St. James Cathedral hosted four unique works of art, created for St. James as part of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) gathering which took place in Seattle, March 25-31, 2012.  St. James was one of many Seattle landmarks hosting special installations highlighting the beauty of ceramic art.  Visit www.nceca.net for more information.

Nicholas Kripal
St. James Pilgrimage/Cathedral Reliquary
Ceramic, 2012
 


ARTIST’S STATEMENT:  During a tour of St. James I was struck by the serenity and beauty of the Courtyard and its iconography; particularly the water element as a reference to an original nearby spring visited by Native Americans early in the region’s history. I am also very interested in the pilgrimage to honor St. James, which terminates in Santiago de Compostela. There is much symbolism surrounding the garb and staff used by the pilgrims, as well as the landscape of southern Europe through which the pilgrimage route passes. Through the appropriation of Google images of European Silver Pines (native to the Pyrenees), symbols of St. James miracles (the scallop shell), and architectural iconography of the cathedral itself ( the cross-like division of the main altar), I created an architectural reliquary for the St. James Pilgrimage/Cathedral.

Jeffrey Mongrain
St. Joseph's Dream; Dream Neuron Halo
Glass, 2012
 


ARTIST’S STATEMENT:  There are both scientific and artistic renderings of the brain’s neurons during sleep.  This halo-like form in the abstract shape of a dream neuron surrounds the head of the stone statue of St. Joseph.  St. Joseph' Dream refers to three specific Biblical episodes in which Saint Joseph is visited by an Angel in a dream.  All appear in the Gospel of Matthew.
First dream, Joseph is told not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife.
Second dream, Joseph is warned to leave Bethlehem and flee to Egypt.
Third dream, Joseph is told it is safe to return to go back to Nazareth.





Nicholas Kripal
Hellebore Crown (Lenten Rose)
Glass, 2012

ARTIST’S STATEMENT:  In many sculptural or painted representations, the Virgin Mary is shown wearing a crown, indicating her role as Queen of Heaven. The crown is often composed of flowers or other vegetation, indicative of the custom of honoring Mary in the month of May, but also related to early depictions of her sitting among trees, surrounded by animals and flowering plants. Some art historians find similar imagery in depictions of the earth goddess of pre-Christian religions. I commissioned a crown composed of white glass hellebore flowers and leaves. The hellebore is also known as the Lenten Rose as it starts blooming in late winter and continues to bloom into early summer.  The siting of this glass crown of flowers in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary is intended as a replacement for bouquets of real flowers, which are removed from the church during Lent.

Jessi Li and George Rodriguez
The Way of the Cross
Ceramic, 2012



 Click here for an album of The Stations of the Cross