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Saint John's Bible
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ILLUMINATING THE WORD: THE SAINT JOHN’S BIBLE
THE MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ARTS PREMIERES
NATIONAL EXHIBITION IN APRIL 2005
Minneapolis, Minn., April 22, 2004 — Five years after Saint John’s
University unveiled the first page of The Saint John’s Bible, (the
opening page of the Gospel of Matthew), Saint John’s and The Minneapolis
Institute of Arts (MIA) are partnering in a national exhibition tour
premiering at the MIA in April 2005. This exhibition will open to the world
illuminated pages from Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, Pentateuch and the
just completed Book of Psalms created under the artistic direction of
Calligrapher Donald Jackson.
“Artist Donald Jackson is continuing the great tradition of handwritten
Bibles whose roots go back to the ancient scribes of Israel and the five
Books of Moses that are the core to the Old Testament Hebrew Bible,” said
Dr. Evan Maurer, director and president, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
“What a privilege it is for us to be associated with this project that will
bring a contemporary celebration of the beauty and power of these sacred
texts to our community.”
Setting aside its largest gallery space for the Bible exhibition, the
7,500 square foot Target Gallery, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts will
premiere Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible Sunday,
April 10 through July 3, 2005. Following its debut, the exhibit will travel
to major venues throughout the United States and internationally.
On display at the MIA will be 60-70 items from the first three volumes.
These items include original text and illuminated pages from the Bible, Mr.
Jackson’s process sketches, tools from his scriptorium in Wales, as well as
other manuscripts, Bibles and art from special collections at Saint John’s
University.
“The Bible exhibition will be three-dimensional,” said Carol Marrin,
director of The Saint John’s Bible. “It will be about book, about art
and about scripture. We want visitors to experience the richness of The
Saint John’s Bible and to engage in the project with us.”
The MIA’s exhibition will allow visitors to see and hear about the
process of using goose and swan quills, calfskin vellum, ancient handground
inks, gold and silver gilding, accompanied by the use of digital cameras,
email and computer design technology to create this work of artistic and
spiritual significance.
Visitors will also learn more about the process of collaboration between
the artists and calligraphers in Wales and the theologians, biblical
scholars and art historians at Saint John’s. From the identification of
passages and digital sketches to final illuminations, the illumination
process will come alive for the museum visitor.
The exhibition will also address why Saint John’s Abbey and University
embarked on this endeavor and how technology was used to make this modern,
ecumenical project possible. In the Benedictine tradition of the study of
book arts, the exhibit will explore the connection between many medieval
manuscripts and creating a handwritten Bible for modern times.
This is not the first time Mr. Jackson or Saint John’s University has
partnered with the MIA to exhibit works of art. In 1988, the MIA partnered
with The London Link to host an exhibition of Mr. Jackson’s work titled
Painting With Words. And in 1995, the MIA hosted First Fire, an
exhibition of the pottery of Richard Bresnahan, artist-in-residence at Saint
John’s University.
Target Corporation is the national sponsor for Illuminating the
Word: The Saint John’s Bible. Target has been an integral partner to
The Saint John’s Bible since its genesis in 1997.
The Saint John’s Bible
The Saint John’s Bible was commissioned by Saint John’s University in
1998 to revive a tradition and affirm its commitment to the study of
scripture, to the book arts and to
educational, artistic and spiritual pursuits. It consists of 1,150 pages in
seven volumes: Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, Book of Psalms,
Pentateuch, Wisdom and Poetic Books, Prophets, Historical Books, and
Letters and The Book of Revelation. The Saint John’s Bible is scheduled
for completion in the 2007.
Saint John’s
Saint John’s is home to Saint John’s Abbey and University, the School of
Theology and Seminary and the Preparatory School. Over the years, Saint
John’s has become home to a number of other renowned institutions including:
The Liturgical Press, the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library, the Episcopal
House of Prayer, the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, the Jay
Phillips Center for Jewish Christian Learning, Arca Artium, Saint John’s
Pottery, Saint John’s Arboretum and Saint John’s Boys Choir.
Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict
Saint John’s University for men and the College of Saint Benedict for women
are partners in liberal arts education, providing students the opportunity
to benefit from the distinctions of not one, but two nationally recognized
Catholic, Benedictine, residential undergraduate colleges. Together, the
colleges challenge students to live balanced lives of learning, work,
leadership and service in a changing world.
For additional information or visuals, please contact:
Linda Orzechowski
The Saint John's Bible
(320) 363-3514
lorzechowsk@csbsju.edu
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