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Past MOCRA Events

Browse the chronological list of events at the Saint Louis University Museum of Contemporary Religious Art (MOCRA), or search for a specific event. Click “View” for more information about an event. If you need further information about an event, please contact us.

 

The Artist and the Theologian Dialogue:  The Body of Christ as Veiling and Unveiling the Invisible God

The Artist and the Theologian Dialogue: The Body of Christ as Veiling and Unveiling the Invisible God

February 27, 1997

In conjunction with the exhibition Steven Heilmer: Pietre Sante | Holy Stones, MOCRA presents a conversation between artist Steven Heilmer and theologian John Markey, O.P.


Steven Heilmer is a highly respected sculptor and educator. He received his Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the University of Minnesota, and he has taught at the University of Minnesota, Brooklyn College, Bethel College, and Greenville College. Mr. Heilmer was the recipient of the 1995/1996 Arts Midwest/NEA Visual Arts Fellowship. In 1997 Mr. Heilmer was selected to create a sculpture titled Gratia Plena for Seattle University’s St. Ignatius Chapel.

John Markey, O.P., is a Roman Catholic priest and a member of the Dominican order. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Divinity degree from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, CA, and a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA. His primary area of study is Systematic Theology, but he also has interests in North American religious thought, traditions, and culture. Presently Fr. Markey is Assistant Novice Director for the Dominican Common Novitiate in Denver, CO. He is a frequent lecturer and author of a number of articles.


above
Steven Heilmer, Pietà / Meditation on the Last Temptation, 1993. Pillows, fiberglass. Collection of the artist. Photo by Jeffrey Vaughn.

Exhibition
2018-10-07 to 2018-10-14 Walking in Hope: A Weeklong Celebration of the Canonization of Archbishop Oscar Romero

Walking in Hope: A Weeklong Celebration of the Canonization of Archbishop Oscar Romero
October 7, 2018 to October 14, 2018

MOCRA joined with Saint Louis University's Campus Ministry, the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, and numerous other local organizations, in a weeklong St. Louis celebration of the canonization of Archbi...

2017-04-20 “The Hand Acts Out a Joyous Dance”: Celebrating the Art of Bernard Maisner

“The Hand Acts Out a Joyous Dance”: Celebrating the Art of Bernard Maisner
April 20, 2017

A master calligrapher and manuscript illuminator, artist Bernard Maisner brings together materials and design in unexpected ways. From tiny illuminated manuscripts to large-scale paintings reminisc...

2016-09-25 Erika Diettes: “Stories Told from the Threshold”

Erika Diettes: “Stories Told from the Threshold”
September 25, 2016

Colombian artist Erika Diettes has received international acclaim for a body of work that draws upon her training as both an artist and an anthropologist. In 2011 she set up a studio in the Colombi...

2015-12-06 So That You Know Each Other: Intercultural Reflections on Art, Beauty, and Islam

So That You Know Each Other: Intercultural Reflections on Art, Beauty, and Islam
December 6, 2015

This program explores historic and contemporary approaches to Islamic art, from perspectives both within and outside of Islam.

The guiding concept of the program is interculturality. When...

2014-11-15 John Handley: “The Religious Art of Pablo Picasso”

John Handley: “The Religious Art of Pablo Picasso”
November 15, 2014

Art historian and theologian John Handley will shed light on a scarcely known aspect of the career of the renowned twentieth-century artist Pablo Picasso: his religious beliefs and his incorporatio...

2018-09-28 to 2018-09-29 Fleur-de-Lis Floral Art Walk

Fleur-de-Lis Floral Art Walk
September 28, 2018 to September 29, 2018

Celebrate SLU's Bicentennial with a Floral Art Walk taking place throughout campus and the nearby Grand Center Arts District, and see art in a new way through the magic of flowers. Each stop along ...

2014-02-23 “The Economy of Gift” in Socially Engaged Art Practices: A Public Deliberation

“The Economy of Gift” in Socially Engaged Art Practices: A Public Deliberation
February 23, 2014

Gift involves moving out of oneself.
The economy of gift questions the dominant measure of value in the art world and beyond.
Socially engag...

