Call for Submissions

To help support and foster the sacred arts, which works have been and can still be such an important contribution to Catholic culture (and culture generally); which have an evangelical power to draw people from the external signs inward, heavenward and Godward; which can teach and bring to life the Scriptures, the lives of the saints and the doctrines of the Church; and which are so bound up and defined by the Church's liturgical worship, I am pleased to announce that the NLM has taken up a new endeavour wherein it hopes to feature as it can some of the work of active individual artisans, craftsmen and composers working in the domain of the sacred and liturgical arts today, as well as comprehensive project work being pursued by liturgical arts and architectural firms.

We do of course feature a number of excellent craftsmen, artisans and companies in our right hand column in this regard, and I would encourage you to stop and take a look at their work, but I am additionally hopeful that we can feature specific examples and projects both by them and their own artisans, as well as the works of other individual artisans who may be working on a smaller, more private scale. It is my hope that this might in turn help promote and foster this kind of work today, for quality craftsmanship and artistry are much needed as part of a new liturgical movement and are an important aspect of it.

This was in part inspired after recently being contacted by the Foundation for Sacred Arts as well as some individual Catholic artists on their own initiative. Accordingly I have begun to do some work behind the scenes to encourage submissions for the NLM's consideration, and am announcing formally today a call for submissions in this regard.

This call should be considered a standing call from henceforward.

The works should be in the domain of the sacred arts, inclusive of sacred music compositions, painting, sculpture, textile work, architectural elements and architecture and so forth.

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In a related vein, I cannot resist showing you the work of this Roman street artist that John Sonnen recently featured, which shows the nameless artist chalking out a reproduction of Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus (ca. 1600-1601).



A detail: