• Artists

  • Our programs focusing on the life and work of individual artists range from a medieval German mystic (Hildegard of Bingen), to a Post-Impressionist  painter (Vincent Van Gogh), to a 20th-century American monk (Thomas Merton).  Each has a remarkable personal story, each left a body of work that continues to captivate our spirits.

  • The Art and Spiritual Journey of Vincent Van Gogh

  • Accompany Vincent Van Gogh on his spiritual journey - from his early yearnings to serve as a preacher, to his experience of the divine through nature. We’ll look at many of his luminous paintings, exploring their meanings, contemplating his starry nights, and discovering how his art makes the transcendent tangible. And part of our explorations we'll reflect on the spiritual character and implications of line, color, and subject matter in art--and our personal associations with them

  • St. Hildegard of Bingen and Sacred Art

  • This workshop introduces the medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen (German, 1098 – 1179), a Benedictine medieval abbess and mystic, and her many achievements in sacred art. We’ll reflect on her music, liturgical dramas, and visual art, along with her spiritual sensibilities and how she witnessed the Divine presence in all things. We'll look at illuminations associated with Hildegard that illustrate visions Hildegard personally experienced.

  • Thomas Merton and the Contemplative Arts

  • A workshop exploring Merton's relationship with traditional sacred art forms (such as icons), as well as his own creations in poetry, photography, drawing, and brush painting.  We'll look at  how his art reflects his spirituality, contemplative vision, and aesthetic sensitivity.