2013-10-02 Art21: The Spiritual Light screening at CAM

Art21: The Spiritual Light screening at CAM
October 2, 2013

MOCRA's neighbor institution, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, offers an opportunity to view a special ...

2013-03-02 Rituals and Spirituality in the Performative Photographic Work of Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons

Rituals and Spirituality in the Performative Photographic Work of Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons
March 2, 2013

Hailed as a leading artist of the Afro-Cuban diaspora, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons' work encompasses installation art, performative photography, painting and cultural activism, all of which, says a...

2012-11-11 Breaking Boundaries: A Conversation about the Art of Patrick Graham

Breaking Boundaries: A Conversation about the Art of Patrick Graham
November 11, 2012

Patrick Graham has been credited with changing the face of contemporary painting i...

2012-05-20 Stephen P. Durchslag: “The Jewish Experience and the Haggadah”

Stephen P. Durchslag: “The Jewish Experience and the Haggadah”
May 20, 2012

The Jewish holiday of Passover recalls and celebrates the freeing of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The haggadah is the book that contains the ritual guide to the Passover Seder meal, along ...

2012-03-27 2012 Loyola Chair Lecture: “The Image of the Wounded Body of Christ and the Modern Social Consciousness”

2012 Loyola Chair Lecture: “The Image of the Wounded Body of Christ and the Modern Social Consciousness”
March 27, 2012

MOCRA's Director, Terrence Dempsey, S.J., delivers the Loyola Chair Lecture at Fordham University.

“The Image of the Wounded Body of Christ and the Modern Social Consciousness” will o...

2011-10-06 2011 Loyola Chair Lecture: “The Pursuit of the Spirit: The Renewed Interest in the Spiritual and Religious Dimensions in Contemporary Art”

2011 Loyola Chair Lecture: “The Pursuit of the Spirit: The Renewed Interest in the Spiritual and Religious Dimensions in Contemporary Art”
October 6, 2011

MOCRA's Director, Terrence Dempsey, S.J., delivers the Loyola Chair Lecture at Fordham University.

“The Pursuit of the Spirit: The Renewed Interest in the Spiritual and Religious Dimens...

2011-05-01 Terrence Dempsey, S.J.: “Georges Rouault and the Art of Sacred Engagement”

Terrence Dempsey, S.J.: “Georges Rouault and the Art of Sacred Engagement”
May 1, 2011

From his earliest works, Georges Rouault selected subjects that combined a stron...

2010-11-15 Terrence Demspey, S.J.: “Creating a Religious Environment through Contemporary Art and Architecture”

Terrence Demspey, S.J.: “Creating a Religious Environment through Contemporary Art and Architecture”
November 15, 2010

Rev. Terrence Dempsey, S.J., founding Director of MOCRA, presents the lecture "Creating a Religious Environment Through Contemporary Art and Architecture." Celebrating his 25th year as a Jesuit pri...

2010-03-28 Terrence Dempsey, S.J.: “The Wounded Body of Christ and the Modern Social Conscience”

Terrence Dempsey, S.J.: “The Wounded Body of Christ and the Modern Social Conscience”
March 28, 2010

MOCRA Director Terrence Dempsey, S.J., offers an overview of how images associated with the suffering and death of Jesus still have vitality, even in a pluralistic world. Images referring to the ev...

2009-12-01 Day With(out) Art

Day With(out) Art
December 1, 2009

MOCRA observes the twentieth anniversary of Day With(out) Art, a national day of action...

2009-11-15 Michael Byron: “Cosmic Tears: Word and Image”

Michael Byron: “Cosmic Tears: Word and Image”
November 15, 2009

Artist Michael Byron will discuss the development of his Cosmic ...

2009-03-29 Art and the Religious Imagination

Art and the Religious Imagination
March 29, 2009

MOCRA assembles a panel of distinguished museum directors and theologians to discuss the roles that secular and religious art museums can play in the presentation of art with spiritual and religiou...

