A display of vibrant mixed-media paintings depicting Catholic saints will open at Boston College on All Saints' Day, November 1.
Saints features 17 works by artist Nancy Marek Cote, including the debut of a new work of Society of Jesus founder St. Ignatius Loyola, which she created for the BC exhibit. Saints will be on display through December 9 in the O'Neill Library Reading Room.
"The work of Nancy Marek Cote modernizes the life of the saints in a most inspiring way,” said Roche Center for Catholic Education Executive Director Melodie Wyttenbach. “While whimsical, and joyful, these mixed-media paintings are creatively made with everyday materials—from newspaper clippings to necklaces. This artwork challenges us to consider how we as ordinary people are called to lead saintly lives."
The 17 mixed-media paintings of Catholic saints by artist Nancy Marek Cote include a new portrayal of Society of Jesus founder St. Ignatius Loyola, shown upper right, created for the exhibit.
Works by artist, author, and illustrator Marek Cote “in a unique style capture the person and moment of the presence and relationship with God,” according to her biography. Her hope is that “Saints will inspire women, men, and children of all ages and backgrounds to a heightened appreciation of the beauty, courage, and passion that led the 17 on their own faith journeys.”
In her work, Marek Cote—who in 2018 studied at BC’s School of Theology and Ministry with renowned artist Brother Mickey McGrath (Brother Michael O'Neill McGrath, O.S.F.S.), in the course “Wise and Holy Women and a Few Good Men”—said she "explores and renders subjects enabling all to think more deeply about the human/God experience.”
Campus events will be held in conjunction with the exhibit, which is hosted by the Lynch School of Education and Human Development’s Roche Center in collaboration with the University's Church in the 21st Century Center. On November 2, All Souls’ Day, an STM student-led Liturgy of the Hours will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Simboli Hall Chapel on Brighton Campus.
Marek Cote will be on campus on November 7 at 6:30 p.m. for a “Social and Conversation” event at the exhibit venue, which is open to all. On the exhibit’s opening day, she will meet with some 100 fourth-grade students from St. Joseph School in Needham and St. Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton, who will visit campus and view the exhibit.
For more information on the artist and the exhibit, visit www.mareksaints.com.
Also on display:
The Boston College Art Club presents its 2022 Fall Art Show, on view in Carney Hall Gallery 203 and the Carney 104 hallway. The exhibit will feature works by student artists and open with a reception on November 1 at 7:30 p.m. It will run through November 30.
Gallery 203 aims to promote student expression and exposure of the visual arts across campus. The exhibit space provides a public venue for artists in the BC community to share their work with the community.
For more information, contact artclubbostoncollege@gmail.com.
Rosanne Pellegrini | University Communications | October 2022