The Sacred Show

“What is sacred among one people may be ridiculous in another;
and what is despised or rejected by one cultural group,
may in a different environment
become the cornerstone for a
great edifice of strange grandeur and beauty.”
~ Hu Shih

The Sacred Show opening had a very nice attendance. Per the quote above, I found myself needing to open my mind in terms of what I consider sacred and how my fellow exhibitors interpreted the show’s theme.

I enjoyed the interpretations of sacred both in art and as the statements below each work. There were references to the mysticism and rituals of different cultures, the notion of symbolism, the reflection on humanity and daily life as sacred, as well as nature and earth.

“There is nothing so secular that it cannot be sacred,
and that is one of the deepest messages of the Incarnation.”
~ Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water

The idea of curiosity stood out to me as well: being open to new experiences, seeing things freshly and without bias, noticing the small things in life as significant or ‘divine’.

This mixed media piece by Brian Hofmeister intrigued me in its combination of different materials, as well as the reference to geometry and mysticism.

 

Art work by Brian Hofmeister 

Gail Willert’s piece had a lot of iconic earth elements embedded in her photography.

 Gail Willert’s work at The Sacred Show

The Uptown Arts Center is located on the Fourth floor of the Preston Bradley Center, at 941 W. Lawrence in Chicago, IL. We have a few more events during which you can peruse The Sacred Show, including Adam Robersmith’s discussion on “Creativity and Spirituality: Humanist and Pagan” from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 11, and an open house November 17 from 6 to 10 p.m. The Uptown Arts Center is also open Saturdays  from 1 to 4 p.m. or by appointment  773-450-7246.

 

“I believe that each work of art,
whether it is a work of great genius or something very small,
comes to the artist and says, ‘Here I am. Enflesh me. Give birth to me.’
And the artist either says, ‘My soul doth magnify the Lord,’
and willingly becomes the bearer of the work, or refuses;
but the obedient response is not necessarily a conscious one,
and not everyone has the humble, courageous obedience of Mary.”
~ Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water