2008-04-15 Wu Hung: “What Is Contemporary Chinese Art?”

Wu Hung: “What Is Contemporary Chinese Art?”
April 15, 2008

The curator of the MOCRA exhibition Miao Xiaochun: The Last...

2007-10-07 Celluloid Bible Classics: <i>The Ten Commandments</i>

Celluloid Bible Classics: The Ten Commandments
October 7, 2007

In conjunction with the exhibition The Celluloid Bible: Marketing Films Inspired by Sc...

2007-11-04 Celluloid Bible Classics: <i>Ben-Hur</i>

Celluloid Bible Classics: Ben-Hur
November 4, 2007

In conjunction with the exhibition The Celluloid Bible: Marketing Films Inspired by Scrip...

2007-09-16 Michael Morris, O.P.: “Moving Pictures: The Bible and Beyond”

Michael Morris, O.P.: “Moving Pictures: The Bible and Beyond”
September 16, 2007

Professor and Dominican priest Rev. Michael Morris, O.P., gives a wry and highly informed survey of Hollywood's relationship with Judeo-Christian scripture (in fact, the motion picture's interest ...

2007-03-30 Peter Frank: “An Oskar Fischinger Tribute”

Peter Frank: “An Oskar Fischinger Tribute”
March 30, 2007

Peter Frank, curator of the MOCRA exhibition Oskar Fischinger: Movem...

2006-12-01 Day With(out) Art

Day With(out) Art
December 1, 2006

MOCRA observes Day With(out) Art, a national day of action and mourning in response to ...

2005-12-04 Robert Rosenblum: “DoDo Jin Ming: An Art Historian

Robert Rosenblum: “DoDo Jin Ming: An Art Historian's View”
December 4, 2005

Renowned art historian Robert Rosenblum places the work of photographer DoDo Jin Ming

2003-09-07 To Make Extraordinary: The Role of Sacred Objects in Life and Worship

To Make Extraordinary: The Role of Sacred Objects in Life and Worship
September 7, 2003

MOCRA presents an interfaith panel discussion that considers the wide range in form, use, and significance of sacred objects across the world's religious traditions.

This event is held on t...

2002-05-04 The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: A University Response

The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: A University Response
May 4, 2002

With this panel discussion about the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, approached from diverse disciplines and personal backgrounds, we seek to encourage the St. Louis community to assess the ramificat...

2002-04-30 Fred D. Gray: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: A Study That Should Never Have Occurred

Fred D. Gray: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment: A Study That Should Never Have Occurred
April 30, 2002

Fred D. Gray is a civil rights attorney whose career spans...

2002-01-31 Cloudlanders

Cloudlanders
January 31, 2002

MOCRA presents several of St. Louis' finest dancers performing two evenings of improvisatory dance with and amidst Pop artist Andy Warhol's Silver Clouds. The dancers respond to the mutable,...

2002-01-26 Thomas Sokolowski: “The Last Temptation: Andy Warhols Art as Belief”

Thomas Sokolowski: “The Last Temptation: Andy Warhols Art as Belief”
January 26, 2002

Thomas Sokolowski examines Pop artist Andy Warhol’s outlook on art and aesthetics as t...

2000-11-30 Day With(out) Art

Day With(out) Art
November 30, 2000

MOCRA observes Day With(out) Art, a national day of action and mourning in response to ...

2001-04-06 Bare Naked Statues in concert

Bare Naked Statues in concert
April 6, 2001

The Bare Naked Statues, Saint Louis University’s premier all-male a capella ensemble, present their debu...

1999-04-15 Two Lectures: Ellen Dissanayake and Jack Renard

Two Lectures: Ellen Dissanayake and Jack Renard
April 15, 1999

MOCRA presents lectures by two distinguished scholars.


Ellen Dissanayake
“In the Beginning, Art”

An innovative scholar makes a case for an innate hu...

1999-03-27 Bernard Maisner: “The Art of the Illuminator”

Bernard Maisner: “The Art of the Illuminator”
March 27, 1999

Bernard Maisner, considered one of today's foremost practitione...

1998-03-22 Renaissance and Modern

Renaissance and Modern
March 22, 1998

MOCRA presents a lecture and a public conversation.


Dr. Carolyn Valone
“Matrons and Motives: Why Women Built in 16th-century Rome”

Carolyn Valone is Pr...

1997-11-15 The Role of the Computer in Contemporary Art

The Role of the Computer in Contemporary Art
November 15, 1997

Join artist Manfred Stumpf and members of the St. Louis arts community in an exploration of the role of the computer in contemporary art, examined from the perspectives of the artist, the art histo...

1997-07-24 Jennifer Biddle: Body, Country, Canvas: Meaning and Identity in Central Desert Aboriginal Women’s Art

Jennifer Biddle: Body, Country, Canvas: Meaning and Identity in Central Desert Aboriginal Women’s Art
July 24, 1997

Dr. Jennifer Biddle, of the department of Anthropology, Macquar...

1997-06-07 Creativity as Ancestral Mind: Living with the Ancestors

Creativity as Ancestral Mind: Living with the Ancestors
June 7, 1997

MOCRA presents an afternoon symposium focusing on the art of the Aborigines of Australia's Central Desert. In the unique setting of the world's first museum of contemporary interfaith art, surround...

1997-02-27 The Artist and the Theologian Dialogue:  The Body of Christ as Veiling and Unveiling the Invisible God

The Artist and the Theologian Dialogue: The Body of Christ as Veiling and Unveiling the Invisible God
February 27, 1997

In conjunction with the exhibition Steven Heilmer: Pietre Sante...

1996-12-01 Day Without Art

Day Without Art
December 1, 1996

MOCRA observes Day With(out) Art, a national day of action and mourning in response to ...

1996-05-19 The Artist as Poet: Readings by Edward Boccia

The Artist as Poet: Readings by Edward Boccia
May 19, 1996

In conjunction with the joint exhibition Edward Boccia: Eye of the Paint...

1995-05-20 Ian Friend: “The Edge of Belief”

Ian Friend: “The Edge of Belief”
May 20, 1995

Artist Ian Friend delivers a lecture focusing on his series of paintings ...

1995-05-04 Peter Selz: “Degenerate Art”

Peter Selz: “Degenerate Art”
May 4, 1995

In this lecture, renowned art historian, author and curator Peter Selz examines the 1937 Nazi-organized Entartete Kunst (“Degenerate Art”) exhibition, the most virulent campaign ever org...

1995-02-05 Lynn Hague in recital

Lynn Hague in recital
February 5, 1995

MOCRA welcomes Lynn Hague of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra in a solo violin recital. The program includes works by Bach and Paganini, as well as original improvisations that take advantage of ...

1994-11-13 Terrence Dempsey, S.J.: “The Spiritual in Art in the Time of AIDS”

Terrence Dempsey, S.J.: “The Spiritual in Art in the Time of AIDS”
November 13, 1994

MOCRA’s exhibition Consecrations: The Spiritual ...

1994-12-01 Day Without Art

Day Without Art
December 1, 1994

MOCRA observes Day With(out) Art, a national day of action and mourning in response to ...

1994-11-05 Thomas Sokolowski: “The Changing Face of AIDS”

Thomas Sokolowski: “The Changing Face of AIDS”
November 5, 1994

Thomas Sokolowski is the Director of the Grey Art Gallery and Study Center of New York University. He is also a co-founder of Day Without Art, an annual observance by galleries and...

1994-11-01 The Amici String Quartet in recital

The Amici String Quartet in recital
November 1, 1994

The Amici Quartet performs an evening recital in the elegant setting of Historic Samuel Cupples House. This pe...

1994-10-15 Consecrations: The Spiritual in Art in the TIme of AIDS dance program and opening reception

Consecrations: The Spiritual in Art in the TIme of AIDS dance program and opening reception
October 15, 1994

MOCRA marks the opening of the first national group e...

1993-10-29 I Remember Alvin

I Remember Alvin
October 29, 1993

Three people closely connected with Alvin Ailey reminisce about their experiences with t...

1993-11-05 An Evening with Katherine Dunham

An Evening with Katherine Dunham
November 5, 1993

Living legend Katherine Dunham discusses the famous “Dunham Technique” and provides valuable ins...

1992-11-07 The Artist and Sacred Space

The Artist and Sacred Space
November 7, 1992

This symposium held in conjunction with the Fall 1992 meeting of The Society for the Arts, Religion, and Contemporary Culture ...

2019-04-14 A Conversation with Gary Logan

A Conversation with Gary Logan
April 14, 2019

Trinidadian-American artist Gary Logan uses the visual language of abstraction to convey encounters with the sublime and explore challenging dimensions of the human experience. In this conversation...

2019-11-10 Pursuing the Spirit in Contemporary Art: A Celebration of Terrence Dempsey, S.J.

Pursuing the Spirit in Contemporary Art: A Celebration of Terrence Dempsey, S.J.
November 10, 2019

On June 30, 2019, MOCRA Founding Director Terrence Dempsey, S.J., retired from Saint Louis University after nearly three decades of teaching and museum leadership. Fr. Dempsey jokes that he may be ...

2021-10-26 to 2021-10-26 Religion and Complex Social Issues Series: Panel on Immigration, Justice, and Religion

Religion and Complex Social Issues Series: Panel on Immigration, Justice, and Religion
October 26, 2021 to October 26, 2021

The Religion and Complex Social Issues series began in fall 2017 to provide informative, thoughtful, discussion-oriented opportunities for students, faculty, and various other communities of Saint ...

2021-11-03 to 2021-11-03 Sobrevida: A Conversation with Prof. Daisy Vargas

Sobrevida: A Conversation with Prof. Daisy Vargas
November 3, 2021 to November 03, 2021

Dr. Daisy Vargas explores life and death at the Mexico-U.S. borderlands through the material objects that migrants bring on their journeys.

The Religion and Complex Social Issues series b...

2021-11-05 to 2021-11-05 Meet the Artist: Tom Kiefer

Meet the Artist: Tom Kiefer
November 5, 2021 to November 05, 2021

Join us in the gallery for informal conversations with photographer Tom Kiefer about his exhibition “Pertenencias / Belongings,” currently on display at MOCRA. No formal talk is planned. Kiefer...

2021-11-06 to 2021-11-06 Conversations with Photographer Tom Kiefer

Conversations with Photographer Tom Kiefer
November 6, 2021 to November 06, 2021

This event took place in person at the Anheuser-Busch Auditorium on the campus of Saint Louis University, with a simultaneous Zoom feed. The event was co-sponsored by MOCRA, the Saint Louis Univers...

2022-04-07 to 2022-04-07 Tom Lucas, S.J.: Art in the Jesuit Tradition

Tom Lucas, S.J.: Art in the Jesuit Tradition
April 7, 2022 to April 07, 2022

Fr. Tom Lucas, S.J., speaks about Art in the Jesuit Tradition, an illustrated presentation that surveys the important role of art in Jesuit education and spirituality from the earliest days of the ...

2022-09-29 Artist, Poet, Curator: A Conversation with Lesley Dill, Tom Sleigh and Rene Paul Barilleaux

Artist, Poet, Curator: A Conversation with Lesley Dill, Tom Sleigh and Rene Paul Barilleaux
September 29, 2022

On September 29, 2022, MOCRA welcomed acclaimed visual artist Lesley Dill for a virtual, Zoom-based presentation. Dill was joined by poet Tom Sleigh and Rene Paul Barilleaux, head of curatorial aff...

2022-11-19 What Is Viral? What Is Value? — Open Mic

What Is Viral? What Is Value? — Open Mic
November 19, 2022

This event, held in conjunction with the MOCRA exhibition Jordan Eagles: VIRAL...